The name of Columbus's ship at the discovery of America. Who discovered America? History of the discovery of America

The history of the discovery of America is quite amazing.

These events took place at the end of the 15th century due to the rapid development of navigation and shipping in Europe. In many ways, we can say that the discovery of the American continent happened completely by accident and the motives were very banal - the search for gold, wealth, large trading cities.

In the 15th century in the territory modern America There lived ancient tribes who were very good-natured and hospitable. In Europe, in those days, even then the states were quite developed and modern. Each country tried to expand its sphere of influence and find new sources of replenishment of the state treasury. At the end of the 15th century, trade and the development of new colonies flourished.

In the 15th century, ancient tribes lived on the territory of modern America who were very good-natured and hospitable. In Europe, even then the states were quite developed and modern. Each country tried to expand its sphere of influence and find new sources of replenishment of the state treasury.

When you ask any adult or child who discovered America, we will hear about Columbus. It was Christopher Columbus who gave impetus to the active search and development of new lands.

Christopher Columbus is the great Spanish navigator. Information about where he was born and spent his childhood is limited and contradictory. It is known that as a young man, Christopher was interested in cartography. He was married to the daughter of a navigator. In 1470, the geographer and astronomer Toscanelli informed Columbus of his assumptions that the route to India was shorter if one sailed west. Apparently, then Columbus began to hatch his idea of ​​​​a short route to India, and according to his calculations, it was necessary to sail through the Canary Islands, and Japan would be close there.
Since 1475, Columbus has been trying to implement the idea and make an expedition.

The purpose of the expedition is to find a new trade route to India through Atlantic Ocean. To do this, he turned to the government and merchants of Genoa, but they did not support him. The second attempt to find funding for the expedition was made by the Portuguese King João II, however, even here, after a long study of the project, he was refused.

For the last time, he came to the Spanish king with his project. At the beginning, his project was considered for a long time, there were even several meetings and commissions, this lasted several years. His idea was supported by bishops and Catholic kings. But Columbus received final support for his project after the victory of Spain in the city of Granada, which was liberated from the Arab presence.

The expedition was organized on the condition that Columbus, if successful, would receive not only the gifts and riches of new lands, but also receive, in addition to the status of a nobleman, the title: Admiral of the Sea-Ocean and Viceroy of all the lands that he discovers.

For Spain, a successful expedition promised not only the development of new lands, but also the opportunity to trade directly with India, since, according to the treaty concluded with Portugal, Spanish ships were prohibited from entering the waters west coast Africa.

When and how did Columbus discover America?

Historians consider 1942 to be the year of the discovery of America, although these are rather approximate data. Discovering new lands and islands, Columbus had no idea that this was another continent, which would later be called the “New World”. The traveler undertook 4 expeditions. He arrived at new and new lands, believing that these were the lands of “Western India”. For quite a long time everyone in Europe thought so. However, another traveler Vasco da Gama declared Columbus a deceiver, since it was Gamma who found a direct route to India and brought gifts and spices from there.

What America did Christopher Columbus discover? It can be said that thanks to his expeditions since 1492, Columbus discovered both North and South America. To be more precise, islands were discovered that are now considered either South or North America.

Who discovered America first?

Although historically it is believed that it was Columbus who discovered America, but in fact this is not entirely true.

There is evidence that " New World"previously visited by the Scandinavians (Leif Eriksson in 1000, Thorfinn Karlsefni in 1008), this journey became known from the manuscripts "The Saga of Eric the Red" and "The Saga of the Greenlanders." There are other "discoverers of America", but science community does not take them seriously because there is no reliable data. For example, America was previously visited by an African traveler from Mali - Abu Bakr II, a Scottish nobleman Henry Sinclair, and a Chinese traveler Zheng He.

Why was America called America?

The first widely known and recorded fact is the visit of this part of the “New World” by the traveler and navigator Amerigo Vespucci. It is noteworthy that it was he who put forward the assumption that this was not India or China, but a completely new, previously unknown continent. It is believed that this is why the name America was assigned to the new land, and not its discoverer, Columbus.

Around 1474 to Portugal sailor Christopher Columbus arrived. Where he came from, who he was, where he spent his youth - all these questions have been of interest to European and American scientists for many decades. Columbus himself obviously had very serious reasons for keeping secret everything related to his origin and early life, so information about him is very scarce and contradictory.

It is usually believed that he was a Genoese and spent his youth sailing, that he visited different ports Mediterranean Sea, traveled to Ireland and Iceland.

In 1474, Columbus entered the Portuguese service, visited the newly founded Portuguese colonies in Africa and lived for several years on the island of Madeira.

At this time, Portuguese ships slowly but persistently moved south, exploring the African coast, establishing trading posts and preparing the opening of the eastern route to India around Africa.

But Columbus wanted to take a different path.

He had long been collecting fragmentary information about the lands lying beyond the Atlantic Ocean, confused stories about voyages to the west, fantastic legends of antiquity and the Middle Ages. He heard that occasionally the current brought unknown flowers and other parts of plants, as well as the bodies of unknown people, to the shores of the Azores. Columbus compared all the information with ancient descriptions of Asia.

His imagination was especially struck by Marco Polo's book, which told about the gold-covered palaces of Jipango (Japan), about the pomp and splendor of the court of the Great Khan, about the homeland of spices - India.

Columbus had no doubt that the Earth was spherical, but it seemed to him that this ball was much smaller than it actually was. That's why he thought that Japan was relatively close to the Azores.

Columbus decided to reach India via the western route, and in 1484 he outlined his plan to the Portuguese king. But this project seemed fantastic to the king and his advisers. And the possibilities of Portugal were very limited. The war with the Moors in Morocco and expeditions to Africa so depleted the treasury of Portugal that the Portuguese king categorically refused to equip a new expedition to the unknown west.

At the end of 1484, Columbus fled to Spain to propose his project to King Ferdinand of León and his wife, Queen Isabella of Castile. But even here, Cristoval Colon (as Columbus was called in Spain) faced many years of need, humiliation and disappointment. Royal advisers found Columbus's project impracticable. Columbus was refused. Then he proposed his plan to England, and then again to Portugal, but nowhere was he taken seriously.

Only after the Spaniards took Granada did Columbus, after much trouble, manage to obtain three small ships in Spain. With incredible difficulty, he assembled a team, and finally, on August 3, 1492, a small squadron left the Spanish port of Paloe and headed west to look for India.

The sea was calm and deserted, a fair wind was blowing. They went on like this for more than a month. On September 15, Columbus and his Companions saw a green stripe in the distance. But their joy soon gave way to grief. This was not the long-awaited land, it was the Sargasso Sea - a giant accumulation of algae.

On September 18 - 20, the sailors saw flocks of birds flying to the west. “Finally,” the sailors thought, “the land is close!” But this time, too, the travelers were disappointed. The crew began to worry. In order not to frighten people with the distance traveled, Columbus downplayed the distance traveled in the ship's log.

On October 11, at ten o'clock in the evening, Columbus, eagerly peering into the darkness of the night, saw a light flickering in the distance, and on October 12, 1492, in the morning, still in the moonlight, one of the sailors of the leading ship shouted: “Earth!” The sails on the ships were removed. In the morning, the travelers saw a small low-lying island overgrown with palm trees. Naked people with copper-red skin were running along the sand along the shore. Columbus put on a scarlet dress over his armor and, with the royal flag in his hands, went ashore to the New World. It was Watling Island from the group Bahamas.

The locals called it Guanahani, and Columbus called it San Salvador. This is how America was discovered.

However, until the end of his life, Columbus was sure that he had not discovered any “New World”, but had only found a way to India. And with his light hand, the inhabitants of the New World began to be called Indians.

The inhabitants of the newly discovered island were tall and beautiful. They walked naked, their bodies were colorfully painted. Some had shiny sticks stuck through their noses, which delighted Columbus. After all, it was gold, and close by is the country of golden palaces - Jipango.

In search of the golden Jipango, Columbus left Guanahani and went further, discovering island after island. Everywhere the Spaniards were amazed by the lush tropical vegetation, the beauty of the islands scattered in the blue ocean, the friendliness and meekness of the Indians, who gave the Spaniards gold and colorful birds in exchange for trinkets, molasses and beautiful rags. On October 28, Columbus reached Cuba.

The population of Cuba was more cultured than the inhabitants of the Bahamas. In Cuba, Columbus found statues, large houses, bales of cotton and for the first time saw cultivated plants - tobacco, corn and potatoes, products of the New World, which later conquered the whole world. All this further strengthened Columbus’s confidence that Jipango and India were somewhere nearby. On December 4, 1492, Columbus discovered the island of Haiti (the Spaniards then called it Hispaniola). On this island, Columbus built the fort of La Navidad (Christmas), left a forty garrison there, and on January 16, 1493, headed for Europe on two ships. His largest ship, the Santa Maria, was wrecked on December 25th.

On the way back, a terrible storm broke out, and the ships lost sight of each other. Only on February 18, 1493, the exhausted sailors saw the Azores, and on February 25 they reached Lisbon. On March 15, Columbus returned to the port of Palos after an eight-month absence. Thus ended Columbus's first voyage.

The traveler was received with delight in Spain. He was granted a coat of arms with the image of a map again open islands and with the motto:

FOR CASTILLE AND LEON
A NEW WORLD DISCOVERED BY COLON

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Other books on similar topics: Thanks to him, we learned about potatoes and tomatoes, without which we cannot imagine modern menu. I will tell Interesting Facts, as well as about where the Spanish subject was sailing when he discovered new lands for Europeans. Columbus is not a nobleman; his father was a small merchant, guardian of the city gates. Perhaps the son also began to work early as a cabin boy on a ship, but he received an education and knew geometry and geography well.

Later he worked as a cartographer, compiled geographic Maps, which were secret at the time. He lived in Genoa, Portugal, and then in Spain, from where he began his sea expeditions. Most likely, the navigator was looking for a sea route to India, rich in herbs and spices. Using the knowledge of that time, Christopher headed west, made four expeditions and discovered new continent. Until the end of his life, he was sure that the lands he discovered were located not far from India.

Columbus discovered for Europeans such a convenient item for country holidays as a hammock, which he spied on local residents. Bunks on ships made of sails and nets also appeared thanks to an unusual find. The traveler's idea was to send criminals from prisons to develop open lands, which subsequently became the cause of numerous uprisings of former prisoners.

Sadly, the opening of the land also led to the revival of slavery. The development of overseas territories required a large number of workers, and the settlers did not want to work themselves.

And then the Spaniards enslaved the indigenous people, who could not resist the Europeans with firearms. Spain allocated only ten kilograms of gold for the preparation of the first expedition of its subject. And after the discovery of the New World, during the years of her reign, she took out valuables from there in an amount equal to three million kilograms of gold. One of the greatest geographical discoveries became possible thanks to an elementary mistake. During the Columbus era, humanity had already recognized that the Earth was round, so the Kingdom of Spain sent Christopher Columbus to find India, valuable for its spices.

The continents known today as North and South America were discovered in prehistory. Before European explorers arrived in the Americas, tens of millions of indigenous people lived here. The lands of the Americas have been repeatedly "discovered" by peoples coming from different parts of the world over many generations, dating back to the Stone Age when a group of hunters first visited a land that was truly the unexplored New World.

It becomes curious why it is then believed that America was discovered by Christopher Columbus. In addition, other theories are widespread regarding who first discovered America: Irish monks (6th century), Vikings (10th century), sailors from China (15th century), etc.

The first settlers in America

The first people to settle in America came there from Asia, probably about 15 thousand years ago. During the Pleistocene era, the melting ice sheets of the Laurentian and Cordilleran glaciers formed a narrow corridor and land bridge between Russia and Alaska. The land bridge between the west coast of Alaska and Siberia, known as the Bering Isthmus, opened due to falling ocean levels and connected the continents of Asia and North America.

Interesting fact: In place of the Bering Isthmus, the current Bering Strait was formed, separating Asia and North America. The strait was named after the Russian naval officer Vitus Bering, who crossed it in 1728.

The ancient settlers of America - the Paleo-Indians - passed through the Bering Isthmus from Asia to America following the movement of large animals. These migrations occurred before the Laurentian and Cordilleran glaciers closed and closed the corridor. The settlement of America continued further by sea or by ice. After the ice plates melted and the Ice Age ended, the settlers who came to the Americas became isolated from other continents. Thus, the American continents were first discovered by nomadic Asian tribes about 15 thousand years ago, who initially settled North America, then spread to Central and South America and subsequently became the Native American peoples.

XV-XVII centuries world history The development of our planet is characterized by the era of great geographical discoveries. The Portuguese first took the initiative in this due to their favorable location on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean.

The Spaniards did not want to give up the palm to Portugal and also looked for new ways to enrich themselves by colonizing the peoples of distant countries. India was especially attractive with its countless riches, especially spices, which were worth their weight in gold.

Christopher Columbus, dreaming of getting to the shores of India, “accidentally” makes a discovery South America, without knowing about it until the end of his life. He called open lands"West Indies".

Geographical location of South America.

South America is one of the largest continents on our planet, with an area of ​​17.84 million square kilometers. Visually on the map it has the shape of a large triangle, the sharp tapering corner of which is directed to the south.

Distance from extreme points continent:

• from north to south – 7350 km;
• from west to east in the widest part of the continent - 5180 km.

The continent is located in the Western, Southern and slightly in the Northern hemispheres.

The coasts of the mainland are washed by two oceans:

• from the west – Quiet;
• from the northeast and east - Atlantic.

Cape Froward - extreme southern point(mainland), and there is also a southern island point. Some reference books point to Cape Horn. But this is erroneous information. South-west of Cape Horn are the Diego Ramirez Islands. This is where the island's southernmost point is located.

The relief of the territory is divided into two types:

• mountainous west - the Andes mountain range stretches along the entire western coast;
• flat east - in the northeast is the Guiana Plateau, to the south is the Amazonian Lowland, and even further south is the Brazilian Plateau.

The large extent from north to south greatly influences the climatic and natural conditions continent.

On the mainland, the climate consists of six zones.

History of discovery

The question of who discovered America first remains unclear to this day. Of course, Christopher Columbus is not the first European to visit the mainland.

Who was first

Many sailors and merchants may have visited this land before the voyage of Columbus known to us.

Contenders for the right to discover America could presumably be:

• Asians who crossed the frozen Bering Strait from Russia about 15 thousand years ago;
• Phoenician sailors in 300 BC, who circumnavigated Africa long before Vasco da Gama;
• Welsh prince Madog ap Owain Gwynedd in 1170;
• Norwegian Leif Eriksson, nicknamed "Lucky" in the 10th century.

Knowledge about these voyages exists at the level of legends and is not substantiated by reliable facts.

Columbus was the first to show and tell the whole world about the existence of a new, hitherto unknown continent and provoked the beginning of European colonization of America, which led to the formation of new countries: the USA, Canada, Mexico.

Expeditions

Christopher Columbus (1451–1506) was a Spanish navigator of Italian descent.

Contemporaries describe him as an intelligent and educated man with a pleasant appearance, above average height, with gray-blue eyes, an aquiline nose and a reddish beard.

He was smart and educated:

• knew several languages ​​perfectly;
• mastered mathematics, cartography, astronomy thoroughly;
• studied the chronicles of Aristotle and Pythagoras about the sphericity of the Earth.

The thought could not leave him that if he sailed to the west, he could get to India much faster from the other side. Columbus made calculations that confirmed his opinion. He simply made a mistake about the size of the Earth, which was no wonder in those days.

With these calculations, he addressed many authorities:

• to the merchants and ruler of Genoa;
• to the kings of Portugal, Spain, England and France.

Everywhere he met misunderstandings.

Columbus has been trying to fulfill his dream for 17 years. In 1492, he received permission from the rulers of Spain for an expedition to India.

On April 30, 1492, Columbus was granted the title of nobleman. Upon fulfilling his obligations, he receives the title of Admiral of the Sea-Ocean and Viceroy of all lands discovered by him, with the inheritance of these privileges by his descendants.

Columbus

The kings refused to finance the expedition, so Columbus himself organized the expedition and looked for sponsors.

First expedition (August 3, 1492 - March 15, 1493)

Martin Alonso Pinson helped Columbus with capital.

The expedition included 100 crew members and 3 ships:

• "Santa Maria";
• "Pint";
• "Ninya."

The crews of the schooners were recruited from criminals.

Progress of the expedition:

Results of the trip:

• discovery of new lands;
• learned new crops for the first time: tobacco, potatoes, maize, cotton;
• first met new peoples, Columbus called them “Indians”, because he believed that he had discovered the backward regions of India.

Second expedition (25 September 1493 - 11 June 1496)

The second campaign is being prepared for the purpose of developing new territories.

The equipment of the ships includes what is necessary for living on the newly captured lands.

In the holds of caravels are placed:

• horses and donkeys;
• pigs and cattle;
• dogs trained for hunting;
• vines for growing grapes;
• sugar cane;
• seeds for planting.

The squadron consists of 17 ships and a crew of up to 2,000 people.

The expedition team, in addition to sailors, includes:

• clergy;
• courtiers and serving nobles;
• officials and notaries.

Future conquistadors are participating in this campaign.

Among them:

• Alonso de Ojeda, organizer of subsequent expeditions;
• Juan de la Cosa, expedition cartographer;
• Diego Velazquez de Cuellar, future conqueror and governor of Cuba.

Travel dates:

Third expedition (30 May 1498 - 25 November 1500)

The trip was financed by Amerigo Vespucci.

Expedition composition:

• 6 caravels;
• crew of 300 released criminal elements.

Stages of the hike:

Fourth Expedition (9 May 1502 – 7 November 1504)

Spanish bankers supported Columbus, convincing the Spanish kings to drop the charges and give permission to organize another expedition.

Columbus does not lose hope of reaching the shores of India; he takes his son Hernando and brother Bartolomeo on a campaign.

Sailing route:

1. On May 9, 1502, a squadron of 4 caravels left Cadiz.
2. June 15 – opening of the island of Martinique.
3. July 30 – discovery of lands inhabited by the Mayans. Bartolomeo declares himself the ruler of the country, currently Honduras.
4. From September 18 to December, the lands of modern Central America are open: Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama. From local residents they learn about the existence of a rich state in the south, where people ride animals and wield swords and arrows. Obviously, this is Peru, the state of the Incas.
5. New Year 1503 is celebrated on the site of the current Panama Canal. Only 65 km separates Columbus from the South Sea (Pacific Ocean), but he will never know about it.
6. Six months of long searches for the strait yield no results; Columbus turns to Jamaica and discovers the Cayman Islands. On June 25, the ships ran aground near the island of Jamaica.
7. July - a pirogue with a representative was sent to the island of Haiti to the Spanish governor with a request for help.
8. The Jamaican Indians were very hostile to the arriving colonizers. February 29, 1504 Columbus uses a trick. Knowing what's coming moon eclipse, he announces to the Indians that the gods are angry and will take the moon from them if they do not supply food to the expedition. He said that he would ask the Gods for forgiveness for them. The Indians were amazed that everything happened as Columbus predicted. There were no more problems with food. So Columbus saved the expedition from starvation, and help from the governor came only a year later.
9. On June 29, 1504, the expedition leaves Jamaica, on September 12 – Hispaniola (Haiti) and heads to its native shores.

The outcome of the life of the great navigator is ambiguous; he died in a monastery, and he spent his last money on the needs of his comrades.

The results of the voyage are priceless:

• the lands of Central America are discovered;
• new Indian tribes discovered;
• deposits of gold, pearls, and silver were found.

Vespucci

Columbus's discoveries were continued by other navigators. One of them was Amerigo Vespucci. They met when Vespucci financed Columbus's third and fourth expeditions.

Biography of Vespucci:

• born March 9, 1454 in Florence in the family of a notary, died February 22, 1512;
• was home-schooled by his uncle, the monk Giorgio Vespucci;
• from 1470 he studied at the University of Pisa;
• then work in the Medici banking house, which sponsors sea voyages;
• meeting Columbus changes Vespucci's biography: from a financier he turns into a traveler, cartographer, and navigator of expeditions.

First expedition (May 1499 - June 1500)

Vespucci made his first sea voyage with the expedition of Admiral Alonso Ojeda, who performed well in his second voyage with Columbus. The expedition consisted of three caravels, two of which were sponsored by Vespucci. Well versed in astronomy and cartography, he served as a navigator on the expedition. During the trip we used Columbus's maps.

Approaching the mainland, the squadron divided: Ojeda sent his ship north, to the Pearl Coast, and Vespucci sent his ship south.

During this voyage, a total of the following were explored, mapped and artistically described:

• 100 km of continent inland from the Amazon delta;
• mouth branch of Para;
• Guiana Current;
• More than 4000 km of mainland coastal strip;
• the Gulf of Maracaibo, which will be called “little Venice” - this is modern Venezuela;
• the Paraguana and Guajira Peninsulas;
• Curacao island;
• climate of the continent;
• local peoples and customs;
• local Indian healing methods.

In June 1500, the expedition returned to Spain with a small amount of gold and 200 slaves captured in the Bahamas.

Financially, the trip was unprofitable: after the sale of slaves, each participant received 10 gold pieces.

Second expedition (10 May 1501 - early September 1502)

In 1500, King Manuel I of Portugal invited Amerigo to the position of navigator and navigator of expeditions led by Gonçalo Coelho.

In mid-August they reached the mainland and headed south along it. On January 1, they discovered a large bay and named it the January River (Rio de Janeiro). We parked and equipped the detachment deep into the mainland.

Survey results:

• more than 3,000 km of coastal strip mapped;
• the territory of the mainland was surveyed to a depth of 250 miles;
• plants have been studied, animal world, starry sky and climatic conditions.

In September the expedition returned to Portugal.

Third expedition (10 May 1503 - 18 June 1504)

A squadron led by Gonçalo Coelho, consisting of six caravels, is sent to explore the found mainland. Near Ascension Island they fall into storm. Of the six ships, only two remain undamaged: Vespucci and Gonçalo.

The parking lot is in the All Saints Bay.

During the five months of stay, the expedition did the following work:

• the Brazilian Highlands were surveyed in an area of ​​250 km;
• the archipelagos of Fernando de Noronha, Angra dos Reis and Sao Vicente are open;
• a fort was built;
• prepared sandalwood.

June 1504 - safe return to Portugal.

This is Vespucci's most successful expedition.

After his voyages, Vespucci correctly assessed this continent. He proves that the open continent is not the West Indies, but a new part of the world, and proposes to call it that way - the New World.

Based on the results of the expeditions, maps and books describing the continent, the local population, the surrounding nature, and climatic conditions are published. All these works are translated into various languages ​​and published in several editions. In 1507, German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller proposed

name the open continent America in honor of Amerigo Vespucci. In 1538, the northern continent was also called North America.

Mainland exploration

Published books, maps, stories of sailors who have visited create the glory of America as a kind of Eldorado country, in which gold lies everywhere right under your feet.

This provoked an influx of conquistadors onto the mainland, cruel ones who would do anything and everything for their own enrichment.

• The most cruel of all were considered:
• Hernando Cortez, who destroyed the Aztec Empire;

Francisco Pizarro, who destroyed the culture and people of the Incas.

Among the explorers of America, the famous German geographer and naturalist Alexander Humboldt stands out as a bright spot. Together with the French geographer and botanist Aimé Bonpland, they traveled around Spain and, having met in an audience with the Spanish monarch, asked for permission to research papers

in the Spanish possessions of South America. The monarch treated the scientists' request with great respect, moreover, he issued them an order for the Spanish governors to assist the scientists in every possible way.

• Alexander Humboldt and Aimé Bonpland explored the following areas:
• Canary Islands;
• river basins: Orinoco, Casiquiare, Rio Negro, Magdalena;
• territory of Cuba; nature;
• Antilles
• Santa Fe Plateau;
• volcanoes of the Equatorial Andes; dormant volcano
• Chimborazo (6267);
• Peruvian Andes;

nature of Lima and Quito.

This is an incomplete list of territories surveyed by scientists over 5 years. The journey, and then the book “Travel to equinoctial

regions of the New World in 1799 -1804” bring them world fame. Humboldt created the first geographical maps, described climatic conditions, fauna, local tribes

, lifestyle and customs.

“The Second Columbus” - this is what his contemporaries called him, since he discovered America in a scientific, research form.

Aime Bonpland Alexander Humboldt

South America is the fourth largest continent on Earth, with 12 countries and three dependent states. Each state has its own political status, state language, and national flag.

Ethnic composition (peoples)

Colonial takeover by Spain and Portugal, extermination of the indigenous population, importation of blacks into the mainland, massive influx of conquistadors from different countries significantly influenced the ethnic composition of the mainland.

The fusion of peoples and cultures created the unique flavor of the mainland. Different nationalities live on this land, complementing and developing each other.

By race, the population is divided into:

• blacks;
• Indians;
• Europeans.

The indigenous population has survived to the greatest extent in Bolivia and Peru. Most Europeans live in Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay. Mestizos, descendants of mixed marriages between Europeans and Indians, are most numerous in Ecuador, Venezuela, Colombia and Paraguay.

The legacy of colonialism - Spanish and Portuguese - are spoken across much of the continent. Modern life has brought English, German, Italian and other languages ​​here.

Political map of independent countries

Christopher Columbus is undoubtedly one of those people whose deeds had a huge impact on the history of all mankind.

Unfortunately, absolutely accurate data has not been preserved either about the place of Columbus’s birth (although most modern historians agree that it was Italian Genoa), or about the date of his birth (on this moment The most probable year of birth of Columbus is considered to be 1451). Information about Columbus's early life is also very contradictory - according to some sources, until about the age of twenty he helped his father, who was a weaver; according to others, by this age he was already an experienced sailor who had made more than one voyage on Portuguese ships.

For some time, Columbus lived in Portugal, where in 1479 he married the daughter of Bartolomeo Perestrelo, a Portuguese explorer, whose work may have interested Columbus in the possibility of discovering new lands.

For a long time, Columbus, who was well versed in maps himself, studied the works of Paolo Toscanelli, a famous cartographer at that time. Columbus considered Toscanelli's theory about the possibility of a sea route to India across the Atlantic Ocean quite reasonable.

The first person Columbus approached with a proposal to organize an expedition in 1484 was the Portuguese King João II. At first interested in Columbus’s project and entrusting its study to a specially created council, in the end he nevertheless refused Columbus; Perhaps the reason for this was Columbus’s exorbitant claims to various material benefits, which promised the discovery of new lands, or maybe Portugal was quite enough established control on the west coast of Africa.

The Spanish rulers, to whom Columbus, upset by the refusal of Juan II, turned, also reacted coolly to the navigator’s idea - the long war for Granada required large cash injections from the Spanish treasury.

Columbus had to wait several years before he managed to convince the Spanish royal couple to approve his expedition. Obviously, he chose the time very well to approach them again with his proposal - the end of the Reconquista allowed the royal court of Spain to take a fresh look at Columbus's ideas.

At that time, Spain was in a difficult situation. A previously concluded treaty with Portugal prohibited Spanish (and all other ships) from sailing in the area of ​​the western coast of Africa, thus excluding the possibility of reaching the shores of India by circumnavigating the African continent. The state treasury was depleted, and the opportunity to establish profitable trade with India was very useful for Spain.

The Spanish Church was also a supporter of the discovery of new lands in order to further spread the religion.

One can only guess what feelings drove Columbus to discover new lands - whether it was a passion for new discoveries, some religious motives, or a banal desire to ensure a comfortable existence for himself, especially considering the fact that on April 17, 1492, Columbus and spanish king and the queen signed the Treaty of Santa Fe, according to which Columbus not only received the title of nobility, but also, if the expedition was successful, received the titles of admiral of the seas and viceroy and governor of new lands, as well as a very substantial part of the potential profits that could provide the Spanish court his (Columbus) discoveries.

The Spanish treasury, impoverished during the Reconquista, was unable to finance it, and Columbus was forced to turn to private investors for help. Despite their participation in preparations for the expedition, there was only enough money for three not new ships, the condition of which was not at all ideal, and the crew partly consisted of people who had broken the law, who were promised freedom in exchange for participation in Columbus’s expedition.

Finally, on August 3, 1492, these three ships - the flagship Santa Maria, Pinta and Niña - left the port and set off to discover new lands.

Having replenished supplies of food and fresh water in the Canary Islands, the expedition moved on.

The crew members, tired of the long and fruitless voyage, repeatedly tried to force the navigator to turn back, and Columbus more than once had to pacify such sentiments on the ship (at times threatening to turn into a real riot) with the help of persuasion and additional promises of various material benefits.

As one of Columbus’s tricks, it is worth noting the second logbook, in which he shortened the distance traveled by the ship in order to calm his crew a little.

Finally, on October 12, “Earth!” was heard from the Pinta’s mast, and soon the ships dropped anchor off one of the Antilles. Columbus declared this island, Guanahani, the property of Spain and gave it a new name - San Salvador.

The indigenous inhabitants of the island greeted the newcomers friendly and introduced the sailors to tobacco, as well as various local plants, including tomatoes and potatoes. Since Columbus was sure that he had sailed to India, he called the local residents “Indians.”

Continuing his journey, on October 28, Columbus reached the shores of Cuba, and soon Haiti (naming it Hispaniola). Having built Fort Navidad on Hispaniola, in which he left several people, Columbus moved on. His next destination was San Domingo.

Delighted by the discovery of a new route to India (as he believed), Columbus was nevertheless very disappointed, not finding the luxurious cities and untold riches he expected.

Columbus took several local Indians with him to Spain as one of the proofs of the success of his expedition.

Arriving in Spain in 1493, Columbus presented his relatively poor... to the royal court.

But the Spanish monarchs considered the expedition successful and contributed in every possible way to equipping a new one.

On September 25, 1493, Columbus's second expedition, already consisting of 17 ships and about one and a half thousand people, arrived in Isabella, the first Spanish settlement in San Domingo.

Using the labor of local Indians, the Spaniards began work on gold mining. In pursuit of profit, Columbus constantly demanded the Indians to work more and more, which contributed to the aggravation of their already difficult relations.

In 1496, Columbus returned to Spain, leaving his brother Bartolomeo as ruler of Isabella.

Columbus's third expedition took place in May 1498. However, during his absence, the Spaniards remaining in the colony rebelled against the admiral, dividing the land and the Indians among themselves and continuing to work in their own interests, regardless of the interests of the Spanish crown.

Returning Columbus had to negotiate with the rebels, allocating them a plot of land and Indians as slaves. Such a policy, of course, had a negative impact on relations with the Indians.

Columbus's initial plans to trade with the inhabitants of new lands changed dramatically when he realized that, from an economic point of view, it was much more profitable for him to subjugate the Indians than to trade with them. Columbus’s cruelty towards the local Indians, which increased their already great discontent, the too low profits brought by the colonies, as well as suspicions that Columbus was simply hiding the wealth he found in the new lands, led the Spanish rulers to the idea that in order to manage Another person should be appointed as the new lands. The royal inspector Francisco de Bobadilla, who arrived in Hispaniola in 1500, arrested Columbus and sent him to Spain.

But soon the rulers of Spain ordered the release of the famous navigator. Columbus managed to convince them that there was gold and other riches in the lands he discovered, and they just had to look hard for them.

Thus, he was given the opportunity to prove his expectations in the fourth expedition, which took place in 1502. Having explored a fairly large area on the coast of the mainland, Columbus, however, did not move inside the continent and returned to Spain.

The great navigator spent the last years of his life in oblivion. On May 20, 1506, Columbus died, a poor, sick man, still believing that the land he had discovered was India.

In 1517, the Spaniards reached the territory of modern Mexico, the Yucatan Peninsula, and began to rapidly conquer the lands of continental America.

Without in any way casting doubt on the great achievement of Christopher Columbus, it is nevertheless worth noting that formally he only discovered islands off the coast of Central America. As for continental America, Columbus visited it only on his third trip, and on North America and never was at all.

INTERESTING FACTS

While living in Seville, Columbus was friends with Amerigo Vespucci, who lived there at that time.

The Portuguese king João II, who refused Columbus to organize an expedition, nevertheless sent his sailors along the route proposed by Columbus, but due to a strong storm the Portuguese were forced to return home.

There is a proposal that it was Columbus who suggested that the Spanish rulers, in order to save money, populate the lands he discovered with criminals.

As everyone probably knows well, such a process as the discovery of the continent of America is a very broad topic, but this article will talk about the discovery of America briefly, laying out the main essence.

The discovery of America is one of major events in the world history of mankind, as a consequence of which, the Old World - that is Western Europe, learned about the existence of a new, huge continent called America.

Expeditions of Christopher Columbus - discovery of a new continent

The King and Queen of Castile and Aragon sponsored this expedition, consisting of three ships.

12 October the same year Christopher Columbus reached the present-day Bahamas and this day is considered the date of the discovery of a new continent. After that, they discovered a number of more islands. In March 1493 Columbus returned to Castile. Thus ended his first of four expeditions to America, which he discovered.

The second expedition already included a fairly large number of ships and people. If in the first there were only three ships and a crew of less than a hundred people, then in the second expedition there were seventeen ships or more 1 thousand people on board. The most important achievement of this expedition can be considered conquest of Haiti. After this, Columbus V 1496 year returns to Spain again.

Scope third expedition, which started V 1498 year, was much smaller - only six ships. The discovery of South America began precisely with the third expedition. This expedition was interrupted V 1500 year for the reason that Columbus was arrested and sent to Castile, but upon arriving there, he was completely acquitted.

Already at this moment, a huge number of people appeared who wanted to take credit for the brilliant discovery of Christopher Columbus. IN 1502 1 year, Columbus struggles to be sponsored again for another search for a short sea route to India. During this expedition he discovered the shores of modern Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama and so on. But in 1503 year, Columbus's ship was wrecked, which forced him to stop his expedition to 1504 year, returning to Castile.

After this, Christopher Columbus never returned to America.

However, as further study of history has shown, it was not Christopher Columbus who first set foot on the lands of the new continent; this was done long before his birth.

And yes, in general, humanity began to populate America only in 30 thousand years BC e.

And they discovered it for the first time, although they did not know that it was an entire continent, by none other than the masters of the seas - Vikings, back in the 10th century.

Leif Eriksson should be considered the discoverer. Leif is the son of Erik the Red, a Viking and navigator who discovered Greenland.
This fact is confirmed by traces of a Viking settlement found in L’Anse aux Meadows (the current territory of Newfoundland and Labrador (in Canada)).

As for Columbus's voyage, he himself believed that he had discovered not a new continent, but the shores of Asia. And only in his last years did he realize that he had discovered a new continent.

The open continent was named after one of the main explorers of the New World - Amerigo Vespucci. This memorable event took place in 1507 year, from that moment on the continent was considered independent.

There are also several hypotheses in history that other sailors could have discovered America. The most popular hypotheses are:
- in the fourth century BC. e. it could have been discovered by the Phoenicians;
- in the sixth century AD e. it could have been the Irish monk Brendan;
– approximately in 1421 year Chinese navigator Zheng He;

However, there is no confirmation of this yet.