Christopher Columbus: "The Greatest of Losers." Who discovered America? What America did he discover?

Wake up anyone in the middle of the night with the question: “Who discovered America first?”, and without hesitation, they will immediately give you the correct answer, calling the name of Christopher Columbus. This is for everyone known fact , which no one seems to dispute. But was Columbus the first European to set foot on new land? Not at all. There is only one question: “So who?” But they didn’t call Columbus for nothing discoverer.

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How Columbus became a discoverer

In what century did such significant changes for the world take place? The official date for the discovery of a new continent called the Americas is 1499, 15th century. At that time, the inhabitants of Europe began to have speculation that the earth was round. They began to believe about the possibility of navigation on the Atlantic Ocean and the opening of a western route directly to the shores of Asia.

The story of how Columbus discovered America is very funny. It so happened that he randomly came across New World , heading to distant India.

Christopher was an avid sailor, who from a young age managed to visit all those known at that time. Carefully studying a huge number geographical maps, Columbus planned to sail to India across the Atlantic without passing through Africa.

He, like many scientists of that time, naively believed that, having gone directly with Western Europe to the east, it will reach the shores of Asian countries such as China and India. No one could even imagine what was suddenly on his way new lands will appear.

It was the day when Columbus reached the shores of the new continent and is considered the beginning of American history.

Continents discovered by Columbus

Christopher is considered the one who discovered North America. But in parallel with it, after news of the New World spread throughout all countries, the struggle for the development of the northern territories the British entered.

In total the navigator accomplished four expeditions. The continents that Columbus discovered: the island of Haiti or, as the traveler himself called it, Spain Minor, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Antigua and many other territories North America. From 1498 to 1504, during his last expeditions, the navigator had already mastered land South America , where it reached the shores of not only Venezuela, but also Brazil. A little later the expedition reached Central America, where the coastlines of Nicaragua and Honduras were developed, all the way to Panama.

Who else explored America?

Formally, many sailors opened America to the world in different ways. History goes back many names related to the development of the lands of the New World. Columbus's case continued:

• Alexander Mackenzie;
• William Baffin;
• Henry Hudson;
• John Davis.

Thanks to these navigators, the entire continent was explored and developed, including Pacific coast.

Also considered another discoverer of America is an equally famous person - Amerigo Vespucci. Portuguese navigator went on expeditions and explored the coast of Brazil.

It was he who first suggested that Christopher Columbus sailed far not to China and India, but to previously unknown. His speculations were confirmed by Ferdinand Magellan, after completing his first trip around the world.

It is believed that the continent was named precisely in honor of Vespucci, contrary to all the logic of what is happening. And today the New World is known to everyone under the name America, and not by any other name. So who really discovered America?

Pre-Columbian expeditions to America

In the legends and beliefs of the Scandinavian peoples you can often come across mention of distant lands called Vinland located near Greenland. Historians believe that it was the Vikings who discovered America and became the first Europeans to set foot on the lands of the New World, and in their legends Vinland is nothing more than Newfoundland.

Everyone knows how Columbus discovered America, but in fact Christopher was far away not the first navigator who visited this continent. Leif Erikson, who named one of the parts of the new continent Vinland, cannot be called a discoverer.

Who should be considered first? Historians dare to believe that he was a merchant from distant Scandinavia - Bjarni Herjulfsson, which is mentioned in the Greenlanders' Saga. According to this literary work, in 985 g. he set out towards Greenland to meet his father, but lost his way due to a strong storm.

Before the discovery of America, the merchant had to sail at random, since he had never seen the lands of Greenland before and did not know the specific course. Soon he reached the level shores of an unknown island, covered with forests. This description did not suit Greenland at all, which greatly surprised him. Bjarni decided not to go ashore, and turn back.

Soon he sailed to Greenland, where he told this story to Leif Erikson, the son of the discoverer of Greenland. Exactly he became the first of the Vikings who tried their luck to join to the lands of America before Columbus, which he nicknamed Vinland.

Forced search for new lands

Important! Greenland is not the most pleasant country to live in. It is poor in resources and has a harsh climate. The possibility of resettlement at that time seemed like a pipe dream for the Vikings.

Stories about fertile lands covered with dense forests only spurred them on to move. Erickson gathered himself a small team and set off on a journey in search of new territories. Leif became the one who discovered North America.

The first unexplored places they stumbled upon were rocky and mountainous. In their description today, historians see nothing more than Baffin Island. Subsequent coasts turned out to be low-lying, with green forests and long sandy beaches. This reminded historians very much of the description coast of the Labrador Peninsula in Canada.

On the new lands they mined wood, which was so difficult to find in Greenland. Subsequently, the Vikings founded the first two settlements in the New World, and all these territories were called Vinland.

The scientist nicknamed "the second Columbus"

The famous German geographer, naturalist and traveler - all this is one great man, whose name is Alexander Humboldt.

This greatest scientist discovered America before others on the scientific side, having spent many years on research, and he was not alone. Humbaldt did not think long about what kind of partner he needed and immediately made his choice in favor of Bonpland.

Humboldt and the French botanist in 1799. went on a scientific expedition to South America and Mexico, which lasted five whole years. This journey brought scientists worldwide fame, and Humboldt himself began to be called the “second Columbus.”

It is believed that in 1796 The scientist set himself the following tasks:

• explore little-studied areas of the globe;
• systematize all received information;
• taking into account the research results of other scientists, comprehensively describe the structure of the Universe.

All tasks, of course, were successfully completed. After the discovery of America as a continent, no one dared until Humbaldt conduct similar studies. Therefore, he decides to go to the most little-studied area - the West Indies, which allows him to achieve colossal results. Humboldt created the first geographical maps discovered America almost simultaneously, but in world history the name of Christopher Columbus will always be first on the list of those who explored the territories of the New World.

It was midnight on October 11, 1492. Just two more hours - and an event will take place that is destined to change the entire course of world history. No one on the ships was fully aware of this, but literally everyone, from the admiral to the youngest cabin boy, was in tense anticipation. The one who sees the land first is promised a reward of ten thousand maravedis, and now it was clear to everyone that the long voyage was nearing its end...

1.India

Columbus was absolutely sure all his life that he had sailed to east coast Asia, although in fact it was about 15 thousand kilometers away. At that time it was already known that the Earth was round, but ideas about the size of the globe were still very vague.

It was believed that our planet is much smaller, and that if you sail from Europe due west, you can find a short sea route to China and India - countries that have long attracted travelers with their silks and spices. It was this path that Christopher Columbus dreamed of finding.

In 1483, Christopher Columbus proposed a project to King John II, but after much study, Columbus's "excessive" project was rejected. In 1485, Columbus moved to Castile, where, with the help of merchants and bankers, he sought to organize a government naval expedition under his command.

2. Convince the queen

It took Columbus 7 years to convince the King and Queen of Spain and their learned advisors to help him organize an expedition across the ocean.
In 1485, Columbus arrived in Spain. The only way for him to fulfill his dream and set sail is to receive the support of the Spanish King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. At first no one believed him. The court scientists simply did not understand how it was possible to sail to the west and get to lands that were far to the east. It seemed something completely impossible.

This is what they said: “Even if we could somehow descend to the other hemisphere, how would we get back up from there? Even with the most favorable wind, a ship would never be able to climb the huge mountain of water that the bulge of the ball forms, even if we assume that the Earth is really spherical.”
It was only in 1491 that Columbus was able to again meet with Ferdinand and Isabella and convince them that he could indeed find a sea route to India.

Columbus at a reception with the Spanish King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella

3.Team of prisoners

The crew of the ships had to be assembled from prisoners serving their sentences - no one else agreed to voluntarily participate in the dangerous voyage. Still would! After all, it was impossible to predict in advance how long this journey would last and what dangers might be encountered along the way. Even if scientists did not immediately believe in Columbus’s plan, let alone ordinary sailors.

Former criminals and the dregs of society will have an entire continent under their rule.

4.Three caravels

Columbus was provided with three caravels: “Santa Maria” (about 40 meters long), “Nina” and “Pinta” (about 20 meters each). Even for that time these ships were very small.

Sending them across the ocean with a crew of 90 seemed like an incredibly bold decision. For example, only Columbus himself, the ship captains and several other crew members had their own beds. The sailors had to take turns sleeping on the floor in a cramped hold, on damp barrels and boxes. And so on for many weeks of travel.

Three small wooden ship- "Santa Maria", "Pinta" and "Nina" set off from the port of Paloe ( Atlantic coast Spain) August 3, 1492. About 100 crew members, the bare minimum of food and equipment.

5. Mutiny on the ship

They had never had to swim so far into the ocean and so far from their native shores. Columbus even specifically decided not to tell everyone how much distance had already been traveled, and gave much smaller numbers. With joy, the sailors were ready to believe in any sign of approaching land: for example, encountered whales, albatrosses, or algae floating on the surface of the water. Although in fact, all these “signs” have nothing to do with the proximity of land.

6.Magnetic needle

Christopher Columbus was one of the first in the world to observe how the magnetic needle deflects.

At that time it was not yet known that the compass needle does not point exactly north, but to the magnetic north pole. One day, Columbus discovered that the magnetic needle was not pointing exactly towards the North Star, but was deviating more and more from this direction. He was, of course, very scared. Is the compass on the ship inaccurate or maybe broken? Just in case, Columbus also decided not to tell anyone about this observation.

Late 15th century compass (similar to what Columbus had)

7.First Islands

Before land appeared on the horizon on October 12, 1492, 70 days of sailing had passed. However, the outlines of the coast seen were not the mainland at all, but small island, which later received the name San Salvador.

In total, Columbus made four voyages through Atlantic Ocean(and all four times I thought that I was approaching the shores of India). During this time he visited many islands Caribbean Sea and only during the third voyage did he see the shores of the continent. During his fourth voyage, Columbus sailed ships along the coast for several months, hoping to find a strait leading to the long-awaited India. Of course, no strait could be found. The completely exhausted sailors were forced to return to the already familiar islands with nothing.

All of them, - writes Columbus, - walk naked, in what their mother gave birth, and women too... And the people I saw were still young, all of them were no more than 30 years old, and they were well built, and their bodies and faces They were very beautiful, and their hair was coarse, just like horse hair, and short... Their facial features were regular, their expression was friendly...

8.Indians

Columbus called the aborigines he found on the islands Indians because he sincerely considered the lands he found to be part of India. It is surprising that this “mistaken” name for the natives of America has survived to this day.

Moreover, we are lucky with the Russian language - we call the inhabitants of India Indians, distinguishing them from the Indians with at least one letter. And, for example, in English language Both words are spelled exactly the same: “Indians”. Therefore, when it comes to American Indians, they are called immediately with a clarification: “American Indians” or simply “Native Americans”.

Everything here seemed unusual and new: nature, plants, birds, animals and even people.

9.Columbus exchange

Columbus brought from his voyages many products not yet known to Europeans: for example, corn, tomatoes and potatoes. And in America, thanks to Columbus, grapes appeared, as well as horses and cows.

This movement of products, plants and animals between the Old World (Europe) and the New World (America) lasted several hundred years and was called the “Columbus Exchange”.

10.Astronomy

At the most dangerous moment, Columbus was miraculously saved... by knowledge of astronomy!

During the last voyage, the team found itself in a very difficult situation. The ships were destroyed, provisions were running out, people were exhausted and sick. All that remained was to wait for help and hope for the hospitality of the Indians, who were not very peaceful towards strangers.

And then Columbus came up with a trick. From astronomical tables he knew that a lunar eclipse would occur on February 29, 1504. Columbus called the local leaders and announced that, as punishment for their hostility, the god of the white people had decided to take away the moon from the inhabitants of the island.

And indeed, the prediction came true - exactly at the specified time, the moon began to be covered with a black shadow. Then the Indians began to beg Columbus to return the moon to them, and in return they agreed to feed the strangers the best food and fulfill all their wishes.

Christopher Columbus. Discovery of America.

Biographical information about Christopher Columbus is very scarce. He was born in the fall of 1451 in Genoa, first lived in Italy and, like his father, belonged to a woolen guild. It is unknown where and when he studied, but it has been proven that he read at least four languages ​​(Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and Latin). In 1476 he moved to Portugal and lived here for 9 years. According to him, during this time he took part in Portuguese expeditions several times and visited England, Guinea and the Gold Coast. In 1474, Columbus sought advice regarding the shortest sea ​​route to India to the famous Florentine astrologer and geographer Paolo Toscanelli. Toscanelli replied to Columbus: “I know that the existence of such a path can be proven on the basis that the Earth is a sphere.” Toscanelli drew up a map and sent it to Columbus. Toscanelli's mistake was that he did not know how land and water were distributed on the surface of the Earth, and reduced the distance from Europe to Asia across the Atlantic Ocean several times. Columbus made “corrections” to this calculation and came to the conclusion that the distance from Lisbon to Japan is 4500 km. In the words of the famous 18th century French geographer Jean-Baptiste Anville: “It was a great mistake that led to a great discovery.” Columbus made his first proposal to the Portuguese King João II, but was refused. Then Columbus left Portugal and went to Spain. In 1485, Columbus offered his services to Queen Isabella of Spain. In November 1491, a special commission rejected the Genoese project, because considered the navigator’s demands excessive. Columbus headed to France, but was stopped. At this moment, Louis Santall, the head of the largest trading house, came to Isabella and convinced her to accept Columbus’s project. On April 17, 1492, the king and queen agreed to the draft treaty proposed by Columbus. Here are the two most important articles of this document: “Their Majesties, as masters of the seas and oceans, from now on grant Don Christopher Columbus their admiralship of all the islands and continents that he will personally discover and acquire... Their Majesties appoint Columbus as their viceroy and chief ruler on... the islands and the continents that he... will discover or acquire, and to govern each of them a ruler must be elected (from the candidates presented by Columbus).” And further - “from any and all goods, be they precious metals, stones, gold or silver, spices or other things and goods that will be bought, exchanged, found, or acquired within the said admiralty ... may he have, and let him retain 1/10 of everything acquired, presenting 9/10 of the parts to their Majesties.”

Generous in their promises, the kings decided to minimize the costs of the expedition. Columbus was provided with two caravels. Their crew, according to the traditional version, was forcibly recruited from the inhabitants of Palas, sentenced to hard labor for insulting the kings, i.e. filled with criminals. Columbus and the Pinson brothers equipped the third caravel at their own expense. The flotilla consisted of three small ships: the Santa Maria, Columbus's flagship, the Pinta, commanded by Martin Pinzón, and the Niña.

On August 3, 1492, Columbus's expedition went to sea, but repairing one of the yachts took a whole month, and only on September 6, 1492, the ships left the island of Homer, and 36 days later, at 2 a.m. on October 12, 1492, land was already visible. It was one of the islands of the Bahamas group. On the island, the Spaniards saw naked people, and Columbus described the first meeting with the people, who 20-30 years later were completely exterminated by the Spanish colonialists: “I gave them red caps and glass rosaries and many other low-value items that gave them great pleasure. They brought us parrots and skeins of cotton yarn and many other things, which they exchanged for other items that we gave them. But it seemed to me that these people were poor. And all the people I saw were still young, their bodies and faces were very beautiful, and their hair was coarse, just like horse hair, only short... And their skin was the same color as the inhabitants of the Canary Islands, who are neither black nor white... They do not carry and do not know weapons, when I showed them swords, they grabbed the blades and, out of ignorance, cut off their fingers. They don’t have any iron.”

On the island, Columbus was presented with “dry leaves” as a gift, which were highly valued by local residents; this is the first mention of tobacco. Columbus gave the island the Christian name San Salvador (Savior). The navigator noticed pieces of gold in the noses of some islanders. From that moment on, he never tires of repeating in his diary that he “with the help of our Lord, will find gold where it is born.” The sailors learned about the island of Cuba from the Indians and soon sailed to its shores. On December 5, Columbus approached the land (the island of Haiti), which he called Hispaniola ( Spanish island). The sailors saw thin gold plates and small ingots among the inhabitants of Hispaniola. The gold rush intensified among the sailors, and Columbus himself was in a fever. He writes in his diary the words of an old Indian man about one island “all gold”, and about other islands where “gold is collected and sifted through a sieve, and then melted and made into various things.” On January 4, 1493, Columbus set sail and arrived in Spain on March 15. He brought the happy news of discovered lands, some gold and several islanders unprecedented in Europe, who began to be called INDIOS (Indians), because until the end of his days Columbus thought that he had discovered west bank India.

The disappointment of the first expedition was greatly mitigated by Columbus's assertion that he had discovered India and only needed to deepen his search to find mountains of diamonds and golden roofs. Large funds were allocated to organize Columbus's second expedition (1493): the flotilla consisted of 17 ships with about 1,500 people. On this voyage, Columbus discovered the Lesser Antilles and founded a colony on Hispaniola.

In 1495 he returned to. The results of Columbus's second voyage disappointed the Spanish government, because the main goal of this expedition was the founding of trading colonies and the export of gold. But there was little gold in Hispaniola, and the colony founded there turned out to be an unsuccessful enterprise. The vast majority of the colonists consisted of Spanish hidalgos left idle after the war with the Moors. This lazy and stormy noble youth was good with a sword, but was incapable of any kind of work. Columbus did not reach the American continent on this journey either. This was done two years later - in 1497, the Genoese Giovanni Cabotto (John Cabot), who lived first in Venice, then in England, sailed from England and in June 1497 sailed to the American mainland. Cabot did not understand the meaning and significance of his discovery, and his journey was soon forgotten. The tireless Columbus set off on his third voyage in May 1498. Now he set the goal that is usually attributed to his first voyage - to penetrate Indian Ocean. Therefore, he took a course with a large deviation to the south, only on this journey did he approach the American continent at the mouth of the Orinoco River, and only now in August 1498, when there were huge masses around him fresh water, the thought flashed through his mind, had he discovered a new, unknown continent? However, this idea did not strengthen with Columbus, and open coast South America was not explored by him. But another thought took hold in the mind of the aging navigator: he decided that to the south of “India” lies nothing more than Eden - paradise, the top of the world. All great rivers originate from here. Illuminated by this insight, Columbus increasingly falls into mystical rapture. He considered himself the first European destined to find his way to earthly paradise, from where, according to the Bible, Adam and Eve were expelled.

Meanwhile, the Portuguese opened a sea route to India and brought spices, fabrics and other precious goods from there. Comparison of Columbus's expensive and, so far, little profitable enterprises with the expeditions of the Portuguese was, of course, not in his favor. During the third expedition, an uprising broke out among the Spaniards on the island of Hispaniola (Haiti). Civil strife began. Columbus and his enemies complained about each other. Ferdinand and Isabella appointed their own governor to the island. He arrived at the scene, arrested Columbus and sent him in chains to Spain, however, here he was quickly released.

Columbus's fourth voyage in 1502 was a direct response to the expedition of Vasco da Gama. On Columbus's part, this was an attempt to get from the Atlantic Ocean to the Indian Ocean. But everywhere he came across a solid mass of land. Sailing along the Isthmus of Panama, he received information about a large ocean lying on the other side of the earth, and about some “ bottleneck", through which it was possible to reach the ocean. The Indians meant the isthmus. Columbus believed that he was in front of the islands, which, in his opinion, blocked his path to the shores of Asia, and persistently looked for a strait between them. IN last years Throughout his life, Columbus tried in vain to restore his rights and privileges. In 1506 he died, almost forgotten by everyone, in poverty. In his will great navigator asked to put on his coffin the chains in which he was taken from the New World he had discovered. It is still unknown where the grave of the famous sailor is located. Columbus died in Valladolid, then his ashes were transported to Seville, and later transported across the ocean to Hispaniola and buried in the Cathedral of Santo Domingo. Many years later, Columbus's ashes were reburied in Havana, Cuba, but then returned to Seville. It is not known exactly where the true grave of the great navigator is located - Havana and Seville equally lay claim to this honor.

The continent discovered by Columbus was named America after another navigator, Amerigo Vespucci. Amerigo Vespucci was also from Genoa, was a sailor, served in Spain and Portugal. Vespucci's world fame is based on two dubious (as Magidovich I.P. believes) letters of 1503 and 1504. The first letter was addressed to the Medici, in which Vespucci spoke about his voyage in 1501-1502. The second letter was addressed to Comrade Vespucci, in which he wrote that back in 1497 (a year before Columbus), at the head of an expedition he explored an unknown continent. In 1507, Vespucci's letters were studied by a geographer, and here for the first time this part of the world was called America. It is unlikely that the geographer wanted to diminish the glory of Columbus with this statement. For him, as for other educated people of the early 16th century, Columbus and Vespucci discovered new lands in different parts of the world:

a) Columbus discovered old light(Asia);

b) Vespucci – New World (America).

It is not for nothing that Columbus’s relatives had nothing against this name and Vespucci himself. Soviet researcher Joseph Petrovich Magidovich in his work “The History of the Discovery and Exploration of Central and South America” claims that Vespucci did not discover America at all and did not participate in any expeditions of 1497-1498. Among modern Western scientists there are currently Colombians and anti-Colombians. The first believe that the main merit of the discovery of America should belong to Christopher Columbus, the second do not agree with this statement, their arguments are different: the Vikings, John Cabot, Vespucci are also discoverers. It seems to us that Columbus's feat was in sailing open ocean, he was the first to go “nowhere”.

This important event is celebrated in both Europe and America. In the USA this holiday is called Columbus Day, in the Bahamas - Discovery Day, in Spain - Nation Day.

The phrase “Columbus discovered America” is an example of banality for us. Who doesn't know this? Everyone remembers the covers of children's books and the pot-bellied ships drawn on them. And also footage from various films, where the Spanish queen liked the brave and handsome navigator so much that she promised to pawn her jewelry in order to equip the expedition.

All these are beautiful myths.

Let's start with the fact that in 1486, when Christopher Columbus (Cristóbal Colon, as it was called in Spain) (1451 - 1506) appeared before the Spanish monarchs, he could hardly captivate a woman’s heart. Columbus was pretty battered by life. Thirty-five years old is a respectable age for a fifteenth-century man.

Secondly, Spain at that time was not listed among the sea powers. She had no time for that yet. Under the joint rule of King Ferdinand of Aragon and Queen Isabella of Castile, the reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula from the Muslims was ending. The last outpost of the Moors was Granada. So the thoughts of the rulers were not about the sea.

Thirdly, Columbus appeared before the rulers as a far from timid supplicant. For the opening of the sea route to India, he asked for the Spanish nobility, the rank of admiral and the positions of viceroy and governor-general of all open lands. Demands that were reminiscent of the impudent wishes of the old woman from Pushkin’s “The Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish.” Christopher Columbus wanted to become not only a “pillar nobleman,” not only a “free king” of newly discovered lands, but also a “lord of the sea.”

Perhaps it was the arrogance of the sailor that convinced the king and queen that this was not a cunning scoundrel, but a man who, in fact, was capable of fulfilling his promise. In addition, they knew more about intrigue and villainy than any goldfish. If new lands are conquered, it is always easy to bring the discoverer to obedience and repentance. For this purpose, Spain had the Holy Inquisition.

Fourthly, there was no need to pawn the royal jewels to pay for the expedition. Columbus was given the right to collect arrears of taxes, and use this money to make great geographical discoveries.

Columbus succeeded in the trade of a tax farmer. Perhaps this is where the rumor came from that he was not a Genoese, but a baptized Jew. But still, the money collected was not enough to assemble a decent fleet.

Among the debtors placed in the care of Columbus was the whole city- Palos de la Frontera. The city was fined for illegal trade with the Moors who lived on the African coast.

The collection of arrears in Palos was going slowly until three well-known sailors in the city, three brothers from the Pinzon family, came to the aid of Columbus. One of the three ships that took part in the voyage, the Pinta (Painted), belonged to the Pinsons. The owner of the second ship, "Niña" ("Baby"), was a shipowner from the neighboring town of Mager, whose name was Juan Niño. Columbus hired the third ship (with the Pinsons' money) from a sailor from the northern Spanish province of Galicia. The ship "Galega" ("Galician") was larger than "Pinta" and "Nina", and therefore became the flagship. Only the pious Columbus changed his name to "Santa Maria".

Residents of the city, seeing that the Pinson brothers were participating in Columbus’s enterprise, believed in the Genoese’s idea. Recruiting one hundred and ninety people for three crews was no longer difficult.

Fat-bellied, well-armed galleons appeared on the sea much later, when it was necessary to transport gold from the American colonies to the metropolis. Columbus's squadron looked rather unpresentable. The flagship looked more like a barge under sail. The length of the vessel was 23 meters, the draft was 2.8 meters. "Pinta" and "Nina" were even smaller.

Columbus's expedition made its first stop at Canary Islands. The steering wheel on the Nina broke. We repaired it, replenished provisions, and waited for a fair wind. On September 6, 1492, three caravels headed west.

Another legend is about a mutiny of sailors brewing on ships. This was not the case either. The journey went smoothly. The ocean was calm and the wind was fair.

On October 12, at two o'clock in the morning, the watchman on the Pinta noticed a light ahead. At dawn, the ships landed on the island, which Columbus named San Salvador. This is where the first meeting with local residents. Columbus sincerely considered them residents of India. Another mistake left to us as a legacy by a great man. In the Russian language, they later changed one letter to distinguish Indians from Indians. In many Western languages, this annoying homonym has lived on since the time of Columbus.

True, it soon became clear that the red-skinned inhabitants of San Salvador were not Indians. An interpreter was sailing on the Santa Maria, specially taken by Columbus to communicate with the local population. The baptized Jew Luis de Torres knew Arabic, Persian, and Indian languages ​​well, but never came to terms with the local inhabitants. However, it seems that his trip overseas was justified. De Torres visited many countries on merchant business and was accustomed, by virtue of his profession, to finding mutual language even with those whose language is not understood. Who else but him could have become the first European to at least speak the language of hitherto unknown tribes. At least from San Salvador to present-day Cuba, the ship was accompanied by Indian guides.

In Cuba, Pinson, at his own peril and risk, separated from the squadron and sailed on the Pinta in search of the rich Indian ports about which he had heard so much. Columbus, on the two remaining ships, sailed to the island, which he called “Hispaniola.” Now we call this island Haiti. The first European settlement in Latin America was founded here. This is where the Santa Maria ran aground. The admiral switched to the Niña, they removed everything that was possible from the Santa Maria, and shot the ship from cannons in full view of the local Indians, in order to instill respect for the power of the aliens.

Then Martin Alonso Pinzon returned from AWOL in his Pinta. He did not reveal the secrets of the voyage to the admiral. Apparently, he reached the northern shore of the Gulf of Mexico and visited the Yucatan Peninsula. But no rich Indian ports were found.

On January 16, 1493, the ships set off on their return journey. The Atlantic is harsh in winter. The sailors had to endure several storms. On March 4, Columbus on the Niña, with its sails almost completely torn off, landed on the Portuguese coast near Lisbon. The Viceroy of India paid a courtesy call on the King of Portugal. Each of the meeting participants was secretly proud of their achievements. Columbus believed that India was already in his pocket. João II just recently warmed up to Bartolomeu Dias, who finally circumnavigated Africa. The king personally renamed the Cape of Storms discovered by Dias to Cape Good Hope. How else? A little more, he believed, and India would be in his pocket.

On March 15, 1493, Columbus's ship returned to Palos. And on the same day, towards evening, the sails of the Pinta appeared on the horizon. Martin Alonso Pinzon also returned safely to his home port. He died that same year, possibly being one of the first “lucky ones” to bring syphilis to Europe.

From 1493 to 1504, Columbus made three more voyages across the ocean. On his second expedition (1493-1496), he discovered Puerto Rico, Jamaica and the southern coast of Cuba. In the third (1498-1500) - the island of Trinidad and part of the coast of South America. In the fourth and last (1502-1504) - the Atlantic coast of Central America.

And in May 1506, Columbus, half-blind and half-paralyzed, dies in the Spanish city of Valladolid. He dies, confident that he has discovered India after all. How he gained fame for himself and provided wealth for his offspring. This was the last delusion of the great man.

1. Many have pointed out that the process of turning a hypothesis into a scientific discovery is very well illustrated by the example of the discovery of America by Columbus. Columbus was obsessed with the idea that the Earth was round and that one could reach the East Indies by sailing to the West.
   Please note the following:
   a) the idea was in no way original, but he received new information;
   b) he encountered enormous difficulties both in finding people who could subsidize him and directly in the process of conducting the experiment;
   c) he did not find a new route to India, but he found a new part of the world;
   d) despite all the evidence to the contrary, he still believed that he had opened the road to the East;
   e) during his lifetime he received neither special honor nor significant reward;
   f) since then, irrefutable evidence has been found that Columbus was not the first European to reach America.

Christopher Columbus or Cristobal Colon(Italian: Cristoforo Colombo, Spanish: Cristоbal Colоn; between August 25 and October 31, 1451 - May 10, 1506) - a famous navigator and cartographer of Italian origin, who wrote his name in history as the man who discovered America for Europeans.

Columbus was the first of the reliably known navigators to cross the Atlantic Ocean in the subtropical zone of the northern hemisphere, the first of the Europeans to sail to, discovered Central and South America, initiating the exploration of the continents and their nearby archipelagos:

• Greater Antilles (Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico);
• Lesser Antilles (from Dominica to the Virgin Islands and Trinidad);
• Bahamas.

Although calling him the “Discoverer of America” is not entirely historically correct, since back in the Middle Ages the coast of continental America and nearby islands were visited by Icelandic Vikings. Since the data on those voyages did not go beyond Scandinavia, it was Columbus’s expeditions that first made information about western lands. The expedition finally proved that a new part of the world had been discovered. Columbus's discoveries marked the beginning of the colonization of American territories by Europeans, the founding of Spanish settlements, the enslavement and mass extermination of the indigenous population, erroneously called “Indians.”

Biography pages

The legendary Christopher Columbus, the greatest of the medieval navigators, can quite reasonably be called one of the biggest losers of the Age of Discovery. To understand this, it is enough to familiarize yourself with his biography, which, unfortunately, is replete with “white” spots.

It is believed that Christopher Columbus was born in the maritime Italian republic of Genoa (Italian: Genova), on the island of Corsica in August-October 1451, although the exact date of his birth remains in question to this day. In general, not much is known about childhood and adolescence.

So, Cristoforo was the first-born in a poor Genoese family. The father of the future navigator, Domenico Colombo, was engaged in pastures, vineyards, worked as a wool weaver, and traded wine and cheese. Christopher's mother, Susanna Fontanarossa, was the daughter of a weaver. Christopher had 3 younger brothers - Bartolome (about 1460), Giacomo (about 1468), Giovanni Pellegrino, who died very early - and a sister, Bianchinetta.

Documentary evidence from the time shows that the family's financial situation was deplorable. Particularly large financial problems arose because of the house into which the family moved when Christopher was 4 years old. Much later, on the foundations of that house in Santo Domingo, where Cristoforo spent his childhood, a building was erected called “Casa di Colombo” (Spanish: Casa di Colombo - “House of Columbus”), on the facade of which in 1887 an inscription appeared : " No parental home can be more revered than this».

Since Colombo the elder was a respected artisan in the city, in 1470 he was sent on an important mission to Savona (Italian: Savona) to discuss with weavers the issue of introducing uniform prices for textile products. Apparently, this is why Dominico moved with his family to Savona, where after the death of his wife and youngest son, as well as after his eldest sons left home and Bianca’s marriage, he increasingly began to seek solace in a glass of wine.

Since the future discoverer of America grew up near the sea, from childhood he was attracted by the sea. From his youth, Christopher was distinguished by faith in omens and divine providence, morbid pride and a passion for gold. He had a remarkable mind, versatile knowledge, a talent for eloquence and the gift of persuasion. It is known that after studying a little at the University of Pavia, around 1465 the young man entered service in the Genoese fleet and at a fairly early age began to sail as a sailor in the Mediterranean Sea on merchant ships. After some time, he was seriously wounded and temporarily left the service.

He may have become a merchant and settled in Portugal in the mid-1470s, joining a community of Italian merchants in Lisbon and sailing north to England, Ireland and Iceland under the Portuguese flag. He visited Madeira, the Canary Islands, walked along west coast Africa to modern Ghana.

In Portugal, around 1478, Christopher Columbus married the daughter of a prominent navigator of the time, Doña Felipe Moniz de Palestrello, becoming a member of a wealthy Italo-Portuguese family in Lisbon. Soon the young couple had a son, Diego. Until 1485, Columbus sailed on Portuguese ships, was engaged in trade and self-education, and became interested in drawing maps. In 1483 he already had it ready new project sea trade route to India and Japan, which the navigator presented to the King of Portugal. But, apparently, his time had not yet come, or he failed to convincingly convince the monarch of the need to equip the expedition, but after 2 years of deliberation, the king rejected this enterprise, and the daring sailor fell into disgrace. Then Columbus switched to Spanish service, where a few years later he managed to persuade the king to finance a naval expedition.

Already in 1486 H.K. managed to intrigue the influential Duke of Medina-Seli with his project, who introduced the poor but obsessed navigator into the circle of the royal entourage, bankers and merchants.

In 1488, he received an invitation from the Portuguese king to return to Portugal; the Spaniards also wanted to organize an expedition, but the country was in a state of protracted war and was unable to allocate funds for the voyage.

Columbus's First Expedition

In January 1492, the war ended, and soon Christopher Columbus obtained permission to organize an expedition, but once again his bad character let him down! The navigator’s demands were excessive: appointment as viceroy of all new lands, the title of “Chief Admiral of the Ocean” and a large number of money. The king refused him, however, Queen Isabella promised her help and assistance. As a result, on April 30, 1492, the king officially made Columbus a nobleman, granting him the title “Don” and approving all the demands put forward.

Expeditions of Christopher Columbus

In total, Columbus made 4 voyages to the American coast:

• August 2, 1492 – March 15, 1493

Purpose first Spanish expedition, led by Christopher Columbus, was the search for the shortest sea route to India. This small expedition consisted of 90 people “Santa Maria” (Spanish: Santa María), “Pinta” (Spanish: Pinta) and “Ninya” (Spanish: La Niña). “Santa Maria” - on August 3, 1492, set off from Palos (Spanish: Cabo de Palos) on 3 caravels. Having reached the Canary Islands and turning west, she crossed the Atlantic and discovered the Sargasso Sea. The first land seen among the waves was one of the islands of the Bahamas archipelago, called San Salvador Island, on which Columbus landed on October 12, 1492 - this day is considered the official date of the discovery of America. Then a number of Bahamas, Cuba, and Haiti were discovered.

In March 1493, the ships returned to Castile, carrying in their holds a certain amount of gold, strange plants, bright feathers of birds and several natives. Christopher Columbus announced that he had discovered western India.

• September 25, 1493 – June 11, 1496

In 1493 she set off and second expedition, who was already in rank
Admiral. 17 ships and more than 2 thousand people took part in this grand enterprise. In November 1493
The following islands were discovered: Dominica, Guadeloupe and the Antilles. In 1494, the expedition explored the islands of Haiti, Cuba, Jamaica and Juventud.

This expedition, which ended on June 11, 1496, opened the way to colonization. To settle new colonies in open lands began sending out priests, settlers and criminals.

• May 30, 1498 – November 25, 1500

Third Exploration Expedition, consisting of only 6 ships, started in 1498. On July 31, the island of Trinidad (Spanish: Trinidad) was discovered, then the Gulf of Paria (Spanish: Golfo de Paria), the Paria Peninsula and the mouth (Spanish: Río Orinoco). On August 15, the crew discovered (Spanish: Isla Margarita). In 1500, Columbus, arrested following a denunciation, was sent to Castile. He did not stay in prison for long, but, having received freedom, he lost many privileges and most of his wealth - this became the biggest disappointment in the life of a navigator.

• 9 May 1502 – November 1504

Fourth expedition started in 1502. Having obtained permission to continue the search for the western route to India, on June 15, on just 4 ships, Columbus reached the island of Martinique (French Martinique), and on July 30 entered the Gulf of Honduras (Spanish Golfo de Honduras), where he first had contact with representatives of the Mayan civilization.

In 1502-1503 Columbus, who dreamed of reaching the fabulous treasures of India, thoroughly explored the coast of Central America and discovered more than 2 thousand km of the Caribbean coast. On June 25, 1503, off the coast of Jamaica, Columbus was wrecked and was rescued only a year later. On November 7, 1504, he returned to Castile, seriously ill and broken by the failures that had befallen him.

Tragic decline of life

This is where the epic of the famous navigator ended. Not finding the coveted passage to India, finding himself ill, without money and privileges, after painful negotiations with the king to restore his rights that undermined his last strength, Christopher Columbus died in the Spanish city of Valladolid (Spanish: Valladolid) on May 21, 1506. His remains in 1513 g. were transported to a monastery near Seville. Then, by the will of his son Diego, who was then the governor of Hispaniola (Spanish: La Espaсola, Haiti), the remains of Columbus were reburied in 1542 in Santo Domingo (Spanish: La Española, Haiti). Santo Domingo de Guzman), in 1795 they were transported to Cuba, and in 1898 they were returned to Spanish Seville (to the Cathedral of Santa Maria). DNA studies of the remains showed that with a high degree of probability they belong to Columbus.

If you think about it, Columbus died an unhappy man: he was unable to reach the shores of the fabulously rich India, but this was precisely the navigator’s secret dream. He didn’t even understand what he had discovered, and the continents that he saw for the first time received the name of another person - (Italian: Amerigo Vespucci), who simply extended the paths trodden by the great Genoese. In fact, Columbus achieved a lot, and, at the same time, achieved nothing - this is the tragedy of his life.

Curious facts

• Christopher Columbus spent almost ³⁄4 of his life on voyages;
• The last words spoken by the navigator before his death were the following: Into your hands, Lord, I entrust my spirit...;
• After all these discoveries, the world entered the Age of Great Discoveries. Poor, hungry, constantly fighting for resources in Europe, the discoveries of the famous discoverer gave an influx of huge amounts of gold and silver - the center of civilization moved there from the East and Europe began to develop rapidly;
• How difficult it was for Columbus to organize the first expedition, how easy it was later for all countries to rush to send their ships to long voyages- this is the main historical merit of the great navigator, who gave a powerful impetus to the study and change of the world!