Who discovered America in 1492. What did Christopher Columbus discover? Discoveries of Christopher Columbus

The most important event in the history of the great geographical discoveries, and world history in general, there was Columbus's discovery of America- an event as a result of which the inhabitants of Europe discovered two continents called the New World, or America.

The confusion began with the names of the continents. There is strong evidence for the version that the lands of the New World were named after the Italian philanthropist Richard America from Bristol, who financed the transatlantic expedition of John Cabot in 1497. The Florentine traveler Amerigo Vespucci, who visited the New World only in 1500 and after whom America is believed to have been named, took his nickname in honor of the already named continent.

In May 1497, Cabot reached the shores of Labrador, becoming the first recorded European to set foot on American soil, two years before Amerigo Vespucci. Cabot mapped the coast North America- from New England to Newfoundland. In the Bristol calendar for that year we read: “...on St. John the Baptist was found in the land of America by merchants from Bristol who arrived on a ship named "Matthew."

Christopher Columbus - discovery of America

Christopher Columbus is considered the official discoverer of the New World continents. He was originally from Italy and came to Spain from Portugal. Having found a familiar monk in a monastery near the city of Palos, Columbus told him that he had decided to sail to Asia by a new sea route - along the Atlantic Ocean. He was allowed an audience with Queen Isabella, who, after his report, appointed a scientific council to discuss the project. The members of the council were mainly clergy. Columbus ardently defended his project. He referred to the evidence of ancient scientists about the sphericity of the Earth, to a copy of the map of the famous Italian astronomer Toscanelli, which depicted many islands in the Atlantic Ocean, and behind them the eastern shores of Asia. He convinced the learned monks that the legends spoke of a land overseas, from the shores of which sea ​​currents sometimes they bring tree trunks with traces of human processing. Columbus was an educated man: he knew how to draw maps, drive ships, and knew four languages. He managed to convince the scientific council of the validity of his expectations.

The rulers of Spain believed the traveler and decided to conclude an agreement with Columbus, according to which, if successful, he would receive the title of admiral and viceroy of the lands he discovered, as well as a significant part of the profits from trade with the countries where he was able to visit. Thus began the era of geographical exploration and discovery, which began with the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus.

Discovery of America by Columbus: year 1492

On August 3, 1492, three ships “Santa Maria”, “Pinta” and “Nina” with 90 participants set sail from the port of Paloe. The ships' crews consisted mainly of convicted criminals. 33 days had already passed since the expedition left the Canary Islands, and still no land was visible. The team began to grumble. To calm her down, Columbus wrote down the distances traveled in the ship's log, deliberately understating them.

On October 12, 1492, sailors saw a dark strip of land on the horizon. It was a small island with lush tropical vegetation. Tall people with dark skin lived here. The natives called their island Guanahani. Columbus named it San Salvador and declared it a possession of Spain. This name stuck with one of the Bahamas. Columbus was fully confident that he had reached Asia. Having visited other islands, he asked local residents everywhere whether this was Asia. But I didn’t hear anything consonant with this word. Columbus left some people on the island of Hispaniola, and he himself went to Spain. To prove that he had discovered the route to Asia, Columbus took with him several Indians, feathers of unprecedented birds, some plants, including maize, potatoes and tobacco. On March 15, 1493, he was greeted as a hero in Palos.

This was the first visit by Europeans to the islands of Central America, as a result of which the basis was laid for the further discovery of unknown lands, their conquest and colonization.

In the 20th century, scientists drew attention to information that suggested that contacts between the Old World and the New occurred long before Columbus’s famous discovery of America.

In addition to the hypotheses about the settlement of America by the “ten tribes of Israel”, as well as the Atlanteans, there is a number of significant scientific data that America was visited long before Columbus. Some researchers even argue that Indian culture was brought from outside, from the Old World. In academic science large quantity There are supporters of the theory that the civilizations of America developed almost completely independently until 1492.

Hypotheses about the visit of America by the Egyptians, Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Chinese, Japanese and Celts remain unconfirmed, but there is fairly reliable data about the visit of America by the Polynesians, preserved in their legends; In addition, it is known that the Chukchi established an exchange of fur and whalebone with the ancient population of the northwestern American coast, but it is impossible to establish the exact date of the beginning of these contacts. Europeans visited the American continent during the Viking Age. Scandinavian contacts with the New World began around 1000 AD and continued approximately until the 14th century.

The name of the Scandinavian navigator and ruler of Greenland, Leif I Eriksson the Happy, is associated with the discovery of America. This European discovered North America five centuries before Columbus. His campaigns are known from the Icelandic sagas, preserved in such manuscripts as “The Saga of Erik the Red” and “The Saga of the Greenlanders.” Their authenticity was confirmed by archaeological discoveries of the 20th century.

Leif Eriksson was born in Iceland into the family of Erik the Red, who was expelled from Norway along with his entire family. Eric's family was forced to leave Iceland in 982, fearing blood feud, and settle in new colonies in Greenland. Leif Eriksson had two brothers, Thorvald and Thorstein, and one sister, Freydis. Leif was married to a woman named Thorgunna. They had one son, Torkell Leifsson.

Before his trip to America, Leif made a trading expedition to Norway. Here he was baptized by King Olaf Tryggvason of Norway, an ally of Prince Vladimir of Kyiv. Leif brought a Christian bishop to Greenland and baptized its inhabitants. His mother and many Greenlanders converted to Christianity, but his father, Erik the Red, remained a pagan. On the way back, Leif saved the shipwrecked Icelander Thorir, for which he received the nickname Leif the Happy. Upon his return, he met a Norwegian named Bjarni Herjulfsson in Greenland, who said that he saw the outline of land in the west, far out to sea. Leif became interested in this story and decided to explore new lands.

Around the year 1000, Leif Eriksson and a crew of 35 sailed west on a ship purchased from Bjarni. They discovered three regions of the American coast: Helluland (probably the Labrador Peninsula), Markland (possibly Baffin Island) and Vinland, which received its name for the large number of grape vines. Presumably this was the coast of Newfoundland. Several settlements were founded there, where the Vikings stayed for the winter.

Upon returning to Greenland, Leif gave the ship to his brother Thorvald, who instead went to explore Vinland further. Torvald's expedition was unsuccessful: the Scandinavians collided with the Skralings - North American Indians, and in this clash Torvald died. If you believe the Icelandic legends, according to which Erik and Leif did not make their trips at random, but based on the stories of eyewitnesses like Bjarni, who saw unknown lands on the horizon, then in a sense America was discovered even before the year 1000. However, it was Leif who was the first to make a full-fledged expedition along the shores of Vinland, gave it a name, landed on the shore and even tried to colonize it. Based on the stories of Leif and his people, which served as the basis for the Scandinavian “Saga of Eric the Red” and “Saga of the Greenlanders,” the first maps of Vinland were compiled.

This information, preserved by the Icelandic sagas, was confirmed in 1960, when archaeological evidence of an early Viking settlement was discovered in the town of L'ans-aux-Meadows on the island of Newfoundland. Columbus's discovery of America at that time was indeed a discovery, because they knew nothing about the New World They didn’t know. But Columbus was not a discoverer in the full sense of the word. Currently, the exploration of the territory of North America by the Vikings long before Columbus’s travels is considered a definitively proven fact that the Vikings were indeed the first among Europeans to discover North America, but the exact location. their settlement is still unknown. At first, the Vikings did not distinguish between their settlement in Greenland and Vinland, on the one hand, and Iceland, on the other. different worlds appeared to them only after meeting with local tribes, which were very different from the Irish monks in Iceland. The Saga of Eric the Red and the Saga of the Greenlanders were written approximately 250 years after the colonization of Greenland and reveal that there were several attempts to establish a settlement in Vinland, but none lasted more than two years. There are several possible reasons why the Vikings abandoned settlements, including disagreements among the male colonists regarding the few women accompanying the voyage and armed skirmishes with local residents, whom the Vikings called skralings. Both of these factors are indicated in written sources.

Until the 19th century, historians viewed the idea of ​​Viking settlements in North America solely in the context of the national folklore of the Scandinavian peoples. The first scientific theory appeared in 1837 thanks to the Danish historian and antiquarian Karl Christian Rafn. In his book American Antiquities, Rafn conducted a comprehensive examination of the sagas and explored possible sites on the American coast, as a result of which he concluded that the country of Vinland, discovered by the Vikings, really existed. History continues to lift the veil of its secrets. Scientists have yet to verify the likelihood and time of an even earlier discovery of America and contact with this continent by people from the Old World.

Wake up anyone in the middle of the night with the question: “Who discovered America first?”, and without hesitation, they will immediately give you the correct answer, calling the name of Christopher Columbus. This is for everyone known fact, which no one seems to dispute. But was Columbus the first European to set foot on new land? Not at all. There is only one question: “So who?” But they didn’t call Columbus for nothing discoverer.

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How Columbus became a discoverer

In what century did such significant changes for the world take place? The official date for the discovery of a new continent called the Americas is 1499, 15th century. At that time, the inhabitants of Europe began to have speculation that the earth was round. They began to believe about the possibility of navigation on the Atlantic Ocean and the opening of a western route directly to the shores of Asia.

The story of how Columbus discovered America is very funny. It so happened that he randomly came across New World , heading to distant India.

Christopher was an avid sailor, who from a young age managed to visit all those known at that time. Carefully studying a huge number geographical maps, Columbus planned to sail to India across the Atlantic without passing through Africa.

He, like many scientists of that time, naively believed that, having gone directly with Western Europe to the east, it will reach the shores of such Asian countries like China and India. No one could even imagine what was suddenly on his way new lands will appear.

It was the day when Columbus reached the shores of the new continent and is considered the beginning of American history.

Continents discovered by Columbus

Christopher is considered the one who discovered North America. But in parallel with it, after news of the New World spread throughout all countries, the struggle for the development of the northern territories the British entered.

In total the navigator accomplished four expeditions. The continents that Columbus discovered: the island of Haiti or, as the traveler himself called it, Spain Minor, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Antigua and many other territories of North America. From 1498 to 1504, during his last expeditions, the navigator had already mastered lands of South America, where it reached the shores of not only Venezuela, but also Brazil. A little later the expedition reached Central America, where they were mastered coastlines Nicaragua and Honduras, all the way to Panama.

Who else explored America?

Formally, many sailors opened America to the world in different ways. History goes back many names related to the development of the lands of the New World. Columbus's case continued:

• Alexander Mackenzie;
• William Baffin;
• Henry Hudson;
• John Davis.

Thanks to these navigators, the entire continent was explored and developed, including Pacific coast.

Also considered another discoverer of America is an equally famous person - Amerigo Vespucci. The Portuguese navigator went on expeditions and explored the coast of Brazil.

It was he who first suggested that Christopher Columbus sailed far not to China and India, but to previously unknown. His speculations were confirmed by Ferdinand Magellan, after completing his first trip around the world.

It is believed that the continent was named precisely in honor of Vespucci, contrary to all the logic of what is happening. And today the New World is known to everyone under the name America, and not by any other name. So who really discovered America?

Pre-Columbian expeditions to America

In the legends and beliefs of the Scandinavian peoples you can often come across mention of distant lands called Vinland located near Greenland. Historians believe that it was the Vikings who discovered America and became the first Europeans to set foot on the lands of the New World, and in their legends Vinland is nothing more than Newfoundland.

Everyone knows how Columbus discovered America, but in fact Christopher was far away not the first navigator who visited this continent. Leif Erikson, who named one of the parts of the new continent Vinland, cannot be called a discoverer.

Who should be considered first? Historians dare to believe that he was a merchant from distant Scandinavia - Bjarni Herjulfsson, which is mentioned in the Greenlanders' Saga. According to this literary work, in 985 g. he set out towards Greenland to meet his father, but lost his way due to a strong storm.

Before the discovery of America, the merchant had to sail at random, since he had never seen the lands of Greenland before and did not know the specific course. Soon he reached the level shores of an unknown island, covered with forests. This description did not suit Greenland at all, which greatly surprised him. Bjarni decided not to go ashore, and turn back.

Soon he sailed to Greenland, where he told this story to Leif Erikson, the son of the discoverer of Greenland. Exactly he became the first of the Vikings who tried their luck to join to the lands of America before Columbus, which he nicknamed Vinland.

Forced search for new lands

Important! Greenland is not the most pleasant country to live in. It is poor in resources and has a harsh climate. The possibility of resettlement at that time seemed like a pipe dream for the Vikings.

Stories about fertile lands covered with dense forests only spurred them on to move. Erickson gathered himself a small team and set off on a journey in search of new territories. Leif became the one who discovered North America.

The first unexplored places they stumbled upon were rocky and mountainous. In their description today, historians see nothing more than Baffin Island. Subsequent coasts turned out to be low-lying, with green forests and long sandy beaches. This reminded historians very much of the description coast of the Labrador Peninsula in Canada.

On the new lands they mined wood, which was so difficult to find in Greenland. Subsequently, the Vikings founded the first two settlements in the New World, and all these territories were called Vinland.

The scientist nicknamed "the second Columbus"

The famous German geographer, naturalist and traveler - all this is one great person whose name is Alexander Humboldt.

This greatest scientist discovered America before others on the scientific side, having spent many years on research, and he was not alone. Humbaldt did not think long about what kind of partner he needed and immediately made his choice in favor of Bonpland.

Humboldt and the French botanist in 1799. went on a scientific expedition to South America and Mexico, which lasted five whole years. This journey brought scientists worldwide fame, and Humboldt himself began to be called the “second Columbus.”

It is believed that in 1796 The scientist set himself the following tasks:

• explore little-studied areas of the globe;
• systematize all received information;
• taking into account the research results of other scientists, comprehensively describe the structure of the Universe.

All tasks, of course, were successfully completed. After the discovery of America as a continent, no one dared until Humbaldt conduct similar studies. Therefore, he decides to go to the most little-studied area - the West Indies, which allows him to achieve colossal results. Humboldt created the first geographical maps discovered America almost simultaneously, but in world history the name of Christopher Columbus will always be first on the list of those who explored the territories of the New World.

There is a lot in history random discoveries, when the discoverers were aiming for a completely different goal. The most striking example is the discovery of America by Columbus, made during his search for a sea route to India.

It all started with the idea of ​​sailing to India along a new route - the Atlantic Ocean. Christopher Columbus first proposed it to Portugal: however, King Juan II did not approve of the navigator’s plan.

Italian by birth, Columbus went to Spain. Here, not far from Palos, in one of the monasteries, a monk he knew was found. He helped Columbus gain an audience with Queen Isabella. After listening to the navigator, she instructed the scientific council to discuss the project. The council consisted mainly of people who held clergy.

Columbus prepared a vivid report. He said that ancient scientists proved that the Earth is a ball. He showed a copy of the map compiled by the famous astronomer from Italy Toscanelli. On it, the Atlantic Ocean was covered with a mass of islands, behind which the eastern coast of Asia could be seen. He remembered the legends that there was a land beyond the ocean, from which tree trunks, clearly processed by people, sometimes floated across the sea. Columbus, who was well educated and spoke four languages, managed to win over the council members to his side.

In addition, the interest of the Spanish crown had other reasons.

In a country that had just experienced the capture of Granada and the Reconquista, the economy was in a deplorable state. There was no money in the treasury, many nobles went bankrupt. If Columbus's voyage had been successful, it might have helped change the situation. Columbus received the status of viceroy of all lands that would be discovered - and set off on his way.

First expedition

The first expedition began on August 3, 1492 in the port of Palos. The flotilla included 3 caravels (“Santa Maria”, “Pinta”, “Nina”), carrying 90 people. First the ships went to Canary Islands, from where we turned to the west. On the way, the Sargasso Sea was discovered, where green algae grew in amazing abundance.

2 months passed before the team saw land. On the night of October 12, 1492, at two o'clock, the watchman noticed the shore, which was illuminated by flashes of lightning. These were Bahamas, but Columbus believed that he managed to reach India, China or Japan. Therefore, the people who met here were called Indians. And the archipelago was called the West Indies.

The island to which the travelers descended was named San Salvador, which belongs to the American continent. Officially, October 12, 1492 is considered the day of the discovery of America.

Continuing their voyage, the ships reached new islands - Cuba and Haiti. This happened on December 6, and on the 25th the ship “Santa Maria” was stranded.

The expedition returned to Spain on March 15, 1493. The natives also arrived on the ships, as well as potatoes, tobacco and corn - products then unknown in Europe. Columbus was surrounded with honor and given the title of admiral of the sea-ocean, as well as viceroy of the open lands and those that he had yet to find.

Second expedition

During his second voyage, Columbus explored most of the islands Caribbean Sea. 17 ships, carrying 1,500 people, set sail.

On this journey, Guadeloupe, the islands of Dominica and Jamaica, Antigua and Puerto Rico were discovered. It was on this expedition, without knowing it, that the sailors reached the shores of a new continent, which is now called Colombia - named after Columba. On June 11, 1496, Spanish ships returned to their homeland.

Third expedition

Columbus's third voyage took place in 1498. The flotilla under his command reached the Orinoco River delta. This was the shore of a new unknown continent. 2 islands were also discovered - Trinidad and Margarita, as well as the Paria Peninsula.
In 1500, the Spanish settlers of the New World rebelled against Columbus. He was relieved of his duties as leader of the new lands. However, he received permission to go on a new journey.

Fourth expedition

Columbus's fourth voyage lasted 2 years. From 1502 to 1504, he sailed along much of the coast of the new continent, which later became known as Central America.

Four ships traveled a long distance and discovered new islands - Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama. But at the end of June 1503, the ships were caught in a storm off Jamaica and were wrecked.

The Great and the Unfortunate

Columbus himself did not suspect that he had discovered a new continent. He died confident that all expeditions led to India, and his discovery was the route to India from the west. There was no gold in the lands that he discovered, and no spices were found there. This brought neither Spain nor Columbus himself wealth.

The sailor was poor. He spent all the money he had on equipping a rescue expedition to save people on one of the caravels. He died sick and forgotten in 1506.

Who else discovered America

When the navigator and astronomer from Florence Amerigo Vespucci decided to go to the lands discovered by Columbus, he concluded that this was not India, but completely new continent. This happened during an expedition in 1501-1502. He published his thoughts, which became the basis for the creation new card peace in 1507. To Europe, Asia and Africa, another continent was added, which at first bore the name of the land of Amerigo. Later it transformed into America.

This continent, as it became clear later, was discovered more than once. In 1497, a flotilla of Portuguese ships headed by Vasco da Gama (1469-1524) set off for India. 4 ships, carrying 170 people, left the port of Lisbon towards the cape Good Hope. They rounded the cape, reached the mouth of the Zambezi, went north near Africa, and then reached the harbor of Malindi. From here the ships reached the port of Calicut, where they were led by an Arab pilot. This marked the opening of the route to India, which took approximately 10 months.

The meeting in Calicut was cold. After staying there for 3 months, the Portuguese set off on their way back. The captain decided to sail along Indian Ocean, bypassing East Africa. The voyage lasted about a year, but by September 1499, the two ships returned to Lisbon, having lost most of the crew.

America is a part of the world whose official discovery is attributed to Columbus, but its history is full of dark spots.

The modern United States plays a key role in political strife and has a serious influence on other countries and the world economy. But the way is so high level was long and thorny. It all started with the discovery of America.

Christopher Columbus was a Spanish navigator who discovered two new continents for Europeans. He made 4 expeditions, each sent by kings, hoping to find a short trade route with India.

The first expedition consisted of three ships with a total complement of 91 people. She ended up on the island of San Salvador on October 12, 1492.

The second expedition, consisting of 17 ships and 1,500 people, lasted from 1493 to 1496. During this time, Columbus discovered Dominica, Guadeloupe, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and about 20 other minor Antilles. In June, he already reported to the government about his amazing findings.

The third expedition, which included 6 ships, set off in 1498, and two years later returned to their native shores. Several more lands were discovered, including Trinidad, Margarita, the Araya and Paria peninsulas.

The last expedition, sailing in 1502, included 4 ships. Within two years, the islands of Martinique, Panama, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica were discovered. Columbus was wrecked near Jamaica, and help arrived only a year later. The travelers arrived in their native Castile in November 1504.

Date when America was discovered - Vikings in 1000

Erik the Red was known as a great Viking. His son, Leif Erikson, was the first to set foot on American soil. After spending the winter in its vastness, Erickson and his expedition returned to Greenland. This happened around the year 1000.

Two years later, brother Torvald Erikson, the second son of Erik the Red, founded his settlement on the territory discovered by his brother. Less than a month later, his men were attacked by local Indians, killing Thorvald and forcing the others to return home.

Subsequently, Erik the Red's daughter Freydis and his daughter-in-law Gudrid also tried to conquer new spaces. The latter even managed to trade with the Indians, offering various goods. But the Viking settlement was never able to survive in America for more than 10 years, despite constant attempts.

When did Amerigo Vespucci discover America?

Amerigo Vespucci, after whom, according to some historians, the continents are named, first visited the New World as a navigator. The route of Alonso de Ojeda's expedition was chosen using a map created by Christopher Columbus. Along with him, Amerigo Vespucci took about a hundred slaves who were indigenous to America.

Vespucci visited the new territory twice more - in 1501-1502 and from 1503 to 1504. If the Spaniard Christopher wanted to stock up on gold, then the Florentine Amerigo wanted to discover as many new lands as possible in order to gain fame and preserve his name in history.

What does Wikipedia say about the dates of the discovery of America?

The famous Wikipedia talks about the discovery of the American continents in unprecedented detail. In the vastness of the world encyclopedia you can find information about all the expeditions to the New World, about each of the possible discoverers, and the further history of the Indians.

Wikipedia names the date of the discovery of America as October 12, 1492, speaking about Christopher Columbus.

It was he who managed not only to discover new territories, but to capture them on his map. Amerigo Vespucci was able to provide Europeans with a more complete picture of what the continents look like. Although his “complete” map was significantly different from the modern one.

In what year after the discovery did the settlement of America begin?

The settlement of American soil began many thousands of years before its official discovery. It is believed that the ancestors of the Indians were the Eskimos, Inuits, and Aleuts. The Vikings, as you know, also tried to take over the territories of the New World. But they failed - the indigenous people protected it too zealously.

After the discoveries of Columbus and Vespucci, almost 50 years passed before the first European settlements appeared.

In the American city of St. Augustine, the first small settlement of Spaniards was organized in 1565.

In 1585, the first British colony of Roanoke was created, which was destroyed by the Indians. The next attempt by the British was a colony in Virginia, which appeared in 1607.

And finally, the first colony in New England was the settlement located in Plymouth in 1620. This year is recognized as the official date of colonization of the New World.

Possible discoverers before Christopher Columbus

There are many people on the list of possible discoverers. Historians cannot find reliable facts about this, but there are sources indicating that the information is still correct.

Among the hypothetical discoverers it is worth highlighting:

• Phoenicians - 370 BC;
• ancient Egyptians;
• Hui Shen, who was a Buddhist monk who performed the first, as it turned out, trip around the world- V century;
• Irish monk Brendan, who followed in the footsteps of Shen - 6th century;
• Malay Sultan Abubakar II - 1330;
• Chinese explorer Zheng He - 1420;
• Portuguese Joao Corterial - 1471.

These people had pure intentions, did not seek fame and gold, and therefore did not tell the general public about their discovery. They were not trying to bring evidence or enslave Native Americans.

Perhaps that is why their names are not familiar to most contemporaries, and the more cruel and greedy Christopher Columbus is indicated as the discoverer of the new land.

The fate of the Native Americans

The history of the discovery of America is presented in modern history as a joyful event that laid the foundation for a new nation of “emigrants.” But it also became a nightmare for many Indians, who had to endure unspeakable horrors created by the conquerors.

The Spaniards killed several thousand native Americans and took several hundred into slavery. They made fun of the Indians and killed them with extreme cruelty, not even sparing babies. The “Whites” who arrived on the new lands sprinkled them with blood, reducing the joyful discovery to a bloody massacre.

One of those who observed the fate of the Indians, the priest Bartolome de Las Casas, who arrived with Columbus, tried to protect the Indians, even went to the Spanish court in the hope of their pardon. As a result, the court decided whether it was worth calling the Indians people at all, whether they had a soul.

The negative attitude is explained by the fact that Columbus left his crew to look after the New World and went home. When he returned, he saw all his people dead. As it turned out, the Spaniards became impudent, beating the men and raping the women of the tribe, as well as killing the rebellious. The Indians, who initially considered the “whites” to be gods, quickly realized how things were and began to defend themselves. This is what led to further tragic incidents.

In any case, the discovery of America – an important event, which today is considered one of the loudest in the history of civilization.

Christopher Columbus or Cristobal Colon(Italian: Cristoforo Colombo, Spanish: Cristоbal Colоn; between August 25 and October 31, 1451 - May 10, 1506) - a famous navigator and cartographer of Italian origin, who wrote his name in history as the man who discovered America for Europeans.

Columbus was the first of the reliably known navigators to cross Atlantic Ocean in the subtropical zone of the northern hemisphere, the first European to sail to, discovered the Central and South America, marking the beginning of the exploration of the continents and their nearby archipelagos:

• Greater Antilles (Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico);
• Lesser Antilles (from Dominica to the Virgin Islands and Trinidad);
• Bahamas.

Although calling him the “Discoverer of America” is not entirely historically correct, since back in the Middle Ages the coast of continental America and nearby islands were visited by Icelandic Vikings. Since the data on those voyages did not go beyond Scandinavia, it was Columbus’s expeditions that first made information about the Western lands world property. The expedition finally proved that a new part of the world had been discovered. Columbus's discoveries marked the beginning of the colonization of American territories by Europeans, the founding of Spanish settlements, the enslavement and mass extermination of the indigenous population, erroneously called “Indians”.

Biography pages

The legendary Christopher Columbus, the greatest of the medieval navigators, can quite reasonably be called one of the biggest losers of the Age of Discovery. To understand this, it is enough to familiarize yourself with his biography, which, unfortunately, is replete with “white” spots.

It is believed that Christopher Columbus was born in the maritime Italian republic of Genoa (Italian: Genova), on the island of Corsica in August-October 1451, although the exact date of his birth remains in question to this day. In general, not much is known about childhood and adolescence.

So, Cristoforo was the first-born in a poor Genoese family. The father of the future navigator, Domenico Colombo, was engaged in pastures, vineyards, worked as a wool weaver, and traded wine and cheese. Christopher's mother, Susanna Fontanarossa, was the daughter of a weaver. Christopher had 3 younger brothers - Bartolome (about 1460), Giacomo (about 1468), Giovanni Pellegrino, who died very early - and a sister, Bianchinetta.

Documentary evidence from the time shows that the family's financial situation was deplorable. Particularly large financial problems arose because of the house into which the family moved when Christopher was 4 years old. Much later, on the foundations of that house in Santo Domingo, where Cristoforo spent his childhood, a building was erected called “Casa di Colombo” (Spanish: Casa di Colombo - “House of Columbus”), on the facade of which in 1887 an inscription appeared : " No parental home can be more revered than this».

Since Colombo the elder was a respected artisan in the city, in 1470 he was sent on an important mission to Savona (Italian: Savona) to discuss with weavers the issue of introducing uniform prices for textile products. Apparently, this is why Dominico moved with his family to Savona, where after the death of his wife and youngest son, as well as after his eldest sons left home and Bianca’s marriage, he increasingly began to seek solace in a glass of wine.

Since the future discoverer of America grew up near the sea, from childhood he was attracted by the sea. From his youth, Christopher was distinguished by faith in omens and divine providence, morbid pride and a passion for gold. He had a remarkable mind, versatile knowledge, a talent for eloquence and the gift of persuasion. It is known that after studying a little at the University of Pavia, around 1465 the young man entered service in the Genoese fleet and at a fairly early age began to sail as a sailor on the Mediterranean Sea on merchant ships. After some time, he was seriously wounded and temporarily left the service.

He may have become a merchant and settled in Portugal in the mid-1470s, joining the community of Italian merchants in Lisbon and sailing north to England, Ireland and Iceland under the Portuguese flag. He visited Madeira, the Canary Islands, walked along west coast Africa to modern Ghana.

In Portugal, around 1478, Christopher Columbus married the daughter of a prominent navigator of the time, Doña Felipe Moniz de Palestrello, becoming a member of a wealthy Italo-Portuguese family in Lisbon. Soon the young couple had a son, Diego. Until 1485, Columbus sailed on Portuguese ships, was engaged in trade and self-education, and became interested in drawing maps. In 1483 he already had it ready new project sea ​​trade route to India and Japan, which the navigator presented to the king of Portugal. But, apparently, his time had not yet come, or he failed to convincingly convince the monarch of the need to equip the expedition, but after 2 years of deliberation, the king rejected this enterprise, and the daring sailor fell into disgrace. Then Columbus switched to Spanish service, where a few years later he managed to persuade the king to finance a naval expedition.

Already in 1486 H.K. managed to intrigue the influential Duke of Medina-Seli with his project, who introduced the poor but obsessed navigator into the circle of the royal entourage, bankers and merchants.

In 1488, he received an invitation from the Portuguese king to return to Portugal; the Spaniards also wanted to organize an expedition, but the country was in a state of protracted war and was unable to allocate funds for the voyage.

Columbus's First Expedition

In January 1492, the war ended, and soon Christopher Columbus obtained permission to organize an expedition, but once again his bad character let him down! The navigator's demands were excessive: appointment as viceroy of all new lands, the title of "Chief Admiral of the Ocean" and a large amount of money. The king refused him, however, Queen Isabella promised her help and assistance. As a result, on April 30, 1492, the king officially made Columbus a nobleman, granting him the title “Don” and approving all the demands put forward.

Expeditions of Christopher Columbus

In total, Columbus made 4 voyages to the American coast:

• August 2, 1492 – March 15, 1493

Purpose first Spanish expedition, led by Christopher Columbus, was the search for the shortest sea route to India. This small expedition consisted of 90 people “Santa Maria” (Spanish: Santa María), “Pinta” (Spanish: Pinta) and “Ninya” (Spanish: La Niña). “Santa Maria” - on August 3, 1492, set off from Palos (Spanish: Cabo de Palos) on 3 caravels. Having reached the Canary Islands and turning west, she crossed the Atlantic and discovered the Sargasso Sea. The first land seen among the waves was one of the islands of the Bahamas archipelago, called San Salvador Island, on which Columbus landed on October 12, 1492 - this day is considered the official date of the discovery of America. Then a number of Bahamas, Cuba, and Haiti were discovered.

In March 1493, the ships returned to Castile, carrying in their holds a certain amount of gold, strange plants, bright feathers of birds and several natives. Christopher Columbus announced that he had discovered western India.

• September 25, 1493 – June 11, 1496

In 1493 she set off and second expedition, who was already in rank
admiral. 17 ships and more than 2 thousand people took part in this grand enterprise. In November 1493
The following islands were discovered: Dominica, Guadeloupe and the Antilles. In 1494, the expedition explored the islands of Haiti, Cuba, Jamaica and Juventud.

This expedition, which ended on June 11, 1496, opened the way to colonization. To settle new colonies in open lands began sending out priests, settlers and criminals.

• May 30, 1498 – November 25, 1500

Third Exploration Expedition, consisting of only 6 ships, started in 1498. On July 31, the island of Trinidad (Spanish: Trinidad) was discovered, then the Gulf of Paria (Spanish: Golfo de Paria), the Paria Peninsula and the mouth (Spanish: Río Orinoco). On August 15, the crew discovered (Spanish: Isla Margarita). In 1500, Columbus, arrested following a denunciation, was sent to Castile. He did not stay in prison for long, but, having received freedom, he lost many privileges and most of his wealth - this became the biggest disappointment in the life of a navigator.

• 9 May 1502 – November 1504

Fourth expedition started in 1502. Having obtained permission to continue the search for the western route to India, on June 15, on just 4 ships, Columbus reached the island of Martinique (French Martinique), and on July 30 entered the Gulf of Honduras (Spanish Golfo de Honduras), where he first had contact with representatives of the Mayan civilization.

In 1502-1503 Columbus, who dreamed of reaching the fabulous treasures of India, thoroughly explored the coast of Central America and discovered more than 2 thousand km of the Caribbean coast. On June 25, 1503, off the coast of Jamaica, Columbus was wrecked and was rescued only a year later. On November 7, 1504, he returned to Castile, seriously ill and broken by the failures that had befallen him.

Tragic decline of life

This is where the epic of the famous navigator ended. Not finding the coveted passage to India, finding himself ill, without money and privileges, after painful negotiations with the king on the restoration of his rights that undermined his last strength, Christopher Columbus died in spanish city Valladolid (Spanish: Valladolid) May 21, 1506. His remains were transported to a monastery near Seville in 1513. Then, by the will of his son Diego, who was then the governor of Hispaniola (Spanish: La Española, Haiti), the remains of Columbus were reburied in Santo Domingo (Spanish: Santo Domingo de Guzman) in 1542; in 1795 they were transported to Cuba, and in 1898 returned to Spanish Seville (to the Cathedral of Santa Maria). DNA studies of the remains showed that with a high degree of probability they belong to Columbus.

If you think about it, Columbus died an unhappy man: he was unable to reach the shores of the fabulously rich India, but this was precisely the navigator’s secret dream. He didn’t even understand what he had discovered, and the continents that he saw for the first time received the name of another person - (Italian: Amerigo Vespucci), who simply extended the paths trodden by the great Genoese. In fact, Columbus achieved a lot, and, at the same time, achieved nothing - this is the tragedy of his life.

Curious facts

• Christopher Columbus spent almost ³⁄4 of his life on voyages;
• The last words spoken by the navigator before his death were the following: Into your hands, Lord, I entrust my spirit...;
• After all these discoveries, the world entered the Age of Great Discoveries. Poor, hungry, constantly fighting for resources in Europe, the discoveries of the famous discoverer gave an influx of huge amounts of gold and silver - the center of civilization moved there from the East and Europe began to develop rapidly;
• How difficult it was for Columbus to organize the first expedition, how easy it was later for all countries to rush to send their ships on long voyages - this is the main historical merit of the great navigator, who gave a powerful impetus to the study and change of the world!