Essay on Columbus' Discoveries

Submitted By Terrence-Isaac
Words: 564
Pages: 3
Open Document
Christopher Columbus, Italian Cristoforo Colombo, Spanish Cristóbal Colón, was an Italian explorer who sailed across the Atlantic Ocean in 1492, hoping to find a route to India in order to trade for spices. He made a total of four trips to the Caribbean and South America during the years 1492-1504. Columbus remained convinced that he had found the lands that Marco Polo reached in his overland travels to China at the end of the 13th century. To Columbus it was only a matter of time before a passage was found through the Caribbean islands to the fabled cities of Asia. On the first trip Columbus sailed for King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella of Spain. On his first trip, Columbus led an expedition with three ships, the Niña (captained by Vicente Yáñez Pinzon), the Pinta (owned and captained by Martin Alonzo Pinzon), and the Santa Maria (captained by Columbus), and about 90 crew members. They set sail on Aug. 3, 1492 from Palos, Spain, and on October 11, 1492, spotted the Caribbean islands off southeastern North America. They landed on an island they called Guanahani, but Columbus later renamed it San Salvador Columbus thought he had made it to Asia, and called this area the Indies, and called its inhabitants Indians.

While exploring the islands in the area and looking for gold to loot, Columbus' men traveled to the islands of Hispaniola (now divided into Haiti and the Dominican Republic), Cuba, and many other smaller islands. On the way back the Santa Maria crashed and the captain of the Pinta sailed off a different way thinking he was going to beat Columbus back. Columbus returned to Spain in the Nina, arriving on March 15, 1493.

On the second trip, a larger expedition Sept. 25, 1493-June 11, 1496, sailed with 17 ships and 1,200 to 1,500 men to find gold and capture Indians as slaves in the Indies. Columbus established a base in Hispaniola and sailed around Hispaniola and along the length of southern Cuba. He spotted and named the island of Dominica on November 3, 1493. The presence of some 1,300 salaried men with perhaps 200 private investors and a small troop of cavalry are testimony to the anticipations for the expedition. On a third expedition May 30, 1498-October 1500, Columbus sailed farther south, to Trinidad (named for the
Show More

Related Documents: Essay on Columbus' Discoveries

Columbus Day Dbq

Christopher Columbus a hero. Columbus extended commerce, he planned thoroughly for a dangerous voyage, he exhibited courage, and he discovered a new land. For these reasons, I feel we should honor Columbus Day. Columbus extended commerce. In his record of his voyages (Document 1), Columbus traded with the natives who brought “balls of cotton, parrots, javelins, and other things too numerous to mention.” Columbus also said the natives were willing to trade for whatever he gave them. Columbus planned…

Words 354 - Pages 2

Essay On Why We Should Not Celebrate Columbus Day

reasonable person. Columbus Day, a national holiday, should not be celebrated in the United States (US) for three simple reasons, honesty, morality and exclusion. These three issues are the leading factors on why we should not celebrate Columbus Day. In all honesty, Christopher Columbus did not discover America. Across the US, our children are taught that Columbus discovered our noble land and claimed it for his country. Anyone with a good enough understanding of the true discovery of America, and a…

Words 774 - Pages 4

Christopher Columbus and His Legacy: Positive vs. Negative Essay

will have learned about the famous maritime explorer and navigator, Christopher Columbus. Born in 1451, Columbus was a Genoese captain commissioned by the king and queen of Spain to find a route to the Indies. However, he sailed the opposite direction of his intended goal by crossing the Atlantic and landing in the Americas, resulting in the discovery of the New World for Spain. Like all major figures in history, Columbus has left behind a legacy that people will always remember him for. The nature…

Words 1424 - Pages 6

How Did Christopher Columbus So Successful In The Age Of Exploration

In the age of exploration, European nations were sending explorers around the world for various reasons. Christopher Columbus and his sponsor Spain were no exception. Columbus made four expeditions for Spain: in 1492, 1493, 1498 and 1502. One trip was of paramount importance and forever changed the world, the discovery of America. On August 3, 1492, Columbus and his crew shoved off the docks on their voyage to find a faster trade route to Asia, little did they know, it would be interrupted by landfall…

Words 349 - Pages 2

Rhetoric Of Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus is one of the most remembered figures in human history. For centuries, Columbus has been viewed as a geographer and explorer of new lands, the carrier of the Enlightenment, and the distributor of Christianity to the frontier of civilization. However, the historical data and the rhetoric of Columbus’s letters show that Christianization was used only as a way to please the Spanish crown and strengthen the power of the Empire, to obtain wealth, and to establish European cultural…

Words 1118 - Pages 5

What Are The Pros And Cons Of Christopher Columbus Voyages

Christopher Columbus has gone down in history as a famous (or infamous depending on who you ask) explorer and discoverer of the New World. However, few people know more about Columbus than what is presented in elementary school. Therefore, this paper will attempt to evaluate the accomplishments and hindrances of the voyages undertaken by Columbus to the New World and evaluate insights gained from firsthand accounts of these voyages. Columbus, born in Italy as Cristoforo Colombo, had lived in Portugal…

Words 1207 - Pages 5

Pros And Cons Of Columbus

To discovery who Columbus really was is surprising as almost everything about him has become a universal lie, but the actual truth is not surprising when compared to similar historical events, although horrible. Columbus first treated the natives with cruelty, and saw nothing past the gold in their ears, and their giving nature. Even Columbus’ accomplishments and everything he is famed for is a lie, which is why we should not continue celebrating Columbus. The first discovery of Columbus’ New World…

Words 565 - Pages 3

Columbus Day Research Paper

celebrated by many people, this holiday is “Columbus day”. But should this really be celebrated?. In 1942 Christopher Columbus set out on a journey, he was credited for discovering a new land. The Americas the “new world” but really he was just given the credit of “discovering” a land that has had Native Americans living in it for thousands of years. Is that really a discovery? In an article about Christopher Columbus’s legacy it states “Christopher Columbus did not “discover” the Americas, nor was…

Words 418 - Pages 2

Summary Of The Importance Of Christopher Columbus

Importance of Christopher Columbus” sheds light on the bias way American history treats Christopher Columbus. As the author points out, in the United States, Christopher Columbus is seen as a hero, and is credited with discovering the Americas. This belief is reinforced by history books used in all levels of education. However a more accurate review of history shows there many untruths to the traditional Christopher Columbus story. To understand the success of Christopher Columbus, one should look at…

Words 918 - Pages 4

Christopher Columbus Essay

Christopher Columbus was the first man who thought that the earth was round. So Spain believed him and funded his voyage west. This all happened in 1492. Many people think Columbus is a hero; but in reality he is a villain. Christopher Columbus is a villain because he brought diseases to Hispaniola, and took Taino as slaves. To begin, Christopher Columbus is a villain because he killed a lot of people. To demonstrate, on document #3, Zinn says “By…

Words 600 - Pages 3