Which ocean is the discovery of Christopher Columbus associated with? Find out the name of the discoverer: who discovered America first. Continents discovered by Columbus

- one of the most mysterious personalities of the period of great travels and geographical discoveries. The life of every outstanding person is full of dark spots, mysteries, inexplicable actions and coincidences. This is easily explained by the fact that humanity begins to take an interest in the life of a great man only after his death, after about 100 - 150 years. When documents are lost, eyewitnesses are dead, and only gossip, speculation and secrets remain alive. And if the celebrity herself hides her origin all her life, the true motives of her actions, even her thoughts, everything becomes a thousand times more complicated. Such a person was the well-known Christopher Columbus.

Mystery one: origin

Until now, no one can indicate the exact date of birth of the great navigator. Even the year of birth - 1451 - does not have a strong enough basis. We only know for sure birthplace of Christopher Columbus- Republic of Genoa. Columbus's parents were the most ordinary city residents: his father was a weaver, his mother was a housewife. The question of the nationality of Columbus remains open. Researchers are considering several versions: Spanish, Italian, German, Slavic and Jewish. Exactly latest version seems most likely. It is known that the Columbuses were quite reserved; sometimes the whole family left for several days to an unknown destination. Diligently, even too diligently for Catholic Genoa, the family of the future navigator attended church, they regularly received communion and confession, and never missed a Sunday or holiday mass, as if fulfilling an important duty. The family had a special relationship with financiers from wealthy families of baptized Jews (Marranos). All of the above speaks in favor of the “Jewish” version. This assumption is confirmed by the fact that Columbus never wrote about his roots, although he left behind a solid literary archive. Since the 15th century was the height of the Inquisition in Europe, "un-Christian" could have a negative impact on his career. The family had to hide their history.

Secret two: education

According to the tradition of that time, the future traveler and discoverer received home education. Apparently, his teachers were wonderful. Young Columbus amazed his acquaintances with his knowledge of languages and broad outlook at the age of 14. It has been reliably established that he studied at the University of Padua. This is where questions arise: why would a weaver’s son gravitate towards the intellectual elite? And the cost of education and living was too much for the weaver-father, who had to feed three more children (Columbus had two brothers and a sister). However, if Christopher was supported by other relatives from the merchants, then everything looks very plausible. One thing is certain: Columbus was distinguished by outstanding abilities from childhood.

Mystery three: how did the idea of searching for India in the West come about?

As an educated person, Christopher Columbus could not help but know that the idea of the spherical shape of the Earth was expressed by very authoritative scientists back in ancient times. On the other hand, as a man of the 15th century, Columbus understood that public recognition of the truth of these assumptions is fraught with misunderstanding and mistrust of a society long accustomed to the idea that the Earth is flat as a pancake. In this situation, attempts to find a sea route to the “land of spices” by circumnavigating Africa look much more realistic and understandable. What prompted Christopher Columbus to the idea of looking in the West? And was he really looking for India?

Start: University Company

As a sociable and extraordinary person, Christopher Columbus made numerous friends while still at the university, both among students and among professors. The astronomer Toscanelli, well known to the future navigator, tells his friends that, according to his calculations, India is much closer to Europe if one sails to the West. Based on his friend's calculations, Columbus makes his own. The result amazes him: it turns out that from the Canary Islands to Japan is no more than three thousand miles. The calculations were wrong, but the idea turned out to be tenacious.

Continuation: own experience

Sea voyages began in the life of Christopher Columbus at the age of 14. According to tradition, the father sent his eldest son to gain experience by placing him as a cabin boy on the merchant ship of a merchant he knew. Christopher not only studied languages, navigation, and the art of trade, but also earned money to help his family. The first voyages were limited Mediterranean Sea, but it was precisely this sea that was the focus of all economic relations between Europe and Asia. Therefore, Christopher Columbus had the opportunity to meet with Arab merchants, for whom India was a very familiar country. Greedily absorbing the stories of the Arabs about the wealth of a distant country, about the morals and customs of the population, about the rulers and state structure, young Christopher is increasingly interested in finding ways to a country that will make him fabulously rich. After a very profitable marriage, Columbus moved with his wife to. At this time, Christopher Columbus took part in several trade voyages, he visited West Africa(Guinea) Northern Europe(, Ireland, Iceland). Northern journey played a special role in life the great explorer Christopher Columbus. It has long been known that the Vikings visited America long before the Spaniards and Portuguese. But in the 15th century, enlightened Europe preferred not to notice the ancient chronicles of the northern peoples, considering them barbaric and unreliable. Columbus was not so arrogant, moreover, he was distinguished by extraordinary curiosity. While in Iceland, the traveler gets acquainted with the sagas telling about the travels of Erik the Red and Leiv Eriksson. From this moment on, the certainty is that " big land"is located across the Atlantic, never left Christopher Columbus.

The path of Christopher Columbus: from idea to implementation

It is known that Christopher Columbus proposed an expedition to the west of the Canary Islands five times. He first addressed this proposal back in 1475 to the government of the Genoese Republic and the richest merchants, promising unprecedented profits and wealth in India. The proposal was heard, but did not arouse enthusiasm. In the eyes of seasoned Genoese, the ardor of the 24-year-old weaver's son was the result of youth, a thirst for adventure and a lack of experience. The second attempt was made in 1483, this time Christopher Columbus wanted to seduce the Portuguese king with the treasures of India. The tight-fisted and sensible ruler ordered a careful study of the proposal, but as a result also refused support. The thing is that by this time Columbus had acquired quite large debts and, in the eyes of the monarch, could not be considered a trustworthy person. Christopher Columbus made a third proposal to the Spanish crown. In dire need of gold, she was painfully worried about her “provincialism.” An entire commission was created to consider the “Genoese” proposal. Financiers and theologians met for four years, and Columbus tried his best to hide the details of the upcoming journey, he was afraid that the idea would be stolen from him. To “insure himself”, tireless and obsessed with his idea, the traveler turns to the English and French kings. But the English Henry was busy with the internal problems of the country, and the young and confused Charles simply did not attach any importance to the message. While the Spaniards were deciding what to do with Columbus's proposal, the Portuguese king sent the navigator an invitation to return to Portugal and continue negotiations. Christopher Columbus makes no secret of this message; the Spaniards were in a hurry. Finally, the conditions of the expedition were announced: the initiator of the expedition must pay an eighth of the expenses, the rest of the money will come from the “queen’s uncollected taxes.” In other words, there was no money at all. The monarchs spiced up the strange financing scheme with the promotion of Christopher Columbus to the dignity of nobility and the promise to make him viceroy of all the lands that he would discover. On the other hand, the royal attention to the journey helped to quickly find sponsors, creditors, assistants and associates.

Four expeditions of Christopher Columbus: how the discovery of America took place

Christopher Columbus's first expedition

Contrary to popular belief, he did not go to India, but to Japan and China. It was these countries that were supposed to meet on his way according to his calculations. Three ships - "Santa Maria", "Pinta" and "Nina" - set off towards the unknown in early August 1492. After a short renovation Canary Islands the expedition moved to the West. On October 12, 1492, the cry of the sailor Rodrigo de Triana: “Earth! Earth!” - ended the Middle Ages in Europe and gave rise to the New Age. A small island in the Bahamas archipelago, named San Salvador by Columbus, became the first landmass of America discovered by Europeans for the second time, after the Vikings. Alas, no gold placers were discovered on the island. Columbus sails on... The coast is open, Haiti. Good contact has been established with the aborigines, who have a certain amount of gold jewelry, but do not value it at all and willingly exchange it for glass beads. Natural beauty admire the Spaniards, but... They didn’t come here for nature. Having learned from residents open islands that the "yellow stone" is large quantities occurs in " southern lands", Christopher Columbus decides to suspend the "discovery of America". For the first time, what was seen and collected was enough to awaken the "appetites" of the Spanish crown and obtain funding for a second expedition, more serious and thorough.

The second voyage of Christopher Columbus

Despite the fact that the results of the first voyage were much more modest than previously announced, the royal family, impressed by the stories of Christopher Columbus, willingly finances the next expedition. This time, 17 ships are setting off, carrying up to one and a half thousand crew members, livestock, a huge amount of supplies, grain, and seeds. This is no longer exploration, this is an expedition to colonize open lands. Among the passengers of the ships are several dozen knights, priests, artisans, doctors, and officials. Everyone goes on a journey with the hope of getting rich... The journey goes quickly, the weather is favorable. After only 20 days of travel (November 3, 1493), land was spotted. And again the island. This time we managed to put the Antilles and Virgin Islands, Jamaica, Puerto Rico. Previously discovered Cuba and Haiti were explored. All participants understand that open lands they don’t “pull” in any way towards India or China, but Columbus (by this time an admiral and viceroy) continues to insist that they are in Asia, and the riches will be discovered very soon. In order to somehow justify the expenses of the expedition, Columbus sent ships to Spain with the gold he found, valuable timber and native slaves. The resulting “trophies” are so insignificant that the Spanish royal family decides to stop cooperating with Columbus, entrusting the task of supplying the colonists to Amerigo Vespucci. Having learned about this, the discoverer drops everything and hurries to Spain. During a reception with the royal couple, Christopher Columbus lies colorfully and emotionally: he found the mines of King Solomon, he brings the light of Christianity to hundreds of thousands of lost people. As evidence, he provides cleverly compiled maps that prove that he reached Asia (the island of Cuba was shown on the map, but who at court understands this?) ... Finally, he demands that all rights to manage open lands, titles, be returned to him and ranks. And he will very soon fill Spain with gold... Christopher Columbus Map makes some impression on the king, and stories about natives converted to Christianity on the queen, and promises to “fill with gold” impress the entire Spanish court. This time I got out...

The third voyage of Christopher Columbus

Disastrous trip. The result was only the discovery of the island of Trinidad. Christopher Columbus's illness (yellow fever killed at least a third of the admiral's and viceroy's crew) prevented them from reaching the continental coast. The colonists who remained in Haiti were more engaged in internal disputes than in land development, common language they couldn’t find it with the natives... Meanwhile, it returns to Europe. Returns with a rich cargo of spices and silk, brocade and jewelry. The Portuguese are happy, Spain is shocked. So much money has been invested in the expeditions of the “Genoese”, but so far there has been nothing from him except colorful promises. All agreements with Christopher Columbus are broken. Francisco Bovadillo is sent for him, the order is to arrest and bring the “former viceroy” in shackles to Spain. The situation seemed hopeless. But here Christopher Columbus is helped by the main creditors of the Spanish crown - the Marranos. In essence, it was a ransom in the hope of future profits from the development of rich new lands. Forgetting about the claims, the king allows Columbus to set off on his fourth voyage in order to finally justify his trust. The crown does not give money, but there are still many people who want to get rich in Spain...

The fourth voyage of Christopher Columbus

Only the fourth time did Columbus's expedition manage to reach the continental coast. What did Christopher Columbus discover? this time? Having passed the southern coast of Cuba, the Genoese ships approached the coast of Nicaragua and descended further south to Costa Rica and Panama. Here the Indians told travelers that by land they could easily reach South Sea, and there live the warlike Incas, who own huge gold reserves. Columbus didn't believe it. Yellow fever claimed the lives of sailors, and it became increasingly difficult to continue the expedition. The admiral's order is to turn north, to the already known lands. On the way to Haiti, the expedition ships ran aground. Only Columbus's diplomatic skills, his ability to persuade and negotiate, made it possible to send several natives for help by boat. Help came, but there was nothing to get to Spain. For a whole year, travelers waited for a ship from Europe, which Columbus had to pay for with his own money. The return was difficult, the ocean was constantly stormy. From his trip, Columbus brought back samples of gold sand collected on the continental coast, as well as several silver nuggets. Evidence of the wealth of the new lands justified the traveler in the eyes of the king, but did not bring happiness to Columbus.

Sunset

No one remembered that according to the agreement with the royal couple, it was Columbus who was the ruler of the open lands. Long and painful correspondence with the court and ministers led to nothing. Sick, tired and offended, Columbus was dying in a modest house in the city of Valladolid. He spent all his savings accumulated over the years of travel from 1492 to 1504 to pay off the participants of the last expedition. On May 20, 1506, Christopher Columbus died. No one noticed his death. The fact is that it was at this time that the first ships from the New World, filled with gold and silver, began to arrive in Spain. There was no time for the “Genoese” here...

Main mystery: Asia or America?

Why did the discoverer of the New World so stubbornly talk about opening the way to Asia? Did he really not understand that a new, previously unknown part of the World had appeared on his way? Everything is explained simply: Columbus sailed towards the New World from the very beginning. But the grandeur of this discovery had to remain a secret for the time being. The cunning "Genoese" wanted to be the ruler of the whole world, new, unknown, rich. That is why it was important for him to secure the title of viceroy, which is why, even with the modest results of the first expeditions, he is so persistent in confirming his rights. Columbus did not have enough time, he did not have enough health. A navigator and scientist, he failed to calculate his strength, failed to acquire associates and friends. He wanted to do everything himself. Discoveries of Christopher Columbus contemporaries seemed modest and expensive. Only descendants were able to appreciate the significance of his expeditions. Although the open part of the World was named after Columbus’s main competitor - Amerigo Vespucci.

The last voyage of Christopher Columbus

Dying, Christopher Columbus bequeathed to bury himself “where my heart and life remain,” meaning Haiti, the first large island, opened in America. The will gathered dust for a long time among Columbus’s papers until, 34 years after the navigator’s death, it caught the eye of his grandson. The significance of the “Genoese”’s discoveries was undeniable by that time, so the appeal to the king with a request to “help fulfill the will of his grandfather” met with warm support. Dust navigator Christopher Columbus went to Haiti in 1540, where he was solemnly buried in the main temple of the city of Santa Domingo. When Haiti was captured by the French, the Spaniards, as a valuable relic, transported the ashes of Columbus to Cuba. And after Cuba ceased to be the property of Spain, they returned it to Spain. This trip to America was the last, posthumous one for the great navigator.

Not so long ago, examining the remains of Columbus in , scientists determined that they did not belong to the navigator (the bones were miniature, and the “Genoese” had a heroic physique). The tomb of Christopher Columbus remains in Santa Domingo. However, during all the “moves”, the bones of Christopher Columbus could simply have been lost... Somewhere halfway from the New World to the Old World...

What Christopher Columbus did, you will learn from this article.

What did Christopher Columbus discover? Discoveries of Christopher Columbus

The navigator is the most mysterious personality of the era of the Great Geographical Discoveries and travel. His life is full of mysteries, dark spots, inexplicable coincidences and actions. And all because humanity became interested in the navigator 150 years after his death - important documents had already been lost, and Columbus’s life remained shrouded in speculation and gossip. Plus, Columbus himself hid his origin (for unknown reasons), the motives of his actions and thoughts. The only thing that is known is the year 1451 - the year of his birth and the place of birth - the Genoese Republic.

He made 4 expeditions, which were supplied by the Spanish king:

The first expedition - 1492-1493.
Second expedition - 1493-1496.
Third expedition - 1498 - 1500.
The fourth expedition - 1502 - 1504.

During four expeditions, the navigator discovered many new territories and two seas - Sargasso and Caribbean.

Lands discovered by Christopher Columbus

It is interesting that all the time the navigator thought that he had discovered India, and beyond it he would find rich Japan and China. But that was not the case. He is responsible for the discovery and exploration of the New World. The islands discovered by Christopher Columbus are the Bahamas and Antilles, Saman, Haiti and Dominica, the Lesser Antilles, Cuba and Trinidad, Jamaica and Puerto Rico, Guadeloupe and Margarita. He is the pioneer of the lands of Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, as well as northern shore South America and the Caribbean part of Central America.

Discovery of America by Christopher Columbus

But the most important thing is that during his expedition, Christopher Columbus discovered America. This happened on October 12, 1492, when he landed on the island of San Salvador.

And it all started like this: on August 3, 1492, the expedition of a European navigator consisting of the ships “Santa Maria”, “Nina” and “Pinta” set out on a long journey. In September the Sargasso Sea was discovered. They walked through Germany for three weeks. On October 7, 1492, Columbus's team changed its course to the southwest, believing that they had missed Japan, which they so wanted to discover. After 5 days, the expedition came across an island named San Salvador by Christopher Columbus in honor of the savior Christ. This date, October 12, 1492, is considered the official day of the discovery of America.

A day later, Columbus landed and planted the Castilian banner. Thus, he formally became the owner of the island. Having explored the nearby islands, the navigator sincerely believed that these were the environs of Japan, India and China. At first, the open lands were called the West Indies. Christopher Columbus returned to Spain on March 15, 1493 on the ship Niña. As a gift to King Ferdinand II of Aragon, he brought gold, natives, plants unknown to Europeans - potatoes, corn, tobacco, as well as bird feathers and fruits.

We hope that from this article you learned how the discoveries of Christopher Columbus became famous throughout the world.

Christopher Columbus (autumn 1451, Republic of Genoa - May 20, 1506, Valladolid, Spain) - Spanish navigator of Italian origin, who in 1492 discovered America for Europeans.
Columbus was the first to be reliably famous travelers crossed Atlantic Ocean in the subtropical and tropical zones of the northern hemisphere and was the first European to sail in the Caribbean Sea. He laid the foundation for the exploration of South and Central America. He discovered all the Greater Antilles - central part The Bahamas archipelago, the Lesser Antilles, as well as a number of small islands in the Caribbean Sea and the island of Trinidad off the coast of South America. Columbus can be called the discoverer of America with reservations, because back in the Middle Ages in the territory North America there were Europeans in the person of the Icelandic Vikings. Since there was no information about these campaigns outside of Scandinavia, it was Columbus’s expeditions that first made information about the lands in the west public and marked the beginning of the colonization of America by Europeans.
Columbus made 4 voyages to America:
First voyage (August 2, 1492 - March 15, 1493).
Second voyage (September 25, 1493 - June 11, 1496).
Third voyage (May 30, 1498 - November 25, 1500).
Fourth voyage (May 9, 1502 - November 1504).
Biography
Christopher Columbus- navigator, Viceroy of the Indies (1492), discoverer of the Sargasso Sea and Caribbean Sea, Bahamas and Antilles, parts north coast South America and the Caribbean coastline of Central America.
In 1492-1493, Columbus led a Spanish expedition to find the shortest sea route to India; on 3 caravels (“Santa Maria”, “Pinta” and “Nina”) crossed the Atlantic Ocean, discovered the Sargasso Sea and reached the island of Samana on October 12, 1492, and later the ancient Bahamas, Cuba, and Haiti. In subsequent expeditions (1493-1496, 1498-1500, 1502-1504) he discovered the Greater Antilles, part of the Lesser Antilles and the coasts of South and Central America and the Caribbean Sea.
Christopher Columbus born in the fall of 1451 in Genoa, Genoese by origin. He was above average height, strong and well-built. His hair, reddish in his youth, turned gray early, making him look older than his years. Vibrant blue eyes and an aquiline nose stood out on his long, wrinkled, weather-beaten face with a beard. He was distinguished by faith in divine providence and omens, and at the same time by rare practicality, painful pride and suspicion, and a passion for gold. He had a sharp mind, the gift of persuasion and versatile knowledge. Christopher Columbus was married twice and had two sons from these marriages.

Christopher Columbus spent three quarters of his life sailing. Among the great figures of world civilization, few can compare with Columbus in the number of publications dedicated to his life, and at the same time in the abundance of “blank spots” in his biography. It can be more or less confidently stated that he was Genoese by origin and around 1465 he joined the Genoese fleet, and after some time was seriously wounded. Until 1485, Christopher sailed on Portuguese ships, lived in Lisbon and on the islands of Madeira and Porto Santo, engaged in trade, mapping and self-education. It is not clear when and where he drafted the western, in his opinion, the shortest sea route from Europe to India; the project was based on the ancient doctrine of the sphericity of the Earth and on the incorrect calculations of scientists of the 15th century. In 1485, after the Portuguese king refused to support this project, Columbus moved to Castile, where, with the help of Andalusian merchants and bankers, he organized a government naval expedition under his command.
Christopher Columbus's first expedition of 1492-1493 consisting of 90 people on three ships - "Santa Maria", "Pinta" and "Nina" - left Palos on August 3, 1492, turned west from the Canary Islands, crossed the Atlantic Ocean, opening the Sargasso Sea, and reached an island in the Bahamas archipelago, named by the traveler San Salvador, where Columbus landed on October 12, 1492. For a long time, Watling Island was considered San Salvador. However, our contemporary American geographer J. Judge in 1986 processed all the collected materials on a computer and came to the conclusion: the first American land Columbus saw was the island of Samana. On October 14-24, Columbus approached several more Bahamas, and from October 28 to December 5, he opened part of the northeastern coast of Cuba. On December 6 he reached the island of Haiti and moved along the northern coast. On the night of December 25, the flagship Santa Maria landed on a reef, but the crew escaped. For the first time in the history of navigation, by order of Columbus, Indian hammocks were adapted for sailor berths. Columbus returned to Castile on the Niña on March 15, 1499. The political resonance of the voyage of H. Columbus was the “papal meridian”: the head of the Catholic Church established a demarcation line in the Atlantic, which showed rival Spain and Portugal different directions for the discovery of new lands.
Second expedition (1493-96), which was headed by Admiral Columbus, as viceroy of the newly discovered lands, consisted of 17 ships with a crew of 1.5-2.5 thousand people. On November 3-15, 1493, Columbus discovered the islands of Dominica, Guadeloupe and about 20 Lesser Antilles, and on November 19, the island of Puerto Rico. In March 1494, in search of gold, he made a military campaign deep into the island of Haiti, and in the summer he discovered the southeastern and southern shore Cuba, the Isles of Juventud and Jamaica.
Over the course of 40 days, Columbus explored south coast Haiti, whose conquest continued in 1495. But in the spring of 1496 he sailed home, completing his second voyage on June 11 in Castile. Columbus announced the opening of a new route to Asia. The colonization of new lands by free settlers, which soon began, was very costly for the Spanish crown, and Columbus proposed populating the islands with criminals, cutting their sentences in half. With fire and sword, robbing and destroying the country ancient culture, through the land of the Aztecs - Mexico - the military detachments of Cortez passed through the land of the Incas - Peru - the detachments of Pizarro.
Columbus's third expedition (1498-1500) consisted of six ships, three of which he himself led across the Atlantic. On July 31, 1498, the island of Trinidad was discovered, entered the Gulf of Paria, discovered the mouth of the western branch of the Orinoco Delta and the Paria Peninsula, marking the beginning of the discovery of South America. Having entered the Caribbean Sea, he approached the Araya Peninsula, discovered Margarita Island on August 15, and arrived in Haiti on August 31. In 1500, following a denunciation, Christopher Columbus was arrested and shackled (which he then kept for the rest of his life) and sent to Castile, where his release awaited him. Having obtained permission to continue the search for the western route to India, Columbus on four ships (fourth expedition, 1502-1504) reached the island of Martinique on June 15, 1502, and the Gulf of Honduras on July 30, where he first met representatives ancient civilization Maya, but did not attach any importance to this. From August 1, 1502 to May 1, 1503, he opened 2000 km of the Caribbean coast of Central America (to the Gulf of Uraba). Not finding a passage to the west, he turned north and on June 25, 1503, was wrecked off the coast of Jamaica. Help from Santo Domingo came only a year later. Columbus returned to Castile on November 7, 1504, already seriously ill.
Last years of life
Illness, fruitless and painful negotiations with the king on the restoration of rights, and lack of money undermined Columbus's last strength, and on May 20, 1506 he died in Valladolid. His discoveries were accompanied by the colonization of lands, the founding of Spanish settlements, brutal enslavement and mass extermination of the indigenous population, called “Indians,” by troops of conquistadors. Christopher Columbus was not the discoverer of America: the islands and coasts of North America were visited by Normans hundreds of years before him. However, only Columbus's discoveries had world-historical significance. The fact that he found a new part of the world was finally proven by Magellan's voyage. The name Colubma is borne by: a state in South America, a province of Canada, a Federal District and a river in the USA, the capital of Sri Lanka, as well as many rivers, mountains, lakes, waterfalls, capes, cities, parks, squares, streets and bridges in different countries.
Truth and fiction in the biography of Christopher Columbus
Columbus was born into a poor family. Indeed, his family was not rich, but this did not prevent Columbus from receiving a good education - according to some sources, he graduated from the University of Pavia. Her marriage to Dona Felipe Moniz de Palestrello most likely played a significant role, since her father was a famous navigator during the time of Prince Enrique.
The traveler who gave the world New World died without ever knowing that he had found the wrong continent that he was looking for. In those days, there was an assumption that in order to get to India, China or Japan, one had to cross the Atlantic Ocean. The entire expedition of Columbus was organized precisely to open a new direct route to the Far East. Geographer Paolo Toscanelli calculated that it was necessary to sail 5,600 km to reach the shore, which coincided with Columbus's calculations. As a result, having discovered the New World during his first voyage, Columbus believed until the last that he landed on the border with China.

Columbus did not equip his first expedition for long. This is wrong. Quite a lot of time passed from the moment he conceived the expedition until it was equipped. Until 1485, Columbus served on Genoese and Portuguese ships, visited Ireland, England, and Madeira. At this time, in addition to trading, he was intensively engaged in self-education. He conducted extensive correspondence with famous scientists and cartographers of the time, compiled maps, and studied shipping routes. Most likely, it was in those years that he came up with the idea of reaching India by the Western route. Presumably in the period from 1475-1480. (there are no exact data) he sent the first proposal to the merchants and government of Genoa. He had to write many more such letters; for about 10 years he received only refusals. Moreover, having been shipwrecked off the coast of Portugal, he tried for a long time to persuade the Portuguese king and only after several wasted years headed to Spain. As a result, he was able to go on his first expedition only in 1492, thanks to the support of the Spanish Queen Isabella.

Columbus's return from his first expedition aggravated the political situation. When Columbus returned in 1493, having discovered new lands, this message excited minds and aggravated the situation between Spain and Portugal. Until this time, the main discoverer of all new routes to Africa was Portugal. She was given all the lands south of the Canary Islands. But the Spanish King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella were not going to give up Spain's rights to the newly discovered lands, and therefore turned to Pope Alexander VI. The Pope decreed that 600 km west of Azores on the map you need to draw a vertical line (the so-called papal meridian), to the east of which all lands will belong to Portugal, and to the west - to Spain. However, the Portuguese king did not agree with this decision, since in this case Portuguese ships could not sail to the south and east without entering Spanish territory. As a result, the Spaniards made concessions and moved the vertical line 1600 km to the west. Spain could not even imagine how fatal this decision would be. Literally 7 years later, in 1500, the Portuguese navigator Pedro Cabral, sailing to India, came across land that was not marked on the map. As it turned out, the line drawn on the map cut off this piece in favor of Portugal, which immediately laid claim to its rights. As a result, even before America was recognized as a new continent, the future Brazil began to belong to Portugal.
Thanks to Columbus, local residents began to be called Indians. Columbus was looking for India and when he reached the Bahamas, he was completely sure that he had found it. Therefore, he began to call the local residents Indians. This name has stuck with the indigenous people to this day.
Columbus was able to equip the second expedition thanks to boasting. No one can confirm this for certain. But it is known that upon his return to Barcelona, Columbus actually boasted of his achievements. Moreover, he repeatedly demonstrated gold jewelry obtained from local tribes, while speaking about the riches of the Indian land. His vanity sometimes lifted him so high that he began to talk about future negotiations with the Great Khan. Therefore, it is not at all surprising that the king and queen of Spain could succumb to the speeches of Columbus. In any case, they very quickly, with the support of the Pope, organized a second expedition (from 1493 to 1496).
Columbus was a pirate. This is a controversial proposition. However, there are some facts that do not characterize his best features. In his reports from the second expedition, he asks to send ships with livestock, supplies, and tools from Spain. He further writes: “Payment... can be made by slaves from among the cannibals, cruel people... well-built and very intelligent.” This means that he caught local residents as slaves for Spain. In fact, all his activities in the new lands boiled down to robbery and robbery, which is characteristic of pirates, although it cannot be denied that this may be a consequence of the upbringing of the era. Of course, you can blame Columbus for all the further troubles of the American continent, but this is unlikely to be fair. No one is obliged to answer for the sins of others.

Columbus had a monopoly on all discovered lands. Indeed, upon arrival from the first expedition, Columbus (Don Cristoval Colon) was given the title of admiral of the sea, viceroy and governor of the islands discovered in India. His monopoly was unquestioned until after the second expedition it became clear that the new territories were too vast and one person was not able to rule them. In 1499, the kings abolished Columbus's monopoly on the discovery of new lands. This was primarily due to the fact that in 1498 the Portuguese Vasco da Gama sailed by sea to real India and began trade relations with it. Against the backdrop of his achievements, Columbus, with his complicated situation, small profits for the treasury and conflicts in new territories, seemed like a liar. In an instant, he lost all the privileges he had won.
Christopher Columbus gloriously completed all three of his expeditions. The first expedition brought glory to Columbus. The second, for which 17 ships were allocated, brought doubts about the riches of the open lands. The third expedition became fatal for Columbus. During it, he lost all rights to the lands. Francisco Bobadilla, sent to Hispaniola with unlimited powers, arrested the admiral and his brothers Bartalomeo and Diego. They were shackled. Columbus was put in shackles by his own cook. They were imprisoned in the Sandoming Fortress. Columbus was accused of "cruelty and inability to govern the country." Two months later they were sent in chains to Spain. Only two years later the kings dropped the charges against Columbus. He was awarded 2,000 gold pieces, but the promise to return his property and money was not fulfilled.
Christopher Columbus was buried with honors. Columbus returned from the fourth expedition seriously ill. He still hoped to defend his rights, but with the death of his patron, Queen Isabella, this hope faded. At the end of his life he needed money. In 1505, an order was given for the sale of all movable and immovable property of Columbus in Hispaniola to pay off creditors. On May 20, 1506, the great navigator passed away. No one noticed his death. His discoveries were almost forgotten amid the conquests of the Portuguese. His death was recorded only 27 years later. At the end of his life, all his dreams of wealth, mined gold and honors suffered complete collapse...

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 that time, this information was not so widely disseminated, 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 European colonization of the entire continent.

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 Italian city Genoa.

Today, a number of Spanish and Italian cities attribute to themselves the honor of being called the small homeland of the discoverer. As for his social status, all that is known is that Columbus’s family was not of noble origin at all; 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 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, more detailed records of how this famous person spent his childhood and youth have not been 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. His wife’s family was also not rich, but it was his wife’s noble origins that allowed Christopher to establish contacts and 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.

For 40 days, the 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 trip, Fr. Trinidad, the ships entered the Gulf of Paria, as a result the peninsula of the same name was discovered. This is how South America was discovered.

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, because 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 reports, 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 rigged by crew members 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 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 from colonized Mexico and Peru to the Old World.

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, monetary unit El Salvador, a state in Colombia located in South America and also a famous state in the United States.

I often notice that chance plays a big role in our lives. An example is my favorite story about the discovery of America by Columbus. I believe that this is an amazing accident when a researcher was looking for India and discovered a new continent.

Who is Christopher Columbus

Very little has survived to this day about the life of Columbus before the discovery of the continent. It is believed that he was born in Italy. In his youth he served in the navy. During the fighting he was wounded and went to Spain.

The idea that India could be reached across the Atlantic Ocean originated with him during his military service. To implement the plan, Columbus needed money. He sent many letters to various nobles to obtain financial support. Only the Spanish king responded to his requests.

Columbus set out on his first expedition in 1492.

What great discovery did Columbus make?

At that time everyone wanted to find a sea route to India. The Portuguese tried to circumnavigate Africa, and the Spaniards, believing Columbus, equipped three ships to cross the Atlantic Ocean.

Columbus's team spent about three months sailing until they came across the islands. This happened in the fall of 1492. When Columbus saw the local residents, he decided that he had arrived in the poor provinces of China. The navigator brought gold, unprecedented plants and natives with him to Spain.

Subsequently, Columbus went on three more expeditions to America. The second visit to America was aimed at colonization. Several thousand people went on the expedition. Having landed for the second time, the Spaniards still believed that they were in India.

On the third and fourth expeditions, Columbus tried to open the way to south Asia. His efforts led to the discovery of South America.

There are several more facts about the discovery of America:

Until the end of his life, Columbus believed that he had discovered India.
It took Columbus ten years to find funds to go on his first expedition.
The Spaniards sent prisoners to settle America.

The saddest thing is that Columbus was stripped of all honors and titles in his old age.