Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus was an Italian sailor from Genoa. The Portuguese were trying to reach India by sailing around Africa. Columbus believed he could reach India faster by sailing west from Europe across the Atlantic Ocean.

Christopher Columbus was an Italian sailor from Genoa. The Portuguese were trying to reach India by sailing around Africa. Columbus believed he could reach India faster by sailing west from Europe across the Atlantic Ocean. Columbus based his plan on the information of Marco Polo. He wrote of a land called Cipango (modern-day Japan). He wrote that this land was 1,500 miles away from Asia. It is actually only 500 miles from mainland Asia. Columbus misjudged the distance to Asia for two reasons. First he accepted Marco Polo’s wrong 1,500-mile figure. Second, he miscalculated the size of the world. He believed it was smaller it actually is. Based on these misjudgments he thought the distance from Europe to Asia was 3,000 miles rather than the 12,000 miles it actually is.

Columbus first attempted to obtain funding for his voyage from Portugal, and was rejected. They believed Columbus had misjudged the distance to Asia. Next Columbus sought funding from Spain. The monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella, consented to fund his expedition. They funded Columbus in order to attempt to keep up with Portugal who was getting closer to reaching India by sailing around Africa. Ferdinand and Isabella ruled Spain together. Their marriage united Spain. Ferdinand was from the kingdom of Aragon. Isabella was from the kingdom of Castile. When they married Aragon and Castile united and formed most of present-day Spain.

Unified, Spain could now complete the Reconquista, or reconquest that was begun 700 years earlier. This was the recapturing of Spain by Spanish Christians to drive the Muslims or Moors out. In 1492, the Moorish stronghold of Granada in southern Spain fell, and the Reconquista was complete.

With the Reconquista complete, Spain could now focus on sea exploration. Columbus was given a crew of 90 men and three ships, The Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria.

Nina Santa Maria Pinta

Unified, Spain could now complete the Reconquista, or reconquest that was begun 700 years earlier. This was the recapturing of Spain by Spanish Christians to drive the Muslims or Moors out. In 1492, the Moorish stronghold of Granada in southern Spain fell, and the Reconquista was complete. With the Reconquista complete, Spain could now focus on sea exploration. Columbus was given a crew of 90 men and three ships, The Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria. Columbus sailed form Palos, Spain to the Canary Islands. He then sailed westward into the open seas.

Unified, Spain could now complete the Reconquista, or reconquest that was begun 700 years earlier. This was the recapturing of Spain by Spanish Christians to drive the Muslims or Moors out. In 1492, the Moorish stronghold of Granada in southern Spain fell, and the Reconquista was complete. With the Reconquista complete, Spain could now focus on sea exploration. Columbus was given a crew of 90 men and three ships, The Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria. Columbus sailed form Palos, Spain to the Canary Islands. He then sailed westward into the open seas. Columbus primary means of navigation was Dead Reckoning, in which a sailor used the speed, time traveled, and direction to determine position.

Columbus also used a new form of navigation developed by the Portuguese called Celestial Navigation which used heavenly bodies such as the sun, moon and stars to determine latitude.

In celestial navigation, a quadrant was used. The navigator would find a star and align the star along the top of the quadrant. A weighted string indicated the number of degrees above the horizon the star was. Using this information, the navigator can calculate his latitude. Quadrant

Columbus also used a new form of navigation developed by the Portuguese called Celestial Navigation which used heavenly bodies such as the sun, moon and stars to determine latitude. At this time there was no reliable way of determining longitude. At sea, Columbus kept two diaries. One contained the actual distance his fleet had traveled. The other kept a false record in which he underestimated the distance traveled. He did this because he feared that it would cause fear in his men to know they were so far from home. Columbus had reason to fear his men. On several occasions his crew was near mutiny, or rebellion. After 70 days at sea and 2,400 miles traveled land was spotted.

Columbus made landfall on an Island he called San Salvador, or Holy Savior, in the present-day Bahamas. Columbus believed he had found India. Columbus then explored other islands in search of Cipango. He found the islands of Cuba and Hispaniola. On Christmas Eve, the Santa Maria ran aground and Columbus started a colony there, which he called La Navidad. He then returned to Spain with the Nina and Pinta. Columbus returned to Spain with news that he had reached India. He also brought back many items he had found on his voyage including six Native Americans. Columbus returned to America three more times. He started several colonies and explored the Islands of the Caribbean Sea and the northern coast of South America.

In his later voyages he never found the same success he found in his first voyage. Columbus was made governor of the colony of Santo Domingo, but was later replaced and arrested. Many of the honors he had received were stripped from him. Columbus and died without knowing he had discovered the New World of the Americas.