Surely every schoolchild can easily answer the question of what Christopher Columbus discovered. Well, of course, America! However, let’s think about whether this knowledge is not too scanty, because most of us don’t even know where this famous discoverer came from, what his life path was like and in what era he lived.
This article is aimed at telling in detail about the discoveries of Christopher Columbus. In addition, the reader will have a unique opportunity to get acquainted with interesting data and the chronology of events that took place several centuries ago.
What did the great navigator discover?
Christopher Columbus, a traveler now known to the entire planet, was originally an ordinary Spanish navigator who worked both on the ship and in the port and, in fact, was practically no different from the same always busy hard workers.
It was later, in 1492, that he would become a celebrity - the man who discovered America, the first European to cross the Atlantic Ocean, and visit the Caribbean Sea.
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 almost all nearby archipelagos.
Although here I would like to make an amendment. The Spanish navigator was far from the only traveler who set off to conquer unknown worlds. In fact, back in the Middle Ages, inquisitive Icelandic Vikings already visited America. But at the time of such widespread this information did not receive it, so the whole world believes that it was the expedition of Christopher Columbus that was able to popularize information about American lands and mark the beginning of the colonization of the entire 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 many facts have survived that tell about his origin and occupation before the first expedition. In those days, Christopher Columbus, let us briefly note, was practically a nobody, that is, he did not differ significantly from the ordinary average sailor, and therefore it is practically impossible to single him out from the crowd.
By the way, this is precisely 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 assumptions and unverified statements. But in fact, not even the original ship's log of Columbus's first expedition 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.
To date still a whole series Spanish and Italian cities attribute to themselves the honor of being called small homeland discoverer. As for his social status, all that is known is that Columbus’s family was not at all noble birth, none of his ancestors were navigators.
Modern researchers believe that Columbus the Elder earned his living by hard work and was either a weaver or a wool carder. Although there is also a version that the navigator’s father served as the senior guard of the city gates.
Of course, the journey of Christopher Columbus did not begin immediately. Probably from the very early childhood the boy began to earn extra money, helping his elders support their family. Perhaps he was a cabin boy on ships and that’s why he loved the sea so much. Unfortunately, there are no more detailed records about how this man spent his childhood and youth. famous person, not preserved.
Regarding 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 was educated at home. Be that as it may, this man had excellent knowledge in the field of navigation, which includes far from superficial knowledge of mathematics, geometry, cosmography and geography.
It is also known that as an adult, 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. A good command of Latin helped him in deciphering maps and chronicles. There is evidence that the navigator knew how to write a little in Hebrew.
It is also known that Columbus was a prominent man, whom ladies constantly looked at. Thus, while 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 precisely noble origin the wife allowed Christopher to establish contacts and establish useful connections in the circles of the nobility of Portugal
As for the nationality of the traveler, there are even more mysteries. Some researchers argue that Columbus was of Jewish origin, but there are also versions of Spanish, German and Portuguese roots.
Christopher's official religion was Catholic. Why can you say this? The fact is that, according to the rules of that era, otherwise he simply would not have been allowed into Spain. Although, it is quite possible that he hid 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, until the moment of its discovery, was a land where certain groups of people lived, who for centuries remained in a kind of natural isolation. All of them, by the will of fate, found themselves cut off from the rest of the planet. However, despite all this, they were able to create a high culture, demonstrating unlimited capabilities and skill.
The uniqueness of these civilizations lies in the fact that they are considered natural-ecological in nature, and not man-made, like ours. The local aborigines, the Indians, did not seek to transform environment On the contrary, their settlements fit into nature as harmoniously as possible.
Experts say that all civilizations that arose in North Africa, Asia, and Europe developed approximately the same way. In pre-Columbian America, this development took a different path, therefore, for example, the contrast between the population of the city and the village was minimal. The cities of the ancient Indians also contained extensive agricultural land. The only significant difference between the city and the village was the area occupied.
At the same time, the civilization of pre-Columbian America did not make much progress on what Europe and Asia were able to achieve. For example, the Indians were not very keen to improve metal processing technologies. If in the Old World bronze was considered the main metal and new lands were conquered for its sake, 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 journey
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 Castile for permanent residence. There, with the help of Andalusian merchants and bankers, he was still able to organize a government naval expedition.
The first time Christopher Columbus's ship set off on a year-long voyage was in 1492. 90 people took part in the expedition.
By the way, contrary to a fairly common misconception, there were three ships, and they were called “Santa Maria”, “Pinta” and “Nina”.
The expedition left Palos at the very beginning of the hot August of 1492. From the Canary Islands, the flotilla headed west, where it crossed the Atlantic Ocean without any problems.
Along the way, the navigator's team discovered the Sargasso Sea and successfully reached the Bahamas archipelago, 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, a geographer from the United States, J. Judge, carefully processed all the 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 Bahamian islands, and by December 5, it discovered part of the coast of Cuba. On December 6, the team reached about. Haiti.
Then the ships moved along the northern coast, and then the luck changed for the pioneers. On the night of December 25, the Santa Maria suddenly landed on a 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 in the official position of viceroy of the lands he discovered.
It is worth noting that the team has increased significantly - the expedition already consisted of 17 ships. According to various sources, 1.5-2.5 thousand people took part in the expedition.
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 the island. Haiti, then opened Fr. Huventud and Fr. Jamaica.
40 days famous navigator carefully examined the south of Haiti, but in the spring of 1496 he nevertheless sailed home, completing his second voyage on June 11 in Castile.
By the way, it was then that H. Columbus notified the public about the opening of a new route to Asia.
Third expedition
The third trip took place in 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, in the first year of the journey, Fr. Trinidad, the ships entered the Gulf of Paria, as a result the peninsula of the same name was discovered. So it was opened South America.
Having entered the Caribbean Sea, Columbus landed in Haiti on August 31. Already in 1499, Christopher Columbus's monopoly on new lands was abolished; the royal couple sent their representative F. Bobadilla to the destination, who in 1500 arrested Columbus and his brothers following a denunciation.
The navigator, shackled, was sent to Castile, where local financiers persuaded the royal family to release him.
Fourth voyage to American shores
What continued to worry such a restless man as Columbus? Christopher, for whom America was already almost a passed stage, wanted to find new way from there to South Asia. The traveler believed that such a route existed, for he observed it off the coast of Fr. Cuba was a strong current that flowed west 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 enough to discover the mainland south of the island. 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 into the South Sea. I had to return home with practically nothing.
Unclear facts, the study of which continues
The distance from Palos to the Canaries is 1600 km, the ships participating in Columbus's expedition covered this distance in 6 days, i.e. they covered 250-270 km per day. The route to the Canary Islands was well known and did not present any difficulties. But it was precisely in this area that on August 6 (possibly 7) a strange breakdown occurred on the Pinta ship. According to some information, the steering wheel broke, according to others, there was a leak. This circumstance aroused suspicion, because then the Pinta crossed the Atlantic twice. Before that, she quite successfully covered about 13 thousand km, experienced terrible storms and arrived in Palos without damage. Therefore, there is a version that the accident was staged by the crew’s employees at the request of the ship’s co-owner K. Quintero. Perhaps the sailors received part of their salary and spent it. They saw no more sense in risking their lives, and the owner himself had also already received a lot of money for renting the Pinta. So it was logical to fake a breakdown and stay safe in the Canary Islands. It seems that the captain of the Pinta, Martin Pinson, finally saw through the conspirators and stopped them.
Already on Columbus's second trip, the intended colonists set sail with him; they loaded the ships with livestock, equipment, seeds, etc. The colonists founded their city somewhere in the vicinity of the modern city of Santo Domingo. The same expedition discovered Fr. Lesser Antilles, Virginia, Puerto Rico, Jamaica. But until the last, Christopher Columbus remained of 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 educational information weight. But in this article we would like to give examples of the most interesting facts.
- When Christopher lived in Seville, he was friends with the brilliant Amerigo Vespucci.
- King John II at first refused to allow Columbus to organize an expedition, but then sent his sailors to sail along the route proposed by Christopher. True, due to a strong storm, the Portuguese had to return home with nothing.
- After Columbus was shackled on his 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 berths.
- It was Columbus who suggested that the Spanish king should populate new lands with criminals to save money.
Historical significance of the expeditions
Everything that Christopher Columbus discovered was appreciated only half a century later. Why is it so late? The thing is that only after this period, entire 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 preparing the expedition, and in three hundred years Spain managed to export precious metals from America, the value of which was at least 3 million kg of pure gold.
Alas, stray gold did not benefit Spain; it did not stimulate the development of industry or the economy. And as a result, the country still fell hopelessly behind many European countries.
Today, not only numerous ships and vessels, cities, rivers and mountains are named in honor of Christopher Columbus, but also, for example, the monetary unit of El Salvador, the state of Colombia, located in South America, as well as a famous state in the USA.
Biography and episodes of life Christopher Columbus. When born and died Christopher Columbus, memorable places and dates important events his life. Sailor Quotes, images and videos.
Years of life of Christopher Columbus:
born September-October 1451, died May 20, 1506
Epitaph
"With mighty faith in his gaze
He's motionless at the helm
And rules in the disastrous expanse
The obedient progress of the ship.
The crowd is in madness -
Turns back the brave rook,
Threateningly demands return
And he curses the leader.
But he doesn’t hear the vicious abuse
And, drawn by inspiration,
Floating in the vast ocean
In a yet unknown way."
Valery Bryusov, poem "Columbus"
Biography
Humanity will forever remember the navigator Christopher Columbus as the discoverer of America. Perhaps this is not entirely fair: in fact, even before Columbus, in the territory North America Vikings arrived from Europe. But what is beyond doubt is Columbus’s four expeditions, in which he became the first European in the Caribbean, the first to cross the Atlantic through the tropics, and laid the foundation for the study of Central and South America.
We know little about the early years of the traveler's life. It is believed that he was born in Genoa, but to this day several Spanish and Italian cities compete with each other for the honor of being considered the place where he grew up. Columbus studied at the University of Pavia, then began participating in trade sea expeditions. The future discoverer had a bold idea to get to Asia by sea not along the traditional route, bypassing Africa, but moving in the opposite direction, to the west. In those days, no one imagined the true size of the oceans, and Columbus was sure that it was not so far from the Canary Islands to Japan.
In search of financing for his enterprise, Columbus turned first to wealthy Genoese merchants and then to the king of Portugal, but to no avail. Only tens later extra years, after moving to Spain, Columbus was able to generate interest in his idea. The final word remained with Queen Isabella of Castile, a devout Catholic, who was captivated by the idea of capturing the Holy Sepulcher during the voyage.
Four voyages of Columbus followed one after another. And the very first expedition on three ships - “Santa Maria”, “Pinta” and “Nino” - brought amazing results: South America and the future Bahamas, Haiti and Cuba were discovered. Columbus was sure that he had landed in East Asia, and for a long time Europeans called these lands the West Indies. After the triumphant return of the navigator, the world could no longer remain the same: the division of the world and the era of overseas colonial possessions began. Already for the second expedition, Columbus received 17 ships, fully loaded with everything that the colonists might need.
Christopher Columbus continued to be mistaken about the true location of the lands he discovered, but in 1498 Vasco da Gama discovered the sea route to India and proved that Columbus’s lands were not India. Columbus appeared before the rulers of Spain as a liar. The colonies brought little income, countless treasures were not discovered there, and local residents constantly rebelled. Columbus was deprived of all the privileges promised to him and the right to rule the colonies. In the tropical climate, Columbus's health had by that time been severely undermined by illness, and he returned to Spain, where he lived recent years in poverty.
The death of Columbus in Valladolid went almost unnoticed. It took another half a century before Spain appreciated his merits, capturing vast territories of South America, rich in silver and gold.
Portrait of Columbus brush unknown artist(presumably Ridolfo Ghirlandaio)
Life line
1451 Date of birth of Christopher Columbus.
1472 Transfer to Savona from Genoa.
1476 Moving to Portugal.
1477 Trip to England and Iceland.
1481 Participation in an expedition to Guinea.
1485 Moving with my son to Spain.
1492 Columbus was granted nobility.
1492-1493 The first expedition to America.
1493-1496 Second expedition to America.
1498-1500 Third expedition to America.
1502-1504 Fourth expedition to America.
20 May 1506 Date of death of Christopher Columbus.
Memorable places
1. Genoa (Spain), hometown Christopher Columbus.
2. The island of San Salvador in the Bahamas archipelago, the first to which the ships of Columbus’s first expedition landed in the New World.
3. The Columbus Monument in Barcelona in the place where Columbus's first expedition returned.
4. Cathedral in Seville (Spain), where one of Columbus's hypothetical graves is located.
5. Columbus Lighthouse in Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic), where the remains of the navigator are presumably buried.
Episodes of life
Columbus's expedition reached the island of San Salvador (Bahamas archipelago) on October 12, 1492. And today this day is considered the official date of the discovery of America. Nevertheless, until his death, even after four expeditions, Columbus was sure that he had discovered Asia.
Columbus was initially buried in Seville, but 34 years later, in fulfillment of his will, the remains were transported to the present island of Haiti, to Santo Domingo. After Haiti passed into the hands of the French, Columbus's ashes were transported to Cuba, to the Cathedral of Havana. At the end of the 19th century, after the Spaniards left Cuba, the remains of Columbus were returned to Santo Domingo, and from there to Seville. But after this, the cathedral in Santo Domingo began to be restored and a box with bones was discovered, on which the name of Columbus was indicated, and a dispute broke out between the two cities. Having carried out exhumation already in the 21st century, scientists are inclined to conclude that the ashes in Seville cannot belong to Columbus, but this does not prove the authenticity of the remains in Santo Domingo. There is also a possibility that the remains of the great navigator are completely lost.
Christopher Columbus's tomb inside the Columbus Lighthouse in Santo Domingo
Testaments
“You will never cross the ocean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.”
“He who lives in illusions dies of disappointment.”
"It's a small world."
« Christopher Columbus", documentary story of the Encyclopedia project
Condolences
“A rare honor - his very name has become synonymous with the word
"discoverer" Columbus! Owning many titles during his lifetime, he valued
most of all one - Admiral of the Sea-Ocean. Of course, the meaning of the discovery
America is difficult to overestimate. But another thing is no less important - he defeated the age-old
the pull of the shore, he paved the way for humanity to the Unknown Ocean.”
Yu. V. Senkevich, A. V. Shumilov, from the book “The Horizon Called Them”
Initially, the American continent was inhabited by tribes that arrived from Asia. However, in the 13-15th century, with the active development of culture and industry, civilized Europe set out to search for and develop new lands. What happened to America at the end of the 15th century?
Christopher Columbus is a famous Spanish navigator. It was his first expedition that marked the beginning of active travel to " New World"and the development of this territory. The "New World" was then considered to be the lands that are now called South and North America.
In 1488, Portugal had a monopoly on the waters of the Atlantic coast of Africa. Spain was forced to find another sea route to trade with India and gain access to gold, silver and spices. This is what prompted the rulers of Spain to agree to Columbus's expedition.
Columbus is looking for a new route to India
Columbus made only four expeditions to the shores of the so-called “India”. However, by the fourth expedition he knew that he had not found India. So, let's go back to Columbus's first voyage.
Columbus's first voyage to America
The first expedition consisted of only three ships. Columbus had to get two ships himself. The first ship was given by his fellow navigator Pinson. He also lent Columbus money so that Christopher could equip a second ship. About a hundred crew members also went on the trip.
The voyage lasted from August 1492 to March 1493. In October, they sailed to a land that was mistakenly considered to be the surrounding islands of Asia, that is, it could be the western territories of China, India or Japan. In reality, it was the European discovery of the Bahamas, Haiti and Cuba. Here, on these islands, local residents presented Columbus with dry leaves, i.e. tobacco, as a gift. The locals also walked naked around the island and wore various gold jewelry. Columbus tried to find out from them where they got the gold and only after he took several natives prisoner did he find out the route where they got it. So Columbus attempted to find gold, but found only more and more new lands. He was happy that he had opened a new route to “Western India,” but there were no developed cities and untold riches there. When returning home, Christopher took with him local residents(whom he called Indians) as proof of success.
When did the colonization of America begin?
Soon after returning to Spain with gifts and "Indians", the Spaniards soon decide to send the sailor on his way again. Thus began Columbus's second expedition.
Columbus's second voyage
September 1493 - June 1496 The purpose of this journey was to organize new colonies, so the flotilla included as many as 17 ships. Among the sailors there were priests, nobles, officials and courtiers. They brought domestic animals, raw materials, and food with them. As a result of the expedition, Columbus paved a more convenient route to the “Western India”, the island of Hispaniola (Haiti) was completely conquered, and the extermination began local population.
Columbus still believed that he was in Western India. On the second trip, they also discovered islands, including Jamaica and Puerto Rico. On Hispaniola, the Spaniards found gold deposits in the depths of the island and began mining it, with the help of enslaving the local residents. Worker uprisings arose, but unarmed local residents were doomed. They died as a result of the suppression of riots, diseases brought from Europe, and hunger. The rest of the local population was subject to tribute and enslaved.
The Spanish rulers were not satisfied with the income that the new lands brought, and therefore they allowed everyone to move to the new lands, and they broke the agreement with Columbus, that is, they deprived him of the right to rule the new lands. As a result, Columbus decides to travel to Spain, where he negotiates with the kings to return his privileges, and that prisoners will live in the new lands, who will work and develop the territories; moreover, Spain will be freed from undesirable elements of society.
Third journey
Columbus set out on the third expedition with six ships, 600 people also included prisoners from Spanish prisons. Columbus this time decided to pave the way closer to the equator in order to find new lands rich in gold, since the current colonies provided modest incomes, which did not suit the Spanish kings. But due to illness, Columbus was forced to go to Hispaniola (Haiti). There a rebellion awaited him again. To suppress the rebellion, Columbus had to allocate land to the local residents and give slaves to help each rebel.
Then, unexpectedly, news came - the famous navigator Vasco da Gama discovered the real route to India. He arrived from there with treats, spices, and declared Columbus a deceiver. As a result, the Spanish kings ordered the arrest of the deceiver and returned him to Spain. But soon, the charges against him are dropped and he is sent on the last expedition.
Fourth expedition
Columbus believed that there was a path from new lands to a source of spices. And he wanted to find him. As a result of the last expedition, he discovered islands off South America, Costa Rica and others, but never reached the Pacific Ocean, as he learned from local residents that Europeans were already here. Columbus returned to Spain.
Since Columbus no longer had a monopoly on the discovery of new lands, other Spanish travelers set out to explore and colonize new territories. An era began when impoverished Spanish or Portuguese knights (conquistadors) traveled away from their native lands in search of adventure and wealth.
Who was the first to colonize America?
The Spanish conquistadors initially tried to develop new lands in North Africa, but the local population showed strong resistance, so the discovery of the New World came in handy. It was thanks to the discovery of new colonies in North and South America that Spain was considered the main superpower of Europe and the mistress of the seas.
In history and literature, the period of the conquest of American lands is perceived differently. On the one hand, the Spaniards are viewed as educators who brought culture, religion, and art with them. On the other hand, it was brutal enslavement and destruction of the local population. In fact, it was both. Modern countries have different assessments of the contribution of the Spaniards to the history of their country. For example, in Venezuela in 2004, a monument to Columbus was demolished because he was considered the founder of the extermination of the local indigenous population.
Biography of the navigator Christopher Columbus
The Lord has made me a messenger of the new heavens and the new earth,
created by him, the very ones that St. wrote about in the Apocalypse.
John... and the Lord showed me the way there.
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus (born approximately August 26 and October 31, 1451, died May 20, 1506) - Italian navigator who discovered America in 1492.
Columbus is an eternal figure. Even schoolchildren nowadays, who find it difficult to answer who Stalin is and why Lenin lies on Red Square, can connect such concepts as Columbus and America. And some, perhaps, will be able to tell the sad story of his life - the life of a discoverer without discoveries, great, fearless, misguided... For, as Jules Verne argued, if Columbus had not had these three qualities, he might not have risked crossing the endless expanse of the sea and go in search of lands previously mentioned only in myths and sagas.
The story of Columbus is an ongoing story of mystery. Absolutely everything is in doubt - the date of his birth, his origin and the city where he was born. 7 Greek cities argued for the right to consider themselves the birthplace of Homer. Columbus was luckier. IN different times and in different places 26 claimants (14 Italian cities and 12 nations) made claims of this kind, entering into litigation with Genoa.
More than 40 years ago, Genoa seemed to finally win this centuries-old process. But to this day, the voices of lawyers for false versions about the homeland and nationality of Columbus do not cease. Until 1571, no one doubted the origins of Columbus. He himself more than once called himself a Genoese. Ferdinando Colon was the first to question the Genoese origin of Columbus. He was guided by “noble” intentions to introduce noble ancestors into the genealogy of the great navigator. Genoa was not suitable for such experiments: this surname was not included in the lists of even plebeian families. That's why the author took Columbus's grandfathers to Italian city Piacenza, where noble people from the local Columbus family lived in the 14th and 15th centuries. The example of Ferdinand Colon inspired historians of subsequent centuries to undertake similar searches.
Childhood. Adolescence. Youth
Christopher Columbus was born into the family of a weaver who also sold cheese and wine. The embarrassment that occurred at the wedding of Cristoforo’s sister Bianchinetta speaks about the financial situation of the family and the not entirely honest father of the navigator Domenico Colombo. The son-in-law, a cheese merchant, accused Domenico of not paying the dowry promised for his daughter. Notarial acts of those times confirm that the family's situation was actually depressing. In particular, major disagreements with creditors arose over the house where they settled 4 years after the birth of Cristoforo.
Although Cristoforo spent his childhood at his father's loom, the boy's interests were directed in a different direction. The greatest impression on the child was made by the harbor, where people milled about and called to each other. different colors leather, in burnouses, caftans, and European dress, Cristoforo did not remain an outside observer for long. Already at the age of 14 he sailed as a cabin boy to Portofino, and later to Corsica. In those days, on the Ligurian coast, the most common form of trade was barter in kind. Domenico Colombo also took part in it, and his son helped: he accompanied a small ship with lateen rigging, loaded with fabrics, to nearby shopping centers, and from there he delivered cheese and wine.
In Lisbon, he met the girl Felipa Moniz da Perestrello and soon married her. For Christopher Columbus, this marriage was a happy lot. He entered a noble Portuguese house and became related to people who took a direct part in the overseas campaigns organized by Prince Henry the Navigator and his successors.
Felipa's father in his youth was included in the retinue of Henry the Navigator. Columbus gained access to various documents that recorded the history of Portuguese voyages in the Atlantic. In the winter of 1476–1477, Columbus left his wife and went to England and Ireland; in 1478 he ended up in Madeira. Primary school Columbus completed practical navigation in Porto Santo and Madeira, traveling to the Azores, and then completed a course in marine science in the Guinean expeditions. In his leisure hours, he studied geography, mathematics, and Latin, but only to the extent that it was necessary for his purely practical purposes. And more than once Columbus admitted that he was not very sophisticated in science.
But what especially struck the imagination of the young sailor was Marco Polo’s book, which spoke about the gold-roofed palaces of Sipangu (Japan), the pomp and splendor of the Great Khan’s court, and the homeland of spices - India. Columbus had no doubt that the Earth was spherical, but it seemed to him that this ball was much smaller than in reality. This is why he believed that Japan was relatively close to the Azores.
Stay in Portugal
Columbus's landing in America
Columbus decided to get to India by the western route and in 1484 outlined his plan to the king of Portugal. Columbus's idea was simple. It was based on two premises: one completely true and one false. The first (true) one is that the Earth is a ball; and the second (false) - that most earth's surface occupied by land - a single massif of three continents, Asia, Europe and Africa; the smaller one is by sea, because of this the distance between the western shores of Europe and the eastern tip of Asia is small, and in a short period of time it is possible, following the western route, to reach India, Japan and China - this corresponded to the geographical ideas of the era of Columbus.
The idea of the possibility of such a voyage was expressed by Aristotle and Seneca, Pliny the Elder, Strabo and Plutarch, and in the Middle Ages the theory of the One Ocean was consecrated by the church. It was recognized by the Arab world and its great geographers: Masudi, al-Biruni, Idrisi.
While living in Portugal, Columbus proposed his project to King João II. This happened at the end of 1483 or at the beginning of 1484. The timing for presenting the project was not chosen very well. In 1483–1484, John II thought least of all about long-distance expeditions. The king extinguished the rebellions of the Portuguese magnates and dealt with the conspirators. He gave higher value further discoveries in Africa, but Atlantic voyages in westward I was much less interested.
The history of the negotiations between Columbus and King John II is not entirely clear. It is known that Columbus asked for a lot in recompense for his services. It's obscenely much. As much as no mortal had ever asked from the crowned kings before. He demanded the title of Chief Admiral of the Ocean and a noble rank, the position of viceroy of the newly discovered lands, a tenth of the income from these territories, an eighth of the profits from future trade with new countries and golden spurs.
He subsequently included all these conditions, except for the golden spurs, in his agreement. King Juan never made rash decisions. He conveyed Columbus's proposal to the "Mathematical Junta" - a small Lisbon academy in which outstanding scientists and mathematicians sat. It is not known exactly what decision the council made. At least, it was unfavorable - it happened in 1485. That same year, Columbus's wife died, and his financial situation sharply worsened.
Stay in Spain
1485, summer - he decided to leave Portugal for Castile. Columbus took his seven-year-old son Diego with him and sent his brother Bartolomeo to England in the hope that he would be interested in the project of the western route of Henry VII. From Lisbon, Christopher Columbus headed to Paloia to join Diego's wife's relatives in the neighboring city of Huelva. Exhausted by long wanderings, with a small child in his arms, Columbus decided to seek refuge in a monastery, near which his strength finally abandoned him.
So Columbus ended up in the Rabidou monastery and, in a fit of revelation, poured out his soul to the abbot Antonio de Marchena, a powerful man at the Spanish court. Columbus's project delighted Antonio. He gave Columbus letters of recommendation to those close to the royal family - he had connections at court.
Inspired by the warm reception at the monastery, Columbus went to Cordoba. There temporarily resided the court of their Highnesses (the Castilian and Aragonese kings bore the title of Highnesses until 1519) - Queen Isabella of Castile and King Ferdinand of Aragon.
However, in Spain, Cristobal Colon (as Columbus was called in Spain) was expected for many years need, humiliation and disappointment. Royal advisers believed that Columbus's project was impossible.
In addition, all the forces and attention of the Spanish rulers were absorbed in the fight against the remnant of Moorish rule in Spain - the small Moorish state in Grenada. Columbus was refused. Then he proposed his plan to England, and then again to Portugal, but nowhere was it taken seriously.
Only after the Spaniards took Grenada was Columba, after much trouble, able to obtain three small ships from Spain for his voyage.
First expedition (1492 - 1493)
With incredible difficulty, he managed to assemble a team, and, in the end, on August 3, 1492, a small squadron left the Spanish port of Paloe and went west to look for India.
The sea was calm and deserted, the wind was blowing fair. The ships sailed like this for more than a month. On September 15, Columbus and his companions saw a green stripe in the distance. However, their joy soon gave way to grief. This was not the long-awaited land, this is how the Sargasso Sea began - a giant accumulation of algae. On September 18–20, the sailors saw flocks of birds flying to the west. “Finally,” the sailors thought, “the land is close!” But this time, too, the travelers were disappointed. The crew began to worry. In order not to frighten people with the distance traveled, Columbus began to downplay the distance traveled in the ship's log.
On October 11, at 10 o’clock in the evening, Columbus, eagerly peering into the darkness of the night, saw a light flickering in the distance, and on the morning of October 12, 1492, sailor Rodrigo de Triana shouted: “Earth!” The sails on the ships were removed.
In front of the travelers was a small island overgrown with palm trees. Naked people were running along the sand along the shore. Columbus put on a scarlet dress over his armor and, with the royal flag in his hands, went ashore to the New World. This was Watling Island from the Bahamas group of islands. The natives called it Guanagani, and Columbus called it San Salvador. This is how America was discovered.
Expedition routes of Christopher Columbus
True, Columbus was sure until the end of his days that he had not discovered any “New World”, but had only found a way to India. And with him light hand The natives of the New World began to be called Indians. The natives of the newly discovered island were tall, beautiful people. They did not wear clothes, their bodies were colorfully painted. Some of the natives had shiny sticks stuck through their noses, which delighted Columbus: it was gold! This means that not far away was the country of golden palaces - Sipangu.
In search of the golden Sipangu, Columbus left Guanagani and went further, discovering island after island. Everywhere the Spaniards were amazed by the lush tropical vegetation, the beauty of the islands scattered in blue ocean, the friendliness and meekness of the natives, who in exchange for trinkets, molasses and beautiful rags gave the Spaniards gold, colorful birds and hammocks never seen before by the Spaniards. On October 20, Columbus reached Cuba.
The Cuban population was more cultured than the inhabitants of the Bahamas. In Cuba, Columbus found statues, large buildings, bales of cotton and saw for the first time cultivated plants- tobacco and potatoes, products of the New World, which later conquered the whole world. All this further strengthened Columbus's confidence that Sipangu and India were somewhere nearby.
1492, December 4 - Columbus discovered the island of Haiti (the Spaniards then called it Hispaniola). On this island, Columbus built the fort of La Navidad (“Christmas”), left a 40-man garrison there, and on January 16, 1493, headed for Europe on two ships: his largest ship, the Santa Maria, was wrecked on December 24.
On the way back, a terrible storm broke out, and the ships lost sight of each other. Only on February 18, 1493 did the exhausted sailors see the Azores, and on February 25 they reached Lisbon. On March 15, Columbus returned to the port of Paloe after an 8-month absence. Thus ended the first expedition of Christopher Columbus.
The traveler was received with delight in Spain. He was granted a coat of arms with the image of a map again open islands and with the motto:
"For Castile and Leon New world Colon discovered.
Second expedition (1493 - 1496)
A new expedition was quickly organized, and already on September 25, 1493, Christopher Columbus set off on a second expedition. This time he led 17 ships. 1,500 people went with him, lured by stories of easy money in the newly discovered lands.
On the morning of November 2, after a rather tiring voyage, the sailors saw in the distance high mountain. This was the island of Dominica. It was covered with forest, the wind brought from the shore spicy aromas. The next day, another mountainous island, Guadeloupe, was discovered. There, the Spaniards, instead of the peaceful and gentle inhabitants of the Bahamas, met warlike and cruel cannibals, Indians from the Carib tribe. A battle took place between the Spaniards and the Caribs.
Having discovered the island of Puerto Rico, Columbus sailed to Hispaniola on November 22, 1493. At night, the ships approached the place where the fort they founded on their first voyage stood.
Everything was quiet. There was not a single light on the shore. The arrivals fired a volley from bombards, but only the echo rolled in the distance. In the morning, Columbus learned that the Spaniards, with their cruelty and greed, had so antagonized the Indians that one night they suddenly attacked the fortress and burned it, killing the rapists. This is how America met Columbus on his second voyage!
Columbus's second expedition was unsuccessful: the discoveries were insignificant; despite a thorough search, little gold was found; Diseases were rampant in the newly built colony of Isabella.
When Columbus set out in search of new lands (during this voyage he discovered the island of Jamaica), the Indians on Hispaniola, outraged by the oppression of the Spaniards, rebelled again. The Spaniards were able to suppress the uprising and brutally dealt with the rebels. Hundreds of them were enslaved, sent to Spain, or forced to do backbreaking work on plantations and mines.
1496, March 10 - Columbus set off on his return journey, and on June 11, 1496, his ships entered the harbor of Cadiz.
American writer Washington Irving spoke about Columbus's return from the second expedition:
“These unfortunates crawled out, exhausted by illness in the colony and the severe hardships of the journey. Their yellow faces, as one ancient writer put it, were a parody of the gold that was the object of their aspirations, and all their stories about the New World were reduced to complaints of illness, poverty and disappointment.
Third expedition (1498 - 1500)
Return of Christopher Columbus from his voyage
In Spain, Columbus was not only received very coldly, but also deprived of many privileges. Only after lengthy and humiliating efforts was he able to equip ships for the third expedition in the summer of 1498.
This time, Columbus and his crew had to endure prolonged calm and terrible heat. On July 31, the ships approached big island Trinidad, and soon a grassy bank appeared in front of Columbus.
Christopher Columbus mistook it for an island, but in reality it was the mainland of South America. Even when Columbus arrived at the mouth of the Orinoco, he did not understand that there was a huge continent in front of him.
At that time, the situation in Hispaniola was tense: the colonists quarreled among themselves; relations with the natives were damaged; The Indians responded to the oppression with uprisings, and the Spaniards sent one punitive expedition after another to them.
The intrigues that had long been waged against Columbus at the Spanish court finally had their effect: in August 1500, a new government commissioner, Babadilla, arrived on the island of Hispaniola. He demoted Columbus and, shackling him and his brother Bartolomeo, sent him to Spain.
The appearance of the famous traveler in shackles caused such indignation among the Spaniards that the government was forced to immediately release him. The shackles were removed, but the mortally insulted admiral did not part with them until the end of his days and ordered them to be placed in his coffin.
Almost all privileges were taken away from Columbus, and expeditions began to be equipped to America without his participation.
Fourth Expedition (1502 - 1504)
Only in 1502 was Columbus able to set off on four ships on his fourth and final expedition. This time he passed along the coast of Central America, from Honduras to Panama. This was his most unsuccessful journey. The travelers endured all kinds of hardships, and in 1504 the admiral returned to Spain on one ship.
The end of Columbus's life was spent in struggle. The admiral began to dream about the liberation of Jerusalem and Mount Zion. At the end of November 1504, he sent a lengthy letter to the royal couple, in which he outlined his “crusader” creed.
Death of Columbus and posthumous voyage
Columbus was often sick.
“Exhausted by gout, grieving over the death of his property, tormented by other sorrows, he gave his soul with the king for the rights and privileges promised to him. Before his death, he still considered himself the king of India and advised the king on how best to rule overseas lands. He gave his soul to God on the day of the Ascension, May 20, 1506 in Valladolid, accepting the holy gifts with great humility.”
The admiral was buried in the church of the Valladolid Franciscan monastery. And in 1507 or 1509, the admiral set off on his longest journey. It lasted 390 years. Initially, his ashes were transported to Seville. IN mid-16th century centuries, his remains were brought from Seville to Santo Domingo (Haiti). Columbus's brother Bartolomeo, his son Diego and grandson Luis were also buried there.
1792 - Spain ceded the eastern half of the island of Hispaniola to France. The commander of the Spanish flotilla ordered the admiral's ashes to be delivered to Havana. The fourth funeral took place there. 1898 - Spain lost Cuba. The Spanish government decided to transfer the admiral's ashes to Seville again. Now he rests in the Seville Cathedral.
What was Christopher Columbus looking for? What hopes drew him to the West? The treaty concluded by Columbus with Ferdinand and Isabella does not make this clear.
“Since you, Christopher Columbus, are setting out at our command on our ships and with our subjects to discover and conquer certain islands and a continent in the ocean... it is fair and reasonable... that you should be rewarded for this.”
What islands? What continent? Columbus took his secret with him to the grave.
Christopher Columbus was born between August 26 and October 31, 1451 on the island of Corsica in the Republic of Genoa. The future discoverer received his education at the University of Pavia.
A brief biography of Columbus does not preserve exact evidence of his first voyages, but it is known that in the 1470s he carried out sea expeditions for trading purposes. Even then, Columbus had the idea of traveling to India through the west. The navigator appealed to the rulers many times European countries with a request to help him organize an expedition - to King João II, Duke of Medina Seli, King Henry VII and others. It was not until 1492 that Columbus's voyage was approved by the Spanish rulers, most notably Queen Isabella. He was given the title of “don” and was promised rewards if the project was successful.
Four expeditions. Discovery of America
Columbus's first voyage took place in 1492. During the voyage the navigator discovered Bahamas, Haiti, Cuba, although he himself considered these lands to be “Western India”.
During the second expedition of Columbus's assistants there were such famous personalities like the future conqueror of Cuba Diego Velazquez de Cuellar, the notary Rodrigo de Bastidas, the pioneer Juan de la Cosa. Then the navigator's discoveries included the Virgin Islands, Lesser Antilles, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico.
Christopher Columbus's third expedition took place in 1498. The navigator's main discovery was the island of Trinidad. However, at the same time, Vasco da Gama found the real route to India, so Columbus was declared a deceiver and sent under escort from Hispaniola to Spain. However, upon his arrival, local financiers managed to persuade King Ferdinand II to drop the charges.
Columbus never abandoned the hope of discovering a new shortcut to South Asia. In 1502, the navigator was able to obtain permission from the king for a fourth voyage. Columbus reached the coast of Central America, proving that between Atlantic Ocean And South Sea lies the mainland.
Recent years
During last trip Columbus fell seriously ill. Upon his return to Spain, he failed to restore the privileges and rights granted to him. Christopher Columbus died on May 20, 1506 in Seville, Spain. The navigator was first buried in Seville, but in 1540, by order of Emperor Charles V, Columbus's remains were transported to the island of Hispaniola (Haiti), and in 1899 again to Seville.
Other biography options
- Historians still do not know true biography Christopher Columbus - there is so little factual material about his fate and expeditions that the biographers of the navigator introduce many fictitious statements into his biography.
- Returning to Spain after the second expedition, Columbus proposed settling on the newly open lands criminals.
- Columbus's dying words were: “In manus tuas, Domine, commendo spiritum meum” (“Into your hands, Lord, I entrust my spirit”).
- The significance of the navigator's discoveries was recognized only in the middle of the 16th century.
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