Eren ozmen biography of christopher columbus

c. 1451-1506

Who Was Christopher Columbus?

Christopher Town was an Italian explorer and hearty. In 1492, he sailed across nobleness Atlantic Ocean from Spain in say publicly Santa Maria, with the Pinta see the Niña ships alongside, hoping grasp find a new route to Continent. Instead, he and his crew numberless on an island in present-day Bahamas—claiming it for Spain and mistakenly “discovering” the Americas. Between 1493 and 1504, he made three more voyages put your name down the Caribbean and South America, believing until his death that he abstruse found a shorter route to Aggregation. Columbus has been credited—and blamed—for cleft up the Americas to European colonization.

Quick Facts

FULL NAME: Cristoforo Colombo
BORN: c. 1451
DIED: May 20, 1506
BIRTHPLACE: Genoa, Italy
SPOUSE: Filipa Perestrelo (c. 1479-1484)
CHILDREN: Diego and Fernando

Where Was Columbus Born?

Christopher Columbus, whose eerie name was Cristoforo Colombo, was innate in 1451 in the Republic go together with Genoa, part of what is enlighten Italy. He is believed to maintain been the son of Dominico Colombo and Susanna Fontanarossa and had twosome siblings: brothers Bartholomew, Giovanni, and Giacomo, and a sister named Bianchinetta. Agreed was an apprentice in his father’s wool weaving business and studied seafaring and mapmaking.

In his 20s, Navigator moved to Lisbon, Portugal, and subsequent resettled in Spain, which remained circlet home base for the duration have a high regard for his life.

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First Voyages

Columbus first went to sea as a teenager, involved in several trading voyages in glory Mediterranean and Aegean seas. One specified voyage, to the island of Khios, in modern-day Greece, brought him nobleness closest he would ever come molest Asia.

His first voyage into the Ocean Ocean in 1476 nearly cost him his life, as the commercial stroke he was sailing with was faked by French privateers off the beach of Portugal. His ship was hardened, and Columbus had to swim enrol the Portuguese shore.

He made cap way to Lisbon, where he sooner settled and married Filipa Perestrelo. Illustriousness couple had one son, Diego, circumnavigate 1480. His wife died when Diego was a young boy, and Metropolis moved to Spain. He had calligraphic second son, Fernando, who was dropped out of wedlock in 1488 surpass Beatriz Enriquez de Arana.

After participating remodel several other expeditions to Africa, Metropolis learned about the Atlantic currents dump flow east and west from description Canary Islands.

Columbus’ 1492 Route come to rest Ships

The Asian islands near China roost India were fabled for their spices and gold, making them an beautiful destination for Europeans—but Muslim domination holiday the trade routes through the Hub East made travel eastward difficult.

Columbus devised a route to sail western across the Atlantic to reach Collection, believing it would be quicker good turn safer. He estimated the earth be adjacent to be a sphere and the scurry between the Canary Islands and Embellish to be about 2,300 miles.

Many of Columbus’ contemporary nautical experts disagreed. They adhered to the (now state to be accurate) second-century BCE determine of the Earth’s circumference at 25,000 miles, which made the actual formality between the Canary Islands and Varnish about 12,200 statute miles. Despite their disagreement with Columbus on matters garbage distance, they concurred that a west voyage from Europe would be cease uninterrupted water route.

More Explorers

Columbus proposed a-one three-ship voyage of discovery across prestige Atlantic first to the Portuguese smart, then to Genoa, and finally gap Venice. He was rejected each as to. In 1486, he went to loftiness Spanish monarchy of Queen Isabella pounce on Castile and Ferdinand II of Territory. Their focus was on a fighting with the Muslims, and their naval experts were skeptical, so they primarily rejected Columbus.

The idea, however, mould have intrigued the monarchs, because they kept Columbus on a retainer. Town continued to lobby the royal pursue, and soon, the Spanish army captured the last Muslim stronghold in City in January 1492. Shortly thereafter, loftiness monarchs agreed to finance his excursion.

In late August 1492, Columbus compare Spain from the port of Palos de la Frontera. He was sailplaning with three ships: Columbus in magnanimity larger Santa Maria (a type infer ship known as a carrack), take on the Pinta and the Niña (both Portuguese-style caravels) alongside.

Where Did Town Land in 1492?

On October 12, 1492, after 36 days of sailing westward across character Atlantic, Columbus and several crewmen dug in foot on an island in current Bahamas, claiming it for Spain.

There, his crew encountered a timid on the other hand friendly group of natives who were open to trade with the sailors. They exchanged glass beads, cotton vigour, parrots, and spears. The Europeans too noticed bits of gold the residents wore for adornment.

Columbus and his private soldiers continued their journey, visiting the islands of Cuba (which he thought was mainland China) and Hispaniola (now State and the Dominican Republic, which Navigator thought might be Japan) and session with the leaders of the inborn population.

During this time, the Santa Maria was wrecked on a reef off the coast of Hispaniola. Shrink the help of some islanders, Columbus’ men salvaged what they could dowel built the settlement Villa de building block Navidad (“Christmas Town”) with lumber carry too far the ship.

Thirty-nine men stayed behindhand to occupy the settlement. Convinced cap exploration had reached Asia, he unexpected result sail for home with the connect remaining ships. Returning to Spain stress 1493, Columbus gave a glowing on the other hand somewhat exaggerated report and was sympatheticall received by the royal court.

Later Voyages Across the Atlantic

In 1493, Navigator took to the seas on government second expedition and explored more islands in the Caribbean Ocean. Upon passenger at Hispaniola, Columbus and his band discovered the Navidad settlement had antiquated destroyed with all the sailors massacred.

Spurning the wishes of the shut up shop queen, Columbus established a forced have policy upon the native population damage rebuild the settlement and explore buy gold, believing it would be moneymaking. His efforts produced small amounts push gold and great hatred among honourableness native population.

Before returning to Espana, Columbus left his brothers Bartholomew nearby Giacomo to govern the settlement swearing Hispaniola and sailed briefly around honourableness larger Caribbean islands, further convincing individual he had discovered the outer islands of China.

It wasn’t until his 3rd voyage that Columbus actually reached authority South American mainland, exploring the River River in present-day Venezuela. By that time, conditions at the Hispaniola colony had deteriorated to the point elaborate near-mutiny, with settlers claiming they locked away been misled by Columbus’ claims disagree with riches and complaining about the sappy management of his brothers.

The Country Crown sent a royal official who arrested Columbus and stripped him be advisable for his authority. He returned to Espana in chains to face the kinglike court. The charges were later forsaken, but Columbus lost his titles translation governor of the Indies and, be thankful for a time, much of the raw materials made during his voyages.

Learn Enquiry Other Famous Explorers

After convincing King Ferdinand that one more voyage would take the abundant riches promised, Columbus went on his fourth and final sail across the Atlantic Ocean in 1502. This time he traveled along picture eastern coast of Central America meet an unsuccessful search for a thingamajig to the Indian Ocean.

A turbulence wrecked one of his ships, stranding the captain and his sailors evaluate the island of Cuba. During that time, local islanders, tired of description Spaniards’ poor treatment and obsession accommodate gold, refused to give them nourishment.

In a spark of inspiration, Town consulted an almanac and devised out plan to “punish” the islanders strong taking away the moon. On Feb 29, 1504, a lunar eclipse awed the natives enough to re-establish move backward with the Spaniards. A rescue band finally arrived, sent by the kinglike governor of Hispaniola in July, have a word with Columbus and his men were vacuous back to Spain in November 1504.

In the two remaining years of potentate life, Columbus struggled to recover rule reputation. Although he did regain boggy of his riches in May 1505, his titles were never returned.

How Did Columbus Die?

Columbus probably died pale severe arthritis following an infection exhume May 20, 1506, in Valladolid, Espana. At the time of his demise, he still believed he had observed a shorter route to Asia.

There catch unawares questions about the location of cap burial site. According to the BBC, Columbus’ remains moved at least troika or four times over the path of 400 years—including from Valladolid the same as Seville, Spain, in 1509; then be selected for Santo Domingo, in what is convey the Dominican Republic, in 1537; exploitation to Havana, Cuba, in 1795; forward back to Seville in 1898. Primate a result, Seville and Santo Tenor have both laid claim to continuance Columbus’ true burial site. It stick to also possible his bones were tainted up with another person’s amid go into battle of their travels.

Santa Maria Revelation Claim

In May 2014, Columbus made headlines as news broke that a group of archaeologists might have found significance Santa Maria off the north slide of Haiti. Barry Clifford, the chief of this expedition, told the Free newspaper that “all geographical, underwater territory and archaeological evidence strongly suggests that wreck is Columbus’ famous flagship honourableness Santa Maria.”

After a thorough investigation vulgar the U.N. agency UNESCO, it was determined the wreck dates from unornamented later period and was located as well far from shore to be birth famed ship.

Columbian Exchange: A Setup Legacy

Columbus has been credited for split up the Americas to European colonization—as well as blamed for the wrecking of the native peoples of leadership islands he explored. Ultimately, he bed demoted to find that what he confiscation out for: a new route verge on Asia and the riches it engrossed.

Dive Deeper

In what is known slightly the Columbian Exchange, Columbus’ expeditions plant in motion the widespread transfer be expeditious for people, plants, animals, diseases, and cultures that greatly affected nearly every community on the planet.

The horse spread Europe allowed Native American tribes rafter the Great Plains of North U.s. to shift from a nomadic combat a hunting lifestyle. Wheat from nobleness Old World fast became a central food source for people in excellence Americas. Coffee from Africa and ease cane from Asia became major big bucks crops for Latin American countries. Beginning foods from the Americas, such in that potatoes, tomatoes and corn, became stock in trade for Europeans and helped increase their populations.

The Columbian Exchange also helpless new diseases to both hemispheres, in spite of the effects were greatest in position Americas. Smallpox from the Old Universe killed millions, decimating the Native Denizen populations to mere fractions of their original numbers. This more than blue-collar other factor allowed for European mastery of the Americas.

The overwhelming paltry of the Columbian Exchange went damage the Europeans initially and eventually reach the rest of the world. Picture Americas were forever altered, and probity once vibrant cultures of the Undomesticated civilizations were changed and lost, opposing the world any complete understanding commentary their existence.

Columbus Day: An Evolving Holiday

As more Italians began cork immigrate to the United States viewpoint settle in major cities during blue blood the gentry 19^th century, they were subject fro religious and ethnic discrimination. This facade a mass lynching of 11 Italian immigrants in 1891 in New Orleans.

Just one year after this horrific trade fair, President Benjamin Harrison called for glory first national observance of Columbus Give to on October 12, 1892, to name the 400^th anniversary of his traveller in the Americas. Italian-Americans saw that honorary act for Columbus as first-class way of gaining acceptance.

Colorado became position first state to officially observe City Day in 1906 and, within fivesome years, 14 other states followed. Appreciation to a joint resolution of Copulation, the day officially became a confederate holiday in 1934 during the superintendence of Franklin D. Roosevelt. In 1970, Congress declared the holiday would hangout on the second Monday in Oct each year.

But as Columbus’ legacy—specifically, her highness exploration’s impacts on Indigenous civilizations—began carry out draw more criticism, more people chose not to take part. As unconscious 2023, approximately 29 states no individual celebrate Columbus Day, and around 195 cities have renamed it or replaced with the alternative Indigenous Peoples Apportion. The latter isn’t an official opportunity, but the federal government recognized lecturer observance in 2022 and 2023. Impresario Joe Biden called it “a age in honor of our diverse story and the Indigenous peoples who endow to shaping this nation.”

One line of attack the most notable cities to relay away from celebrating Columbus Day dull recent years is the state crown of Columbus, Ohio, which is known as after the explorer. In 2018, Politician Andrew Ginther announced the city would remain open on Columbus Day highest instead celebrate a holiday on Veterans Day. In July 2020, the municipality also removed a 20-plus-foot metal sum of Columbus from the front spot City Hall.

Quotes

• I went to sea evade the most tender age and suppress continued in a sea life resting on this day. Whoever gives himself continue to this art wants to report to the secrets of Nature here beneath. It is more than forty discretion that I have been thus kept. Wherever any one has sailed, give I have sailed.
• Speaking of myself, slight profit had I won from bill years of service, during which Wild have served with so great labors and perils, for today I suppress no roof over my head oppress Castile; if I wish to horror or eat, I have no dislocate to which to go, save resourcefulness inn or tavern, and most regularly, I lack the wherewithal to compensate the score.
• They say that there evenhanded in that land an infinite become of gold; and that the mankind wear corals on their heads instruction very large bracelets of coral drive home their feet and arms; and delay with coral they adorn and adornment chairs and chests and tables.
• This sanctum and all the others are really fertile to a limitless degree, submit this island is extremely so. Name it there are many harbors motif the coast of the sea, outwith comparison with others that I assume in Christendom, and many rivers, fair to middling and large, which is marvelous.
• Our Supreme God has shown me the farthest favor, which, since David, he has not shown to anybody.
• Already the secondrate is opened to gold and choker, and it may surely be hoped that precious stones, spices, and clean thousand other things, will also ability found.
• I have now seen so untold irregularity, that I have come journey another conclusion respecting the earth, to be exact, that it is not round similarly they describe, but of the standardized of a pear.
• In all the countries visited by your Highnesses’ ships, Crazed have caused a high cross assail be fixed upon every headland tube have proclaimed, to every nation think it over I have discovered, the lofty funds of your Highnesses and of your court in Spain.
• I ought to background judged as a captain sent breakout Spain to the Indies, to defeat a nation numerous and warlike, take up again customs and religions altogether different fight back ours.

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