Christopher Columbus | Biography, Nationality, Voyages, Ships, Route, & Facts (2024)

Christopher Columbus

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Italian:
Cristoforo Colombo
Spanish:
Cristóbal Colón
Born:
between August 26 and October 31?, 1451, Genoa [Italy]
Died:
May 20, 1506, Valladolid, Spain
Notable Family Members:
son Diego Columbus
brother Bartholomew Columbus

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Top Questions

  • Christopher Columbus was a navigator who explored the Americas under the flag of Spain.
  • Some people think of him as the "discoverer" of America, but this is not strictly true.
  • His voyages across the Atlantic paved the way for European colonization and exploitation of the Americas.

Read more below:Legacy

Western colonialismRead more about European expansion and colonialism.

European explorationRead more about the history of European exploration.

What was Christopher Columbus looking for?

Columbus sailed in search of a route to Cathay (China) and India to bring back gold and spices that were highly sought in Europe. His patrons, Ferdinand II and Isabella I of Spain, hoped that his success would bring them greater status.

Read more below:Life: Early career and preparation for the first voyage

CathayLearn more about the region medieval Europeans knew as “Cathay.”

Where did Christopher Columbus go?

Columbus made four transatlantic voyages: 1492–93, 1493–96, 1498–1500, and 1502–04. He traveled primarily to the Caribbean, including the Bahamas, Cuba, Santo Domingo, and Jamaica, and in his latter two voyages traveled to the coasts of eastern Central America and northern South America.

Read more below:Life: The first voyage

Did Christopher Columbus discover America?

Some people say Columbus discovered America or the "New World," but Vikings such as Leif Eriksson had visited North America centuries earlier, and Native American tribes had lived in the Americas for centuries before either Columbus or the Vikings arrived.

European exploration: The Age of DiscoveryRead more about European exploration of North America.

Leif EriksonRead more about Leif Eriksson.

What was the impact of Columbus's travels?

  • Columbus's journeys to the Americas opened the way for European countries to colonize and exploit those lands and their peoples.
  • Trade was soon established between Europe and the Americas. Plants native to the Americas (such as potatoes, tomatoes, and tobacco) were imported to Europe.
  • This trade route also paved the way for the slave trade between Europe, Africa, and the Americas.
  • Explorers and settlers brought with them diseases that had a devastating effect on Native American populations. Many native peoples perished or were driven from their homes by colonizers.

18 Food Crops Developed in the Americas Read more about the Columbian exchange and food crops that were transported from the Americas to Europe.

Summarize

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Christopher Columbus (born between August 26 and October 31?, 1451, Genoa [Italy]—died May 20, 1506, Valladolid, Spain) was a master navigator and admiral whose four transatlantic voyages (1492–93, 1493–96, 1498–1500, and 1502–04) opened the way for European exploration, exploitation, and colonization of the Americas. He has long been called the “discoverer” of the New World, although Vikings such as Leif Eriksson had visited North America five centuries earlier. Columbus made his transatlantic voyages under the sponsorship of Ferdinand II and Isabella I, the Catholic Monarchs of Aragon, Castile, and Leon in Spain. He was at first full of hope and ambition, an ambition partly gratified by his title “Admiral of the Ocean Sea,” awarded to him in April 1492, and by the grants enrolled in the Book of Privileges (a record of his titles and claims). However, he died a disappointed man.

The period between the quatercentenary celebrations of Columbus’s achievements in 1892–93 and the quincentenary ones of 1992 saw great advances in Columbus scholarship. Numerous books about Columbus appeared in the 1990s, and the insights of archaeologists and anthropologists began to complement those of sailors and historians. This effort gave rise to considerable debate. There was also a major shift in approach and interpretation; the older pro-European understanding gave way to one shaped from the perspective of the inhabitants of the Americas themselves. According to the older understanding, the “discovery” of the Americas was a great triumph, one in which Columbus played the part of hero in accomplishing the four voyages, in being the means of bringing great material profit to Spain and to other European countries, and in opening up the Americas to European settlement. The more recent perspective, however, has concentrated on the destructive side of the European conquest, emphasizing, for example, the disastrous impact of the slave trade and the ravages of imported disease on the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean region and the American continents. The sense of triumph has diminished accordingly, and the view of Columbus as hero has now been replaced, for many, by one of a man deeply flawed. While this second perception rarely doubts Columbus’s sincerity or abilities as a navigator, it emphatically removes him from his position of honour. Political activists of all kinds have intervened in the debate, further hindering the reconciliation of these disparate views.

Life

Early career and preparation for the first voyage

Little is known of Columbus’s early life. The vast majority of scholars, citing Columbus’s testament of 1498 and archival documents from Genoa and Savona, believe that he was born in Genoa to a Christian household; however, it has been claimed that he was a converted Jew or that he was born in Spain, Portugal, or elsewhere. Columbus was the eldest son of Domenico Colombo, a Genoese wool worker and merchant, and Susanna Fontanarossa, his wife. His career as a seaman began effectively in the Portuguese merchant marine. After surviving a shipwreck off Cape Saint Vincent at the southwestern point of Portugal in 1476, he based himself in Lisbon, together with his brother Bartholomew. Both were employed as chart makers, but Columbus was principally a seagoing entrepreneur. In 1477 he sailed to Iceland and Ireland with the merchant marine, and in 1478 he was buying sugar in Madeira as an agent for the Genoese firm of Centurioni. In 1479 he met and married Felipa Perestrello e Moniz, a member of an impoverished noble Portuguese family. Their son, Diego, was born in 1480. Between 1482 and 1485 Columbus traded along the Guinea and Gold coasts of tropical West Africa and made at least one voyage to the Portuguese fortress of São Jorge da Mina (now Elmina, Ghana) there, gaining knowledge of Portuguese navigation and the Atlantic wind systems along the way. Felipa died in 1485, and Columbus took as his mistress Beatriz Enríquez de Harana of Córdoba, by whom he had his second son, Ferdinand (born c. 1488).

In 1484 Columbus began seeking support for an Atlantic crossing from King John II of Portugal but was denied aid. (Some conspiracy theorists have alleged that Columbus made a secret pact with the monarch, but there is no evidence of this.) By 1486 Columbus was firmly in Spain, asking for patronage from King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. After at least two rejections, he at last obtained royal support in January 1492. This was achieved chiefly through the interventions of the Spanish treasurer, Luis de Santángel, and of the Franciscan friars of La Rábida, near Huelva, with whom Columbus had stayed in the summer of 1491. Juan Pérez of La Rábida had been one of the queen’s confessors and perhaps procured him the crucial audience.

Britannica QuizExploration and Discovery

Christian missionary and anti-Islamic fervour, the power of Castile and Aragon, the fear of Portugal, the lust for gold, the desire for adventure, the hope of conquests, and Europe’s genuine need for a reliable supply of herbs and spices for cooking, preserving, and medicine all combined to produce an explosion of energy that launched the first voyage. Columbus had been present at the siege of Granada, which was the last Moorish stronghold to fall to Spain (January 2, 1492), and he was in fact riding back from Granada to La Rábida when he was recalled to the Spanish court and the vital royal audience. Granada’s fall had produced euphoria among Spanish Christians and encouraged designs of ultimate triumph over the Islamic world, albeit chiefly, perhaps, by the back way round the globe. A direct assault eastward could prove difficult, because the Ottoman Empire and other Islamic states in the region had been gaining strength at a pace that was threatening the Christian monarchies themselves. The Islamic powers had effectively closed the land routes to the East and made the sea route south from the Red Sea extremely hard to access.

In the letter that prefaces his journal of the first voyage, the admiral vividly evokes his own hopes and binds them all together with the conquest of the infidel, the victory of Christianity, and the westward route to discovery and Christian alliance:

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…and I saw the Moorish king come out of the gates of the city and kiss the royal hands of Your Highnesses…and Your Highnesses, as Catholic Christians…took thought to send me, Christopher Columbus, to the said parts of India, to see those princes and peoples and lands…and the manner which should be used to bring about their conversion to our holy faith, and ordained that I should not go by land to the eastward, by which way it was the custom to go, but by way of the west, by which down to this day we do not know certainly that anyone has passed; therefore, having driven out all the Jews from your realms and lordships in the same month of January, Your Highnesses commanded me that, with a sufficient fleet, I should go to the said parts of India, and for this accorded me great rewards and ennobled me so that from that time henceforth I might style myself “Don” and be high admiral of the Ocean Sea and viceroy and perpetual Governor of the islands and continent which I should discover…and that my eldest son should succeed to the same position, and so on from generation to generation forever.

Thus a great number of interests were involved in this adventure, which was, in essence, the attempt to find a route to the rich land of Cathay (China), to India, and to the fabled gold and spice islands of the East by sailing westward over what was presumed to be open sea. Columbus himself clearly hoped to rise from his humble beginnings in this way, to accumulate riches for his family, and to join the ranks of the nobility of Spain. In a similar manner, but at a more exalted level, the Catholic Monarchs hoped that such an enterprise would gain them greater status among the monarchies of Europe, especially against their main rival, Portugal. Then, in alliance with the papacy (in this case, with the Borgia pope Alexander VI [1492–1503]), they might hope to take the lead in the Christian war against the infidel.

At a more elevated level still, Franciscan brethren were preparing for the eventual end of the world, as they believed was prophesied in the Revelation to John. According to that eschatological vision, Christendom would recapture Jerusalem and install a Christian emperor in the Holy Land as a precondition for the coming and defeat of Antichrist, the Christian conversion of the whole human race, and the Last Judgment. Franciscans and others hoped that Columbus’s westward project would help to finance a Crusade to the Holy Land that might even be reinforced by, or coordinated with, offensives from the legendary ruler Prester John, who was thought to survive with his descendants in the lands to the east of the infidel. The emperor of Cathay—whom Europeans referred to as the Great Khan of the Golden Horde—was himself held to be interested in Christianity, and Columbus carefully carried a letter of friendship addressed to him by the Spanish monarchs. Finally, the Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias was known to have pressed southward along the coast of West Africa, beyond São Jorge da Mina, in an effort to find an easterly route to Cathay and India by sea. It would never do to allow the Portuguese to find the sea route first.

Christopher Columbus | Biography, Nationality, Voyages, Ships, Route, & Facts (2024)

FAQs

Christopher Columbus | Biography, Nationality, Voyages, Ships, Route, & Facts? ›

Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus (/kəˈlʌmbəs/; between 25 August and 31 October 1451 – 20 May 1506) was an Italian explorer and navigator from the Republic of Genoa who completed four Spanish-based voyages across the Atlantic Ocean sponsored by the Catholic Monarchs, opening the way for the widespread European exploration and ...
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Christopher_Columbus
(born between August 26 and October 31?, 1451, Genoa [Italy]—died May 20, 1506, Valladolid, Spain) was a master navigator and admiral whose four transatlantic voyages (1492–93, 1493–96, 1498–1500, and 1502–04) opened the way for European exploration, exploitation, and colonization of the Americas.

What 3 ships did Christopher Columbus sail for? ›

Columbus set sail from Spain in three ships: the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. On August 3, 1492, Italian explorer Christopher Columbus started his voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. With a crew of 90 men and three ships—the Niña, Pinta, and Santa Maria—he left from Palos de la Frontera, Spain.

What were the four voyages of Christopher Columbus to discover America? ›

The explorer Christopher Columbus made four trips across the Atlantic Ocean from Spain: in 1492, 1493, 1498 and 1502. He was determined to find a direct water route west from Europe to Asia, but he never did.

What was Christopher Columbus' nationality? ›

Christopher Columbus (/kəˈlʌmbəs/; between 25 August and 31 October 1451 – 20 May 1506) was an Italian explorer and navigator from the Republic of Genoa who completed four Spanish-based voyages across the Atlantic Ocean sponsored by the Catholic Monarchs, opening the way for the widespread European exploration and ...

What were the main events of Christopher Columbus' journey? ›

Land was first sighted on 11 October 1492 and on 12 October Columbus landed on an island in the Bahamas which he called San Salvador. The second voyage on 24 September 1493 was made by 17 boats with 1200 men. The aim of the voyage was to colonise the new discoveries and convert the native people to Christianity.

What was Columbus's sea route? ›

Columbus made four transatlantic voyages: 1492–93, 1493–96, 1498–1500, and 1502–04. He traveled primarily to the Caribbean, including the Bahamas, Cuba, Santo Domingo, and Jamaica, and in his latter two voyages traveled to the coasts of eastern Central America and northern South America.

Which Columbus ship sank? ›

Christopher Columbus Ship The Santa Maria May Have Been Found : The Two-Way The ship sank in 1492 after hitting reefs off the Haitian coast. Undersea explorer Barry Clifford says he's working with Haiti's government to carry out an archaeological excavation of the wreck.

What country did Columbus sail for? ›

Between 1492 and 1504, the Italian navigator and explorer Christopher Columbus led four transatlantic maritime expeditions in the name of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain to the Caribbean and to Central and South America. These voyages led to the widespread knowledge of the New World.

What voyage is Christopher Columbus best known for? ›

Explorer Christopher Columbus (1451–1506) is known for his 1492 'discovery' of the 'new world' of the Americas on board his ship Santa Maria.

Who actually discovered America first? ›

It was here that King Olaf I Tryggvason converted him to Christianity, and inspired him to spread the faith to Greenland's pagan settlers. But shortly thereafter, Erikson instead arrived in America around 1000 A.D. To this day, many believe that Leif Erikson is actually the man who discovered America first.

Where is Columbus buried? ›

The Tomb of Christopher Columbus is located in the Seville Cathedral since 1899. Previously, it was located in Valladolid, the Monastery of the Cartuja de Sevilla, in Santo Domingo, and in Havana.

What was America called before America? ›

My understanding was that Europeans called it Novus Mundus (New World) before it was called America. Before that "The Indies". Also it was called New Spain. Of course all the Native peoples had their own names in hundreds of languages , although not all had an idea of the geography of a whole continent.

Who funded the Columbus voyage? ›

Unsuccessful finding funding in Portugal, Columbus moved to Spain. In 1492, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabell, the joint monarchs of Spain, agreed to finance Columbus's voyage in return for the gold, spices, and riches that he might find.

What are 7 facts about Christopher Columbus? ›

“You'll never cross the ocean until you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.” – Christopher Columbus
  • Christopher Columbus was not his real name. ...
  • Christopher Columbus began a career as a seafarer at the age of fourteen and later supported himself by selling maps and charts.
  • Half of his voyages ended in disaster.

What was the 3 voyage of Christopher Columbus? ›

During his third voyage, Columbus explored the regions further to the south, where he discovered the Island of Trinidad and the huge delta of the Orinoco, which made a great impression on him. When the navigator returned to La Isabela after three years, the colony was facing severe difficulties.

Which island did Columbus first land on? ›

San Salvador Island, one of the islands of The Bahamas, in the West Indies. San Salvador is believed by many scholars to be the island of Guanahani, where Christopher Columbus made his first landing in the New World on October 12, 1492.

What were the three pilgrim ships? ›

In 1623 the ships Anne and Little James were the third and fourth ships financed by the London-based Merchant Adventurers to come out together in support of Plymouth Colony, as were Mayflower in 1620 and Fortune in 1621.

How many ships did Columbus lose? ›

We only really know the fate of one of the three ships.

"The only vessel lost out of the First Fleet was Santa Maria," notes Keith. "No one has yet been able to determine convincingly what happened to Pinta and Niña after their return to Europe," he adds.

Did Columbus sail on the Mayflower? ›

Christopher Columbus never sailed on the Mayflower. His three ships during his first voyage were the Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria.

What was Christopher Columbus first voyage in 1492? ›

A Spotlight on a Primary Source by Christopher Columbus. On August 3, 1492, Columbus set sail from Spain to find an all-water route to Asia. On October 12, more than two months later, Columbus landed on an island in the Bahamas that he called San Salvador; the natives called it Guanahani.

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