The exploration and colonization of the American continents, are of great significance in world history. Christopher Columbus was a navigator and an admiral for Castile, a country that later founded modern Spain. He made four voyages to the Americas, with his first in 1492, which resulted in what is widely referred to as the Discovery of America. He did not actually reach the mainland until his third voyage, in 1498, when he reached South America, and the fourth voyage, when he reached Central America.
Columbus' discovery subsequently led to the major European sea powers' sending expeditions to the New World to build trade networks and colonies and to convert the native peoples to Christianity. Pope Alexander VI divided "newly discovered" lands outside Europe between Spain and Portugal (Treaty of Tordesillas) along a north-south meridian 370 leagues west of the Cape Verde islands. This division was never accepted by the rulers of England or France.
In 1492 the joint rulers of the Castille and Aragon, Isabel and Fernindad, called the Catholic Kings, conquered the Moorish kingdom of Granada, which had been providing Castile with African goods through tribute, and they decided to fund Christopher Columbus' expedition that they hoped would bypass Portugal's lock on Africa and the Indian Ocean reaching Asia by travelling west.
In 1485, Columbus presented his plans to John II of Portugal, the King of Portugal. He proposed the king equip three sturdy ships and grant Columbus one year's time to sail out west into the Atlantic, search for a western route to the Orient, and return. Columbus also requested he be made "Great Admiral of the Ocean Sea" (for they called the Atlantic the Ocean Sea), appointed governor of any and all lands he 'discovered', and be given one-tenth of all revenue from those lands. The king submitted the proposal to his experts, who rejected it after many years.
On May 1, 1489, Columbus presented his plans to Queen Isabella, He finally had success in 1492. Queen Isabella's forces had just conquered the Moorish Emirate of Granada, the last Muslim stronghold of Al-Andalus on the Iberian peninsula, for Castile. Spain, having just completed the expensive Reconquista, was desperate for a competitive edge over other European countries in trade with the East Indies. Columbus promised such an advantage.
A spherical Earth had been the general opinion of Ancient Greek science, and this view continued through the Middle Ages. In fact Eratosthenes had measured the diameter of the Earth with good precision in the 2nd century BC. Where Columbus did differ from the generally accepted view of his time is his (very incorrect) arguments that assumed a significantly smaller diameter for the Earth, claiming that Asia could be easily reached by sailing west across the Atlantic.
On the evening of August 3, 1492, Columbus departed from Castilian Palos de la Frontera with three ships., called "La Pinta", "La Niña", and "La Santa María" .They were property of Juan de la Cosa and the Pinzón brothers, (Martín Alonso Pinzón and Vicente Yáñez Pinzón). Columbus first sailed to the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa.
On September 6, he departed San Sebastián de la Gomera for what turned out to be a five-week voyage across the ocean.
After 29 days out of sight of land, on October 7, 1492, the crew spotted flocks of birds, some of which his sailors trapped and determined to be "field" birds. Columbus changed course to follow their flight.
Land was sighted at 2 a.m. on October 12, by a sailor named Rodrigo de Triana (also known as Juan Rodriguez Bermejo) aboard La Pinta. The tree ships were called "La Pinta", "La Niña", y "La Santa Maria".
He was received as a hero in Spain. He displayed several kidnapped and enslaved indigenous persons and what gold he had found to the court, as well as the previously unknown tobacco plant, the pineapple fruit, the turkey and the sailor's first love, the hammock. He did not bring any of the coveted East Indies spices, such as the exceedingly expensive black pepper, ginger or cloves. In his log, he wrote "there is also plenty of ají, which is their pepper, which is more valuable than black pepper, and all the people eat nothing else, it being very wholesome" . The word ají is still used in South American Spanish for chili peppers.
Columbus made 3 more voyages to the Americas.
Columbus' discovery subsequently led to the major European sea powers' sending expeditions to the New World to build trade networks and colonies and to convert the native peoples to Christianity. Pope Alexander VI divided "newly discovered" lands outside Europe between Spain and Portugal (Treaty of Tordesillas) along a north-south meridian 370 leagues west of the Cape Verde islands. This division was never accepted by the rulers of England or France.
In 1492 the joint rulers of the Castille and Aragon, Isabel and Fernindad, called the Catholic Kings, conquered the Moorish kingdom of Granada, which had been providing Castile with African goods through tribute, and they decided to fund Christopher Columbus' expedition that they hoped would bypass Portugal's lock on Africa and the Indian Ocean reaching Asia by travelling west.
In 1485, Columbus presented his plans to John II of Portugal, the King of Portugal. He proposed the king equip three sturdy ships and grant Columbus one year's time to sail out west into the Atlantic, search for a western route to the Orient, and return. Columbus also requested he be made "Great Admiral of the Ocean Sea" (for they called the Atlantic the Ocean Sea), appointed governor of any and all lands he 'discovered', and be given one-tenth of all revenue from those lands. The king submitted the proposal to his experts, who rejected it after many years.
On May 1, 1489, Columbus presented his plans to Queen Isabella, He finally had success in 1492. Queen Isabella's forces had just conquered the Moorish Emirate of Granada, the last Muslim stronghold of Al-Andalus on the Iberian peninsula, for Castile. Spain, having just completed the expensive Reconquista, was desperate for a competitive edge over other European countries in trade with the East Indies. Columbus promised such an advantage.
A spherical Earth had been the general opinion of Ancient Greek science, and this view continued through the Middle Ages. In fact Eratosthenes had measured the diameter of the Earth with good precision in the 2nd century BC. Where Columbus did differ from the generally accepted view of his time is his (very incorrect) arguments that assumed a significantly smaller diameter for the Earth, claiming that Asia could be easily reached by sailing west across the Atlantic.
On the evening of August 3, 1492, Columbus departed from Castilian Palos de la Frontera with three ships., called "La Pinta", "La Niña", and "La Santa María" .They were property of Juan de la Cosa and the Pinzón brothers, (Martín Alonso Pinzón and Vicente Yáñez Pinzón). Columbus first sailed to the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa.
On September 6, he departed San Sebastián de la Gomera for what turned out to be a five-week voyage across the ocean.
After 29 days out of sight of land, on October 7, 1492, the crew spotted flocks of birds, some of which his sailors trapped and determined to be "field" birds. Columbus changed course to follow their flight.
Land was sighted at 2 a.m. on October 12, by a sailor named Rodrigo de Triana (also known as Juan Rodriguez Bermejo) aboard La Pinta. The tree ships were called "La Pinta", "La Niña", y "La Santa Maria".
First voyage of Columbus
He was received as a hero in Spain. He displayed several kidnapped and enslaved indigenous persons and what gold he had found to the court, as well as the previously unknown tobacco plant, the pineapple fruit, the turkey and the sailor's first love, the hammock. He did not bring any of the coveted East Indies spices, such as the exceedingly expensive black pepper, ginger or cloves. In his log, he wrote "there is also plenty of ají, which is their pepper, which is more valuable than black pepper, and all the people eat nothing else, it being very wholesome" . The word ají is still used in South American Spanish for chili peppers.
Columbus made 3 more voyages to the Americas.
Second voyage of Columbus
Third voyage of Columbus
Fourth voyage of Columbus
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