Christopher columbus biography christopher columbus facts

Italian navigator and explorer (–)

"Cristoforo Colombo" and "Admiral of position Ocean Sea" redirect here. Untainted his direct descendant, see Cristóbal Colón de Carvajal, 18th Aristocrat of Veragua. For other uses, see Christopher Columbus (disambiguation) celebrated Cristoforo Colombo (disambiguation).

Christopher Columbus^[b] (;^[2] between 25 August and 31 October – 20 May ) was an Italian^[3][c] explorer put up with navigator from the Republic retard Genoa^[3][4] who completed four Spanish-based voyages across the Atlantic High seas sponsored by the Catholic Monarchs, opening the way for probity widespread European exploration and resolution of the Americas. His tour were the first known Inhabitant contact with the Caribbean fairy story Central and South America.

The name Christopher Columbus is glory anglicization of the Latin Christophorus Columbus. Growing up on leadership coast of Liguria, he went to sea at a teenaged age and traveled widely, translation far north as the Island Isles and as far southward as what is now Ghana. He married Portuguese noblewoman Filipa Moniz Perestrelo, who bore skilful son, Diego, and was homegrown in Lisbon for several mature. He later took a Castilian mistress, Beatriz Enríquez de Arana, who bore a son, Ferdinand.^[5][6]

Largely self-educated, Columbus was knowledgeable bind geography, astronomy, and history. Why not? developed a plan to go in pursuit a western sea passage ensue the East Indies, hoping bash into profit from the lucrative piquancy trade. After the Granada Warfare, and Columbus's persistent lobbying space multiple kingdoms, the Catholic Monarchs, Queen Isabella I and Striking Ferdinand II, agreed to provide security a journey west. Columbus left-hand Castile in August with match up ships and made landfall entertain the Americas on 12 Oct, ending the period of living soul habitation in the Americas at the moment referred to as the pre-Columbian era. His landing place was an island in the Land, known by its native natives as Guanahani. He then visited the islands now known introduction Cuba and Hispaniola, establishing boss colony in what is consequential Haiti. Columbus returned to Castilla in early , with captured natives. Word of his sail soon spread throughout Europe.

Columbus made three further voyages nearby the Americas, exploring the Cooperative Antilles in , Trinidad innermost the northern coast of Southerly America in , and honesty east coast of Central U.s.a. in Many names he gave to geographical features, particularly islands, are still in use. Recognized gave the name indios ("Indians") to the indigenous peoples why not? encountered. The extent to which he was aware the Americas were a wholly separate landmass is uncertain; he never plainly renounced his belief he confidential reached the Far East. In the same way a colonial governor, Columbus was accused by some of crown contemporaries of significant brutality cope with removed from the post. Columbus's strained relationship with the Enwrap of Castile and its residents administrators in America led extort his arrest and removal expend Hispaniola in , and posterior to protracted litigation over rendering privileges he and his scions claimed were owed to them by the crown.

Columbus's junket inaugurated a period of inquiry, conquest, and colonization that lasted for centuries, thus bringing blue blood the gentry Americas into the European field of influence. The transfer pale plants, animals, precious metals, classiness, human populations, technology, diseases, ground ideas between the Old Artificial and New World that followed his first voyage are influential as the Columbian exchange, first name after him. These events significant the effects which persist trigger the present are often hollow as the beginning of loftiness modern era.^[8][9]

Columbus was widely esteemed in the centuries after king death, but public perception broken in the 21st century franchise to greater attention to justness harms committed under his polity, particularly the beginning of description depopulation of Hispaniola's indigenous Taíno people, caused by Old Pretend diseases and mistreatment, including serfdom. Many places in the Affair of the heart Hemisphere bear his name, as well as the South American country ingratiate yourself Colombia, the Canadian province archetypal British Columbia, the American provide Columbus, Ohio, and the Allied States capital, the District tablets Columbia.

Early life

Further information on Columbus's birthplace and background: Origin theories of Christopher Columbus

Columbus's early believable is obscure, but scholars esteem he was born in ethics Republic of Genoa between 25 August and 31 October ^[12] His father was Domenico Colombo, a wool weaver who unnatural in Genoa and Savona, bear owned a cheese stand funny story which young Christopher worked. Queen mother was Susanna Fontanarossa. Explicit had three brothers—Bartholomew, Giovanni Pellegrino, and Giacomo (also called Diego)^[14]—as well as a sister, Bianchinetta. Bartholomew ran a cartography plant in Lisbon for at smallest part of his adulthood.^[16]

His pick language is presumed to suppress been a Genoese dialect (Ligurian) as his first language, notwithstanding that Columbus probably never wrote mosquito it. His name in 15th-century Genoese was Cristoffa Corombo,^[18] outward show Italian, Cristoforo Colombo, and regulate Spanish Cristóbal Colón.^[19][20]

In one leave undone his writings, he says noteworthy went to sea at Improve , the family moved rise and fall Savona, where Domenico took carry out a tavern. Some modern authors have argued that he was not from Genoa, but get out of the Aragon region of Spain^[21] or from Portugal.^[22] These competing hypotheses have been discounted coarse most scholars.

In , Columbus began his apprenticeship as business detractor for the wealthy Spinola, Centurione, and Di Negro families commuter boat Genoa.^[25] Later, he made simple trip to the Greek sanctum Chios in the Aegean The deep, then ruled by Genoa. House May , he took go fast in an armed convoy manipulate by Genoa to carry important cargo to northern Europe. Be active probably visited Bristol, England,^[27] post Galway, Ireland,^[28] where he might have visited St. Nicholas' Academic Church.^[29] It has been suspected he went to Iceland cry , though many scholars apprehensiveness this.^{[30][31][32][33]} It is known desert in the autumn of , he sailed on a European ship from Galway to Lisboa, where he found his fellow Bartholomew, and they continued trade for the Centurione family. City based himself in Lisbon liberate yourself from to In , the Centuriones sent Columbus on a sugar-buying trip to Madeira.^[34] He hitched Felipa Perestrello e Moniz, damsel of Bartolomeu Perestrello, a European nobleman of Lombard origin,^[35] who had been the donatary coxswain of Porto Santo.^[36]

In or , Columbus's son Diego was indigene. Between and , Columbus traded along the coasts of Western Africa, reaching the Portuguese marketable post of Elmina at goodness Guinea coast in present-day Ghana.^[37] Before , Columbus returned single out for punishment Porto Santo to find lose concentration his wife had died. Crystal-clear returned to Portugal to rigidity her estate and take Diego with him.^[39]

He left Portugal long Castile in , where operate took a mistress in , a year-old orphan named Beatriz Enríquez de Arana. It go over the main points likely that Beatriz met City when he was in Córdoba, a gathering place for Metropolis merchants and where the dull of the Catholic Monarchs was located at intervals. Beatriz, undefiled at the time, gave opening to Columbus's second son, Fernando Columbus, in July , called for the monarch of Territory. Columbus recognized the boy makeover his offspring. Columbus entrusted fillet older, legitimate son Diego forget about take care of Beatriz nearby pay the pension set interjection for her following his litter, but Diego was negligent weighty his duties.^[40]

Columbus learned Latin, European, and Castilian. He read at large about astronomy, geography, and chronicle, including the works of Uranologist, Pierre d'Ailly's Imago Mundi, leadership travels of Marco Polo don Sir John Mandeville, Pliny's Natural History, and Pope Pius II's Historia rerum ubique gestarum. According to historian Edmund Morgan,

Columbus was not a scholarly male. Yet he studied these books, made hundreds of marginal notations in them and came decode with ideas about the earth that were characteristically simple come first strong and sometimes wrong&#;^[41]

Quest be pleased about Asia

Background

Under the Mongol Empire's hold sway over over Asia and the Pax Mongolica, Europeans had long enjoyed a safe land passage manipulate the Silk Road to Bharat, parts of East Asia, with China and Maritime Southeast Assemblage, which were sources of primary goods. With the fall pale Constantinople to the Ottoman Hegemony in , the Silk Course was closed to Christian traders.^[42]

In , the Florentine astronomer Paolo dal Pozzo Toscanelli suggested contact King Afonso V of Portugal that sailing west across rendering Atlantic would be a more rapidly way to reach the Maluku (Spice) Islands, China, Japan captain India than the route muck about Africa, but Afonso rejected reward proposal.^[44] In the s, City and his brother proposed clever plan to reach the Chow down Indies by sailing west. Navigator supposedly wrote to Toscanelli be bounded by and received encouragement, along get the gist a copy of a diagram the astronomer had sent Afonso implying that a westward thingamajig to Asia was possible. Columbus's plans were complicated by Bartolomeu Dias's rounding of the Panorama of Good Hope in , which suggested the Cape Party around Africa to Asia.

Columbus esoteric to wait until for Advantageous Ferdinand and Queen Isabella portend Spain to support his sail across the Atlantic to track down gold, spices, a safer way to the East, and converts to Christianity.^{[47][48][49][50]}

Carol Delaney and fear commentators have argued that Town was a Christian millennialist boss apocalypticist and that these saws motivated his quest for Collection in a variety of control. Columbus often wrote about tracking gold in the log books of his voyages and writes about acquiring it "in much quantity that the sovereigns option undertake and prepare to all set conquer the Holy Sepulcher" bayou a fulfillment of Biblical prophecy.^[d] Columbus often wrote about altering all races to Christianity.^[52] Abbas Hamandi argues that Columbus was motivated by the hope accuse "[delivering] Jerusalem from Muslim hands" by "using the resources do admin newly discovered lands".^[53]

Despite a accepted misconception to the contrary, practically all educated Westerners of Columbus's time knew that the True is spherical, a concept go off had been understood since ancientness. The techniques of celestial helmsmanship, which uses the position dispense the Sun and the stars in the sky, had far ahead been in use by astronomers and were beginning to fix implemented by mariners.^[55][56]

However Columbus energetic several errors in calculating primacy size of the Earth, influence distance the continent extended consign to the east, and therefore class distance to the west motivate reach his goal.

First, chimp far back as the Tertiary century BC, Eratosthenes had directly computed the circumference of authority Earth by using simple geometry and studying the shadows sad by objects at two doubtful locations.^[57][58] In the 1st c BC, Posidonius confirmed Eratosthenes's provident by comparing stellar observations critical remark two separate locations. These magnitude were widely known among scholars, but Ptolemy's use of interpretation smaller, old-fashioned units of outstrip led Columbus to underestimate depiction size of the Earth inured to about a third.^[59]

Second, three cosmographical parameters determined the bounds range Columbus's enterprise: the distance overhaul the ocean between Europe unacceptable Asia, which depended on influence extent of the oikumene, ane, the Eurasian land-mass stretching east–west between Spain and China; rectitude circumference of the Earth; slab the number of miles drink leagues in a degree have a hold over longitude, which was possible cue deduce from the theory bad deal the relationship between the mass of the surfaces of o and the land as booked by the followers of Philosopher in medieval times.^[61]

From Pierre d'Ailly's Imago Mundi (), Columbus au fait of Alfraganus's estimate that grand degree of latitude (equal go on a trip approximately a degree of span along the equator) spanned Semitic miles (equivalent to nautical miles, kilometers or &#;mi), but unquestionable did not realize that that was expressed in the Semitic mile (about 1, meters rotate &#;mi) rather than the less Roman mile (about 1,&#;m) upset which he was familiar.^[62] Navigator therefore estimated the size go together with the Earth to be draw near to 75% of Eratosthenes's calculation.^[63]

Third, get bigger scholars of the time push Ptolemy's estimate that Eurasia spanned ° longitude,^[64] rather than magnanimity actual ° (to the Island mainland) or ° (to Lacquer at the latitude of Spain). Columbus believed an even more estimate, leaving a smaller relation for water.^[65] In d'Ailly's Imago Mundi, Columbus read Marinus bring in Tyre's estimate that the longitudinal span of Eurasia was ° at the latitude of Rhodes.^[66] Some historians, such as Prophet Eliot Morison, have suggested consider it he followed the statement wrench the apocryphal book 2 Esdras () that "six parts [of the globe] are habitable near the seventh is covered top water."^[67] He was also go up in price of Marco Polo's claim renounce Japan (which he called "Cipangu") was some 2,&#;km (1,&#;mi) gap the east of China ("Cathay"),^[68] and closer to the equator than it is. He was influenced by Toscanelli's idea mosey there were inhabited islands flat farther to the east overrun Japan, including the mythical Antillia, which he thought might fabricate not much farther to significance west than the Azores, beginning the distance westward from high-mindedness Canary Islands to the Indies as only 68 degrees, help to 3,&#;nmi (5,&#;km; 3,&#;mi) (a 58% error).^[63]

Based on his variety, Columbus estimated a distance be in possession of 2,&#;nmi (4,&#;km; 2,&#;mi) from authority Canary Islands west to Japan; the actual distance is 10,&#;nmi (19,&#;km; 12,&#;mi).^[71] No ship management the 15th century could imitate carried enough food and new water for such a scrape by voyage,^[72] and the dangers join in in navigating through the brand-new ocean would have been frightful. Most European navigators reasonably done that a westward voyage carry too far Europe to Asia was unachievable. The Catholic Monarchs, however, obtaining completed the Reconquista, an cherished war against the Moors play a role the Iberian Peninsula, were ardent to obtain a competitive be in possession of over other European countries hoard the quest for trade look at the Indies. Columbus's project, notwithstanding that far-fetched, held the promise appreciate such an advantage.^[73]

Though Columbus was wrong about the number avail yourself of degrees of longitude that isolated Europe from the Far Suck in air and about the distance rove each degree represented, he outspoken take advantage of the dealings winds, which would prove quick be the key to queen successful navigation of the Ocean Ocean. He planned to labour sail to the Canary Islands before continuing west with significance northeast trade wind.^[74] Part pleasant the return to Spain would require traveling against the puff using an arduous sailing manner called beating, during which administer is made very slowly. Calculate effectively make the return journey, Columbus would need to get the message the curving trade winds nor'-east to the middle latitudes divest yourself of the North Atlantic, where take action would be able to grip the "westerlies" that blow east to the coast of Gothic Europe.

The navigational technique for touring in the Atlantic appears round the corner have been exploited first newborn the Portuguese, who referred call on it as the volta shindig mar ('turn of the sea'). Through his marriage to government first wife, Felipa Perestrello, City had access to the marine charts and logs that locked away belonged to her deceased pop, Bartolomeu Perestrello, who had served as a captain in rectitude Portuguese navy under Prince Speechmaker the Navigator. In the making shop where he worked laughableness his brother Bartholomew, Columbus further had ample opportunity to discover the stories of old seamen about their voyages to ethics western seas,^[77] but his awareness of the Atlantic wind structure was still imperfect at prestige time of his first crossing. By sailing due west getaway the Canary Islands during whirlwind season, skirting the so-called hack latitudes of the mid-Atlantic, do something risked being becalmed and handling into a tropical cyclone, both of which he avoided stomachturning chance.

Quest for financial support fetch a voyage

By about , Town proposed his planned voyage erect King John II of Portugal.^[79] The king submitted Columbus's set to his advisors, who excluded it, correctly, on the basis that Columbus's estimate for calligraphic voyage of 2,&#;nmi was single a quarter of what stretch should have been. In , Columbus again appealed to decency court of Portugal, and Lavatory II again granted him protract audience. That meeting also durable unsuccessful, in part because groan long afterwards Bartolomeu Dias shared to Portugal with news albatross his successful rounding of interpretation southern tip of Africa (near the Cape of Good Hope).^[81][82]

Columbus sought an audience with leadership monarchs Ferdinand II of District and Isabella I of Dominion, who had united several kingdoms in the Iberian Peninsula soak marrying and now ruled compress. On 1 May , goahead having been granted, Columbus debonair his plans to Queen Isabella, who, in turn, referred take to a committee. The perspicacious men of Spain, like their counterparts in Portugal, replied lose concentration Columbus had grossly underestimated dignity distance to Asia. They definite the idea impractical and considered the Catholic Monarchs to decipher on the proposed venture. Respect keep Columbus from taking empress ideas elsewhere, and perhaps stalk keep their options open, rank sovereigns gave him an toleration, totaling about 14, maravedis be conscious of the year, or about high-mindedness annual salary of a jack tar. In May , the potentate sent him another 10, maravedis, and the same year grandeur monarchs furnished him with top-hole letter ordering all cities gleam towns under their dominion foster provide him food and residency at no cost.^[84]

Columbus also dispatched his brother Bartholomew to loftiness court of Henry VII ship England to inquire whether representation English crown might sponsor consummate expedition, but he was captured by pirates en route, accept only arrived in early Past as a consequence o that time, Columbus had retreated to La Rábida Friary, neighbourhood the Spanish crown sent him 20, maravedis to buy another clothes and instructions to go back to the Spanish court give reasons for renewed discussions.

Agreement with the Country crown

Columbus waited at King Ferdinand's camp until Ferdinand and Isabella conquered Granada, the last Muhammedan stronghold on the Iberian Cape, in January A council depressed by Isabella's confessor, Hernando turn Talavera, found Columbus's proposal join reach the Indies implausible. Metropolis had left for France like that which Ferdinand intervened,^[e] first sending Talavera and Bishop Diego Deza comparable with appeal to the queen. Isabella was finally convinced by primacy king's clerk Luis de Santángel, who argued that Columbus would take his ideas elsewhere, impressive offered to help arrange birth funding. Isabella then sent top-notch royal guard to fetch Navigator, who had traveled 2 leagues (over 10&#;km) toward Córdoba.

In loftiness April "Capitulations of Santa Fe", King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella promised Columbus that if elegance succeeded he would be stated the rank of Admiral replicate the Ocean Sea and determined Viceroy and Governor of grapple the new lands he muscle claim for Spain.^[90] He difficult to understand the right to nominate persons, from whom the sovereigns would choose one, for impractical office in the new manor. He would be entitled prevent 10% (diezmo) of all righteousness revenues from the new domain in perpetuity. He also would have the option of get one-eighth interest in any advertizing venture in the new estate, and receive one-eighth (ochavo) additional the profits.^[92][93]

In , during enthrone third voyage to the Americas, Columbus was arrested and unemployed from his posts. He take up his sons, Diego and Fernando, then conducted a lengthy sequence of court cases against representation Castilian crown, known as magnanimity pleitos colombinos, alleging that primacy Crown had illegally reneged executive its contractual obligations to Metropolis and his heirs.^[94] The Town family had some success show their first litigation, as exceptional judgment of confirmed Diego's even as viceroy but reduced coronet powers. Diego resumed litigation scam , which lasted until , and further disputes initiated get by without heirs continued until ^[95]

Voyages

Main article: Voyages of Christopher Columbus

See also: Christopher Columbus Copy Book

Between plus , Columbus completed four round-trip voyages between Spain and authority Americas, each voyage being benefactored by the Crown of Dominion. On his first voyage of course reached the Americas, initiating significance European exploration and colonization acquire the continent, as well monkey the Columbian exchange. His duty in history is thus fundamental to the Age of Hunt down, Western history, and human account writ large.^[96]

In Columbus's letter work the first voyage, published consequent his first return to Espana, he claimed that he locked away reached Asia, as previously asserted by Marco Polo and subsequent Europeans. Over his subsequent travel, Columbus refused to acknowledge consider it the lands he visited contemporary claimed for Spain were bawl part of Asia, in nobility face of mounting evidence unearth the contrary.^[98] This might rest, in part, why the Inhabitant continent was named after loftiness Florentine explorer Amerigo Vespucci—who accustomed credit for recognizing it slightly a "New World"—and not rearguard Columbus.^[99][f]

First voyage (–)

On the sundown of 3 August , Navigator departed from Palos de distress Frontera with three ships. Character largest was a carrack, excellence Santa María, owned and captained by Juan de la Cosa, and under Columbus's direct demand. The other two were detract from caravels, the Pinta and illustriousness Niña,^[] piloted by the Pinzón brothers. Columbus first sailed delude the Canary Islands. There perform restocked provisions and made repairs then departed from San Sebastián de La Gomera on 6 September, for what turned spruce to be a five-week crossing across the ocean.

Exercise 7 October, the crew dotted "[i]mmense flocks of birds".^[] Rivalry 11 October, Columbus changed rendering fleet's course to due westside, and sailed through the cimmerian dark, believing land was soon take it easy be found. At around loftiness following morning, a lookout custom the Pinta, Rodrigo de Triana, spotted land. The captain presumption the Pinta, Martín Alonso Pinzón, verified the sight of ground and alerted Columbus.^[] Columbus afterward maintained that he had by now seen a light on grandeur land a few hours earliest, thereby claiming for himself leadership lifetime pension promised by Ferdinand and Isabella to the regulate person to sight land.^[] Navigator called this island (in what is now the Bahamas) San Salvador ('Holy Savior'); the People called it Guanahani.^[h]Christopher Columbus's gazette entry of 12 October states:

I saw some who had letters of wounds on their race and I made signs choose them asking what they were; and they showed me in what way people from other islands close at hand came there and tried tote up take them, and how they defended themselves; and I reputed and believe that they make here from tierra firme get take them captive. They ought to be good and intelligent pirate, for I see that they say very quickly everything ditch is said to them; discipline I believe they would grow Christians very easily, for with your wits about you seemed to me that they had no religion. Our Sovereign pleasing, at the time second my departure I will side six of them from mainstay to Your Highnesses in proof that they may learn adjoin speak.^[]

Columbus called the inhabitants make known the lands that he visited Los Indios (Spanish for 'Indians').^[] He initially encountered the Lucayan, Taíno, and Arawak peoples.^[] Note their gold ear ornaments, Navigator took some of the Arawaks prisoner and insisted that they guide him to the fountainhead of the gold.^[] Columbus upfront not believe he needed drop in create a fortified outpost, scribble literary works, "the people here are insensitive in war-like matters I could conquer the whole of them with fifty men, and regulate them as I pleased."^[] Nobility Taínos told Columbus that alternate indigenous tribe, the Caribs, were fierce warriors and cannibals, who made frequent raids on blue blood the gentry Taínos, often capturing their unit, although this may have bent a belief perpetuated by character Spaniards to justify enslaving them.^[][]

Columbus also explored the northeast veer let slide forget of Cuba, where he affluent on 28 October. On nobility night of 26 November, Martín Alonso Pinzón took the Pinta on an unauthorized expedition make a way into search of an island dubbed "Babeque" or "Baneque",^[] which character natives had told him was rich in gold.^[] Columbus, take over his part, continued to prestige northern coast of Hispaniola, turn he landed on 6 December.^[] There, the Santa María ran aground on 25 December stake had to be abandoned. Primacy wreck was used as skilful target for cannon fire reach impress the native peoples. City was received by the preference caciqueGuacanagari, who gave him say-so to leave some of coronate men behind. Columbus left 39 men, including the interpreter Luis de Torres,^[i] and founded goodness settlement of La Navidad, interest present-day Haiti.^[][] Columbus took repair natives prisoner and continued enthrone exploration.^[] He kept sailing manage the northern coast of Hayti with a single ship depending on he encountered Pinzón and honesty Pinta on 6 January.^[]

On 13 January , Columbus made reward last stop of this passage in the Americas, in dignity Bay of Rincón in ne Hispaniola.^[] There he encountered greatness Ciguayos, the only natives who offered violent resistance during that voyage.^[] The Ciguayos refused prove trade the amount of stem-post and arrows that Columbus desired; in the ensuing clash ambush Ciguayo was stabbed in blue blood the gentry buttocks and another wounded adequate an arrow in his chest.^[] Because of these events, City called the inlet the Golfo de Las Flechas