Which modern countries were discovered by Columbus? When was America discovered? History of the discovery of America
— great traveler, an outstanding navigator, one of the great figures whose discoveries were of world-historical significance for all mankind. Columbus was born in the fall of 1451 in Genoa in the family of a weaver and wool merchant Domenico Colombo. At the age of 14, he joined the Genoese fleet as a sailor, where he was eventually seriously wounded. In 1477 he returned to Portugal, where in 1479 he married the daughter of the deceased owner of the island. Porto Santo. In 1480, their son Diego Columbus was born. Until 1485, Columbus lived in Lisbon and on the islands of Porto Santo and Madeira, sailing on ships, engaged in trade, and was intensively engaged in self-education and drawing up maps. Based on ancient teachings about the sphericity of the Earth, Columbus was confident that it had the shape of a sphere, but due to incorrect calculations he believed that the Earth was much smaller than it actually was, and Asia was located west of Europe at a distance of only several thousand miles.
He draws up a project for a western route by sea from Europe to India. In 1484, Columbus approached the Portuguese king with his project, but he refused to support the project. In 1485, Columbus moved to Spain with his son. In Spain, he took a mistress, with whom he had a son, Fernando, born out of wedlock in 1487. Columbus refers several times with his expedition projects to different countries and finally, in 1492, the project was approved by the Spanish monarchs Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon. He was given financial support in exchange for the annexation of newly discovered lands with gold and spices to the Spanish crown, as well as the conversion of the natives to Christianity.
Finally, in 1492, Columbus carried out the first expedition of three ships with a crew of 90 people. 
Columbus crossed Atlantic Ocean, became the discoverer of the Sargasso Sea and on October 12, 1492 reached the island of Samana, part of the Bahamas archipelago. He named the island he discovered San Salvador, and the date October 12, 1492 is considered the official date of the discovery of America. Several more were opened from October 14 to 24 Bahamas, and on October 28, the island of Cuba was discovered; he explored the northeastern coast until December 5. On December 6, the ships reached the island of Haiti. In the spring of 1493, Columbus returned to Spain on one of the ships (Ninya).
He undertook a second expedition in the fall of the same year as viceroy of the lands he discovered. Under his command there were already 17 ships, the crew numbered more than two thousand people. In order to develop new lands, a team of colonists consisting of priests, soldiers and farmers also went with them. During his second voyage he discovered the Small Archipelago Antilles, in mid-November 1493 - the island of Puerto Rico, in the spring of 1494 he made a military campaign deep into Haiti, and in the summer he explored the rest of Cuba and discovered the islands of Jamaica and Juventud. During the same period he founded the first European city- La Isabela and the conversion of the local population to Christianity began. In June 1496 he returned to Spain, where he was given the title of "Admiral of the Ocean and Seas."
Columbus undertook his third expedition of six ships in 1498, the main discovery of which was the island of Trinidad 
(July 31). Having explored the Gulf of Paria, he discovered the Paria Peninsula in the Orinoco River basin, thereby marking the beginning of the discovery South America. During this period, he discovered the islands of Chakakchakare, Margarita, and Tobago. At this time, another traveler Vasco da Gama discovered the real route to India, Columbus was accused of deception and in 1500 he was sent to Spain, shackled. Here the charges against him were dropped, but Columbus kept the shackles for life.
Columbus still dreams of finding a western route to India and, having obtained permission, in May 1502 he made his fourth voyage on four ships. It reached the shores of Central America, which indicated the presence of a continent between the Atlantic Ocean and South Sea. From August 1502 to May 1503, he explored 2,000 km of the Caribbean coast of central America. Unable to find a passage to the west, Columbus turned north and at the end of June 1503 was wrecked off the island of Jamaica. Only a year later did help come from Spain; Columbus returned home in November 1504, being seriously ill. 
Columbus demanded that Spain pay him 10 percent of the profits received from the lands he discovered, which was stipulated in previous agreements. However, all his demands were rejected. A serious illness, lack of money and fruitless negotiations undermined the health of the previously physically strong and courageous navigator, and on May 20, 1506, Christopher Columbus died in Valladolid. Columbus was buried in Spain in the Seville Cathedral. At the time of his death, Columbus was still convinced that he had traveled along east coast Asia and, mistaking the lands he discovered for the East Indies, he called indigenous people"Indians". Despite this mistake, all of Columbus's discoveries were of great importance, and the expedition undertaken by Magellan confirmed that he had discovered a new part of the world. A South American state, river and river are named after Columbus. federal district in the USA, a huge number of rivers, mountains, waterfalls, lakes, capes, cities, parks, bridges and streets in many countries of the world.
To the question “What did Christopher Columbus discover?” The answer for many is obvious - America. In fact, this is not the only discovery famous traveler. Thanks to him, in the 14th century, Spain became one of the richest and most prosperous European countries.
Columbus's discovery of America
A native of Spain with Italian roots Christopher Columbus launched his first expedition in August 1492. It consisted of three ships: the flagship "Santa Maria" and the caravels "Pinta" and "Nina". The voyage lasted just over two months. Since the navigator hoped to get to India, he called the inhabitants of one of the Bahamas islands, on the shores of which the flotilla landed, Indians.
Following the island of San Salvador, Columbus discovered the northeastern coast of Cuba and the island of Haiti. Thus, one of the most significant historical discoveries was made - the discovery of America. Despite the fact that back in the Middle Ages, the territory of North America was visited by the Icelandic Vikings, it was Columbus who is considered the one. Since he was the first to publish information about new lands, which marked the beginning of the colonization of America.
What did Christopher Columbus discover besides America?
Columbus was the first to cross the Atlantic Ocean. During the second expedition, the navigator discovered a new route to Asia, and in the third he initiated the discovery of South America.
From his first expedition, Columbus brought new varieties of plants to Europe: potatoes, corn, smoking tobacco. Therefore, it was Columbus who Europeans owe the spread of the addiction.
Columbus was the first in the history of navigation to think of adapting Indian hammocks into sailor bunks.
Christopher Columbus (1451 - 1506) was the famous navigator who made the official discovery of America. Made the first voyage from Europe across the Atlantic Ocean to the Southern Hemisphere to the shores of Central America. Discovered Sargasso and Caribbean Sea, Bahamas, Greater Antilles and Lesser Antilles, part of the coast of South and Central America. Founded the first colony in the New World in Haiti and Saint-Domingue.
Key figure of the era of the greats geographical discoveries, of course, is Christopher Columbus, and it is quite natural that it was he who primarily attracted the attention of historical geographers literally from the first days that followed his discoveries. It would seem that everything connected with the life and activities of this person should have long been known and appreciated. Nevertheless, almost all the facts relating to his youth and stay in Portugal are controversial. His contribution to the cause of geographical discoveries is also assessed differently. There are polar opposite opinions, and some researchers even argue that most of traditional stories about him are simply fiction and cannot be taken into account.
Christopher Columbus (the Spaniards called him Cristobal Colon) was born around 1451 in Genoa into the family of a wool weaver. Although the prosaic occupation of his father and relatives had nothing to do with long voyages Since childhood, Columbus was powerfully attracted by the sea. Genoa was a great maritime republic, its port quarters crowded with sailors and traders from all over the world. The threads of governance of the wealthy city converged in the hands of large merchant and banking houses, which owned hundreds of merchant ships sailing from Genoa to all corners of the world.
Even in his youth, Columbus refused to follow in his father's footsteps. He became a cartographer. At approximately the age of 25, the Genoese came to Portugal. Fascinated by the bold undertakings of the Portuguese, who sought to find a new route to India bypassing Africa, he thought a lot about this, studying Italian and Portuguese maps. Columbus was familiar with the ancient theories of the sphericity of the Earth and thought about the possibility of getting to India, moving not to the east, but to the west. Several happy accidents strengthened him in this idea.
In Portugal, he got married, and he received maps, sailing directions and notes from his father-in-law, an experienced sailor from the time of Enrique the Navigator, governor of the island of Porto Santo. During his stay at Porto Santo, Columbus heard stories local residents about what to west bank their islands were sometimes washed up by waves of fragments of boats unknown to Europeans and utensils with unknown ornaments. This information confirmed the idea that in the west beyond the ocean there was a land inhabited by people. Columbus believed that this was India and neighboring China.
A number of historians believe that Columbus's idea received the support of the famous Italian geographer Paolo Toscanelli. Adhering to the opinion that the Earth was spherical, Toscanelli compiled a map of the world, providing it with reasoning about the possibility of reaching India by sailing to the west. When he received a letter from the humble Italian cartographer Columbus, Toscanelli kindly sent him a copy of his map. It depicted China and India approximately where America actually is located. Toscanelli miscalculated the circumference of the Earth, underestimating it, and his inaccuracy made India seem tantalizingly close to west coast Europe. If there are great mistakes in history, then Toscanelli’s mistake was exactly that in its consequences. She strengthened Columbus's intention to be the first to reach India, sailing the western route.
Columbus proposed his bold plan to the king of Portugal, but he rejected it. Then Columbus tried to interest the English king, but Henry VII did not want to spend money on a dubious enterprise. Finally, Columbus turned his attention to Spain.
In 1485, Columbus and his young son Diego went to Spain. And here, too, his project did not immediately find understanding. He long and unsuccessfully sought a meeting with King Ferdinand of Aragon, who at that time was besieging the last stronghold of the Moors - Granada. Desperate, Columbus had already decided to leave Spain and go to France, but at the last moment luck smiled on the Italian: Queen Isabella of Castile agreed to accept him.
Isabella, a powerful and decisive woman, listened to the foreigner favorably. His plan promised new glory for Spain and untold riches for its kings if they managed to get to India and China before other Christian sovereigns. In 1492, the royal couple, Ferdinand and Isabella, signed a treaty with Columbus, according to which he received the titles of admiral, viceroy and governor, salaries for all positions, a tenth share of the income from new lands and the right to examine criminal and civil cases.
First expedition
For the first expedition, two ships were allocated, and another ship was equipped by the seafarers and shipowners, the Pinson brothers. The flotilla crew consisted of 90 people. The names of the ships - "Santa Maria", "Nina" ("Baby") and "Pinta" - are now known throughout the world, and they were commanded by: "Pinta" - Martin Alonso Pinzon, and "Nina" - Vincente Yañez Pinzon. Santa Maria became the flagship. Columbus himself sailed on it.
The purpose of the expedition is now disputed by many experts, citing various arguments in favor of the fact that Columbus was not going to look for India at all. Instead, they name various legendary islands like Brazil, Antilia, etc. However, most of these considerations seem insufficiently substantiated.
August 3, 1492 from the port of Paloe to Atlantic coast Three small caravels left Spain. At the head of this expedition was an extraordinary man, obsessed with a bold dream - to cross the Atlantic Ocean from east to west and reach the fabulously rich kingdoms of India and China. His sailors set out reluctantly - they were afraid of unknown seas, where no one had been before. The crew was hostile to the foreign admiral from the very beginning.
Leaving the last ship stop before leaving for open ocean— The Canary Islands, many feared that they would never return back. Despite the favorable weather, all subsequent days of sailing in the vast expanses of the ocean became a real test for the sailors. Several times the team tried to mutiny and turn back. To reassure the sailors, Columbus hid from them how many miles had been traveled. He kept two ship logs: in the official one he entered false data, from which it followed that the ships had not gone that far from the European coast, while in the other, secret one, he noted how much had actually been traveled.
When passing the magnetic meridian on the caravels, all the compasses suddenly broke down - their arrows danced, pointing different directions. Panic began on the ships, but the compass needles calmed down just as suddenly. Columbus's expedition was beset by other surprises: one day at dawn, the sailors discovered that the ships were surrounded by a lot of algae and seemed to be floating not on the sea, but on a green meadow. At first the caravels walked briskly forward among the greenery, but then calm came and they stopped. Rumors spread that it was algae that entwined the keel and did not allow the ships to go further. This is how Europeans became acquainted with the Sargasso Sea.
The team was worried about the unusual situation, and in early October demands began to be made for a change of course. Columbus, who was heading west, was forced to give in. The ships turned west-southwest. But the situation continued to heat up, and the commander, with great difficulty, persuasion and promises, managed to keep the flotilla from returning.
Two months of difficult sailing across the ocean expanses... It seemed that there would be no end to the sea desert. Food supplies were running low and fresh water. People are tired. The admiral, who did not leave the deck for hours, increasingly heard cries of discontent and threats from the sailors.
However, everyone on board the ships noticed signs of nearby land: birds flying in from the west and landing on the masts. One day the watchman saw the land, and everyone indulged in fun, but the next morning it disappeared. It was a mirage, and the team again plunged into despondency. Meanwhile, all the signs spoke of the proximity of the desired land: birds, floating green tree branches and sticks, clearly planed by a human hand.
“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 was the first to see the land was promised a reward of ten thousand maravedi, and now it was clear to everyone that the long voyage was nearing an end... The day was drawing to a close, and in the bright starry night three ships, driven by a fair wind, were rapidly gliding forward ..."
This is how the American historian J. Bakeless describes the exciting moment that preceded the discovery of America by Columbus...
That night, Captain Martin Pinzón, on the Pinta, walked ahead of the small flotilla, and the watchman at the bow of the ship was the sailor Rodrigo de Triana. It was he who was the first to see the earth, or rather, the reflections of ghostly moonlight on the white sandy hills. "Earth! Earth!" - Rodrigo shouted. And a minute later the thunder of a gun shot announced that America was open.
All the ships removed the sails and began to impatiently wait for dawn. Finally it came, the clear and cool dawn of Friday, October 12, 1492. The first rays of the sun illuminated the mysteriously darkening earth ahead. “This island,” Columbus would later write in his diary, “is very sick and very flat, there are a lot of green trees and water, and in the middle there is big lake. There are no mountains.”
The discovery of the "Western Indies" has begun. And although on that momentous morning of October 12, 1492, the life of the vast American continent was outwardly undisturbed, the appearance of three caravels in the warm waters off the coast of Guanahani meant that the history of America had entered a new era full of dramatic events.
Boats were lowered from the ships. Stepping ashore, the admiral planted the royal banner there and declared the open land the possession of Spain. It was a small island that Columbus christened San Salvador - “Savior” (now Guanahani, one of the islands of the Bahamas archipelago). The island turned out to be inhabited: it was inhabited by cheerful and good-natured people with dark, reddish skin. “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 their faces were very beautiful, and their hair was coarse, just like horse hair, and short... Their facial features were correct, their expressions were friendly... These people were not black in color, but the same as the inhabitants Canary Islands».
The first meeting of Europeans with American aborigines. The first, most vivid impressions of the New World. Everything here seemed unusual and new: nature, plants, birds, animals and even people...
None of the members of Columbus's expedition had any doubts that if the island he discovered had not yet fabulous India, but at least she's somewhere close. The ships headed south. Soon it was opened big Island Cuba, which was considered part of the mainland. Here Columbus hoped to meet big cities, belonging to the great Chinese Khan, which Marco Polo spoke about.
The locals were friendly and greeted the white newcomers with amazement. An exchange ensued between them and the sailors, and the natives paid for European trinkets with gold records. Columbus rejoiced: this was yet another proof that the fabulous gold mines of India were somewhere nearby. However, neither the residence of the Great Khan nor gold mines were found in Cuba - only villages and cotton fields. Columbus moved east and, having discovered another large island— Haiti, called it Hispaniola (Spanish Island).
While the admiral was exploring the open archipelago, Captain Pinzón left him, deciding to return to Spain. Soon after, the Santa Maria perished after running aground. Columbus only had the Niña, which could not accommodate the entire crew. The admiral decided to return home to immediately equip new expedition. Forty sailors remained to wait for Columbus at the fort “La Navedad” (Christmas) built for them.
Neither Columbus nor his companions yet realized the full importance of what had happened. And many years later, his contemporaries still did not realize the significance of this discovery, for a long time which did not provide the coveted spices and gold. Only subsequent generations could appreciate it. It was still a long way from America itself. On the horizon, the sailors saw only one of the islands of the continent - Guanahani, and on this journey none of the Spaniards set foot on the mainland. Nevertheless, today it is October 12, 1492 that is considered the official date of the discovery of America, although it has been proven that even before Columbus, Europeans visited the lands of the Western Hemisphere.
On open lands Columbus did not find anything that resembled India or other Asian countries. There were no cities here. The people, plants, and animals were very different from what one could read or hear from travelers about Asia. But Columbus believed so sacredly in his theory that he was absolutely confident in the discovery, if not of India, but of some poor country, but precisely in Asia. However, one could not expect anything else from him: after all, even at the most best maps At that time there was no mention of a continent on the opposite side of the globe, and the size of the Earth, although calculated back in the ancient period, medieval Europe were not known.
Columbus's return to Spain on March 15, 1493 on two surviving but badly battered ships turned into a true triumph for the great navigator. The admiral was immediately demanded to court. The finest hour had come for Christopher Columbus, who had no doubt that he had opened the way to India for Spain. The Genoese told his astonished listeners about heavenly lands, which he visited, showed the imported stuffed wild animals and birds, collections of plants and, most importantly, six natives taken from Hispaniola, who, naturally, were considered Indians. Columbus was showered with numerous honors and awards from the royal couple and received a firm promise of assistance in future expeditions to the “Indies.”
Of course, the real gains from the first voyage were small: a handful of pathetic trinkets made of low-grade gold, several half-naked natives, bright feathers of strange birds. But the main thing was done: this Genoese found new lands in the west, far beyond the ocean.
Columbus's report made an impression. The gold found opened up tempting prospects. Therefore, the next expedition was not long in coming. Already on September 25, with the rank of “chief admiral of the ocean,” Columbus, at the head of a flotilla of 17 ships, sailed to the west.
Second expedition
Columbus's second expedition, which set off across the Atlantic in September 1493, already involved 17 ships and more than 1,500 people. The ships were full of provisions: the Spaniards brought with them small livestock and poultry to breed them in new places. This time they took a course further south than on the first voyage and discovered the islands of Dominica, Maria Talante, Guadeloupe, Antigua, which are part of the Lesser Antilles group, and Puerto Rico, and on September 22, landing again in Cuba, it turned out that all the colonists, those responsible for robbery and violence were destroyed by the islanders. To the east of the burned fort, Columbus built a city, named it Isabella, explored the island and reported to Spain about the discovery of a gold deposit, greatly exaggerating its reserves.
In April 1494, Columbus left Hispaniola to finally discover the “mainland of India,” but found only Fr. Jamaica. He soon returned to Cuba. A lot of trouble awaited him in the colony. The most significant thing for him was the violation of the royal treaty. Ferdinand and Isabella, considering that the income from Hispaniola was small, allowed all Castilian subjects to move to new lands if they contributed two-thirds of the gold mined to the treasury. In addition, now everyone had the right to equip ships for new discoveries. To top it all off, yielding to the dissatisfaction of the colonists with the governor, which was largely justified, the kings removed him from office and sent a new governor to Hispaniola.
On June 11, 1496, Columbus went to Spain to defend his rights. At a meeting with Their Majesties, he achieved his goal and received a promise of a monopoly for himself and his sons on discoveries, and in order to “cheap” the maintenance of the colony, he proposed to populate Hispaniola with criminals, reducing their sentences, which was done.
Third expedition
Despite the favorable outcome of the audience, Columbus managed to equip the third expedition with great difficulty in 1498. “Indian riches” were not yet in sight, therefore there were no hunters to finance the enterprise, as well as those willing to set off. And yet, on May 30, 1498, six small ships with a crew of 300 people sailed to the west, and at about. The Hierro flotilla split up. Three ships headed to Hispaniola, and Columbus led the rest to the Cape Verde Islands with the intention of reaching the equator and then heading west.
On this voyage, the sailors encountered unprecedented heat. The supplies on the ships had deteriorated, and the fresh water had gone rotten. The torment experienced by the sailors resurrected terrible stories about the Sea of Darkness and latitudes where it was impossible to live. Columbus himself, no longer a young man, suffered from gout and eye disease, and sometimes had attacks of nervous breakdown. And yet they reached distant lands overseas.
On this voyage, Columbus discovered the island of Trinidad (Trinity), located near the mouth of the Orinoco River, and came closest to the coast of the continent. The flow of fresh water that the sailors noticed in the ocean made Columbus think about powerful river, flowing from somewhere from the south. Apparently there was a mainland there. Columbus decided that the lands lying south of India were nothing more than Eden itself - paradise, the top of the world. From there, from this hill, all the great rivers originate. Illuminated by this insight, Columbus considered himself the first European destined to find his way to earthly paradise, from where, according to the Bible, the ancestors of mankind, Adam and Eve, were expelled. Columbus believed that he had been chosen to once again show people the path to their lost bliss.
However, when the admiral returned to Hispaniola, he was met with reproaches and complaints from the settlers. They were dissatisfied with the conditions in which they found themselves, with the fact that their hopes for fantastic enrichment did not come true, and sent denunciations to Spain against Columbus, claiming that he had turned the colony into a “cemetery for Castilian nobles.” Ferdinand and Isabella had their own reasons for dissatisfaction with Columbus. Gold, spices, precious stones- everything that the participants of the expeditions and those who financed them so greedily strove for was not possible to obtain. Meanwhile, the Portuguese made the final push on their way to India: in 1498, Vasco da Gama circumnavigated Africa and reached his desired goal, returning with a rich cargo of spices. This was a painful blow for Spain.
On Hispaniola, Columbus was again in trouble. In 1499, the king and queen again abolished his monopoly and sent Francisco Boazillo to the colony to deal with the flow of complaints against the governor on the spot. Boazilla came to the conclusion that Columbus could not rule the country because he was a “hard-hearted” man, ordered him and his brothers to be shackled and sent to Spain. The deeply wounded admiral did not want to remove the shackles until he was heard by his sovereigns. In the metropolis, Columbus's supporters began a campaign in defense of the "admiral of all seas." Ferdinand and Isabella ordered his release and expressed sympathy, but did not restore his rights. The title of viceroy was not returned to Columbus, and by that time his financial affairs were in disarray.
Fourth expedition
Yet the humiliated admiral managed to make one last voyage to find a route to South Asia south of Cuba. This time, for the first time, he came close to the coast of Central America in the area of the Isthmus of Panama (Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama), where (mainly among the Panamanian Indians) he exchanged a significant amount of gold.
The journey began on April 3, 1502. Having at his disposal 4 ships with a crew of 150 people, Columbus discovered about. Martinique, then the island of Benaca off northern Honduras and explored part of the mainland coast from Mosquitos Bay to Cape Tiburon, a length of about 2 thousand km. When it became clear that there was no strait ahead, as the Indians reported, two caravels (the rest were abandoned) turned towards Jamaica. The ships were in such a state that on June 23, 1503, on the northern coast of the island, they had to be grounded to prevent them from sinking, and a pirogue with three sailors had to be sent to Hispaniola asking for help. Help arrived in June 1504.
Luck completely turned away from the admiral. It took him a full month and a half to travel from Jamaica to Hispaniola. Storms battered his ship on the way to Spain. Only on November 7, seriously ill Columbus saw the mouth of the Guadalquivir. Having recovered slightly, in May 1505 he arrived at court to renew his claims to the crown. Meanwhile, it turned out that his patron, Queen Isabella, had died. The consideration of the case regarding the admiral's property claims was delayed due to the fact that the royal court and the Spanish nobility did not receive the main thing - the coveted treasures of the Chinese and Indian rulers. On May 20, 1506, the “admiral of the ocean” died in Valladolid, without having obtained from the king a determination of the amount of income, rights and privileges due to him.
The great navigator died in complete oblivion and poverty. The traveler's ashes did not soon find peace. He was first moved to Seville and then transported across the ocean to Hispaniola and buried in the Cathedral of Santo Domingo. Many years later he was reburied in Cuba, in Havana, but then returned again to Seville. Now it is not known exactly where the true grave of the great navigator is located - Havana and Seville equally lay claim to this honor.
A lot can be said about the role of Columbus in history in general and in the history of the development of geographical ideas in particular. Many scientific treatises and popular publications are devoted to this, but the main essence, apparently, is clearly stated by the historian-geographer J. Baker: “... he died, probably not fully imagining what he had discovered. His name is immortalized in a number of geographical names in the New World, his achievements became commonplace in history books. And even if we take seriously the criticism that Columbus himself and his biographers were subjected to, he will still forever remain a central figure great era European “overseas expansion” (“History of geographical discoveries and exploration”).
Columbus's diaries are lost. All that remains is the so-called “Diary of the First Voyage” as retold by Bartolomé Las Casas. He and other documents of that time related to the discoveries of the great traveler were published in Russian translation in the collection “The Travels of Christopher Columbus (Diaries, Letters, Documents),” which was published in several editions.
Contemporaries, as often happens in history, failed to appreciate the true significance of the discoveries made by Columbus. And he himself did not understand that he had discovered a new continent, until the end of his life he considered the lands he discovered to be India, and their inhabitants to be Indians. Only after the expeditions of Balboa, Magellan and Vespucci it became obvious that beyond the blue expanses of the ocean lay a completely new, unknown land. But they will call it America (after Amerigo Vespucci), and not Colombia, as justice demanded. Subsequent generations of compatriots turned out to be more grateful to the memory of Columbus.
The significance of his discoveries was confirmed already in the 20-30s. XVI century, when, after the conquest of the rich kingdoms of the Aztecs and Incas, a wide stream of American gold and silver poured into Europe. What for great navigator strived all his life, and what he so persistently sought in “ Western Indies“turned out to be not a utopia, not the delirium of a madman, but a very real reality. Columbus is still revered in Spain today. His name is no less famous in Latin America, where one, the most northern country The South American continent is named Colombia in his honor.
However, only in the United States is October 12 celebrated as a national holiday - Columbus Day. Many cities, a district, a mountain, a river, a university and countless streets are named after the great Genoese. Although with some delay, justice triumphed. Columbus received his share of glory and gratitude from a grateful humanity.
I often notice that chance plays a big role in our lives. An example is my favorite story about the discovery of America by Columbus. I believe that this is an amazing accident when a researcher was looking for India and discovered a new continent.
Who is Christopher Columbus
Very little has survived to this day about the life of Columbus before the discovery of the continent. It is believed that he was born in Italy. In his youth he served in the navy. During the fighting he was wounded and went to Spain.
The idea that India could be reached across the Atlantic Ocean originated with him during his military service. To implement the plan, Columbus needed money. He sent many letters to various nobles to obtain financial support. Only the Spanish king responded to his requests.
Columbus set out on his first expedition in 1492.
What great discovery did Columbus make?
Find sea route Everyone wanted to go to India at that time. The Portuguese tried to circumnavigate Africa, and the Spaniards, believing Columbus, equipped three ships to cross the Atlantic Ocean.
Columbus's team spent about three months sailing until they came across the islands. This happened in the fall of 1492. When Columbus saw the local residents, he decided that he had arrived in the poor provinces of China. The navigator brought gold, unprecedented plants and natives with him to Spain.
Subsequently, Columbus went on three more expeditions to America. The second visit to America was aimed at colonization. Several thousand people went on the expedition. Having landed for the second time, the Spaniards still believed that they were in India.
On the third and fourth expeditions, Columbus tried to open a route to southern Asia. His efforts led to the discovery of South America.
There are several more facts about the discovery of America:
- Until the end of his life, Columbus believed that he had discovered India.
- It took Columbus ten years to find funds to go on his first expedition.
- The Spaniards sent prisoners to settle America.
The saddest thing is that Columbus was stripped of all honors and titles in his old age.
Columbus discovered America
The year this Spanish navigator discovered new land, is indicated in history as the 1492nd. And by the beginning of the eighteenth century, all other areas of North America had already been discovered and explored, for example, Alaska and the regions Pacific coast. It must be said that travelers from Russia also made an important contribution to the exploration of the mainland.
Development
The history of the discovery of North America is quite interesting: it can even be called accidental. At the end of the fifteenth century, a Spanish navigator and his expedition reached the shores of North America. At the same time, he mistakenly believed that he was in India. From this moment begins the countdown of the era when America was discovered and its exploration and exploration began. But some researchers consider this date inaccurate, arguing that the discovery of a new continent occurred much earlier.
The year Columbus discovered America - 1492 - is not an exact date. It turns out that the Spanish navigator had predecessors, and more than one. In the middle of the tenth century, the Normans arrived here after they discovered Greenland. True, they failed to colonize these new lands, since they were repelled by harsh weather north of this continent. In addition, the Normans were also frightened by the remoteness of the new continent from Europe.
According to other sources, this continent was discovered by ancient sailors - the Phoenicians. Some sources call the middle of the first millennium AD the time when America was discovered, and the Chinese as the pioneers. However, this version also does not have clear evidence.
The most reliable information is considered to be about the time when the Vikings discovered America. At the end of the tenth century, the Normans Bjarni Herjulfson and Leif Eriksson found Helluland - “stone”, Markland - “forest” and Vinland - “vineyards” of land, which contemporaries identify with the Labrador Peninsula.
There is evidence that even before Columbus, in the fifteenth century, the northern continent was reached by Bristol and Biscay fishermen, who called it the island of Brazil. However, the time periods of these expeditions cannot be called the milestone in history when America was truly discovered, that is, it was identified as a new continent.
Columbus - a true discoverer
And yet, when answering the question of what year America was discovered, experts most often name the fifteenth century, or rather its end. And Columbus is considered the first to do this. The time when America was discovered coincided in history with the period when Europeans began to spread ideas about the round shape of the Earth and the possibility of reaching India or China along the western route, that is, through the Atlantic Ocean. It was believed that this path was much shorter than the eastern one. Therefore, given the Portuguese monopoly on control of the South Atlantic, obtained by the Treaty of Alcázovaz in 1479, Spain, always eager to gain direct contacts with eastern countries, warmly supported the expedition of the Genoese navigator Columbus in a western direction.
Honor of opening
Christopher Columbus was interested in geography, geometry and astronomy from an early age. From a young age, he took part in sea expeditions and visited almost all the then known oceans. Columbus was married to the daughter of a Portuguese sailor, from whom he received many geographical maps and notes from the time of Henry the Navigator. The future discoverer carefully studied them. His plans were to find a sea route to India, but not bypassing Africa, but directly across the Atlantic. Like some scientists - his contemporaries, Columbus believed that, having gone west from Europe, it would be possible to reach the Asian eastern shores - those places where India and China are located. At the same time, he did not even suspect that on the way he would meet an entire continent, hitherto unknown to Europeans. But it happened. And from this time the history of the discovery of America began.
First expedition
For the first time, Columbus's ships sailed from Palos harbor on August 3, 1492. There were three of them. The expedition proceeded quite calmly to the Canary Islands: this section of the journey was already known to the sailors. But very soon they found themselves in a vast ocean. Gradually the sailors began to become despondent and begin to grumble. But Columbus managed to pacify the rebellious, maintaining hope in them. Soon signs began to appear - harbingers of the proximity of land: unknown birds flew in, tree branches floated up. Finally, after six weeks of sailing, lights appeared at night, and when dawn broke, a green picturesque island, all covered with vegetation. Columbus, having landed on shore, declared this land to be the possession of the Spanish crown. The island was named San Salvador, that is, the Savior. It was one of the small pieces of land included in the Bahamas or Lucayan archipelago.
The land where there is gold
The natives are peaceful and good-natured savages. Noticing the greed of those who sailed for the gold jewelry that hung in the noses and ears of the aborigines, they told with signs that in the south there was a land literally abounding in gold. And Columbus moved on. In the same year, he discovered Cuba, which, although he mistook it for a continent, or rather, for east coast Asia, also declared a Spanish colony. From here the expedition, turning east, landed in Haiti. Moreover, along the entire route the Spaniards met savages who not only willingly exchanged their gold jewelry for simple glass beads and other trinkets, but also constantly pointed to the southern direction when asked about this precious metal. Which Columbus named Hispaniola, or Little Spain, he built a small fortress.
Return
When the ships landed in Palos harbor, all the inhabitants came ashore to greet them with honors. Columbus and Ferdinand and Isabella received him very graciously. The news of the discovery of the New World spread very quickly, and those who wanted to go there with the discoverer gathered just as quickly. At that time, Europeans had no idea what kind of America Christopher Columbus discovered.
Second trip
The history of the discovery of North America, which began in 1492, continued. From September 1493 to June 1496, the second expedition of the Genoese navigator took place. As a result, the Virgin and Windward Islands were discovered, including Antigua, Dominica, Nevis, Montserrat, St. Christopher, as well as Puerto Rico and Jamaica. The Spaniards firmly settled in the lands of Haiti, making them their base and building the fortress of San Domingo in its southeastern part. In 1497, the British entered into competition with them, also trying to find northwestern routes to Asia. For example, the Genoese Cabot, under the English flag, discovered the island of Newfoundland and, according to some reports, came very close to the North American coast: the peninsulas of Labrador and Nova Scotia. Thus, the British began to lay the foundation for their dominance in the North American region.
Third and fourth expeditions
It began in May 1498 and ended in November 1500. As a result, the mouth of the Orinoco was also opened. In August 1498, Columbus landed on the coast already on the Paria Peninsula, and in 1499 the Spaniards reached the shores of Guiana and Venezuela, after which - Brazil and the mouth of the Amazon. And during the last - fourth - journey from May 1502 to November 1504, Columbus discovered Central America. His ships sailed along the coasts of Honduras and Nicaragua, reaching from Costa Rica and Panama all the way to the Gulf of Darien.
New continent
In the same year, another navigator, whose expeditions took place under the Portuguese flag, also explored the Brazilian coast. Having reached Cape Cananea, he put forward the hypothesis that the lands that Columbus discovered were not China, or even India, but a completely new continent. This idea was confirmed after the first trip around the world perfected by F. Magellan. However, contrary to logic, the name America was assigned to the new continent - on behalf of Vespucci.
True, there is some reason to believe that the new continent was named in honor of the Bristol philanthropist Richard America from England, who financed the second transatlantic voyage in 1497, and Amerigo Vespucci after that took his nickname in honor of the continent named so. To prove this theory, researchers cite the facts that Cabot reached the shores of Labrador two years earlier, and therefore became the officially registered first European to set foot on American soil.
In the mid-sixteenth century, Jacques Cartier, a French navigator, reached the shores of Canada, giving the territory its modern name.
Other contenders
Development of the continent North America continued by such navigators as John Davis, Alexander Mackenzie, Henry Hudson and William Baffin. It was thanks to their research that the continent was studied right up to the Pacific coast.
However, history knows many other names of sailors who landed on American soil even before Columbus. These are Hui Shen, a Thai monk who visited this region in the fifth century, Abubakar, the Sultan of Mali, who sailed to the American coast in the fourteenth century, the Earl of Orkney de Saint-Clair, the Chinese explorer Zhee He, the Portuguese Juan Corterial, etc.
But, in spite of everything, Christopher Columbus is the person whose discoveries had an unconditional impact on the entire history of mankind.
Fifteen years after the time when the ships of this navigator discovered America, the very first geographic map mainland. Its author was Martin Waldseemüller. Today it, being the property of the United States, is stored in Washington.
