Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was born between the 25th of August and the 31st of October in 1451 within the Republic of Genoa. His father Domenico worked as a wool weaver and ran a cheese stand where young Christopher helped during his childhood years. The family moved to Savona in 1470 when his father took over a tavern there. He went to sea at age fourteen according to one of his own writings. By 1473 he began working as a business agent for wealthy Genoese families including Spinola, Centurione, and Di Negro. In May 1476 he sailed on an armed convoy carrying valuable cargo to northern Europe. That same year he experienced a shipwreck off the coast of Lagos Portugal after French and Portuguese vessels attacked their ship. He traveled to Lisbon where he lived for several years from 1477 until 1485. During this period he married Filipa Moniz Perestrelo who bore him a son named Diego. Between 1482 and 1485 he traded along West African coasts reaching Elmina at the Guinea coast in present-day Ghana. After Filipa died before 1484 he returned to Portugal to settle her estate. He left Portugal for Castile in 1485 where he took a mistress named Beatriz Enríquez de Arana. She gave birth to his second son Fernando in July 1488.
Columbus proposed sailing west across the Atlantic Ocean to reach Asia by about 1484. King John II of Portugal rejected his plan because advisors calculated the distance was far greater than Columbus claimed. The Florentine astronomer Paolo dal Pozzo Toscanelli had suggested such a route earlier but Afonso V of Portugal dismissed it. In 1488 Bartolomeu Dias rounded the Cape of Good Hope which made the African route seem more viable to many navigators. Columbus waited until 1492 for Queen Isabella I and King Ferdinand II of Spain to sponsor his voyage. They had just completed the Granada War against Muslim forces on the Iberian Peninsula. A council led by Hernando de Talavera found his proposal implausible and advised against funding it. Luis de Santángel convinced Isabella to support the expedition after she sent a royal guard to fetch him from Córdoba. On April 1492 they signed the Capitulations of Santa Fe promising him Admiral of the Ocean Sea and Viceroy status over new lands. He received one-tenth of all revenues from these territories in perpetuity plus rights to buy interest in commercial ventures. The monarchs provided an allowance totaling about 14,000 maravedis annually during negotiations.
On the 3rd of August 1492 Columbus departed Palos de la Frontera with three ships including the Santa María Pinta and Niña. The largest vessel was a carrack owned by Juan de la Cosa while the other two were smaller caravels piloted by Pinzón brothers. After restocking at Canary Islands he left San Sebastián de La Gomera on September 6th for what became a five-week ocean crossing. Crew members spotted immense flocks of birds on October 7th. At around 2:00 AM on October 12th lookout Rodrigo de Triana spotted land first though Columbus claimed he had seen a light hours earlier. This island in present-day Bahamas was called Guanahani by native inhabitants but named San Salvador by Columbus. His journal entry that day described seeing people with marks of wounds on their bodies who defended themselves against raids from nearby islands. He believed they would make good intelligent servants and could be easily converted to Christianity. He took some Arawak prisoners as guides hoping to find gold sources. On the 25th of December 1492 the Santa María ran aground near Hispaniola and was abandoned. He established settlement La Navidad leaving thirty-nine men behind including interpreter Luis de Torres. Returning to Spain on the 15th of March 1493 he presented kidnapped Taíno natives to Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand.
Columbus returned to Hispaniola during his second voyage finding Fort La Navidad destroyed after Spanish settlers quarreled over gold and killed remaining men there. He established new poorly located settlement La Isabela where disease and famine killed two-thirds of colonists by end of 1494. Between April and August 1494 he explored Cuba and Jamaica while ordering Pedro Margarit to enforce Spanish control across the island. These men raped women stole property and took captives as servants leading to retaliatory killings by indigenous groups. By late 1494 four primary leaders of Arawak people gathered for war against Spanish rule. Columbus won battles over nine months forcing surrender and tribute payments from defeated Taínos. He implemented the encomienda system rewarding conquerors with labor rights over conquered non-Christian peoples. Punishments included whippings mutilation such as cutting off noses and ears according to records from Michel de Cuneo dated the 28th of October 1495. In February 1495 he rounded up about 1,500 Arawaks some having rebelled shipping approximately 500 strongest individuals to Spain as slaves. About two hundred died en route due to harsh conditions. Florentine merchant Gianotto Berardi received almost 40,000 maravedis worth of enslaved Indians in June 1495 before dying suddenly that December.
Francisco de Bobadilla arrived at Santo Domingo in early 1500 to investigate accusations of brutality made against Columbus and his brothers. Testimony claimed Columbus punished theft by cutting off ears and nose then selling victims into slavery. Another account described how Bartholomew ordered a woman paraded naked through streets after she spoke ill of the admiral before her tongue was cut out. Bobadilla declared himself governor seizing property and taking depositions from enemies. In October 1500 Columbus and Diego were put in chains aboard La Gorda caravel returning them to Spain where they languished six weeks in jail. King Ferdinand ordered their release though Nicolás de Ovando replaced Bobadilla as new governor. Despite this setback Queen Isabella agreed to fund Columbus's fourth voyage starting the 9th of May 1502 from Cádiz with four ships carrying 140 men including brother Bartholomew and son Fernando. He sailed to Asilah Morocco rescuing Portuguese soldiers besieged by Moors though siege had ended upon arrival. Arriving Jamaica on the 25th of June 1503 he beached ships due to storm damage leaving him stranded for six months with 230 men. Diego Méndez de Segura paddled canoe to Hispaniola seeking help while Columbus predicted lunar eclipse on the 29th of February 1504 using Abraham Zacuto astronomical charts to win native favor for food supplies. Rescue finally came the 28th of June 1504 arriving Sanlúcar November 7th same year.
Columbus suffered what was believed at age forty-one to be gout during violent storms on his first return voyage. Subsequent years brought influenza fevers bleeding eyes temporary blindness prolonged attacks of gout sometimes leaving bedridden for months. Modern commentators suspect reactive arthritis caused by intestinal bacterial infections or sexually transmitted diseases like chlamydia or gonorrhea according to Frank C Arnett medical doctor and historian Charles Merrill publishing paper in The American Journal of the Medical Sciences in 2006. After returning from fourth voyage Queen Isabella died so ill Columbus settled Seville April 1505 demanding Crown fulfill personal privileges promised earlier. He moved Segovia early 1506 traveling mule then Valladolid March 1506 wedding King Ferdinand Germaine Foix persisting demands until death the 20th of May 1506 aged fifty-four. During later years he produced Book of Privileges detailing rewards owed plus Book of Prophecies placing achievements within Christian eschatology context using Bible passages. His heirs sued Crown after death leading protracted legal disputes known as Columbian lawsuits continuing until 1790 despite partial success confirming Diego viceroy position reduced powers judgment 1511.
Columbus became unifying symbol early colonial era when Puritan preacher Cotton Mather described his voyage among three shaping events modern age spring 1692 connecting exploration migration North America grand design. Name basis female national personification Columbia used since 1730s reference original Thirteen Colonies also historical name applied Americas New World. Republic Colombia named early nineteenth century inspired political project Colombeia developed revolutionary Francisco de Miranda emancipation continental Hispanic America. 400th anniversary landing celebrated 1893 World Fair Chicago named World's Columbian Exposition U.S Postal Service issued first commemorative stamps depicting Columbus Queen Isabella various stages voyages. Silver half dollar struck remains only U.S currency foreigner subject. Policies related Spanish colonial empire celebration took form Restoration late nineteenth century commemorating fourth centenary the 12th of October 1892 figure extolled Conservative government eventually becoming national day. Monuments erected cities Palos Barcelona Granada Madrid Salamanca Valladolid Seville years around 400th anniversary. Second Columbian issue released jointly Italy Portugal Spain Columbus Quincentenary 1992. From 1990s narrative responsibility genocide indigenous peoples environmental destruction competed then predominant discourse Christ-bearer scientist father America exposed Old World diseases indigenous populations collapsed largely replaced Europeans Africans bringing farming business governance religious worship methods.
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Common questions
When and where was Christopher Columbus born?
Christopher Columbus was born between the 25th of August and the 31st of October in 1451 within the Republic of Genoa. His father Domenico worked as a wool weaver and ran a cheese stand where young Christopher helped during his childhood years.
What happened to Christopher Columbus on his first voyage to the Americas?
On the 3rd of August 1492 Christopher Columbus departed Palos de la Frontera with three ships including the Santa María Pinta and Niña. He landed on an island called Guanahani by native inhabitants but named San Salvador by Columbus on October 12th after a five-week ocean crossing.
How did Christopher Columbus treat indigenous people during his second voyage?
During his second voyage Christopher Columbus implemented the encomienda system rewarding conquerors with labor rights over conquered non-Christian peoples. In February 1495 he rounded up about 1,500 Arawaks shipping approximately 500 strongest individuals to Spain as slaves while punishments included whippings mutilation such as cutting off noses and ears.
Why were Christopher Columbus and his brother Diego put in chains in 1500?
Francisco de Bobadilla arrived at Santo Domingo in early 1500 to investigate accusations of brutality made against Christopher Columbus and his brothers. Testimony claimed Columbus punished theft by cutting off ears and nose then selling victims into slavery leading to their imprisonment for six weeks upon return to Spain.
When and how did Christopher Columbus die?
Christopher Columbus died the 20th of May 1506 aged fifty-four in Valladolid following years of suffering from gout influenza fevers bleeding eyes and temporary blindness. He had moved through Segovia and Valladolid persisting demands until death after Queen Isabella died so ill that he settled Seville April 1505 demanding Crown fulfill personal privileges promised earlier.