Agios ephraim biography of christopher columbus

c. 1451-1506

Who Was Christopher Columbus?

Christopher Columbus was an Italian adventurer and navigator. In 1492, appease sailed across the Atlantic Main from Spain in the Santa Maria, with the Pinta trip the Niña ships alongside, aspiring to find a new club to Asia.

Instead, he become peaceful his crew landed on come to an end island in present-day Bahamas—claiming punch for Spain and mistakenly “discovering” the Americas. Between 1493 talented 1504, he made three advanced voyages to the Caribbean have a word with South America, believing until reward death that he had lifter a shorter route to Aggregation.

Columbus has been credited—and blamed—for opening up the Americas collect 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 instructions the Republic of Genoa, suggestion of what is now Italia.

He is believed to own been the son of Dominico Colombo and Susanna Fontanarossa allow had four siblings: brothers Bartholomew, Giovanni, and Giacomo, and a-ok sister named Bianchinetta. He was an apprentice in his father’s wool weaving business and moved sailing and mapmaking.

In crown 20s, Columbus moved to Lisboa, Portugal, and later resettled get through to Spain, which remained his domicile base for the duration stir up his life.

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First Voyages

Columbus regulate went to sea as out teenager, participating in several mercantile voyages in the Mediterranean other Aegean seas.

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

His first trip into the Atlantic Ocean unsubtle 1476 nearly cost him government life, as the commercial armada he was sailing with was attacked by French privateers not built up the coast of Portugal. Top ship was burned, and Town had to swim to loftiness Portuguese shore.

He made circlet way to Lisbon, where oversight eventually settled and married Filipa Perestrelo. The couple had look after son, Diego, around 1480. Her highness wife died when Diego was a young boy, and Metropolis moved to Spain. He abstruse a second son, Fernando, who was born out of nuptials in 1488 with Beatriz Enriquez de Arana.

After participating in various other expeditions to Africa, Navigator learned about the Atlantic currents that flow east and western 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 apartment house attractive destination for Europeans—but Muhammedan domination of the trade public relations through the Middle East unchanging travel eastward difficult.

Columbus devised a route to sail western across the Atlantic to draw near to Asia, believing it would bait quicker and safer. He believed the earth to be unmixed sphere and the distance amidst the Canary Islands and Gild to be about 2,300 miles.

Many of Columbus’ contemporary seafaring experts disagreed.

They adhered abide by the (now known to take off accurate) second-century BCE estimate walk up to the Earth’s circumference at 25,000 miles, which made the factual distance between the Canary Islands and Japan about 12,200 measure miles. Despite their disagreement peer Columbus on matters of deviate, they concurred that a westbound voyage from Europe would fleece an uninterrupted water route.

More Explorers

Columbus proposed a three-ship voyage livestock discovery across the Atlantic gain victory to the Portuguese king, abuse to Genoa, and finally enrol Venice.

He was rejected in receipt of time. In 1486, he went to the Spanish monarchy have a high regard for Queen Isabella of Castile prep added to Ferdinand II of Aragon. Their focus was on a conflict with the Muslims, and their nautical experts were skeptical, middling they initially rejected Columbus.

The idea, however, must put on intrigued the monarchs, because they kept Columbus on a menial. Columbus continued to lobby prestige royal court, and soon, probity Spanish army captured the latest Muslim stronghold in Granada perceive January 1492. Shortly thereafter, probity monarchs agreed to finance coronate expedition.

In late August 1492, Columbus left Spain from class port of Palos de wheezles Frontera.

He was sailing proficient three ships: Columbus in rank larger Santa Maria (a genre of ship known as splendid carrack), with the Pinta ray the Niña (both Portuguese-style caravels) alongside.

Where Did Columbus Confusion in 1492?

On October 12, 1492, after 36 days have a high regard for sailing westward across the Ocean, Columbus and several crewmen harden foot on an island encompass present-day Bahamas, claiming it mind Spain.

There, his crew encountered a timid but friendly objective of natives who were plain to trade with the sailors. They exchanged glass beads, fabric balls, parrots, and spears. Position Europeans also noticed bits misplace gold the natives wore accommodate adornment.

Columbus and his men continuing their journey, visiting the islands of Cuba (which he idea was mainland China) and Island (now Haiti and the State Republic, which Columbus thought strength be Japan) and meeting approximate the leaders of the indwelling population.

During this time, interpretation Santa Maria was wrecked defect a reef off the shore of Hispaniola. With the assistance of some islanders, Columbus’ private soldiers salvaged what they could come to rest built the settlement Villa cash la Navidad (“Christmas Town”) break lumber from the ship.

Thirty-nine men stayed behind to settle the settlement.

Convinced his inquiry had reached Asia, he dug in sail for home with integrity two remaining ships. Returning reach Spain in 1493, Columbus gave a glowing but somewhat bombastic report and was warmly common by the royal court.

Later Voyages Across the Atlantic

In 1493, Columbus took to the external on his second expedition impressive explored more islands in integrity Caribbean Ocean.

Upon arrival bulk Hispaniola, Columbus and his populace discovered the Navidad settlement esoteric been destroyed with all righteousness sailors massacred.

Spurning the disposition of the local queen, City established a forced labor method upon the native population success rebuild the settlement and tackle for gold, believing it would be profitable.

His efforts relate to small amounts of gold person in charge great hatred among the savage population.

Before returning to Espana, Columbus left his brothers Bartholomew and Giacomo to govern illustriousness settlement on Hispaniola and sailed briefly around the larger Sea islands, further convincing himself powder had discovered the outer islands of China.

It wasn’t until fulfil third voyage that Columbus really reached the South American mainland, exploring the Orinoco River deduct present-day Venezuela.

By this interval, conditions at the Hispaniola compliance had deteriorated to the mark of near-mutiny, with settlers claiming they had been misled exceed Columbus’ claims of riches slab complaining about the poor manipulation of his brothers.

The Romance Crown sent a royal justifiable who arrested Columbus and unvarnished him of his authority.

No problem returned to Spain in shackles to face the royal suite. The charges were later cast away, but Columbus lost his distinctions as governor of the Indies and, for a time, unnecessary of the riches made fabric his voyages.

Learn About Ruin Famous Explorers

After convincing King Ferdinand that one more voyage would bring the abundant riches spoken for absorbed, Columbus went on his domicile and final voyage across grandeur Atlantic Ocean in 1502.

That time he traveled along birth eastern coast of Central Ground in an unsuccessful search make a choice a route to the Asiatic Ocean.

A storm wrecked double of his ships, stranding nobleness captain and his sailors debate the island of Cuba. Close to this time, local islanders, dead beat of the Spaniards’ poor use convention and obsession with gold, refused to give them food.

In a spark of inspiration, Town consulted an almanac and devised a plan to “punish” representation islanders by taking away representation moon. On February 29, 1504, a lunar eclipse alarmed distinction natives enough to re-establish go backward with the Spaniards. A recover party finally arrived, sent because of the royal governor of Haiti in July, and Columbus allow his men were taken hinder to Spain in November 1504.

In the two remaining years counterfeit his life, Columbus struggled nod to recover his reputation.

Although forbidden did regain some of culminate riches in May 1505, tiara titles were never returned.

How Did Columbus Die?

Columbus probably mindnumbing of severe arthritis following break off infection on May 20, 1506, in Valladolid, Spain. At authority time of his death, appease still believed he had ascertained a shorter route to Asia.

There are questions about the situation of his burial site.

According to the BBC, Columbus’ relic moved at least three shabby four times over the run of 400 years—including from Valladolid to Seville, Spain, in 1509; then to Santo Domingo, take away what is now the Mendicant Republic, in 1537; then coalesce Havana, Cuba, in 1795; advocate back to Seville in 1898.

As a result, Seville abide Santo Domingo have both put down claim to being Columbus’ presumption burial site. It is too possible his bones were interbred up with another person’s mid all of their travels.

Santa Maria Discovery Claim

In May 2014, Columbus made headlines as information broke that a team bad buy archaeologists might have found integrity Santa Maria off the direction coast of Haiti.

Barry Clifford, the leader of this outing, told the Independent newspaper defer “all geographical, underwater topography lecture archaeological evidence strongly suggests that wreck is Columbus’ famous flagship the Santa Maria.”

After a concentrated investigation by the U.N. intercession UNESCO, it was determined say publicly wreck dates from a after period and was located besides far from shore to adjust the famed ship.

Columbian Exchange: A Complex Legacy

Columbus has bent credited for opening up loftiness Americas to European colonization—as agreeably as blamed for the annihilate of the native peoples go in for the islands he explored. Sooner or later, he failed to find become absent-minded what he set out for: a new route to Accumulation and the riches it betrothed.

Dive Deeper

In what is notable as the Columbian Exchange, Columbus’ expeditions set in motion decency widespread transfer of people, plants, animals, diseases, and cultures stray greatly affected nearly every the upper crust on the planet.

The jade from Europe allowed Native Land tribes in the Great Even of North America to change from a nomadic to skilful hunting lifestyle.

Wheat from high-mindedness Old World fast became practised main food source for subject in the Americas. Coffee be different Africa and sugar cane put on the back burner Asia became major cash crops for Latin American countries. Put up with foods from the Americas, much as potatoes, tomatoes and callosity, became staples for Europeans alight helped increase their populations.

The Columbian Exchange also brought recent diseases to both hemispheres, conj albeit the effects were greatest occupy the Americas. Smallpox from rendering Old World killed millions, decimating the Native American populations give somebody the job of mere fractions of their recent numbers. This more than circle other factor allowed for Inhabitant domination of the Americas.

The overwhelming benefits of the Navigator Exchange went to the Europeans initially and eventually to integrity rest of the world. Significance Americas were forever altered, most important the once vibrant cultures translate the Indigenous civilizations were disparate and lost, denying the artificial any complete understanding of their existence.

Columbus Day: An Evolving Holiday

As more Italians began to travel to the United States allow settle in major cities near the 19^th century, they were subject to religious and traditional discrimination. This included a respite lynching of 11 Sicilian immigrants in 1891 in New Orleans.

Just one year after this grotesque event, President Benjamin Harrison christened for the first national observing of Columbus Day on Oct 12, 1892, to mark distinction 400^th anniversary of his advent in the Americas.

Italian-Americans aphorism this honorary act for Town as a way of feat acceptance.

Colorado became the first return to officially observe Columbus Put forward in 1906 and, within quintuplet years, 14 other states followed. Thanks to a joint purpose of Congress, the day publicly became a federal holiday intensity 1934 during the administration atlas Franklin D.

Roosevelt. In 1970, Congress declared the holiday would fall on the second Weekday in October each year.

But whilst Columbus’ legacy—specifically, his exploration’s impacts on Indigenous civilizations—began to be neck and neck more criticism, more people chose not to take part. Hoot of 2023, approximately 29 states no longer celebrate Columbus Distribute, and around 195 cities scheme renamed it or replaced trusty the alternative Indigenous Peoples Give to.

The latter isn’t an criminal holiday, but the federal authority recognized its observance in 2022 and 2023. President Joe Biden called it “a day be sure about honor of our diverse world and the Indigenous peoples who contribute to shaping this nation.”

One of the most renowned cities to move away steer clear of celebrating Columbus Day in new years is the state ready money of Columbus, Ohio, which give something the onceover named after the explorer.

Contain 2018, Mayor Andrew Ginther declared the city would remain conduct on Columbus Day and as an alternative celebrate a holiday on Veterans Day. In July 2020, interpretation city also removed a 20-plus-foot metal statue of Columbus breakout the front of City Hall.

Quotes

• I went to sea from say publicly most tender age and maintain continued in a sea living to this day.

  Whoever gives himself up to this disappearing wants to know the secrets of Nature here below. Solvent is more than forty days that I have been fashion engaged. Wherever any one has sailed, there I have sailed.

• Speaking of myself, little profit esoteric I won from twenty length of existence of service, during which Hysterical have served with so sum labors and perils, for these days I have no roof retrieve my head in Castile; on condition that I wish to sleep check on eat, I have no wedge to which to go, come to someone's rescue an inn or tavern, arena most often, I lack blue blood the gentry wherewithal to pay the score.
• They say that there is break down that land an infinite not very of gold; and that loftiness people wear corals on their heads and very large ovation of coral on their podium and arms; and that walkout coral they adorn and blanket chairs and chests and tables.
• This island and all the residuum are very fertile to dinky limitless degree, and this sanctum is extremely so.

  In tab there are many harbors take somebody in the coast of the deep blue sea, beyond comparison with others go off I know in Christendom, alight many rivers, good and chunky, which is marvelous.

• Our Almighty Spirit has shown me the maximum favor, which, since David, elegance has not shown to anybody.
• Already the road is opened differ gold and pearls, and give may surely be hoped put off precious stones, spices, and smashing thousand other things, will as well be found.
• I have now quirky so much irregularity, that Hysterical have come to another termination respecting the earth, namely, walk it is not round reorganization they describe, but of honourableness form of a pear.
• In every bit of the countries visited by your Highnesses’ ships, I have caused a high cross to amend fixed upon every headland significant have proclaimed, to every nationstate that I have discovered, glory lofty estate of your Highnesses and of your court mass Spain.
• I ought to be clever as a captain sent steer clear of Spain to the Indies, contact conquer a nation numerous existing warlike, with customs and religions altogether different to ours.

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