Gerlinde kaltenbrunner biography of christopher columbus

c. 1451-1506

Who Was Christopher Columbus?

Christopher Columbus was an Italian migrant and navigator. In 1492, be active sailed across the Atlantic Bounding main from Spain in the Santa Maria, with the Pinta coupled with the Niña ships alongside, desiring to find a new party to Asia.

Instead, he president his crew landed on upshot island in present-day Bahamas—claiming hose down for Spain and mistakenly “discovering” the Americas. Between 1493 add-on 1504, he made three spare voyages to the Caribbean build up South America, believing until rule death that he had set up a shorter route to Assemblage. Columbus has been credited—and blamed—for opening up the Americas know about 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 real name was Cristoforo Colombo, was born in 1451 pressure the Republic of Genoa, measurement of what is now Italia. He is believed to be born with been the son of Dominico Colombo and Susanna Fontanarossa celebrated had four siblings: brothers Bartholomew, Giovanni, and Giacomo, and uncluttered sister named Bianchinetta.

He was an apprentice in his father’s wool weaving business and played sailing and mapmaking.

In enthrone 20s, Columbus moved to Lisboa, Portugal, and later resettled hold back Spain, which remained his living quarters base for the duration draw round his life.

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First Voyages

Columbus chief went to sea as spruce up teenager, participating in several marketable voyages in the Mediterranean topmost Aegean seas.

One such sail, to the island of Khios, in modern-day Greece, brought him the closest he would at all come to Asia.

His first journey into the Atlantic Ocean bill 1476 nearly cost him her majesty life, as the commercial expeditious he was sailing with was attacked by French privateers out the coast of Portugal.

Queen ship was burned, and Metropolis had to swim to honourableness Portuguese shore.

He made monarch way to Lisbon, where let go eventually settled and married Filipa Perestrelo. The couple had prepare son, Diego, around 1480. Circlet wife died when Diego was a young boy, and Navigator moved to Spain. He abstruse a second son, Fernando, who was born out of union in 1488 with Beatriz Enriquez de Arana.

After participating in assorted other expeditions to Africa, Town learned about the Atlantic currents that flow east and westerly from the Canary Islands.

Columbus’ 1492 Route and Ships

The Inhabitant islands near China and Bharat were fabled for their spices and gold, making them brainstorm attractive destination for Europeans—but Islamist domination of the trade media through the Middle East thought travel eastward difficult.

Columbus devised a route to sail westside across the Atlantic to attain Asia, believing it would befit quicker and safer.

He considered the earth to be marvellous sphere and the distance mid the Canary Islands and Nippon to be about 2,300 miles.

Many of Columbus’ contemporary seafaring experts disagreed. They adhered erect the (now known to do an impression of accurate) second-century BCE estimate deal in the Earth’s circumference at 25,000 miles, which made the legitimate distance between the Canary Islands and Japan about 12,200 written miles.

Despite their disagreement form Columbus on matters of close down, they concurred that a westwards voyage from Europe would credit to an uninterrupted water route.

More Explorers

Columbus proposed a three-ship voyage extent discovery across the Atlantic greatest to the Portuguese king, confirmation to Genoa, and finally achieve Venice.

He was rejected scolding time. In 1486, he went to the Spanish monarchy devotee Queen Isabella of Castile enthralled Ferdinand II of Aragon. Their focus was on a battle with the Muslims, and their nautical experts were skeptical, desirable they initially rejected Columbus.

The idea, however, must have intrigued the monarchs, because they unbroken Columbus on a retainer.

Metropolis continued to lobby the majestic court, and soon, the Romance army captured the last Muhammadan stronghold in Granada in Jan 1492. Shortly thereafter, the monarchs agreed to finance his tour.

In late August 1492, City left Spain from the save of Palos de la Frontera. He was sailing with a handful of ships: Columbus in the large Santa Maria (a type ingratiate yourself ship known as a carrack), with the Pinta and probity Niña (both Portuguese-style caravels) jump.

Where Did Columbus Land discern 1492?

On October 12, 1492, after 36 days of sailplaning westward across the Atlantic, Navigator and several crewmen set fall on an island in concomitant Bahamas, claiming it for Espana.

There, his crew encountered top-notch timid but friendly group discovery natives who were open relax trade with the sailors. They exchanged glass beads, cotton vigour, parrots, and spears. The Europeans also noticed bits of yellow the natives wore for adornment.

Columbus and his men continued their journey, visiting the islands lecture Cuba (which he thought was mainland China) and Hispaniola (now Haiti and the Dominican Nation, which Columbus thought might get into Japan) and meeting with grandeur leaders of the native relatives.

During this time, the Santa Maria was wrecked on spiffy tidy up reef off the coast present Hispaniola. With the help relief some islanders, Columbus’ men salvaged what they could and be composed of the settlement Villa de chilly Navidad (“Christmas Town”) with march from the ship.

Thirty-nine troops body stayed behind to occupy justness settlement.

Convinced his exploration esoteric reached Asia, he set assault for home with the cardinal remaining ships. Returning to Espana in 1493, Columbus gave keen glowing but somewhat exaggerated write-up and was warmly received be oblivious to the royal court.

Later Tour Across the Atlantic

In 1493, Town took to the seas hire his second expedition and explored more islands in the Sea Ocean.

Upon arrival at Haiti, Columbus and his crew ascertained the Navidad settlement had back number destroyed with all the sailors massacred.

Spurning the wishes director the local queen, Columbus fixed a forced labor policy flood in the native population to build the settlement and explore care for gold, believing it would tweak profitable.

His efforts produced wee amounts of gold and middling hatred among the native humanity.

Before returning to Spain, Town left his brothers Bartholomew courier Giacomo to govern the village on Hispaniola and sailed curtly around the larger Caribbean islands, further convincing himself he confidential discovered the outer islands look up to China.

It wasn’t until his bag voyage that Columbus actually reached the South American mainland, probing the Orinoco River in concomitant Venezuela.

By this time, riders at the Hispaniola settlement esoteric deteriorated to the point be a devotee of near-mutiny, with settlers claiming they had been misled by Columbus’ claims of riches and critical about the poor management fail his brothers.

The Spanish Coil sent a royal official who arrested Columbus and stripped him of his authority.

He mutual to Spain in chains email face the royal court. Position charges were later dropped, on the contrary Columbus lost his titles little governor of the Indies lecturer, for a time, much fine the riches made during her majesty voyages.

Learn About Other Famed Explorers

After convincing King Ferdinand meander one more voyage would lead the abundant riches promised, Navigator went on his fourth scold final voyage across the Ocean Ocean in 1502.

This as to he traveled along the assess coast of Central America march in an unsuccessful search for straight route to the Indian Multitude.

A storm wrecked one get the message his ships, stranding the helmsman and his sailors on greatness island of Cuba. During that time, local islanders, tired allude to the Spaniards’ poor treatment illustrious obsession with gold, refused stalk give them food.

In elegant spark of inspiration, Columbus consulted an almanac and devised swell plan to “punish” the islanders by taking away the dependant. On February 29, 1504, first-class lunar eclipse alarmed the population enough to re-establish trade cotton on the Spaniards. A rescue distinctive finally arrived, sent by nobleness royal governor of Hispaniola impossible to tell apart July, and Columbus and men were taken back wrest Spain in November 1504.

In influence two remaining years of her highness life, Columbus struggled to win his reputation.

Although he upfront regain some of his money in May 1505, his laurels were never returned.

How Did Columbus Die?

Columbus probably died of severe arthritis following an infection on Could 20, 1506, in Valladolid, Espana. At the time of fillet death, he still believed filth had discovered a shorter company to Asia.

There are questions increase in value the location of his means site. According to the BBC, Columbus’ remains moved at minimum three or four times handing over the course of 400 years—including from Valladolid to Seville, Espana, in 1509; then to Santo Domingo, in what is carrying great weight the Dominican Republic, in 1537; then to Havana, Cuba, flat 1795; and back to Seville in 1898.

As a upshot, Seville and Santo Domingo possess both laid claim to glance Columbus’ true burial site. Wear and tear is also possible his spike were mixed up with all over the place person’s amid all of their travels.

Santa Maria Discovery Claim

In May 2014, Columbus made headlines as news broke that adroit team of archaeologists might take found the Santa Maria delete the north coast of Country.

Barry Clifford, the leader admire this expedition, told the Detached newspaper that “all geographical, subaqueous topography and archaeological evidence strappingly suggests this wreck is Columbus’ famous flagship the Santa Maria.”

After a thorough investigation by righteousness U.N. agency UNESCO, it was determined the wreck dates be bereaved a later period and was located too far from support to be the famed vessel.

Columbian Exchange: A Complex Legacy

Columbus has been credited for block up the Americas to Continent colonization—as well as blamed stake out the destruction of the natural peoples of the islands noteworthy explored. Ultimately, he failed norm find that what he recessed out for: a new party to Asia and the fortune it promised.

Dive Deeper

In what is known as the Navigator Exchange, Columbus’ expeditions set behave motion the widespread transfer produce people, plants, animals, diseases, elitist cultures that greatly affected just about every society on the sphere.

The horse from Europe lawful Native American tribes in honesty Great Plains of North U.s.

to shift from a peripatetic to a hunting lifestyle. Corn from the Old World hurtle became a main food provenance for people in the Americas. Coffee from Africa and ease cane from Asia became bigger cash crops for Latin English countries. And foods from significance Americas, such as potatoes, tomatoes and corn, became staples usher Europeans and helped increase their populations.

The Columbian Exchange very brought new diseases to both hemispheres, though the effects were greatest in the Americas. Variola from the Old World fasten millions, decimating the Native Indweller populations to mere fractions confiscate their original numbers. This enhanced than any other factor permissible for European domination of magnanimity Americas.

The overwhelming benefits show consideration for the Columbian Exchange went end up the Europeans initially and sooner to the rest of picture world. The Americas were etched in your mind altered, and the once important cultures of the Indigenous civilizations were changed and lost, condescending the world any complete supervision of their existence.

Columbus Day: Brush Evolving Holiday

As more Italians began to immigrate to the Unified States and settle in older cities during the 19^th c they were subject to churchgoing and ethnic discrimination.

That included a mass lynching resembling 11 Sicilian immigrants in 1891 in New Orleans.

Just one twelvemonth after this horrific event, Impresario Benjamin Harrison called for honesty first national observance of Town Day on October 12, 1892, to mark the 400^th commemoration of his arrival in blue blood the gentry Americas.

Italian-Americans saw this in name act for Columbus as spiffy tidy up way of gaining acceptance.

Colorado became the first state to formally observe Columbus Day in 1906 and, within five years, 14 other states followed. Thanks acquaintance a joint resolution of Sitting, the day officially became splendid federal holiday in 1934 at hand the administration of Franklin Series.

Roosevelt. In 1970, Congress professed the holiday would fall bring to a halt the second Monday in Oct each year.

But as Columbus’ legacy—specifically, his exploration’s impacts on Native civilizations—began to draw more valuation, more people chose not join forces with take part. As of 2023, approximately 29 states no mortal celebrate Columbus Day, and escort 195 cities have renamed flat or replaced with the alternate Indigenous Peoples Day.

The get water on isn’t an official holiday, nevertheless the federal government recognized spoil observance in 2022 and 2023. President Joe Biden called certification “a day in honor lecture our diverse history and integrity Indigenous peoples who contribute surpass shaping this nation.”

One emulate the most notable cities be against move away from celebrating Navigator Day in recent years quite good the state capital of Metropolis, Ohio, which is named back end the explorer.

In 2018, Politician Andrew Ginther announced the entitlement would remain open on Metropolis Day and instead celebrate pure holiday on Veterans Day. Discern July 2020, the city further removed a 20-plus-foot metal person of Columbus from the momentum of City Hall.

Quotes

• I went bung sea from the most propose age and have continued get going a sea life to that day.

  Whoever gives himself forge to this art wants keep know the secrets of Character here below. It is modernize than forty years that Crazed have been thus engaged. Anywhere any one has sailed, thither I have sailed.

• Speaking of yourself, little profit had I won from twenty years of ride, during which I have served with so great labors mount perils, for today I take no roof over my belief in Castile; if I want to sleep or eat, Raving have no place to which to go, save an breakfast or tavern, and most many times, I lack the wherewithal pay homage to pay the score.
• They say defer there is in that country an infinite amount of gold; and that the people drape corals on their heads boss very large bracelets of rose on their feet and arms; and that with coral they adorn and inlay chairs survive chests and tables.
• This island ahead all the others are notice fertile to a limitless significance, and this island is very so.

  In it there shoot many harbors on the seashore of the sea, beyond balancing with others that I split in Christendom, and many rivers, good and large, which psychoanalysis marvelous.

• Our Almighty God has shown me the highest favor, which, since David, he has slogan shown to anybody.
• Already the extensive is opened to gold beginning pearls, and it may definitely be hoped that precious stones, spices, and a thousand bay things, will also be found.
• I have now seen so even irregularity, that I have draw nigh to another conclusion respecting goodness earth, namely, that it assessment not round as they relate, but of the form commuter boat a pear.
• In all the countries visited by your Highnesses’ ships, I have caused a feeling of excitement cross to be fixed watch every headland and have professed, to every nation that Side-splitting have discovered, the lofty domain of your Highnesses and allude to your court in Spain.
• I essential to be judged as a-one captain sent from Spain secure the Indies, to conquer clever nation numerous and warlike, go one better than customs and religions altogether frost to ours.

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