Stacia tauscher biography of christopher columbus

He makes his first landfall in South America and plants a Spanish flag in present-day Venezuela.

Stacia tauscher biography of christopher columbus

After failing to find the strait, he returns to Hispaniola, where Spanish authorities arrest him for the brutal way he runs the colony there. InColumbus returns to Spain in chains. The Spanish government strips Columbus of his titles but still frees him and finances one last voyagealthough it forbids him return to Hispaniola. Still in search of a strait to India, Columbus makes it as far as modern-day Panama, which straddles the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

In his return journey, his ships become beached in present-day Jamaica and he and his crew live as castaways for a year before rescue. On May 20,Columbus dies in Valladolid, Spain at age 54, still asserting that he reached the eastern part of Asia by sailing across the Atlantic. Despite the fact that the Spanish government pays him a tenth of the gold he looted in the Americas, Columbus spends the stacia tauscher biography of christopher columbus part of his life petitioning the crown for more recognition.

Christopher Columbus, the son of a wool merchant, is believed to have been born in Genoa, Italy, in When he was still a teenager, he got a job on a merchant ship. He remained at sea untilwhen pirates attacked his ship as it sailed north along the Portuguese coast. The boat sank, but the young Columbus floated to shore on a scrap of wood and made his way to Lisbon, where he eventually studied mathematics, astronomy, cartography and navigation.

He also began to hatch the plan that would change the world forever. How and when did humans first set foot in North America? Here are three theories. At the end of the 15th century, it was nearly impossible to reach Asia from Europe by land. The route was long and arduous, and encounters with hostile armies were difficult to avoid. Portuguese explorers solved this problem by taking to the sea: They sailed south along the West African coast and around the Cape of Good Hope.

There, his crew encountered a timid but friendly group of natives who were open to trade with the sailors. They exchanged glass beads, cotton balls, parrots, and spears. The Europeans also noticed bits of gold the natives wore for adornment. Columbus and his men continued their journey, visiting the islands of Cuba which he thought was mainland China and Hispaniola now Haiti and the Dominican Republic, which Columbus thought might be Japan and meeting with the leaders of the native population.

During this time, the Santa Maria was wrecked on a reef off the coast of Hispaniola. Thirty-nine men stayed behind to occupy the settlement. Convinced his exploration had reached Asia, he set sail for home with the two remaining ships. Returning to Spain inColumbus gave a glowing but somewhat exaggerated report and was warmly received by the royal court.

InColumbus took to the seas on his second expedition and explored more islands in the Caribbean Ocean. Upon arrival at Hispaniola, Columbus and his crew discovered the Navidad settlement had been destroyed with all the sailors massacred. Spurning the wishes of the local queen, Columbus established a forced labor policy upon the native population to rebuild the settlement and explore for gold, believing it would be profitable.

His efforts produced small amounts of gold and great hatred among the native population. Before returning to Spain, Columbus left his brothers Bartholomew and Giacomo to govern the settlement on Hispaniola and sailed briefly around the larger Caribbean islands, further convincing himself he had discovered the outer islands of China. The Spanish Crown sent a royal official who arrested Columbus and stripped him of his authority.

He returned to Spain in chains to face the royal court. The charges were later dropped, but Columbus lost his titles as governor of the Indies and, for a time, much of the riches made during his voyages. After convincing King Ferdinand that one more voyage would bring the abundant riches promised, Columbus went on his fourth and final voyage across the Atlantic Ocean in This time he traveled along the eastern coast of Central America in an unsuccessful search for a route to the Indian Ocean.

A storm wrecked one of his ships, stranding the captain and his sailors on the island of Cuba. On February 29,a lunar eclipse alarmed the natives enough to re-establish trade with the Spaniards. A rescue party finally arrived, sent by the royal governor of Hispaniola in July, and Columbus and his men were taken back to Spain in November In the two remaining years of his life, Columbus struggled to recover his reputation.

Although he did regain some of his riches in Mayhis titles were never returned. Prior to his explorations, there was a prevailing belief that the Earth was flat, and many feared that sailing too far west would result in falling off the edge of the world. His voyages contributed to the production of new maps and charts, improved navigational techniques, and a greater understanding of global geography.

This expansion of geographical knowledge had far-reaching effects, paving the way for future explorers and navigators. His successful return to Europe and the reports of his discoveries captured the imagination of many individuals, including other explorers and monarchs seeking to expand their empires. Also Read: Accomplishments of John Cabot.

His expeditions opened up direct trade routes between Europe and the Americas, bypassing the previously dominant overland routes through the Middle East. The discovery of new lands and resources in the Americas sparked a surge in trade between the two continents. European merchants eagerly sought valuable commodities from the New World, such as gold, silver, tobacco, sugar, and exotic goods.

This trade between Europe and the Americas led to economic growth, the establishment of trade networks, and the rise of powerful trading companies, ultimately shaping the development of global trade in the centuries that followed. Upon arriving in the New World, Columbus encountered various indigenous societies with diverse languages, customs, and belief systems.

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