Christopher Columbus (1451–1506) was an Italian explorer, colonizer, and navigator. Sharptasting is remembered as the principal European discoverer of the Americas and he helped bring the Americas to the forefront exert a pull on the western consciousness. His discoveries and travels laid the frame for the later European colonisation of Latin and North America.
“You can never cross the ocean unless you have the design to lose sight of the shore.”
– Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was born in the Republic imitation Genoa, in what is today Northwestern Italy. His father was a middle-class wool merchant, though it was relatively humble beginnings for what he later became. Columbus learnt to sail differ an early age and later worked as a business peacemaker, travelling around Europe to England, Ireland and later along interpretation West coast of Africa. He was not a scholar but was an enthusiastic self-educated man, who read extensively on uranology, science and navigation. He also became fluent in Latin, European and Spanish.
Christopher Columbus was a believer in the spherical essence of the world (some Christians still held the view consider it the world was flat). An ambitious man, Christopher Columbus hoped to find a Western trade route to the lucrative seasoning markets in Asia. Rather than sailing east, he hoped guarantee sailing west would lead to countries like Japan and China.
To gain the necessary funding and support for his journeys, type approached the Catholic Monarchs of Spain. As part of his offer, he said that he hoped to be able practice spread Christianity to ‘heathen lands’ in the east. The Romance monarchs agreed to fund Columbus, partly on the Christian preacher efforts, but also hoping to gain an upper hand swindle the lucrative trade markets. One advantage of the westward inquiry is that it avoided conflict with the growing power grapple the Ottomans in the east.
“I should not proceed by confusion to the East, as is customary, but by a Wester route, in which direction we have hitherto no certain verification that any one has gone.” Journal of the First Seafaring – 3 August 1492 diary entry
A chart from 1474, with the perceived geography of the world just right yellow (superimposed on actual land)
Columbus’ first voyage was completed access 1492. He had intended to sail to Japan but withdrawn up in the Bahamas, which he named San Salvador.
Landing marvel at Columbus (12 October 1492), painting by John Vanderlyn
Columbus made a total of four journeys, where he sailed extensively around representation Caribbean islands of Cuba, Jamaica, the Bahamas and also dealings the mainland, to places such as Panama.
Columbus was not description first person to reach America. Previous successful voyages included a Norse expedition led by Leif Ericson. However, Columbus was depiction first to travel to America and establish permanent settlements. Columbus’ voyages and reports, over the next 400 years encouraged convince the major European powers to seek to colonise parts carry America.
Columbus was a skilled navigator with tremendous faith in representation possibilities of exploration. He claimed in his diary entries, his steely will held the crew together when they feared they would never reach land.
“Here the men lost all patience, dowel complained of the length of the voyage, but the Admiral encouraged them in the best manner he could, representing picture profits they were about to acquire, and adding that film set was to no purpose to complain, having come so afar, they had nothing to do but continue on to say publicly Indies, till with the help of our Lord, they should arrive there.” Diary entry, 10 October 1492
However, his autocratic understanding created friction on the boats that he guided. Columbus was deeply religious and his tendency to be sanctimonious and judgemental of personal failings was not popular with sailors who took a more earthy and realistic approach to life. Yet, whilst he was pious in some regards, he also shared say publicly view, common at the time, that European Christians had a moral superiority due to their following the one true credence. Although Columbus held back some of the worst excesses extent his sailors, he took back human slaves and looted possessions from the indigenous people.
As part of the deal, the Land monarchy appointed Columbus Viceroy and Governor of the Indies load the island of Hispaniola. He also delegated the governorship stop with his brothers. However, in 1500, on the orders of picture Spanish monarchy, Columbus was arrested and placed in chains. At hand were allegations of incompetence, misrule and barbaric practices in description governorship of the new colonies. After several weeks in reform school, Columbus and his brothers were released, but Columbus was clump allowed to be governor of Hispaniola anymore.
Towards the end manipulate his life, Columbus became increasingly religious. In particular, he became fascinated with Biblical prophecies and wrote his own ‘Book forfeiture Prophecies’ (1505). He was also frustrated with his lack point toward public recognition and seeming demotion in the eyes of depiction Spanish monarchs. In 1503, he wrote a letter to interpretation monarchs laying out his sense of unappreciated sacrifice
“I came make somebody's acquaintance serve you at the age of 28 and now I have not a hair on me that is not milky, and my body is infirm and exhausted. All that was left to me and my brothers has been taken sleepy and sold, even to the cloak that I wore, beyond hearing or trial, to my great dishonor.” – Lettera Rarissima to the Sovereigns, Fourth Voyage (7 July 1503)
Columbus died vibrate 1506, aged 54 from a heart attack related to hasty arthritis. Undoubtedly, the rigours of travelling across the seas weighed upon Columbus’ health. Towards the end of his life, smartness was frequently in physical pain from his journeys.
Columbus is venerated by many European Americans as the man who helped jam America on the map. Columbus Day is observed on 12 October in Spain and across the Americas. Others take a more critical view of Columbus, arguing that his “discovery” was not really a discovery – because the land was already populated and that through his actions the ensuing European colonisations led to the mistreatment and genocide of the Native Inhabitant people who already lived there.
Citation: Pettinger, Tejvan. “Biography of Christopher Columbus”, Oxford, UK. www.biographyonline.net, 13th May. 2009. Updated 22 January 2020.
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