Christpher Columbus

2 Pages 520 Words

. Christopher Columbus, an Italian sailor who today is known as one of America’s greatest heroes paved the way for many sailors in the late 1400’s to the early 1500’s. Columbus worked as a sailor most of his life and during these years he became an excellent map-reader. Columbus was convinced that he could find a third route to Asia by sailing west through the Atlantic Ocean. The only problem was that he had no financial backing and no ships.
Columbus first tried to convince Portugal that he had found a new route, but they had no interest in his proposal. He then tried to convince various European Monarchs but still no one was interested. Columbus’s last hope lay with the rulers of Spain, Ferdinand and Isabella. Ferdinand and Isabella liked his idea of a new route but most importantly would do anything to gain some power back from the surging Portugal.
In 1492, Spain provided Columbus with three ships named the Nina, Pinta, and The Santa Maria. Columbus set sail some time in the late summer of 1492 and reached a small island in what is now known as the Bahamas. Columbus thought he had reached an island near the Asian mainland so kept moving according to plan. He also explored what is now Cuba and Haiti. During his trip he had come across some Natives, which he called Indio’s. Columbus captured some of the so-called Indio’s and used them as proof that he had reached Asia. Upon returning, Columbus was praised, knighted and given the title Admiral of the Sea.
During his exploration of Hispaniola (Haiti) Columbus documented that the natives were wearing gold earrings and cleverly built a fort and left some of his crew behind to search for these riches. The following year Columbus was sent out with a fleet of seven ships and 1500 men with strict instructions to start colonization and more importantly find the gold. Arriving at Hispaniola Columbus and his men found the fort destroyed and his men dead. In Re...