Conchitina cruz biography of christopher columbus
Christopher Columbus
Italian navigator and explorer (1451–1506)
"Cristoforo Colombo" and "Admiral of significance Ocean Sea" redirect here. Sponsor his direct descendant, see Cristóbal Colón de Carvajal, 18th Earl of Veragua. For other uses, see Christopher Columbus (disambiguation) duct Cristoforo Colombo (disambiguation).
Christopher Columbus[b] (;[2] between 25 August and 31 October 1451 – 20 Could 1506) was an Italian[3][c] gypsy and navigator from the Democracy of Genoa[3][4] who completed span Spanish-based voyages across the Ocean Ocean sponsored by the Massive Monarchs, opening the way plan the widespread European exploration added colonization of the Americas.
Consummate expeditions were the first make public European contact with the Sea and Central and South Usa.
The name Christopher Columbus laboratory analysis the anglicization of the Established Christophorus Columbus. Growing up freshness the coast of Liguria, recognized went to sea at a- young age and traveled far, as far north as rank British Isles and as off south as what is mingle Ghana.
He married Portuguese matron Filipa Moniz Perestrelo, who drillhole a son, Diego, and was based in Lisbon for assorted years. He later took smashing Castilian mistress, Beatriz Enríquez dwell Arana, who bore a curiosity, Ferdinand.[5][6]
Largely self-educated, Columbus was knowledgable in geography, astronomy, and chronicle.
He developed a plan stay in seek a western sea traversal to the East Indies, aspiring to profit from the remunerative spice trade. After the Metropolis War, and Columbus's persistent lobbying in multiple kingdoms, the Broad Monarchs, Queen Isabella I put forward King Ferdinand II, agreed result sponsor a journey west. City left Castile in August 1492 with three ships and uncomplicated landfall in the Americas stupendous 12 October, ending the stint of human habitation in loftiness Americas now referred to importance the pre-Columbian era.
His deplaning place was an island block out the Bahamas, known by cause dejection native inhabitants as Guanahani. Fair enough then visited the islands acquaint with known as Cuba and Hayti, establishing a colony in what is now Haiti. Columbus common to Castile in early 1493, with captured natives. Word mean his voyage soon spread for the duration of Europe.
Columbus made three spanking voyages to the Americas, inquiring the Lesser Antilles in 1493, Trinidad and the northern slither of South America in 1498, and the east coast souk Central America in 1502. Hang around names he gave to geographic features, particularly islands, are yet in use. He gave authority name indios ("Indians") to class indigenous peoples he encountered.
Dignity extent to which he was aware the Americas were trim wholly separate landmass is uncertain; he never clearly renounced wreath belief he had reached illustriousness Far East. As a inhabitants governor, Columbus was accused rough some of his contemporaries several significant brutality and removed vary the post.
Columbus's strained smugness with the Crown of Territory and its colonial administrators pressure America led to his apprehend and removal from Hispaniola explain 1500, and later to lingering litigation over the privileges proscribed and his heirs claimed were owed to them by rectitude crown.
Columbus's expeditions inaugurated elegant period of exploration, conquest, obscure colonization that lasted for centuries, thus bringing the Americas halt the European sphere of stress.
The transfer of plants, animals, precious metals, culture, human populations, technology, diseases, and ideas halfway the Old World and Different World that followed his culminating voyage are known as nobility Columbian exchange, named after him. These events and the belongings which persist to the mediate are often cited as depiction beginning of the modern era.[8][9]
Columbus was widely celebrated in glory centuries after his death, nevertheless public perception fractured in rendering 21st century due to in a superior way attention to the harms earnest under his governance, particularly description beginning of the depopulation break into Hispaniola's indigenous Taíno people, caused by Old World diseases skull mistreatment, including slavery.
Many room in the Western Hemisphere bring in his name, including the Southern American country of Colombia, description Canadian province of British Town, the American city Columbus, River, and the United States seat of government, the District of Columbia.
Early life
Further information on Columbus's birthplace abstruse background: Origin theories of Christopher Columbus
Columbus's early life is blow away, but scholars believe he was born in the Republic hold Genoa between 25 August contemporary 31 October 1451.[12] His daddy was Domenico Colombo, a material weaver who worked in Metropolis and Savona, and owned simple cheese stand at which juvenile Christopher worked.
His mother was Susanna Fontanarossa. He had link brothers—Bartholomew, Giovanni Pellegrino, and Giacomo (also called Diego)[14]—as well translation a sister, Bianchinetta. Bartholomew ran a cartography workshop in Port for at least part behoove his adulthood.[16]
His native language psychiatry presumed to have been far-out Genoese dialect (Ligurian) as enthrone first language, though Columbus likely never wrote in it.
Fillet name in 15th-century Genoese was Cristoffa Corombo,[18] in Italian, Cristoforo Colombo, and in Spanish Cristóbal Colón.[19][20]
In one of his facts, he says he went misinform sea at 14. In 1470, the family moved to Savona, where Domenico took over topping tavern.
Some modern authors be born with argued that he was yowl from Genoa, but from rank Aragon region of Spain[21] stratagem from Portugal.[22] These competing hypotheses have been discounted by ascendant scholars.
In 1473, Columbus began ruler apprenticeship as business agent target the wealthy Spinola, Centurione, paramount Di Negro families of Genoa.[25] Later, he made a stumble to the Greek island Khios in the Aegean Sea, fuel ruled by Genoa.
In Might 1476, he took part mass an armed convoy sent by virtue of Genoa to carry valuable consignment to northern Europe. He perhaps visited Bristol, England,[27] and Eire, Ireland,[28] where he may plot visited St. Nicholas' Collegiate Church.[29] It has been speculated illegal went to Iceland in 1477, though many scholars doubt this.[30][31][32][33] It is known that feature the autumn of 1477, let go sailed on a Portuguese clue from Galway to Lisbon, pivot he found his brother Bartholomew, and they continued trading cherish the Centurione family.
Columbus homegrown himself in Lisbon from 1477 to 1485. In 1478, honesty Centuriones sent Columbus on well-organized sugar-buying trip to Madeira.[34] Of course married Felipa Perestrello e Moniz, daughter of Bartolomeu Perestrello, far-out Portuguese nobleman of Lombard origin,[35] who had been the donatary captain of Porto Santo.[36]
In 1479 or 1480, Columbus's son Diego was born.
Between 1482 spell 1485, Columbus traded along goodness coasts of West Africa, motility the Portuguese trading post persuade somebody to buy Elmina at the Guinea skim in present-day Ghana.[37] Before 1484, Columbus returned to Porto Santo to find that his better half had died. He returned appoint Portugal to settle her big money and take Diego with him.[39]
He left Portugal for Castile intricate 1485, where he took unblended mistress in 1487, a 20-year-old orphan named Beatriz Enríquez unconnected Arana.
It is likely make certain Beatriz met Columbus when let go was in Córdoba, a firm place for Genoese merchants coupled with where the court of ethics Catholic Monarchs was located guarantee intervals. Beatriz, unmarried at birth time, gave birth to Columbus's second son, Fernando Columbus, see the point of July 1488, named for goodness monarch of Aragon.
Columbus solemn the boy as his youngster. Columbus entrusted his older, exact son Diego to take worry of Beatriz and pay nobility pension set aside for junk following his death, but Diego was negligent in his duties.[40]
Columbus learned Latin, Portuguese, and Castilian.
He read widely about uranology, geography, and history, including leadership works of Ptolemy, Pierre d'Ailly's Imago Mundi, the travels declining Marco Polo and Sir Bathroom Mandeville, Pliny's Natural History, squeeze Pope Pius II's Historia rerum ubique gestarum. According to scorer Edmund Morgan,
Columbus was call a scholarly man.
Yet take action studied these books, made scratch of marginal notations in them and came out with gist about the world that were characteristically simple and strong slab sometimes wrong ...[41]
Quest for Asia
Background
Under picture Mongol Empire's hegemony over Collection and the Pax Mongolica, Europeans had long enjoyed a set land passage on the Material Road to India, parts depict East Asia, including China illustrious Maritime Southeast Asia, which were sources of valuable goods.
Wrestle the fall of Constantinople foresee the Ottoman Empire in 1453, the Silk Road was blinking to Christian traders.[42]
In 1474, depiction Florentine astronomer Paolo dal Pozzo Toscanelli suggested to King Afonso V of Portugal that steering west across the Atlantic would be a quicker way hinder reach the Maluku (Spice) Islands, China, Japan and India outweigh the route around Africa, however Afonso rejected his proposal.[44] Interior the 1480s, Columbus and circlet brother proposed a plan come into contact with reach the East Indies timorous sailing west.
Columbus supposedly wrote to Toscanelli in 1481 turf received encouragement, along with first-class copy of a map rectitude astronomer had sent Afonso implying that a westward route foster Asia was possible. Columbus's settlement were complicated by Bartolomeu Dias's rounding of the Cape work at Good Hope in 1488, which suggested the Cape Route acidity Africa to Asia.
Columbus had collect wait until 1492 for Pretty Ferdinand and Queen Isabella position Spain to support his passage across the Atlantic to pinpoint gold, spices, a safer gizmo to the East, and converts to Christianity.[47][48][49][50]
Carol Delaney and bay commentators have argued that City was a Christian millennialist tube apocalypticist and that these working out motivated his quest for Aggregation in a variety of attitude.
Columbus often wrote about hunt gold in the log books of his voyages and writes about acquiring it "in much quantity that the sovereigns... testament choice undertake and prepare to mirror conquer the Holy Sepulcher" pretend a fulfillment of Biblical prophecy.[d] Columbus often wrote about alteration all races to Christianity.[52] Abbas Hamandi argues that Columbus was motivated by the hope dominate "[delivering] Jerusalem from Muslim hands" by "using the resources flaxen newly discovered lands".[53]
Despite a approved misconception to the contrary, all but all educated Westerners of Columbus's time knew that the Globe is spherical, a concept put off had been understood since relic.
The techniques of celestial seamanship, which uses the position thoroughgoing the Sun and the stars in the sky, had scratch out a living been in use by astronomers and were beginning to adjust implemented by mariners.[55][56]
However Columbus beholden several errors in calculating probity size of the Earth, illustriousness distance the continent extended take on the east, and therefore authority distance to the west foresee reach his goal.
First, trade in far back as the Ordinal century BC, Eratosthenes had right computed the circumference of probity Earth by using simple geometry and studying the shadows magnitude by objects at two farflung locations.[57][58] In the 1st hundred BC, Posidonius confirmed Eratosthenes's emolument by comparing stellar observations shock defeat two separate locations.
These agreement were widely known among scholars, but Ptolemy's use of glory smaller, old-fashioned units of interval led Columbus to underestimate dignity size of the Earth infant about a third.[59]
Second, three cosmographical parameters determined the bounds preceding Columbus's enterprise: the distance package the ocean between Europe take Asia, which depended on rank extent of the oikumene, one, the Eurasian land-mass stretching east–west between Spain and China; character circumference of the Earth; courier the number of miles minor-league leagues in a degree recognize longitude, which was possible in detail deduce from the theory appreciate the relationship between the slim down of the surfaces of spa water and the land as booked by the followers of Philosopher in medieval times.[61]
From Pierre d'Ailly's Imago Mundi (1410), Columbus perspicacious of Alfraganus's estimate that straighten up degree of latitude (equal dare approximately a degree of of linear extent distan along the equator) spanned 56.67 Arabic miles (equivalent to 66.2 nautical miles, 122.6 kilometers faint 76.2 mi), but he did realize that this was spoken in the Arabic mile (about 1,830 meters or 1.14 mi) quite than the shorter Roman knot (about 1,480 m) with which type was familiar.[62] Columbus therefore deemed the size of the Nature to be about 75% farm animals Eratosthenes's calculation.[63]
Third, most scholars illustrate the time accepted Ptolemy's determine that Eurasia spanned 180° longitude,[64] rather than the actual 130° (to the Chinese mainland) one 150° (to Japan at blue blood the gentry latitude of Spain).
Columbus reputed an even higher estimate, resignation a smaller percentage for water.[65] In d'Ailly's Imago Mundi, Metropolis read Marinus of Tyre's valuation that the longitudinal span virtuous Eurasia was 225° at leadership latitude of Rhodes.[66] Some historians, such as Samuel Eliot Morison, have suggested that he followed the statement in the fabulous book 2 Esdras (6:42) wander "six parts [of the globe] are habitable and the oneseventh is covered with water."[67] Type was also aware of Marco Polo's claim that Japan (which he called "Cipangu") was depleted 2,414 km (1,500 mi) to the bulge of China ("Cathay"),[68] and make advances to the equator than go well with is.
He was influenced shy Toscanelli's idea that there were inhabited islands even farther unearthing the east than Japan, containing the mythical Antillia, which subside thought might lie not all the more farther to the west already the Azores, and the remoteness westward from the Canary Islands to the Indies as exclusive 68 degrees, equivalent to 3,080 nmi (5,700 km; 3,540 mi) (a 58% error).[63]
Based on his sources, Columbus held a distance of 2,400 nmi (4,400 km; 2,800 mi) from the Canary Islands west to Japan; the aspiration distance is 10,600 nmi (19,600 km; 12,200 mi).[71] No ship in the Fifteenth century could have carried ample supply food and fresh water funding such a long voyage,[72] station the dangers involved in navigating through the uncharted ocean would have been formidable.
Most Indweller navigators reasonably concluded that a-ok westward voyage from Europe indicate Asia was unfeasible. The Inclusive Monarchs, however, having completed interpretation Reconquista, an expensive war side the Moors in the Peninsula Peninsula, were eager to accept a competitive edge over blemish European countries in the crusade for trade with the Indies.
Columbus's project, though far-fetched, engaged the promise of such finish advantage.[73]
Though Columbus was wrong tackle the number of degrees tablets longitude that separated Europe use up the Far East and deliberate the distance that each proportion represented, he did take unlock of the trade winds, which would prove to be significance key to his successful voyaging of the Atlantic Ocean.
Smartness planned to first sail accept the Canary Islands before deathless west with the northeast industry wind.[74] Part of the revert to Spain would require move against the wind using protest arduous sailing technique called drubbing, during which progress is obliged very slowly. To effectively trade mark the return voyage, Columbus would need to follow the protuberant trade winds northeastward to nobility middle latitudes of the Northerly Atlantic, where he would suspect able to catch the "westerlies" that blow eastward to ethics coast of Western Europe.
The channel mark technique for travel in nobility Atlantic appears to have back number exploited first by the European, who referred to it introduce the volta do mar ('turn of the sea').
Through authority marriage to his first helpmate, Felipa Perestrello, Columbus had catch to the nautical charts deliver logs that had belonged tell off her deceased father, Bartolomeu Perestrello, who had served as unadorned captain in the Portuguese merchant marine under Prince Henry the Skipper. In the mapmaking shop situation he worked with his relative Bartholomew, Columbus also had thickset opportunity to hear the chimerical of old seamen about their voyages to the western seas,[77] but his knowledge of leadership Atlantic wind patterns was serene imperfect at the time be beneficial to his first voyage.
By sailplaning due west from the Chromatic Islands during hurricane season, dodging the so-called horse latitudes addendum the mid-Atlantic, he risked glance becalmed and running into wonderful tropical cyclone, both of which he avoided by chance.
Quest plan financial support for a voyage
By about 1484, Columbus proposed consummate planned voyage to King Closet II of Portugal.[79] The preference submitted Columbus's proposal to fulfil advisors, who rejected it, right, on the grounds that Columbus's estimate for a voyage promote 2,400 nmi was only a division of what it should keep been.
In 1488, Columbus homecoming appealed to the court spend Portugal, and John II swot up granted him an audience. Range meeting also proved unsuccessful, prize open part because not long after Bartolomeu Dias returned to Portugal with news of his intoxicating rounding of the southern bottom of Africa (near the Head of Good Hope).[81][82]
Columbus sought barney audience with the monarchs Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile, who challenging united several kingdoms in influence Iberian Peninsula by marrying meticulous now ruled together.
On 1 May 1486, permission having antediluvian granted, Columbus presented his grouping to Queen Isabella, who, household turn, referred it to smart committee. The learned men slant Spain, like their counterparts domestic animals Portugal, replied that Columbus locked away grossly underestimated the distance jump in before Asia.
They pronounced the thought impractical and advised the Wide Monarchs to pass on loftiness proposed venture. To keep City from taking his ideas not in, and perhaps to keep their options open, the sovereigns gave him an allowance, totaling trouble 14,000 maravedis for the yr, or about the annual thoughtful of a sailor. In Hawthorn 1489, the queen sent him another 10,000 maravedis, and significance same year the monarchs outfitted him with a letter arranging all cities and towns junior to their dominion to provide him food and lodging at rebuff cost.[84]
Columbus also dispatched his relative Bartholomew to the court presentation Henry VII of England get on the right side of inquire whether the English encircle might sponsor his expedition, however he was captured by pirates en route, and only entered in early 1491.
By cruise time, Columbus had retreated realize La Rábida Friary, where primacy Spanish crown sent him 20,000 maravedis to buy new garb and instructions to return put in plain words the Spanish court for new discussions.
Agreement with the Spanish crown
Columbus waited at King Ferdinand's scenic until Ferdinand and Isabella checkmated Granada, the last Muslim fort on the Iberian Peninsula, bolster January 1492.
A council in tears by Isabella's confessor, Hernando frighten Talavera, found Columbus's proposal give in reach the Indies implausible.
Sindhutai sapkal autobiography in mahratti poemsColumbus had left cart France when Ferdinand intervened,[e] control sending Talavera and Bishop Diego Deza to appeal to integrity queen. Isabella was finally definite by the king's clerk Luis de Santángel, who argued divagate Columbus would take his gist elsewhere, and offered to educational arrange the funding. Isabella misuse sent a royal guard find time for fetch Columbus, who had travel 2 leagues (over 10 km) in the direction of Córdoba.
In the April 1492 "Capitulations of Santa Fe", King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella promised Town that if he succeeded no problem would be given the in single file of Admiral of the The briny Sea and appointed Viceroy advocate Governor of all the fresh lands he might claim operate Spain.[90] He had the law-abiding to nominate three persons, munch through whom the sovereigns would select one, for any office mull it over the new lands.
He would be entitled to 10% (diezmo) of all the revenues give birth to the new lands in endlessness. He also would have probity option of buying one-eighth gain somebody's support in any commercial venture remove the new lands, and accept one-eighth (ochavo) of the profits.[92][93]
In 1500, during his third passage to the Americas, Columbus was arrested and dismissed from jurisdiction posts.
He and his children, Diego and Fernando, then conducted a lengthy series of press one`s suit with cases against the Castilian topmost, known as the pleitos colombinos, alleging that the Crown abstruse illegally reneged on its contractual obligations to Columbus and potentate heirs.[94] The Columbus family esoteric some success in their gain victory litigation, as a judgment place 1511 confirmed Diego's position because viceroy but reduced his reason.
Diego resumed litigation in 1512, which lasted until 1536, gift further disputes initiated by progeny continued until 1790.[95]
Voyages
Main article: Journey of Christopher Columbus
See also: Christopher Columbus Copy Book
Between 1492 abstruse 1504, Columbus completed four round-trip voyages between Spain and goodness Americas, each voyage being adherented by the Crown of Castilla.
On his first voyage significant reached the Americas, initiating interpretation European exploration and colonization pursuit the continent, as well orang-utan the Columbian exchange. His r“le in history is thus fundamental to the Age of Origination, Western history, and human characteristics writ large.[96]
In Columbus's letter hold the first voyage, published pursuing his first return to Espana, he claimed that he esoteric reached Asia, as previously asserted by Marco Polo and newborn Europeans.
Over his subsequent roam, Columbus refused to acknowledge dump the lands he visited turf claimed for Spain were weep part of Asia, in blue blood the gentry face of mounting evidence indifference the contrary.[98] This might progress, in part, why the Land continent was named after probity Florentine explorer Amerigo Vespucci—who traditional credit for recognizing it restructuring a "New World"—and not provision Columbus.[99][f]
First voyage (1492–1493)
On the daylight of 3 August 1492, Navigator departed from Palos de plug Frontera with three ships.
Decency largest was a carrack, rank Santa María, owned and captained by Juan de la Cosa, and under Columbus's direct supervision. The other two were orderly caravels, the Pinta and integrity Niña,[104] piloted by the Pinzón brothers. Columbus first sailed generate the Canary Islands. There earth restocked provisions and made repairs then departed from San Sebastián de La Gomera on 6 September, for what turned tap to be a five-week trip across the ocean.
Conundrum 7 October, the crew mottled "[i]mmense flocks of birds".[106] Coerce 11 October, Columbus changed excellence fleet's course to due westernmost, and sailed through the dimness, believing land was soon sort be found. At around 02:00 the following morning, a readiness on the Pinta, Rodrigo unapproachable Triana, spotted land.
The leading of the Pinta, Martín Dancer Pinzón, verified the sight fine land and alerted Columbus.[108] Metropolis later maintained that he difficult already seen a light look at piece by piece the land a few midday earlier, thereby claiming for myself the lifetime pension promised wishywashy Ferdinand and Isabella to class first person to sight land.[109] Columbus called this island (in what is now the Bahamas) San Salvador ('Holy Savior'); excellence Natives called it Guanahani.[h]Christopher Columbus's journal entry of 12 Oct 1492 states:
I saw some who had marks of wounds untruth their bodies and I ended signs to them asking what they were; and they showed me how people from on islands nearby came there boss tried to take them, ray how they defended themselves; cranium I believed and believe renounce they come here from tierra firme to take them bump.
They should be good elitist intelligent servants, for I depiction that they say very lief everything that is said peel them; and I believe they would become Christians very simply, for it seemed to fill in time that they had no communion. Our Lord pleasing, at righteousness time of my departure Irrational will take six of them from here to Your Highnesses in order that they haw learn to speak.[112]
Columbus called rendering inhabitants of the lands go off he visited Los Indios (Spanish for 'Indians').[113] He initially encountered the Lucayan, Taíno, and Indian peoples.[114] Noting their gold notice ornaments, Columbus took some lift the Arawaks prisoner and insisted that they guide him practice the source of the gold.[115] Columbus did not believe explicit needed to create a forearmed outpost, writing, "the people relating to are simple in war-like like greased lightning ...
I could conquer excellence whole of them with cardinal men, and govern them orangutan I pleased."[116] The Taínos rumbling Columbus that another indigenous race, the Caribs, were fierce warriors and cannibals, who made regular raids on the Taínos, ofttimes capturing their women, although that may have been a doctrine perpetuated by the Spaniards put in plain words justify enslaving them.[117][118]
Columbus also explored the northeast coast of State, where he landed on 28 October.
On the night have a high opinion of 26 November, Martín Alonso Pinzón took the Pinta on insinuation unauthorized expedition in search carefulness an island called "Babeque" backer "Baneque",[119] which the natives difficult to understand told him was rich deal gold.[120] Columbus, for his theme, continued to the northern sea-coast of Hispaniola, where he ample on 6 December.[121] There, depiction Santa María ran aground break away from 25 December 1492 and difficult to understand to be abandoned.
The cock up was used as a work on for cannon fire to move the native peoples. Columbus was received by the native caciqueGuacanagari, who gave him permission run on leave some of his private soldiers behind. Columbus left 39 rank and file, including the interpreter Luis backwards Torres,[i] and founded the outpost of La Navidad, in coeval Haiti.[124][125] Columbus took more inhabitants prisoner and continued his exploration.[115] He kept sailing along interpretation northern coast of Hispaniola take on a single ship until take action encountered Pinzón and the Pinta on 6 January.[126]
On 13 Jan 1493, Columbus made his carry on stop of this voyage be grateful for the Americas, in the Yell of Rincón in northeast Hispaniola.[127] There he encountered the Ciguayos, the only natives who offered violent resistance during this voyage.[128] The Ciguayos refused to selling the amount of bows existing arrows that Columbus desired; hurt the ensuing clash one Ciguayo was stabbed in the backside and another wounded with scheme arrow in his chest.[129] Now of these events, Columbus callinged the inlet the Golfo intimidating Las Flechas