Mirka papakonstantinou biography of christopher columbus
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After his initial journey in 1492, Columbus was rewarded by the Spanish Crown with titles and a share of any riches discovered in the lands he explored. His landfall in the Bahamas not only opened the door to further exploration but also signaled the start of European colonization in the New World. However, they also initiated a legacy of exploitation and devastation for native populations, as introduced European diseases and aggressive colonization efforts decimated indigenous societies.
After several weeks in jail, Columbus and his brothers were released, but Columbus was not allowed to be governor of Hispaniola anymore.
Towards the end of his life, Columbus became increasingly religious. The queen was horrified—she believed that any people Columbus “discovered” were Spanish subjects who could not be enslaved—and she promptly and sternly returned the explorer’s gift.
In May 1498, Columbus sailed west across the Atlantic for the third time.
Ultimately, Columbus' legacy is a complex tapestry—a journey of exploration intertwined with the consequences of colonization and the suffering of Indigenous cultures. Ferdinand and Isabella wanted the same, along with the opportunity to export Catholicism to lands across the globe. Yet, whilst he was pious in some regards, he also shared the view, common at the time, that European Christians had a moral superiority due to their following the one true faith.
Updated 22 January 2020.
Who was Christopher Columbus?
Who was Christopher Columbus? This period was crucial for Columbus, as he became acquainted with the different theories regarding the globe's dimensions and various routes to Asia.
Legacy of Columbus and the Columbian Exchange
Christopher Columbus's voyages in the late 15th century opened the Americas to European exploration and colonization, fundamentally altering the course of both European and Indigenous civilizations.
Columbus’s early life revolved around his father's wool weaving business, where he began to learn the basics of trade and commerce. He was also frustrated with his lack of public recognition and seeming demotion in the eyes of the Spanish monarchs. Columbus was deeply religious and his tendency to be sanctimonious and judgemental of personal failings was not popular with sailors who took a more earthy and realistic approach to life.
In 1503, he wrote a letter to the monarchs laying out his sense of unappreciated sacrifice
“I came to serve you at the age of 28 and now I have not a hair on me that is not white, and my body is infirm and exhausted. Columbus Day is observed on 12 October in Spain and across the Americas. Columbus’ voyages and reports, over the next 400 years encouraged all the major European powers to seek to colonise parts of America.
Columbus was a skilled navigator with tremendous faith in the possibilities of exploration.
Towards the end of his life, he was frequently in physical pain from his journeys.
Columbus is venerated by many European Americans as the man who helped put America on the map. He claimed in his diary entries, his steely will held the crew together when they feared they would never reach land.
“Here the men lost all patience, and complained of the length of the voyage, but the Admiral encouraged them in the best manner he could, representing the profits they were about to acquire, and adding that it was to no purpose to complain, having come so far, they had nothing to do but continue on to the Indies, till with the help of our Lord, they should arrive there.” Diary entry, 10 October 1492
However, his autocratic style created friction on the boats that he guided.
His 1492 expedition marked a pivotal moment in history, as he became the first European to make contact with the Americas.
As Columbus matured, he sought to expand his knowledge by studying sailing and mapmaking. He argued (incorrectly) that the circumference of the Earth was much smaller than his contemporaries believed it was; accordingly, he believed that the journey by boat from Europe to Asia should be not only possible, but comparatively easy via an as-yet undiscovered Northwest Passage.
He presented his plan to officials in Portugal and England, but it was not until 1492 that he found a sympathetic audience: the Spanish monarchs Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile.
Columbus wanted fame and fortune.
Christopher Columbus was arrested and returned to Spain in chains.
In 1502, cleared of the most serious charges but stripped of his noble titles, the aging Columbus persuaded the Spanish crown to pay for one last trip across the Atlantic.