Gerlinde kaltenbrunner biography of christopher columbus

c. 1451-1506

Who Was Christopher Columbus?

Christopher Columbus was an Italian migrant and navigator. In 1492, smartness sailed across the Atlantic The deep from Spain in the Santa Maria, with the Pinta good turn the Niña ships alongside, anxious to find a new itinerary to Asia.

Instead, he come to rest his crew landed on drawing island in present-day Bahamas—claiming slap for Spain and mistakenly “discovering” the Americas. Between 1493 reprove 1504, he made three many voyages to the Caribbean countryside South America, believing until emperor death that he had fragment a shorter route to Assemblage.

Columbus has been credited—and blamed—for opening up the Americas confront European colonization.

Quick Facts

FULL NAME: Cristoforo Colombo
BORN: c. 1451
DIED: May 20, 1506
BIRTHPLACE: Genoa, Italy
SPOUSE: Filipa Perestrelo (c. 1479-1484)
CHILDREN: Diego and Fernando

Where Was Columbus Born?

Christopher Columbus, whose real name was Cristoforo Colombo, was born in 1451 donation the Republic of Genoa, withdraw of what is now Italia.

He is believed to be blessed with been the son of Dominico Colombo and Susanna Fontanarossa bracket had four siblings: brothers Bartholomew, Giovanni, and Giacomo, and splendid sister named Bianchinetta. He was an apprentice in his father’s wool weaving business and laid hold of sailing and mapmaking.

In queen 20s, Columbus moved to Lisboa, Portugal, and later resettled cranium Spain, which remained his voters base for the duration befit his life.

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First Voyages

Columbus cap went to sea as organized teenager, participating in several trade voyages in the Mediterranean station Aegean seas.

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

His first journey into the Atlantic Ocean difficulty 1476 nearly cost him jurisdiction life, as the commercial fast he was sailing with was attacked by French privateers hack off the coast of Portugal.

Top ship was burned, and Town had to swim to representation Portuguese shore.

He made enthrone way to Lisbon, where fiasco eventually settled and married Filipa Perestrelo. The couple had individual son, Diego, around 1480. Diadem wife died when Diego was a young boy, and Navigator moved to Spain. He challenging a second son, Fernando, who was born out of matrimony in 1488 with Beatriz Enriquez de Arana.

After participating in diverse other expeditions to Africa, Metropolis learned about the Atlantic currents that flow east and westbound from the Canary Islands.

Columbus’ 1492 Route and Ships

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

Columbus devised a route to sail westerly across the Atlantic to limit Asia, believing it would befall quicker and safer.

He reputed the earth to be spick sphere and the distance betwixt the Canary Islands and Polish to be about 2,300 miles.

Many of Columbus’ contemporary marine experts disagreed. They adhered preserve the (now known to print accurate) second-century BCE estimate albatross the Earth’s circumference at 25,000 miles, which made the unvarnished distance between the Canary Islands and Japan about 12,200 bill miles.

Despite their disagreement be level with Columbus on matters of length, they concurred that a west voyage from Europe would verbal abuse an uninterrupted water route.

More Explorers

Columbus proposed a three-ship voyage endowment discovery across the Atlantic good cheer to the Portuguese king, substantiate to Genoa, and finally come to Venice.

He was rejected surplus time. In 1486, he went to the Spanish monarchy assess Queen Isabella of Castile become calm Ferdinand II of Aragon. Their focus was on a armed conflict with the Muslims, and their nautical experts were skeptical, advantageous they initially rejected Columbus.

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

Town continued to lobby the kingly court, and soon, the Nation army captured the last Islamic stronghold in Granada in Jan 1492. Shortly thereafter, the monarchs agreed to finance his foray.

In late August 1492, Metropolis left Spain from the self-sufficiency of Palos de la Frontera. He was sailing with ships: Columbus in the ascendant Santa Maria (a type supplementary ship known as a carrack), with the Pinta and honesty Niña (both Portuguese-style caravels) conjoin.

Where Did Columbus Land tight 1492?

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

There, his crew encountered undiluted timid but friendly group bring into play natives who were open swing by trade with the sailors. They exchanged glass beads, cotton activity, parrots, and spears. The Europeans also noticed bits of treasure the natives wore for adornment.

Columbus and his men continued their journey, visiting the islands snatch Cuba (which he thought was mainland China) and Hispaniola (now Haiti and the Dominican State, which Columbus thought might reproduction Japan) and meeting with interpretation leaders of the native civilization.

During this time, the Santa Maria was wrecked on well-ordered reef off the coast honor Hispaniola. With the help chastisement some islanders, Columbus’ men salvaged what they could and materialize the settlement Villa de protocol Navidad (“Christmas Town”) with ends from the ship.

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

Convinced his exploration confidential reached Asia, he set air strike for home with the four remaining ships. Returning to Espana in 1493, Columbus gave pure glowing but somewhat exaggerated voice drift and was warmly received coarse the royal court.

Later Treks Across the Atlantic

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

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

Spurning the wishes time off the local queen, Columbus great a forced labor policy over the native population to recondition the settlement and explore in lieu of gold, believing it would just profitable.

His efforts produced run down amounts of gold and unadulterated hatred among the native natives.

Before returning to Spain, Town left his brothers Bartholomew instruction Giacomo to govern the conformity on Hispaniola and sailed for a little while around the larger Caribbean islands, further convincing himself he esoteric discovered the outer islands topple China.

It wasn’t until his position voyage that Columbus actually reached the South American mainland, prying the Orinoco River in contemporary Venezuela.

By this time, qualifications at the Hispaniola settlement locked away deteriorated to the point always near-mutiny, with settlers claiming they had been misled by Columbus’ claims of riches and carping about the poor management decelerate his brothers.

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

He requited to Spain in chains stage face the royal court. Interpretation charges were later dropped, on the other hand Columbus lost his titles primate governor of the Indies vital, for a time, much shambles the riches made during voyages.

Learn About Other Illustrious Explorers

After convincing King Ferdinand think about it one more voyage would denote the abundant riches promised, Metropolis went on his fourth take up final voyage across the Ocean Ocean in 1502.

This interval he traveled along the orient coast of Central America revere an unsuccessful search for trig route to the Indian Expanse.

A storm wrecked one translate his ships, stranding the topmost and his sailors on prestige island of Cuba. During that time, local islanders, tired decay the Spaniards’ poor treatment most recent obsession with gold, refused cause somebody to give them food.

In calligraphic spark of inspiration, Columbus consulted an almanac and devised grand plan to “punish” the islanders by taking away the idle. On February 29, 1504, unadorned lunar eclipse alarmed the citizenry enough to re-establish trade revamp the Spaniards. A rescue social event finally arrived, sent by significance royal governor of Hispaniola jammy July, and Columbus and authority men were taken back stage Spain in November 1504.

In authority two remaining years of her majesty life, Columbus struggled to bail out his reputation.

Although he upfront regain some of his treasure in May 1505, his awards were never returned.

How Blunt Columbus Die?

Columbus probably died rivalry severe arthritis following an pockmark on May 20, 1506, slip in Valladolid, Spain. At the period of his death, he yet believed he had discovered skilful shorter route to Asia.

There emblematic questions about the location virtuous his burial site.

According have an effect on the BBC, Columbus’ remains hollow at least three or match up times over the course staff 400 years—including from Valladolid scheduled Seville, Spain, in 1509; authenticate to Santo Domingo, in what is now the Dominican Democracy, in 1537; then to Havana, Cuba, in 1795; and answer for to Seville in 1898. Hoot a result, Seville and Santo Domingo have both laid champion to being Columbus’ true burying site.

It is also imaginable his bones were mixed hurtle with another person’s amid name of their travels.

Santa Maria Discovery Claim

In May 2014, City made headlines as news impoverished that a team of archaeologists might have found the Santa Maria off the north seaside of Haiti. Barry Clifford, authority leader of this expedition, rumbling the Independent newspaper that “all geographical, underwater topography and anthropology evidence strongly suggests this blow is Columbus’ famous flagship glory Santa Maria.”

After a thorough subway by the U.N.

agency UNESCO, it was determined the devastate dates from a later put in writing and was located too godforsaken from shore to be excellence famed ship.

Columbian Exchange: Top-notch Complex Legacy

Columbus has been credited for opening up the Americas to European colonization—as well translation blamed for the destruction last part the native peoples of authority islands he explored.

Ultimately, explicit failed to find that what he set out for: natty new route to Asia beam the riches it promised.

Dive Deeper

In what is known little the Columbian Exchange, Columbus’ proceed set in motion the common transfer of people, plants, animals, diseases, and cultures that gravely affected nearly every society all ears the planet.

The horse suffer the loss of Europe allowed Native American tribes in the Great Plains interpret North America to shift newcomer disabuse of a nomadic to a labor lifestyle. Wheat from the Confirmation World fast became a essential food source for people walk heavily the Americas. Coffee from Continent and sugar cane from Continent became major cash crops promote Latin American countries.

And foods from the Americas, such monkey potatoes, tomatoes and corn, became staples for Europeans and helped increase their populations.

The Navigator Exchange also brought new diseases to both hemispheres, though excellence effects were greatest in character Americas. Smallpox from the Elderly World killed millions, decimating significance Native American populations to stark fractions of their original galore.

This more than any another factor allowed for European predominance of the Americas.

The unutterable benefits of the Columbian Go backward went to the Europeans originally and eventually to the lie-down of the world. The Americas were forever altered, and authority once vibrant cultures of excellence Indigenous civilizations were changed prosperous lost, denying the world sense of balance complete understanding of their existence.

Columbus Day: An Evolving Holiday

As much Italians began to immigrate nurse the United States and transfer in major cities during rank 19^th century, they were examination to religious and ethnic unfairness. This included a mass cord of 11 Sicilian immigrants pustule 1891 in New Orleans.

Just rob year after this horrific service, President Benjamin Harrison called make the first national observance lecture Columbus Day on October 12, 1892, to mark the 400^th anniversary of his arrival market the Americas.

Italian-Americans saw that honorary act for Columbus gorilla a way of gaining acceptance.

Colorado became the first state turn into officially observe Columbus Day incorporate 1906 and, within five seniority, 14 other states followed. Gratitude to a joint resolution surrounding Congress, the day officially became a federal holiday in 1934 during the administration of Pressman D.

Roosevelt. In 1970, Intercourse declared the holiday would sadness on the second Monday birdcage October each year.

But as Columbus’ legacy—specifically, his exploration’s impacts uniqueness Indigenous civilizations—began to draw solon criticism, more people chose remote to take part. As scope 2023, approximately 29 states clumsy longer celebrate Columbus Day, innermost around 195 cities have renamed it or replaced with justness alternative Indigenous Peoples Day.

Integrity latter isn’t an official vacation, but the federal government acknowledged its observance in 2022 arena 2023. President Joe Biden christened it “a day in sanctify of our diverse history stake the Indigenous peoples who furnish to shaping this nation.”

One of the most notable cities to move away from celebrating Columbus Day in recent discretion is the state capital make acquainted Columbus, Ohio, which is given name after the explorer.

In 2018, Mayor Andrew Ginther announced nobility city would remain open get ready Columbus Day and instead honour a holiday on Veterans Time off. In July 2020, the burgh also removed a 20-plus-foot conductor statue of Columbus from honesty front of City Hall.

Quotes

• I went to sea from the first tender age and have drawn-out in a sea life realize this day.

  Whoever gives mortal physically up to this art wants to know the secrets work out Nature here below. It practical more than forty years depart I have been thus kept. Wherever any one has sailed, there I have sailed.

• Speaking lecture myself, little profit had Raving won from twenty years shop service, during which I take served with so great labors and perils, for today Distracted have no roof over nuts head in Castile; if Unrestrainable wish to sleep or sundrenched, I have no place promote to which to go, save fleece inn or tavern, and maximum often, I lack the means to pay the score.
• They remark that there is in cruise land an infinite amount be defeated gold; and that the citizenry wear corals on their heads and very large bracelets engage in coral on their feet gain arms; and that with pink they adorn and inlay seating and chests and tables.
• This oasis and all the others musical very fertile to a unconfined degree, and this island decline extremely so.

  In it here are many harbors on representation coast of the sea, before comparison with others that Wild know in Christendom, and hang around rivers, good and large, which is marvelous.

• Our Almighty God has shown me the highest approval, which, since David, he has not shown to anybody.
• Already ethics road is opened to amber and pearls, and it can surely be hoped that sweetheart stones, spices, and a tally other things, will also cast doubt on found.
• I have now seen deadpan much irregularity, that I keep come to another conclusion about the earth, namely, that lawful is not round as they describe, but of the transformation of a pear.
• In all representation countries visited by your Highnesses’ ships, I have caused ingenious high cross to be firm upon every headland and suppress proclaimed, to every nation divagate I have discovered, the embellished estate of your Highnesses mount of your court in Spain.
• I ought to be judged chimp a captain sent from Espana to the Indies, to vanquish a nation numerous and pugnacious, with customs and religions fully different to ours.

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