Manuel gregorio acosta biography of christopher columbus
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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.
The Spanish monarchs agreed to fund Columbus, partly on the Christian missionary efforts, but also hoping to gain an upper hand in the lucrative trade markets. By 1486, he had moved to Spain and sought the sponsorship of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, colon Cristobal.
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. After many refusals, he finally obtained the royal patronage in January 1492, mainly by the good offices of Luis de Santangeli, financial controller of Spain, and the Franciscans of La Rübida Abbey, headed by Juan Pérez, former confessor of queen chriscolumbus.
Christopher Columbus (1451–1506) was an Italian explorer, colonizer, and navigator.
“Biography of Christopher Columbus”, Oxford, UK. biographyonline.net, 13th May. 2009. (That is, it dates back to early Rome.)
Other European nations, particularly Spain, were eager to share in the seemingly limitless riches of the “Far East.” By the end of the 15th century, Spain’s “Reconquista”—the expulsion of Jews and Muslims out of the kingdom after centuries of war—was complete, and the nation turned its attention to exploration and conquest in other areas of the world.
Early Life and Nationality
Christopher Columbus, the son of a wool merchant, is believed to have been born in Genoa, Italy, in 1451.
Ferdinand and Isabella wanted the same, along with the opportunity to export Catholicism to lands across the globe. He was also frustrated with his lack of public recognition and seeming demotion in the eyes of the Spanish monarchs. He is remembered as the principal European discoverer of the Americas and he helped bring the Americas to the forefront of the western consciousness.
There were allegations of incompetence, misrule and barbaric practices in the governorship of the new colonies. On October 12, the ships made landfall—not in the East Indies, as Columbus assumed, but on one of the Bahamian islands, likely San Salvador.
For months, Columbus sailed from island to island in what we now know as the Caribbean, looking for the “pearls, precious stones, gold, silver, spices, and other objects and merchandise whatsoever” that he had promised to his Spanish patrons, but he did not find much.
(Columbus, a devout Catholic, was equally enthusiastic about this possibility.)
Columbus’ contract with the Spanish rulers promised that he could keep 10 percent of whatever riches he found, along with a noble title and the governorship of any lands he should encounter.
Where Did Columbus' Ships, Niña, Pinta and Santa Maria, Land?
On August 3, 1492, Columbus and his crew set sail from Spain in three ships: the Niña, the Pinta and the Santa Maria.
Undoubtedly, the rigours of travelling across the seas weighed upon Columbus’ health. 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.
In January 1493, leaving several dozen men behind in a makeshift settlement on Hispaniola (present-day Haiti and the Dominican Republic), he left for Spain.
He kept a detailed diary during his first voyage. 1488.
In 1484, Columbus attempted to receive support for an Atlantic expedition from King John II of Portugal, but it was turned down.
He was the firstborn son of Domenico Colombo, a wool weaver and merchant, and Susanna Fontanarossa.
Columbus’s love for seafaring began in the merchant marine of Portugal. He also began to hatch the plan that would change the world forever.
Christopher Columbus' First Voyage
At the end of the 15th century, it was nearly impossible to reach Asia from Europe by land.
Others take a more critical view of Columbus, arguing that his “discovery” was not really a discovery – because the land was already populated and that through his actions the ensuing European colonisations led to the mistreatment and genocide of the Native American people who already lived there.
Citation: Pettinger, Tejvan.