America is a part of the world that is credited with officially discovering Columbus, but history is full of dark spots.
Modern USA occupies one of the key roles in political strife, have a serious impact on other countries and world economy... But the way to so high level was long and thorny. It all started with the date of the discovery of America.
Christopher Columbus was a Spanish navigator who discovered two new continents for Europeans. He made 4 expeditions, each of which was sent by kings, hoping to find a short trade route with India.
The first expedition consisted of three ships with general composition 91 people. She ended up on the island of San Salvador on October 12, 1492.
The second expedition, consisting of 17 ships and 1,500 men, lasted from 1493 to 1496. During this time, Columbus discovered Dominica, Guadeloupe, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and about 20 other Lesser Antilles. In June, he already reported to the government about his amazing findings.
The third expedition, which included 6 ships, set off in 1498, and two years later returned to their native shores. Several other lands were discovered, including Trinidad, Margarita, the Araya and Paria peninsulas.
The last expedition, which sailed in 1502, consisted of 4 ships. In two years, the islands of Martinique, Panama, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica were discovered. In Jamaica, Columbus was wrecked, and help arrived only a year later. The travelers arrived in their native Castile in November 1504.
Date America was discovered - by the Vikings in 1000
Eric the Red was known as a great Viking. His son, Leif Erickson, was the first to set foot on American soil. After wintering in its vastness, Erickson and his expedition returned to Greenland. This happened around 1000.
Two years later, brother Thorvald Erickson, the second son of Eric the Red, founded his settlement on the territory opened by his brother. Less than a month later, his men were attacked by local Indians, killing Torvald and forcing the others to return home.
Later, the daughter of Eric the Red Freydis and his daughter-in-law Goodrid also tried to conquer new spaces. The latter even managed to trade with the Indians, offering various goods. But the Viking settlement was never able to survive in America for more than 10 years, despite constant attempts.
When did Amerigo Vespucci discover America?
Amerigo Vespucci, after whom, according to some historians, the continents are named, first visited New World as a navigator. The route of Alonso de Ojeda's expedition was chosen using a map created by Christopher Columbus. Together with him, Amerigo Vespucci took about a hundred slaves, who were the indigenous inhabitants of America.
Vespucci visited the new territory twice more - in 1501-1502 and from 1503 to 1504. If the Spaniard Christopher wanted to stock up on gold, then the Florentine Amerigo wanted to open up as many new lands as possible in order to gain glory and keep his name in history.
What does Wikipedia say about America's discovery dates?
The famous Wikipedia tells about the discovery of the American continents with unprecedented detail. In the vastness of the world encyclopedia, you can find information about all expeditions to the New World, about each of the possible discoverers, and the further history of the Indians.
Wikipedia calls the date of the discovery of America October 12, 1492, speaking about Christopher Columbus.
It was he who managed not only to discover new territories, but to capture them on his map. A more complete picture of what the continents look like was able to provide the Europeans with Amerigo Vespucci. Although his "complete" map was significantly different from the modern one.
In what year after the opening did the settlement of America begin?
The settlement of American soil began many thousands of years before its official opening. It is believed that the Eskimos, Inuit, Aleuts became the ancestors of the Indians. The Vikings, as you know, also tried to take possession of the territories of the New World. But they did not succeed - the indigenous people protected it too zealously.
After the discoveries of Columbus and Vespucci, it took almost 50 years before the first European settlements appeared.
In the American city of St. Augusting in 1565, the first small settlement of the Spaniards was organized.
In 1585 the first British colony Roanoke, which was destroyed by the Indians. The next attempt by the British was a colony in Virginia, which appeared in 1607.
And finally, the first colony in New England was the settlement located in Plymouth in 1620. It is this year that is recognized as the official date of the colonization of the New World.
Possible discoverers before Christopher Columbus
There are many people on the list of possible discoverers. Historians cannot find reliable facts of this, but there are sources indicating that the information is still correct.
Of the hypothetical discoverers, it is worth highlighting:
- Phoenicians - 370 BC;
- ancient Egyptians;
- Hui Sheng, who was the Buddhist monk who did the first, as it turned out, trip around the world- V century;
- the Irish monk Brendan, who followed in the footsteps of Shen - 6th century;
- Malay Sultan Abubakar II - 1330;
- Chinese explorer Zheng He - 1420;
- Portuguese João Corterial - 1471.
These persons had pure intentions, did not seek fame and gold, therefore they did not tell the general public about their find. They were not trying to bring back evidence or enslave the native people of America. Perhaps that is why their names are not familiar to most contemporaries, and the more cruel and greedy for gold Christopher Columbus is indicated as the discoverer of the new earth.
The fate of the indigenous people of America
The history of the discovery of America is presented in modern history how happy event, which laid the foundation for a new nation of "emigrants". But it also became a nightmare for many Indians who had to endure the indescribable horrors created by the conquerors.
The Spaniards killed several thousand of the indigenous inhabitants of America, and took several hundred into slavery. They made fun of the Indians, killed them with special cruelty, not sparing even babies. "White", who arrived in new lands, sprinkled them with blood, reducing the joyful discovery to a bloody massacre.
One of those who watched the fate of the Indians - the priest Bartolomé de Las Casas, who arrived with Columbus, tried to protect the Indians, even reached the Spanish court in the hope of pardoning them. As a result, the court decided whether it was worth calling the Indians people at all, whether they had a soul.
The negative attitude is explained by the fact that Columbus left his team to look after the New World and went home. When he returned, he saw all of his people dead. As it turned out, the Spaniards became impudent, beating the men and raping the women of the tribe, as well as killing the rebellious. The Indians, who initially considered "white" gods, quickly realized how things were, and began to defend themselves. This is what led to further tragic accidents.
Anyway, the discovery of America- a worthy event, which today is considered one of the most high-profile in the history of civilization.
The content of the article
COLUMBUS, CHRISTOPHOR(Cristoforo Colombo, Cristobal Colon) (1451–1506), the Spanish navigator who discovered America. Italian by birth. Born in Genoa between 25 August and 31 October 1451 in the family of a woolen weaver Domenico Colombo. In 1470 he began to actively participate in commercial operations (until 1473 under the leadership of his father). In 1474-1479 he made several voyages as part of the trading expeditions of the Genoese company Centurione Negro: he visited Chios, England, Ireland, the islands of Porto Santo and Madeira. In 1476 he settled in Portugal. In 1482-1484 he visited the Azores and the Guinean coast (Fort São Jorge da Mina).
In the early 1480s, he began to develop a project for sailing to the coast East Asia by the western route across the Atlantic Ocean; this idea was prompted by the works of Aristotle, Seneca, Pliny the Elder, Strabo, Plutarch, Albertus Magnus and Roger Bacon, his main inspiration was the Florentine cartographer Paolo Toscanelli (1397-1482). In 1484 he presented his project to the Portuguese king João II (1481-1495). However, in the spring of 1485, the Mathematical Junta (Lisbon Academy of Astronomy and Mathematics) recognized Columbus's calculations as "fantastic." In the summer of 1485 he left for Spain (Castile) and in January 1486 proposed his project to the Spanish royal couple - Ferdinand II of Aragon (1479-1516) and Isabella I of Castile (1474-1504), who created a special commission headed by E. de Talaveroy. In the summer of 1487, the commission issued an unfavorable opinion, nevertheless Ferdinand and Isabella postponed the decision until the end of the war with the Emirate of Granada.
In the fall of 1488, Columbus visited Portugal to re-propose his project to João II, but was again refused and returned to Spain. In 1489, he unsuccessfully tried to interest the regent of France, Anne de Beauge, and two Spanish giants, the dukes Enrique Medinasidonia and Luis Medinaceli, in the idea of sailing to the west. But after the fall of Granada, with the support of influential patrons at the Spanish court, he was able to achieve the consent of Ferdinand and Isabella: on April 17, 1492, the royal couple entered into a treaty with Columbus ("surrender") in Santa Fe, bestowing on him the title of nobility, the titles of Admiral of the Sea-Ocean, vice - the king and governor-general of all the islands and continents that he will discover. The post of admiral gave Columbus the right to decide in disputes arising in matters of trade, the post of viceroy made him the personal representative of the monarch, and the post of governor-general provided the highest civil and military power... Columbus was given the right to receive a tenth of everything found in the new lands and an eighth of the profits from trade operations with overseas goods. The Spanish crown pledged to fund most expedition expenses.
Ivan Krivushin
What year and where was Christopher Columbus born?
CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS....Christopher Columbus received a title of nobility and was officially appointed admiral of all islands and continents that he could discover or acquire, as well as viceroy and chief ruler in these territories. Part of the funds for the sea expedition to Columbus was given by Italian merchants and financiers, the other part was allocated by the monarchs of Spain ...
FIRST EXPEDITION
(1492 - 1493): August 3, 1492 ships "Santa Maria", "Pinta" and "Niña" left Palos and turned west from the Canary Islands, crossed Atlantic Ocean, having discovered the Sargasso Sea, and one of the Bahamas, which was named about. San Salvador. On October 28, Columbus landed in Cuba, then on about. Haiti and moved along the northern coast, but the flagship "Santa Maria" landed on the reef. By using local residents cannons, supplies and valuable cargo were removed from the ship
A fort was built from the wreckage of the ship -
the first European settlement in America, named on the occasion of Christmas "Navidad". On March 15, 1493, Columbus returned to Spain in the "Niña".
SECOND EXPEDITION
(1493 - 1496): 17 ships participated. In November 1493, they discovered the islands of Dominica, Guadeloupe, the Lesser Antilles, and Puerto Rico. In March 1494, in search of gold, Columbus made a military campaign deep into the island of Haiti, discovered about. Juventud and Jamaica. A new settlement was founded in Haiti, named after Queen Isabella of Spain. Columbus's brother Bartolomeo, who founded the colony of New Isabella, (Santo Domingo) In the spring of 1496, Columbus sailed back to Spain and announced the opening of the route to Asia.
THIRD EXPEDITION,
The first land, discovered on July 31, 1498, was named Trinity Island, Trinidad in Spanish. Columbus's ships entered the Gulf of Paria, discovering the mouth of the western branch of the Orinoco Delta and the Paria Peninsula, and marked the beginning of the discovery of South America. Columbus arrived in Haiti on August 31. In 1499, Columbus's right to open new lands was canceled, and in 1500 he was arrested and sent to Spain in shackles, but he was soon released.
FOURTH EXPEDITION
(1502 - 1504): 4 ships. In June 1502, Columbus discovered Martinique, then the land of the Mayans (Honduras), the Mosquito Coast (Nicaragua) and the Gold Coast (Costa Rica). In 1502, ships came to the bay, which in 400 years will become the northern entrance to the Panama Canal. In April 1503, Columbus reached the Uraba Strait and turned back to Haiti. Along the way, we discovered the Cayman Islands, called "turtle" islands; and in May 1503 there was a wreck off the coast of Jamaica. Columbus returned to Spain in 1504 as a sick man ... and in May 1506 ... he was gone ...
Hi Hi! Today is the time of the greats geographical discoveries and I want to talk about Columbus.
Christopher Columbus, whose biography is very fascinating, will help us better imagine the history of the discovery of America.
We will review all of his expeditions to the New World with the most interesting details.
(1451 - 1506) - the great Spanish navigator of Italian origin. He made four transatlantic expeditions to America.
Columbus was born in the Italian Republic of Genoa. His family had three younger brother(Bartolomeo, Giovanni Pellegrino and Giacomo) and younger sister(Biancinetta).
Columbus's expeditions to new world after 1492, Bartolomeo and Giacomo took part and they were called in Spanish Bartolome and Diego. Christopher Columbus became a sailor very early and after Mediterranean he sailed on merchant ships in 1474 and 1475. from Genoa to about. Chios.
In May 1476, Columbus, as a clerk of a Genoese trading house, went to Portugal, where he lived for 9 years.
Columbus flew the Portuguese flag to Ireland and England, and possibly Iceland. He also visited the Canary Islands and Madeira, and traveled along the western coast of Africa to the Portuguese trading post of São Jorjima Mina (present-day Ghana).
In Portugal, he married and became a member of a mixed Italian-Portuguese family. He soon suggested that by moving westward, one could arrive in Asia.
Columbus, around 1483, tried to interest the Portuguese king João II with his plan of an expedition to Asia by the western route. But the king, for unknown reasons, refused to Columbus.
Columbus left Portugal in 1485 and decided to try his luck in Spain. In early 1486, while the royal court was at Alcala de Henaresi, Columbus received an audience with the king and queen.
Queen Isabella of Castile and her husband, King Ferdinand of Aragon, became interested in Columbus's project.
They assured Columbus that they could support him after the end of the long war to free Granada from the Moors.
While he was waiting for the end of the war, he met a young woman, Beatriz Henriquez de Arana. Despite the fact that they were never married, their son Hernando (Fernando) was born in 1488.
During the fourth voyage of Columbus across the Atlantic Ocean, Fernando accompanied him. He later wrote a biography of his father.
During the regiment of Granada in January 1492, he was invited to the court. In May, the monarchs agreed to support Columbus's project and promised to confer on him the rank of nobility and the titles of admiral, viceroy and governor-general of all the continents and islands that he would open.
The representatives of the Seville merchants gave money to equip the expedition. The sailors of the port city of Palos, at the request of the monarchs, provided two ships for the expedition of Columbus.
These were two caravels: "Pinta" and "Ninya". In addition, he chartered a 4-masted sailing vessel (Nao), which was named "Santa Maria".
Columbus, with the help of the famous sailor Martin Alonso Pinson, recruited a crew of 90 people. On August 3, 1492, 3 ships left Palos. First, a small flotilla headed for the Canary Islands.
In September 1492, Columbus's expedition repaired their ships and replenished their provisions, after which they left the island of Homer in the Canary archipelago and headed west.
Columbus and other pilots used a navigation system that relied on the calculation of direction, time, and speed while plotting a ship's course and positioning it.
They determined the direction by the compass(more about the types of compass), time (about the concept of time) - by using hourglass, and speed - by eye. In the logbook, Columbus maintained two distance calculation systems: one for himself and the other for the team.
He didn't try to fool the team, contrary to legend. On the contrary, he obviously calculated the course first in the units that he learned in Portugal and Italy, and then translated these numbers into measurements that were adopted by Spanish sailors.
The journey proceeded calmly, with favorable winds and almost no quarrels on the part of the team. Duty officer on the "Pinta" J. Rodriguez Bermejo, on October 12 at two o'clock saw fire ahead. The ships at dawn, near an island in the archipelago of the Bahamas, anchored.
The Tubilians from the Taino tribe called this island Guanahani, and Columbus renamed it San Salvador. Christopher Columbus called the Tubilians Indians, believing that he was in Asia(more about this part of the world).
The flotilla, with the help of the Indians, continued its voyage in the waters of the Bahamas archipelago and reached Cuba on 28 October.
Columbus all this time in vain was looking for the rich ports of Asia. Without Columbus's permission, Captain Pinson left Cuba and went to search for new lands on the Pinta in order to establish trade with the Tubilians.
On the two remaining ships, Columbus headed for the big island, which he named Hispaniola (translated as "Spanish Island", now Haiti), and explored its northern coast.
The Santa Maria, through the fault of a young shift sailor, ran aground on Christmas morning and crashed. Columbus, on the only ship "Ninya", reached the coast and for the first time fell asleep in the New World of the settlement - Fort Navidad, in which he left 39 people.
On January 4, 1493, Columbus prepared to return to Spain on the Niña, and sailed east along the northern coast of Hispaniola. Pinson soon joined him, and on January 16, the Niña and Pinta sailed to Spain.
To prove that he had reached a part of the world unknown before to Europeans, he took 7 Indians with him. After a while, a favorable wind drove his ships to the Azores.
The Spaniards reached the coast of Portugal on March 4, and stopped there for rest and repair of ships. Columbus paid a courtesy call to King João II and sailed for Spain on 13 March. Ninya arrived in Palos 2 days later.
Columbus was warmly greeted by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. To the privileges that they had promised him earlier, they gave permission for a larger second expedition.
Christopher Columbus assured them that near the islands he discovered, there was a rich Asian continent, where he wanted to establish a colony.
Columbus's plans were supported by Ferdinand and Isabella, they provided him with people and ships to go to Hispaniola. The queen ordered to convert the Tubilians to the Christian faith.
Columbus easily found 1,200 people who agreed to go with him as future settlers. On September 25, 1493, a flotilla of 17 ships (including 3 large ship) and reached the Canary Islands on October 2, and after 10 days went across the Atlantic Ocean.
On one of the islands of the Caribbean, Columbus landed on November 3, and named him Dominica. From there he sailed to the Coast of Hispaniola along the Lesser Antilles and Virgin Islands.
To the surprise of the newcomers, it turned out that all 39 people left in Navidad in January were killed (mainly as a result of clashes with the Tubilites).
Columbus, despite this, founded a new settlement, and named it La Isabella in honor of the Queen of Spain (January 1494). The place for the settlement, unfortunately, was chosen unsuccessfully: it was not nearby fresh water, and he was soon, therefore, abandoned.
In addition to prospecting for gold and locating the ports of the Greater Chinese Khanate, Columbus was engaged in the slave trade.
He and his people, armed with arquebus, together with horses and fighting dogs, passed through the territory of Hispaniola, exchanging gold, and if they met resistance, they beat off the gold by force and took prisoners.
Columbus left his brother Diego to manage Espanyola. And he himself made an expedition in the spring of 1494 along south coast Cuba, discovering a number of new islands, including Jamaica.
On Espanyola, during the absence of Columbus, 3 ships arrived under the command of his brother Bartolomé. He found the colony in a state of chaos.
These ships were captured by a group of disappointed colonists who fled to their homeland. In March 1495, Columbus began the conquest of Hispaniola using barbaric methods. During this conquest, thousands of Indians were captured or killed.
The Spanish monarchs were upset with this message, and they sent J. Aguado to check the cases, who, at the end of 1495, confirmed their worst expectations: among the Indians, the mortality rate was very high, mainly due to the cruel policies of the colonists.
The number of Europeans, in addition, has significantly decreased due to illness and desertion. On March 10, 1496, Columbus went to Spain, and in his place on Espagnola left his brother Bartolomé, and on June 11, 1496 he arrived in Cadiz.
Isabella and Ferdinand in 1496 no longer hoped that they would be able to quickly benefit from Columbus's projects.
Columbus, despite all the accusations of lack of management ability, managed to convince the monarchs to give permission for third expedition .
He could use 1 nao and 2 caravels to find new lands, as well as 3 more caravels to deliver new colonists and food to Hispaniola.
Near the island of Homer, a flotilla divided, which left the mouth of the Guadalquivir on May 30, 1498. 3 vessels took the course to Espanyola.
On the other three ships, Columbus went south, reached the Cape Verde Islands and turned west on July 7. On July 31, he discovered the island of Trinidad, and then headed northwest to the shores of America.
Then he discovered a wide delta of some kind of river (in modern Venezuela, the Orinoco River), and realized that there is a huge land mass there.
After exploring the coast in the Orinoco delta and the discovery of about. Margarita, Columbus went to Hispaniola, where Bartolomé and Diego could not put things in order.
Isabella and Ferdinand, concerned about Columbus's reports, sent F. de Bobadillo to investigate the colony's affairs.
He quickly assessed the situation, and arrested all three brothers of Christopher Columbus, confiscated all their money, put them in chains, and in December 1500 sent them to Spain.
Immediately after their return, Columbus was summoned to Granada. The monarchs convinced the Genoese that they never ordered him to be kept in shackles. However, until September 1501, they delayed the consideration of his applications for the renewal of rights.
Ferdinand and Isabella returned all property and part of the titles to Columbus, but did not leave any powers of authority. Also, the monarchs did not give their consent for a new expedition for a long time. They began to create a new structure for governing the colonies, and N. de Ovando was appointed governor of Hispaniola.
In February 1502, Ovando sailed to the Caribbean on 30 ships with large group settlers.
New expedition Columbus was allowed to lead only in March 1502. The flotilla of Columbus' fourth expedition consisted of 4 small caravels.
On May 11, 1502, the 51-year-old admiral and his 13-year-old son Hernando sailed from Cadiz on a flagship.
On May 25 they left the Canary Islands, crossed the Atlantic, and on June 15 reached an island Columbus named Martinique.
Hispaniola flotilla reached on June 29, passing along the islands of the Antilles archipelago. Columbus and his companions soon made a new journey, which took place mainly along the coast of Central America.
The admiral no longer believed that he was in Asia. On the territory of modern Panama lived Indian Guay, who traded in gold with the expedition members, but they opposed all methods of the Europeans to establish a settlement.
Guayami forced the Spaniards to leave the coast of Central America in May 1503. One of the ships sank into the sea, and the remaining three ships barely kept afloat.
Columbus left another ship, and then went to Jamaica, near the shores of which, the ships ran aground.
Columbus spent a whole year in Jamaica until a ship from Hispanyola rescued him at the end of June 1504. Only in November 1504, Columbus was able to return to Spain.
On May 21, 1506, Columbus died in the Spanish city of Valladolidi. He died without ever knowing that he was the discoverer of the New World.
In 1513, his coffin was transported to Seville, and then, around 1542, it was reburied in the cathedral of the city of Santo Domingo (now the Dominican Republic).
Yes, the process of discovery and development of the New World by the colonists was so interesting and difficult. And Christopher Columbus helped us get to know this, whose biography told us everything🙂
Surely every student can easily answer the question of what Christopher Columbus discovered. Of course, America! However, let's think about whether this knowledge is too scanty, because most of us do not even know where this famous discoverer came from, what was his life path and in what era he lived.
This article aims to tell in all details about the discoveries of Christopher Columbus. In addition, the reader will have a unique opportunity to get acquainted with interesting data and chronology of events that took place several centuries ago.
What did the great navigator discover?
Christopher Columbus, a traveler now known to the whole planet, was originally an ordinary Spanish navigator who worked both on the ship and in the port and, in fact, practically did not differ from the same eternally busy hard workers.
It was later, in 1492, that he would become a celebrity - the man who discovered America, the first Europeans to cross the Atlantic Ocean to the Caribbean.
By the way, not everyone knows that it was Christopher Columbus who laid the foundation for a detailed study of not only America itself, but also practically all the nearby archipelagos.
Although here I would like to make an amendment. The Spanish navigator was far from the only traveler who set out to conquer unknown worlds. In fact, even in the Middle Ages, curious Icelandic Vikings already visited America. But at the time of such widespread this information did not receive, therefore the whole world believes that it was the expedition of Christopher Columbus who was able to popularize information about American lands and initiate the colonization of the whole continent by Europeans.
The story of Christopher Columbus. Secrets and mysteries of his biography
This man was and remains one of the most mysterious historical figures on the planet. Unfortunately, not so many facts have survived that tell about its origin and occupation before the first expedition. In those days, Christopher Columbus, we briefly note, was practically nothing, that is, he did not differ significantly from the usual average sailor, and therefore it is practically impossible to distinguish him from the general mass.
By the way, that is why, lost in conjecture and trying to surprise the readership, historians have written hundreds of books about him. Almost all such manuscripts are filled with speculation and unverified statements. But in fact, not even the original of the logbook of the first expedition of Columbus has survived.
It is believed that Christopher Columbus was born in 1451 (according to another, unverified version - in 1446), between August 25 and October 31, in the Italian city of Genoa.
Today, a number of Spanish and Italian cities ascribe to themselves the honor of being called the small homeland of the discoverer. As for his social status, it is only known that Columbus's family was not at all of noble origin, none of his ancestors was a navigator.
Modern researchers believe that Columbus Sr. earned his living by hard labor and was either a weaver or a wool cardiner. Although there is also a version that the navigator's father served as the senior guard of the city gates.
Of course, Christopher Columbus's journey did not begin immediately. Probably from the very early childhood the boy began to earn money, helping the elders to support the family. Perhaps he was a cabin boy on ships and that is why he loved the sea so much. Unfortunately, more detailed records of how the childhood and adolescence of this famous person, has not survived.
As for education, there is a version that H. Columbus studied at the University of Pavia, but there is no documentary evidence of this fact. Therefore, it is quite possible that he received a home education as well. Be that as it may, this person had excellent knowledge in the field of navigation, which provides far from superficial knowledge in mathematics, geometry, cosmography and geography.
It is also known that in an older age, Christopher Columbus worked as a cartographer, and then went to work in a local printing house. He spoke not only his native Portuguese, but also Italian and Spanish... Good command of Latin helped him in deciphering maps and chronicles. There is evidence that the navigator could write a little in Hebrew.
It is also known that Columbus was a prominent man, whom the ladies constantly looked at. So, serving in Portugal in some Genoese trading house, the future discoverer of America met his future wife dona Felipe Moniz de Palestrello. They married in 1478. Soon the couple had a son, Diego. The wife's family was also not rich, but it was the wife's noble origin that allowed Christopher to establish contacts, establish useful contacts in the circles of the Portuguese nobility
As for the nationality of the traveler, there are even more mysteries. Some researchers prove Jewish origin Columbus, but there are also versions of Spanish, German and Portuguese roots.
Christopher's official religion was Catholic. Why can we say this? The fact is that, according to the rules of that era, otherwise he would simply not have been allowed into the same Spain. Although, it is quite possible that he was hiding his true religion.
Apparently, many mysteries of the navigator's biography will remain unsolved for all of us.
Pre-Columbian America or what the discoverer saw when he arrived on the mainland
America, prior to its discovery, was a land inhabited by certain groups of people who had been in a kind of natural isolation for centuries. All of them, by the will of fate, were cut off from the rest of the planet. However, despite all this, they were able to create high culture demonstrating unlimited possibilities and skill.
The uniqueness of these civilizations lies in the fact that by their nature they are considered natural and ecological, and not technogenic, like ours. Local aborigines, Indians, did not seek to transform environment on the contrary, their settlements blended with nature as harmoniously as possible.
Experts say that all civilizations that arose in North Africa, Asia, and Europe developed approximately in the same way. In pre-Columbian America, this development took place in a different way, therefore, for example, the contrast between the population of the city and the village was minimal. The cities of the ancient Indians also contained vast agricultural lands. The only significant difference between the city and the countryside was the area occupied by the territory.
At the same time, the civilization of pre-Columbian America did not make much progress in what Europe and Asia were able to climb. For example, the Indians were not very eager to improve the technology of metal processing. If in the Old World bronze was considered the main metal and new lands were conquered for the sake of it, then in pre-Columbian America this material was used exclusively as decoration.
But the civilizations of the New World are interesting for their unique structures, sculptures and paintings, which were characterized by a completely different style.
The beginning of the way
In 1485, after the categorical refusal of the King of Portugal to invest in a project to find the shortest sea route to India, Columbus moved to permanent place residence in Castile. There, with the help of Andalusian merchants and bankers, he still managed to organize a government sea expedition.
For the first time, the ship of Christopher Columbus went on a year-long voyage in 1492. The expedition was attended by 90 people.
By the way, contrary to a fairly widespread misconception, there were three ships, and they were called "Santa Maria", "Pinta" and "Niña".
The expedition left Palos at the very beginning of the sultry August 1492. From the Canary Islands, the flotilla headed west, where without special problems crossed the Atlantic Ocean.
Along the way, the sailing team discovered the Sargasso Sea and successfully reached the Bahamas, where they landed on land on October 12, 1492. Since then, this very date has become the official day of the discovery of America.
In 1986, the geographer from the United States J. Judge carefully processed all available materials about this expedition on a computer and came to the conclusion that the first land that Christopher saw was Fr. Samana. From about October 14, for ten days, the expedition approached several more Bahamas, and by December 5, it opened part of the coast of Cuba. On December 6, the team reached Fr. Haiti.
Then the ships moved along the northern coast, and then luck changed the pioneers. On the night of December 25, the Santa Maria suddenly landed on the reef. True, this time the crew was lucky - all the sailors survived.
Columbus's second voyage
The second expedition took place in 1493-1496, it was led by Columbus already in the official position of viceroy of the lands opened to him.
It is worth noting that the team has grown significantly - the expedition already consisted of 17 vessels. According to various sources, the expedition was attended by 1.5-2.5 thousand people.
At the beginning of November 1493, the islands of Dominica, Guadeloupe and twenty Lesser Antilles were discovered, and on November 19 - about. Puerto Rico. In March 1494, Columbus, in search of gold, decided to make a military campaign on about. Haiti, then in the summer he opened about. Juventud and Fr. Jamaica.
For 40 days, the famous navigator carefully surveyed the south of Haiti, but in the spring of 1496 he sailed home all the same, completing his second voyage on June 11 in Castile.
By the way, it was then that H. Columbus informed the public about the opening of a new route to Asia.
Third expedition
The third trip took place in the years 1498-1500 and was not as numerous as the previous one. Only 6 ships took part in it, and the navigator himself led three of them across the Atlantic.
On July 31, the first year of the trip, Fr. Trinidad, ships entered the Gulf of Paria, as a result of which the peninsula of the same name was discovered. This is how South America was discovered.
Out into the Caribbean, on August 31, Columbus landed in Haiti. Already in 1499 the monopoly right of Christopher Columbus to new lands was canceled, the royal couple sent their representative F. Bobadilla to the destination, who in 1500 was arrested on the denunciation of Columbus together with his brothers.
The navigator, shackled, was sent to Castile, where local financiers persuaded royal family release him.
Fourth voyage to American shores
What continued to excite such a restless person like Columbus? Christopher, for whom America was already practically a passed stage, wanted to find new way from there to South Asia... The traveler believed that such a route exists, for he observed off the coast of about. Cuba has a strong current that flowed westward across the Caribbean Sea. As a result, he was able to convince the king to give permission for a new expedition.
Columbus went on his fourth trip with his brother Bartolomeo and his 13-year-old son, Hernando. He was lucky to discover the mainland south of about. Cuba is the coast of Central America. And Columbus was the first to inform Spain about the Indian peoples inhabiting the coast of the South Sea.
But, unfortunately, he never found the strait in the South Sea. I had to return home with almost nothing.
Facts not yet clarified, the study of which is ongoing
The distance from Palos to the Canaries is 1600 km, the ships participating in the Columbus expedition covered this distance in 6 days, that is, they covered 250-270 km per day. The route to the Canary Islands was well known, it did not present any difficulties. But it was in this area on August 6 (possibly 7) that a strange breakdown occurred on the Pinta. According to some reports, the steering wheel broke down, according to others, a leak occurred. This circumstance aroused suspicion, because then the "Pinta" crossed the Atlantic twice. Prior to that, she quite successfully covered about 13 thousand km, visited terrible storms and arrived in Palos without damage. Therefore, there is a version that the accident was set up by the crew at the request of the co-owner of the ship K. Quintero. Perhaps, the sailors received part of the salary in their hands, spent it. They saw no more sense in risking their lives, and the owner himself had already received a lot of money for renting the Pinta. So it was logical to simulate a breakdown and stay safe on Canary Islands... It seems that the captain of the "Pinta" Martin Pinson still saw through the conspirators and stopped them.
Already on the second trip of Columbus, intentional colonists set sail with him, the ships loaded cattle, implements, seeds, etc. The colonists laid down their city somewhere in the vicinity of the modern city of Santo Domingo. The same expedition discovered Fr. Lesser Antilles, Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Jamaica. But Christopher Columbus to the last remained under the opinion that he had discovered western India, and not a new land.
Interesting data from the life of the discoverer
Of course, unique and very cognitive information weight. But in this article, we would like to cite the most interesting facts as examples.
- When Christopher lived in Seville, he was friends with the genius Amerigo Vespucci.
- King João II at first refused to organize an expedition to Columbus, but then sent his sailors on a voyage along the route proposed by Christopher. True, due to a strong storm, the Portuguese had to return home with nothing.
- After Columbus was shackled during the third expedition, he decided to keep the chains as a talisman for the rest of his life.
- By order of Christopher Columbus, for the first time in the history of navigation, Indian hammocks were used as sailor bunks.
- It was Columbus who suggested that the Spanish king, in order to save money, populate new lands with criminals.
The historical significance of the expeditions
Everything that Christopher Columbus discovered was appreciated only half a century later. Why so late? The fact is that only after this period, whole galleons filled with gold and silver began to be delivered to the Old World from colonized Mexico and Peru.
The Spanish royal treasury spent only 10 kg of gold on the preparation of the expedition, and in three hundred years Spain managed to take it out of America precious metals, the cost of which was at least 3 million kg of pure gold.
Alas, wild gold did not benefit Spain, it did not stimulate the development of industry or the economy. And as a result, the country still hopelessly lagged behind many European states.
Today, not only numerous ships and ships, cities, rivers and mountains are named in honor of Christopher Columbus, but also, for example, currency unit El Salvador, State of Colombia located in South America, as well as a well-known state in the United States.
