America was discovered in. Who discovered America and when? Admiral of all seas and oceans
Expeditions of Christopher Columbus
1st expedition
The first expedition of Christopher Columbus (1492-1493), consisting of 91 people on the ships Santa Maria, Pinta, Nina, left Palos on August 3, 1492, turned west from the Canary Islands (September 9), crossed the Atlantic Ocean in subtropical zone and reached the island of San Salvador in the Bahamas, where Christopher Columbus landed on October 12, 1492 (the official date of the discovery of America). On October 14-24, Christopher Columbus visited a number of other Bahamas, and on October 28-December 5, he discovered and explored a section of the northeast coast of Cuba. On December 6, Columbus reached Fr. Haiti and moved along its northern coast. On the night of December 25, the flagship Santa Maria landed on a reef, but people escaped. Columbus on the ship "Nina" January 4-16, 1493 completed the survey of the northern coast of Haiti and March 15 returned to Castile.
2nd expedition
The 2nd expedition (1493-1496), which Christopher Columbus led already in the rank of admiral, and in the position of viceroy of the newly discovered lands, consisted of 17 ships with a crew of over 1.5 thousand people. On November 3, 1493, Columbus discovered the islands of Dominica and Guadeloupe, turning to the North-West, - about 20 more Lesser Antilles, including Antigua and the Virgin Islands, and on November 19 - the island of Puerto Rico and approached the northern coast of Haiti. On March 12-29, 1494, in search of gold, Columbus made an aggressive campaign into Haiti, and crossed the Cordillera Central ridge. On April 29-May 3, Columbus with 3 ships passed along the southeastern coast of Cuba, turned from Cape Cruz to the South, and on May 5 discovered about. Jamaica. Returning on May 15 to Cape Cruz, Columbus walked along the southern coast of Cuba to 84 ° west longitude, discovered the Jardines de la Reina archipelago, the Zapata Peninsula and the island of Pinos. On June 24, Christopher Columbus turned east and surveyed the entire southern coast of Haiti on August 19-September 15. In 1495 Christopher Columbus continued the conquest of Haiti; March 10, 1496 left the island and June 11 returned to Castile.
3rd expedition
The 3rd expedition (1498-1500) consisted of 6 vessels, 3 of which Christopher Columbus himself led across the Atlantic Ocean near 10 ° north latitude. On July 31, 1498, he discovered the island of Trinidad, entered the Gulf of Paria from the south, discovered the mouth of the western branch of the Orinoco Delta and the Paria Peninsula, marking the beginning of the discovery of South America. Having then left for the Caribbean Sea, Christopher Columbus approached the Araya Peninsula, discovered the island of Margarita on August 15, and on August 31 arrived in the city of Santo Domingo (on the island of Haiti). In 1500, Christopher Columbus was arrested on a denunciation and sent to Castile, where he was released.
4th expedition
4th expedition (1502-1504). Having obtained permission to continue searching for a western route to India, Columbus with 4 ships reached the island of Martinique on June 15, 1502, and the Gulf of Honduras on July 30, and discovered from August 1, 1502 to May 1, 1503 the Caribbean coast of Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama to Uraba Bay. Turning then to the North, June 25, 1503 was wrecked off the island of Jamaica; help from Santo Domingo came only a year later. Christopher Columbus returned to Castile on November 7, 1504.
Facts
Hypotheses
In addition, hypotheses were put forward about visiting America and contact with its civilization by seafarers before Columbus, representing various civilizations of the Old World (for more details, see Contacts with America before Columbus). Here are just a few of these hypothetical contacts:
- in the 5th century - Hui Shen (Taiwanese monk)
- in the 6th century - St. Brendan (Irish monk)
- there are versions according to which, at least from the 13th century, America was known to the Knights Templar
- OK. d. - Henry Sinclair (de St. Clair), Earl of Orkney (c. 1345 - c. 1400)
- in - Zheng He (Chinese researcher)
- in Juan Corterial (Portuguese)
Notes
Literature
- Magidovich I.P. History of discovery and exploration of North America. - M .: Geografgiz, 1962.
- Magidovich I.P. History of discovery and exploration of Central and South America. - M .: Thought, 1963.
- John Lloyd and John Mitchinson. The book of general delusions. - Phantom Press, 2009.
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See what the "Discovery of America" is in other dictionaries:
Discovery of America by the expedition of Christopher Columbus- The Columbus expedition began on August 3, 1492, when the ships Santa Maria, Pinta and Nina left the bay of the Spanish city of Palos de la Frontera (Palos de la Frontera). On September 16, 1492, bunches of green began to appear on the expedition's path ... ... Encyclopedia of Newsmakers
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Discovery of America and Spanish conquests- In the spring of 1492, the Spaniards took Granada, the last stronghold of the Moors on the Iberian Peninsula, and on August 3 of the same year, three caravels of Christopher Columbus set off from the Spanish port of Paloe on a long voyage across the Atlantic Ocean in order to discover ... ... The World History. Encyclopedia
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Christopher Columbus. The Discovery Genre Drama Director John Glen Starring Marlon Brando Tom Selleck Duration 122 min ... Wikipedia
Invention, find. Discovery of America, invention of gunpowder. Finding... Dictionary of Russian synonyms and expressions similar in meaning. under. ed. N. Abramova, M.: Russian dictionaries, 1999. discovery invention, find, know-how, patent; acquisition; Start … Synonym dictionary
Opening- Discovery ♦ Découverte To make a discovery is to make evident something that already existed (as opposed to an invention) but was unknown. Such are the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus and the discovery of the law of universal gravitation by Newton. Concept ... ... Philosophical Dictionary of Sponville
OPENING- - identification of natural things, phenomena, patterns, etc., that really exist in nature, but were not known before (the discovery of America, the periodicity of elements, mineral deposits, etc.), which is based on internal ... ... Philosophy of Science and Technology: Thematic Dictionary
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Books
- Christopher Columbus and the Discovery of America, D. Windsor. Illustrated historical and critical study, translated from English by F. I. Bulgakov. The book contains information about the sources, about the ancestors and homeland of Columbus, his life in Portugal and ...
Year of discovery of America - 1492
The first discovery of America by the Normans
The voyage of the Normans to the shores of North America was unthinkable without their substantiation in Iceland. But the first Europeans to visit Iceland were Irish monks. Their acquaintance with the island took place approximately in the second half of the 8th century.
“30 years ago (that is, no later than 795), several clerics who were on this island from February 1 to August 1 informed me that there, not only during the summer solstice, but also on the previous and subsequent days, the setting sun seemed to only hides behind a small hill, so that it is not dark there even for the shortest time… and you can do whatever work you want… If the clerics lived on the high mountains of this island, then the sun might not hide from them at all… As long as they are there lived, days always gave way to nights, except for the period of the summer solstice; however, at a distance of one day's journey further north, they discovered a frozen sea ”(Dikuil - an Irish medieval monk and geographer who lived in the second half of the 8th century AD)
About 100 years later, a Viking ship accidentally washed up on the shores of Iceland
“They say that people from Norway are going to sail to the Faroe Islands…. However, they were carried to the west, to the sea, and there they found a large land. Entering the eastern fjords, they climbed a high mountain and looked around for smoke or any other signs that this land was inhabited, but they did not notice anything. In autumn they returned to the Faroe Islands. When they left for the sea, there was already a lot of snow on the mountains. Therefore, they called this country the Snow Land."
Over time, a large number of Norwegians moved to Iceland. By 930, there were about 25 thousand people on the island. Iceland became the starting point for further travels of the Normans to the West. In 982-983, Eirik Turvaldson, who became Eric the Red in the Russian tradition, discovered Greenland. In the summer of 986, Bjarni Herulfson, sailing from Iceland to the Greenland Viking settlement, lost his way and discovered land to the south. In the spring of 1004, the son of Eric the Red, Leyv the Happy, followed in his footsteps, discovering the Cumberland Peninsula (south of Baffin Island), the eastern coast of the Labrador Peninsula and the northern coast of Newfoundland Island. The northeastern shores of North America were then visited more than once by Viking expeditions, but in Norway and Denmark they were not considered important, since they were not very attractive natural conditions.
Prerequisites for the discovery of America by Columbus
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the fall of Byzantium under the blows of the Ottoman Turks, the birth of the Ottoman Empire in the east of the Mediterranean and in Asia Minor led to the cessation of overland trade links with the countries of the East along the Great Silk Road
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the critical need of Europe for the spices of India and Indochina, which were used not so much in cooking as as a hygiene item, for making incense. After all, Europeans washed their faces in the Middle Ages rarely and reluctantly, and a quintal (a measure of weight, 100 pounds) of pepper in Calicut or Hormuz cost ten times less than in Alexandria.
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erroneous idea of medieval geographers about the size of the earth. It was believed that the Earth evenly consists of land - the giant continent of Eurasia with an appendage of Africa - and the ocean; that is, the maritime distance between the extreme western point of Europe and the extreme eastern point of Asia did not exceed several thousand kilometers
Brief biography of Christopher Columbus
Born in Genoa in 1451. He was the first-born in a large weaver's family. Participated in the production and trade enterprises of his father. In 1476, by chance, he settled in Portugal. He married Felipe Moniz Perestrello, whose father and grandfather were actively involved in the activities of Henry the Navigator. He settled on the island of Porto Santo in the Madeira archipelago. He was admitted to the family archives, reports on sea voyages, geographical maps and sailing directions. Frequently visited the harbor of Porto Santo Island
“in which nimble fishing boats scurried and anchored ships going from Lisbon to Madeira and from Madeira to Lisbon. The helmsmen and sailors of these ships whiled away the long hours of stay in the port tavern, and Columbus had long and useful conversations with them ... (I learned from) experienced people about their voyages in the Sea-Ocean. A certain Martin Viseinte told Columbus that 450 leagues (2700 kilometers) west of Cape San Vicente, he picked up a piece of wood in the sea, processed, and at the same time very skillfully, with some kind of tool, obviously not iron. Other sailors met boats with huts beyond the Azores, and these boats did not capsize even on a big wave. We saw huge pine trees along the Azorean coast, these dead trees were brought by the sea at the time when strong western winds were blowing. Sailors came across on the shores of the Azores island of Faial the corpses of broad-faced people of "non-Christian" guise. A certain Antonio Leme, “married to a resident of Madeira,” told Columbus that, having passed a hundred leagues to the west, he came across three unknown islands in the sea ”(I. Light“ Columbus ”)
He studied and analyzed contemporary works on geography, navigation, travel notes of travelers, treatises of Arab scientists and ancient authors, and gradually drew up a plan to reach the rich countries of the East by the western sea route.
The main sources of knowledge on the issue of interest were five books for Columbus
- Historia Rerum Gestarum by Aeneas Silvius Piccolomini
- "Imago Mundi" by Pierre d'Ailly
- "Natural History" by Pliny the Elder
- The Book by Marco Polo
- Parallel Lives of Plutarch
1492, April 30 - the royal couple approved a certificate of awarding Columbus with the titles of Admiral of the Sea-Ocean and Viceroy of all lands that will be opened to them in navigation along the named Sea-Ocean. Titles complained forever “from heir to heir”, at the same time Columbus was elevated to a noble rank and could “name and title himself Don Christopher Columbus”, had to receive a tenth and an eighth of the profits from trade with these lands, had the right to resolve all litigations. The city of Palos was approved by the expedition preparation center
“He talked heart to heart with the inhabitants of Palos and everywhere said that the expedition needed brave and experienced sailors and that its participants would get great benefits. “Friends, go there, and we will go on this campaign all together; you will leave poor, but if, with God's help, we manage to open the land for us, then, having found it, we will return with gold bars, and we will all get rich, and we will get a big profit. Soon, volunteers were drawn into the harbor of Palos, wishing to take part in the voyage to the shores of an unknown land.
Columbus ships
Discovery of America. Briefly
- 1492, September 16 - Diary of Columbus: "We began to notice many bunches of green grass, and, as could be judged by its appearance, this grass had only recently been torn off the ground."
- 1492, September 17 - Diary of Columbus: "I found that since the departure from the Canary Islands there was not so little salt water in the sea."
- 1492, September 19 - Diary of Columbus: “At 10 o'clock a dove flew into the ship. We saw another one last night."
- 1492, September 21 - Diary of Columbus: “We saw a whale. A sign of land, because the whales swim close to the shore.
- 1492, September 23 - Diary of Columbus: "Since the sea was calm and warm, people began to grumble, saying that the sea is strange here, and the winds that would help them return to Spain will never blow."
- 1492, September 25 - Diary of Columbus: “The earth appeared. I ordered you to go in that direction."
- 1492, September 26 - Diary of Columbus: "What we took for the earth turned out to be the sky."
- 1492, September 29 - Diary of Columbus: "Sailed their way to the West."
- 1492, September 13 - Columbus noticed that the compass needle does not point to the North Star, but 5-6 degrees northwest.
- 1492, October 11 - Diary of Columbus: “Sailed west-south-west. For all the time of the voyage, there had never been such excitement at sea. We saw "pardelas" and green reeds near the ship itself. People from the caravel "Pinta" noticed a reed and a bough and fished out a hewn, possibly iron, stick and a piece of reed and other herbs that would be born on earth, and one plank
1492, October 12 - America is discovered. It was 2 a.m. when on board the faster, slightly ahead of the Pinta, the cry “Land, ground !!!” was heard. and a shot from a bombard. The contour of the shore stood out in the moonlight. Boats were lowered from the ships in the morning. Columbus with both Pinsons, a notary, a translator, a royal controller, landed on the shore. “The island is very large and very flat and there are many green trees and water, and in the middle there is a large lake. There are no mountains,” wrote Columbus. The Indians called the island Guanahani. Columbus designated it San Salvador, now Watling Island, part of the Bahamas.
- 1492, October 28 - Columbus discovered the island of Cuba
- December 6, 1492 - Columbus approached a large island called Borgio by the Indians. Along its coast “the most beautiful valleys stretch, very similar to the lands of Castile,” the admiral wrote in his diary. apparently that's why he called the island Hispaniola, now Haiti
- 1492, December 25 - "Santa Maria" ran into reefs off the coast of Haiti. The Indians helped to remove valuable cargo, guns and supplies from the ship, but the ship could not be saved.
- January 4, 1493 - Columbus set off on his return journey. He had to sail back on the smallest ship of the Niñe expedition, leaving part of the crew on the island of Hispaniola (Haiti), since even earlier the third ship Pinta separated from the expedition, and the Santa Maria ran aground. Two days later, both surviving ships met, but on February 14, 1493 they parted in a storm
- 1493, March 15 - Columbus returned to Palos on the Nina, with the same tide, the Pinta entered the harbor of Palos
Columbus made three more voyages to the shores of the New World, discovered islands and archipelagos, bays, bays and straits, founded forts and cities, but he never found out that he had found a way not to India, but to a world completely unknown to Europe
This important event is celebrated both in Europe and in America. In the United States, this holiday is called Columbus Day, in the Bahamas - Opening Day, in Spain - National 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 painted on them. And also shots from different 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 (Cristobal 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 for a man of the fifteenth century is a respectable age.
Secondly, Spain at that time was not among the maritime powers. She hadn't been before. Under the joint rule of King Ferdinand of Aragon and Queen Isabella of Castile, the conquest of the Muslims of the Iberian Peninsula 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 completely non-timid petitioner. For the opening of the sea route to India, he asked for the Spanish nobility, the rank of admiral and the post of viceroy and governor-general of all open lands. Demands reminiscent of the impudent wishes of an old woman from Pushkin's 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 “master of the sea”.
Perhaps it was the impudence of the sailor that convinced the king and queen that they were not a cunning rogue, but a man who, in fact, could fulfill the promise. In addition, they knew a lot more about intrigue and villainy than any goldfish. If new lands are invaded, it is always easy to lead the discoverer to obedience and repentance. To do this, in Spain there was a holy inquisition.
Fourthly, there was no need to pawn royal jewels to pay for the expedition. Columbus was given the right to collect tax arrears, and use this money to make great geographical discoveries.
Columbus succeeded in the trade of the farmer. Perhaps this is where the rumor began that he was not a Genoese, but a baptized Jew. But all the same, the money collected for the collection of any decent fleet was not enough.
Among the debtors given to the care of Columbus was a whole city - Palos de la Frontera (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 tight until Columbus came to the aid of three well-known sailors in the city, three brothers from the Pinzon family. One of the three vessels that participated in the voyage, "Pinta" ("Painted"), belonged to the Pinsons. The owner of the second ship, "Ninya" ("Baby") was a shipowner from the neighboring town of Mager, whose name was Juan Nino. Columbus hired the third ship (with the money of the Pinsons) from a sailor from the northern Spanish province of Galicia. The ship "Gallega" ("Galician") was larger than the "Pinta" and "Nina", and therefore became the flagship. Only the pious Columbus changed his name to Santa Maria.
The inhabitants of the city, seeing that the Pinson brothers were participating in the enterprise of Columbus, believed in the idea of the Genoese. It was no longer difficult to recruit one hundred and ninety men for three carriages.
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. The squadron of Columbus looked rather unpresentable. The flagship was 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' expedition made its first stop in the Canary Islands. The steering wheel on the Nina broke. Repaired, replenished provisions, waited for a fair wind. On September 6, 1492, three caravels headed west.
Another legend is about the mutiny of sailors brewing on the ships. There was none of that either. The journey went smoothly. The ocean was quiet, a fair wind was blowing.
On October 12, at two o'clock in the morning, the watchman on the Pint noticed a light ahead. At dawn, ships landed on the island, which Columbus named San Salvador. This is where the first meeting with the locals took place. Columbus sincerely considered them to be inhabitants of India. Another mistake left to us as a legacy of a great man. In the Russian language, then one letter was changed to distinguish Indians from Indians. In many Western languages, this annoying homonym has been around since the time of Columbus.
True, it soon became clear that the red-skinned inhabitants of San Salvador were not Indians. On the "Santa Maria" floated an interpreter, specially taken by Columbus to communicate with the local population. Luis de Torres, a baptized Jew, knew Arabic, Persian, and Indian languages well, but he did not come to terms with the local inhabitants. However, it seems that his trip overseas was justified. De Torres had traveled to many countries on merchant business and was accustomed by virtue of his profession to find a common language even with those whose language was not understood. Who, if not him, was to become the first European who, at the very least, spoke the language of tribes unknown until then. At least from San Salvador to present-day Cuba, the ship was accompanied by Indian guides.
In Cuba, Pinzon, at his own peril and risk, separated from the squadron and sailed away on the Pinta in search of rich Indian ports, about which he had heard so much. Columbus, on the other two ships, sailed to the island, which he called "Hispaniola". We now call this island Haiti. The first European settlement in Latin America was founded here. Here, "Santa Maria" ran aground. The admiral switched to the Ninha, everything that was possible was removed from the Santa Maria, and they shot the ship from cannons in full view of the local Indians in order to inspire respect for the power of the newcomers.
Then Martin Alonso Pinson returned from "AWOL" on his "Pinta". He did not reveal the secrets of navigation to the admiral. Apparently, he reached the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico and visited the Yucatan Peninsula. But rich Indian ports were not found.
On January 16, 1493, the ships set off on their return journey. In winter, the Atlantic is harsh. The sailors had to endure several storms. On March 4, Columbus, on the Nina, with almost completely torn sails, landed on the Portuguese coast near Lisbon. The Viceroy of India paid a courtesy call to the King of Portugal. Each of the meeting participants was secretly proud of their achievements. Columbus believed that India was already in his pocket. Juan II just recently took care of Bartolomeu Dias, who finally circumnavigated Africa. The king personally renamed the Cape of Storms, discovered by Diasem, into the Cape of Good Hope. How else? A little more, he thought, and India would be in his pocket.
On March 15, 1493, Columbus returned to Palos. And on the same day, in the late afternoon, the sails of the Pinta appeared on the horizon. Martin Alonso Pinson also returned safely to his home port. In the same year he died, perhaps being one of the first "lucky ones" who brought syphilis to Europe.
From 1493 to 1504, Columbus made three more voyages across the ocean. In the 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, 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. Than he won fame for himself and provided wealth to his offspring. This was the last delusion of the great man.
- Many have pointed out that the process of turning a hypothesis into a scientific discovery is very well illustrated by 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 west.
Pay attention to the following:
a) the idea was in no way original, but he received new information;
b) he met with great difficulties both in finding persons who could subsidize him, and directly in the process of conducting the experiment;
c) he did not find a new way 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 did not receive any special honor or substantial reward;
f) irrefutable evidence has since been found that Columbus was not the first European to reach the Americas.
The history of the discovery of America is quite amazing. These events took place at the end of the 15th century due to the rapid development of navigation and shipping in Europe. In many ways, we can say that the discovery of the American continent happened quite by accident and the motives were very banal - the search for gold, wealth, large trading cities.
In the 15th century, ancient tribes lived on the territory of modern America, who were very good-natured and hospitable. In Europe, in those days, even then the states were quite developed and modern. Each country tried to expand its sphere of influence, to find new sources of replenishment of the state treasury. At the end of the 15th century, trade flourished, the development of new colonies.
Who discovered America?
In the 15th century, ancient tribes lived on the territory of modern America, who were very good-natured and hospitable. In Europe, even then the states were quite developed and modern. Each country tried to expand its sphere of influence, to find new sources of replenishment of the state treasury.
When you ask any adult and child who discovered America, we will hear about Columbus. It was Christopher Columbus who gave impetus to the active search and development of new lands.
Christopher Columbus - the great Spanish navigator. Information about where he was born and spent his childhood is scarce and contradictory. It is known that being young, Christopher was fond of cartography. He was married to the daughter of a sailor. In 1470, the geographer and astronomer Toscanelli informed Columbus of his assumptions that the journey to India was shorter if one sailed west. Apparently, then Columbus began to hatch his idea of a short way to India, while, according to his calculations, it was necessary to sail through the Canary Islands, and Japan would already be close there.
Since 1475, Columbus has been trying to implement the idea and make an expedition. The purpose of the expedition is to find a new trade route to India across the Atlantic Ocean. To do this, he turned to the government and the merchants of Genoa, but he was not supported. The second attempt to find funding for the expedition was the Portuguese king João II, however, even here, after a long study of the project, he was refused.
For the last time, with his project, he came to the Spanish king. At the beginning, his project was considered for a long time, even several meetings, commissions were held, this lasted for several years. His idea was supported by bishops and Catholic kings. But Columbus received final support for his project after the victory of Spain in the city of Granada, which was freed from the Arab presence.
The expedition was organized on the condition that Columbus, if successful, would receive not only the gifts and wealth of new lands, but also receive, in addition to the status of a nobleman, the title: Admiral of the Sea-Ocean and Viceroy of all lands, which he would open. For Spain, a successful expedition promised not only the development of new lands, but also the opportunity to trade directly with India, since according to an agreement concluded with Portugal, Spanish ships were forbidden to enter the waters of the western coast of Africa.
When and how did Columbus discover America?
Historians consider 1942 to be the year of the discovery of America, although this is rather approximate data. Discovering new lands and islands, Columbus did not even imagine that this was another continent, which would later be called the "New World". The traveler undertook 4 expeditions. He arrived in new and new lands, believing that these were the lands of "Western India". For a long time everyone in Europe thought so. However, another traveler, Vasco da Gama, declared Columbus a deceiver, since it was Gamma who found a direct route to India and brought gifts and spices from there.
What America did Christopher Columbus discover? We can say that thanks to his expeditions since 1492, Columbus discovered both North and South America. To be more precise, the islands were discovered, which are now considered either South or North America.
Who discovered America first?
Although historically it is believed that it was Columbus who discovered America, but in fact this is not entirely true.
There is evidence that the "New World" was previously visited by the Scandinavians (Leif Eriksson in 1000, Thorfinn Karlsefni in 1008), this journey became known from the manuscripts "The Saga of Eric the Red" and "The Saga of the Greenlanders". There are other "discoverers of America", but the scientific community does not take them seriously, as there is no reliable data. For example, America was previously visited by an African traveler from Mali - Abu Bakr II, a Scottish nobleman Henry Sinclair, a Chinese traveler Zheng He.
Why is America called America?
The first widely known and recorded fact is the visit to this part of the "New World" by the traveler and navigator Amerigo Vespucci. It is noteworthy that it was he who suggested that this is not India or China, but a completely new previously unknown mainland. It is believed that this is why the name America was assigned to the new land, and not its discoverer - Columbus.
Columbus discovered America
The year when this Spanish navigator discovered a new land is indicated in history as 1492. And by the beginning of the eighteenth century, all other regions of North America were already discovered and explored, for example, Alaska and the regions of the Pacific coast. It must be said that travelers from Russia also made an important contribution to the study 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 with his expedition reached the shores of North America. However, he mistakenly believed that he was in India. From this moment, the countdown of that era begins, when America was discovered and its development and exploration began. But some researchers consider this date to be inaccurate, arguing that the discovery of a new continent happened much earlier.
The year of discovery of America by Columbus - 1492 - is not an exact date. It turns out that the Spanish navigator had predecessors, and moreover, not one. In the middle of the tenth century, the Normans got here after they discovered Greenland. True, they failed to colonize these new lands, because they were repelled by the harsh weather conditions of the north of this continent. In addition, the Normans were also frightened by the remoteness of the new mainland from Europe.
According to other sources, this continent was discovered by ancient navigators - the Phoenicians. Some sources call the middle of the first millennium of our era the time when America was discovered, and the Chinese are the pioneers. However, this version also does not have clear evidence.
The most reliable information is considered to be 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 - "vineyard" 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 that milestone in history when they discovered America for real, that is, identified it as a new continent.
Columbus is a real pioneer
And yet, when answering the question in 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. At the same time, it was believed that this route is much shorter than the eastern one. Therefore, taking into account the Portuguese monopoly on control over the South Atlantic, received by the Alcasovas agreement of 1479, Spain, always striving to obtain direct contacts with eastern countries, warmly supported the expedition of the Genoese navigator Columbus in the western direction.
Opening honor
Christopher Columbus was interested in geography, geometry and astronomy from an early age. From a young age, he participated in sea expeditions, visited almost all the then known oceans. Columbus was married to the daughter of a Portuguese sailor, from whom he inherited 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, however, 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 a whole mainland, until then not known to Europeans. But it happened. And since that time, the history of the discovery of America begins.
First expedition
For the first time, the ships of Columbus set sail from the harbor of Palos on August 3, 1492. There were three. Before the Canary Islands, the expedition proceeded quite calmly: this segment of the journey was already known to the sailors. But very soon they found themselves in a boundless ocean. Gradually, the sailors began to fall into despondency and raise a murmur. But Columbus managed to pacify the recalcitrant, maintaining hope in them. Soon signs began to come across - harbingers of the proximity of land: unknown birds flew in, tree branches sailed. Finally, after six weeks of sailing, lights appeared at night, and when it dawned, a green, picturesque island, all covered with vegetation, opened up before the sailors. Columbus, having landed on the coast, declared this land the possessions 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.
Land where there is gold
The natives are peaceful and good-natured savages. Noticing the greed of those who sailed to the golden ornaments that hung in the nose and ears of the natives, they told with signs that in the south there is a land literally abounding in gold. And Columbus went on. In the same year, he discovered Cuba, which, although he took it for the mainland, more precisely, for the eastern coast of Asia, he also declared a Spanish colony. From here, the expedition, turning east, landed in Haiti. At the same time, along the way, 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 south direction when they were asked about this precious metal. On which Columbus called Hispaniola, or Lesser Spain, he built a small fortress.
Return
When the ships landed in the harbor of Palos, all the inhabitants came ashore to greet them with honors. Very graciously received Columbus and Ferdinand with Isabella. The news of the discovery of the New World spread very quickly, just as quickly gathered those who wanted to go there with the discoverer. 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 on 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 rivalry 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: to the Labrador and Nova Scotia peninsulas. So the British began to lay the foundation for their dominance in the region of North America.
Third and fourth expeditions
It began in May 1498 and ended in November 1500. As a result, the island of Trinidad and the mouth of the Orinoco were discovered. 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 - trip from May 1502 to November 1504, Columbus had already discovered Central America. His ships passed along the coast of Honduras and Nicaragua, reached from Costa Rica and Panama up to the Gulf of Darien.
new mainland
In the same year, another navigator - whose expeditions took place under the Portuguese flag - also explored the Brazilian coast. Having reached Cape Cananea, he hypothesized that the lands discovered by Columbus are not China, and not even India, but a completely new mainland. This idea was confirmed after the first round-the-world trip made 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 after the Bristol philanthropist Richard America from England, who financed the second transatlantic voyage in 1497, and Amerigo Vespucci after that took on the nickname in honor of the continent so named. 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 middle of the sixteenth century, Jacques Cartier, a French navigator, reached the coast of Canada, giving the area its modern name.
Other contenders
The development of the continent of North America was continued by such navigators as John Davis, Alexander Mackenzie, Henry Hudson and William Buffin. It was thanks to their research that the continent was studied up to the Pacific coast.
However, history also knows many other names of sailors who moored to American soil even before Columbus. This is 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 Zhehe He, the Portuguese Juan Corterial, etc.
But, in spite of everything, it is Christopher Columbus who is the man 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 geographical map of the mainland was compiled. Its author was Martin Waldseemüller. Today it, being the property of the United States, is kept in Washington.
The lands were the most common: the founding of cities, the discovery of deposits of gold and wealth. In the 15th century, navigation was actively developing, and expeditions were equipped in search of an unknown continent. What was on the mainland before the arrival of Europeans, when Columbus discovered America, and under what circumstances did this happen?
History of the great discovery
By the 15th century, European states were distinguished by a high level of development. Each country tried to expand its sphere of influence, looking for additional sources of profit to replenish the treasury. New colonies formed.
Before the discovery, tribes lived on the continent. The natives were distinguished by a friendly character, which favored the rapid development of the territory.
Christopher Columbus, while still a teenager, discovered such a hobby as cartography. The Spanish navigator once learned from the astronomer and geographer Toscanelli that if you sail westward, you can reach India much faster. It was 1470. And the idea came just in time, as Columbus was looking for another route that would allow him to get to India in a short time. He suggested that a route should be laid through the Canary Islands.
In 1475, the Spaniard organizes an expedition, the purpose of which is to find a fast way by sea to India across the Atlantic Ocean. He reported this to the government with a request to support his idea, but received no help. The second time Columbus wrote to King Joao II of Portugal, however, he was also refused. Then he again turned to the government of Spain. On this occasion, several meetings of the commission were held, lasting a year. The final positive decision on funding was made after the victory of the Spanish troops in the city of Granada, liberated from the occupation of the Arabs.
In the event that a new path to India was discovered, Columbus was promised not only wealth, but also a noble title: Admiral of the Sea-Ocean and Viceroy of the lands that he would discover. Since Spanish ships were forbidden to enter the waters on the western coast of Africa, such a move was beneficial for the government in order to conclude a direct trade agreement with India.
In what year did Columbus discover America?
1942 is officially recognized as the year of the discovery of America in history. Having discovered undeveloped lands, Columbus did not imagine that he had discovered the continent, which would be called the "New World". In what year the Spaniards discovered America, one can say conditionally, since a total of four campaigns were undertaken. Each time the navigator found more and more new lands, believing that this was the territory of Western India.
Columbus thought that he was following the wrong route after the expedition of Vasco de Gama. The traveler arrived in India and returned in a short time with rich goods, accusing Christopher of deceit.
Later it turned out that Columbus discovered the islands and the continental part of North and South America.
Which travelers discovered America earlier?
To say that Columbus became the discoverer of America is not entirely true. Before that, the Scandinavians landed on the lands: in 1000 - Leif Eriksson and in 1008 - Thorfinn Karlsefni. This is evidenced by the historical records "The Saga of the Greenlanders" and "The Saga of Eric the Red". There is other information about travel to the "New World". Traveler Abu Bakr II, a resident of the Celestial Empire Zheng He and a nobleman from Scotland, Henry Sinclair, arrived from Mali to America.
There is historical evidence that the Normans visited the New World in the 10th century after the discovery of Greenland. However, they failed to develop the territories due to severe weather conditions unsuitable for agriculture. In addition, the way from Europe was very long.
Visits to the mainland by the navigator Amerigo Vespucci, after whom the continent was named.
Few people are now interested in such an event as the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus, but only a few centuries ago America itself did not exist for Europeans at all.
No one could have imagined that outside their narrow little world there is a huge world where large peoples live, there is a developed culture and a lot of monuments of ancient history.
Today America is the center of development of our world, where people from all over the planet flock, the best scientists, programmers, just active people who want to make the American dream come true in their lives. And this is one of the most important reasons why it is worth knowing more about the discovery of this continent.
North America is interesting to study in terms of history, not only because it is unique and exciting in its own way, but also in order to better understand its people, values and culture.
It was the colonial status of this powerful power that at one time became the incentive that forced it to actively develop and turn into what we see now. And it fell to the great traveler Columbus to discover this continent full of beauty and secrets.
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Who discovered America first
We all know stories about the travels of the great man Columbus, who, together with his crew, fearlessly plied the oceans in search of new places to spread the power of his country. This man acted on the will of his leadership and the country, and was driven by personal interests, the desire to move and discover new things.
Amerigo Vespucci (1454 - 1512)
But not everyone knows that Columbus was far from the first to discover America, since another no less legendary traveler managed to do this before him.
America got its name in honor of the most famous traveler of his time - Amerigo Vespucci. This resident of Florence, born in 1454, departed under the leadership of Admiral Alonso de Ojeda as a navigator to conquer hitherto unseen lands.
It was he who gave Venezuela its current name, which means "little Venice", and also discovered many dozens of other places, which later largely retained the names he gave. It is interesting that Vespucci was most likely personally acquainted with the Spanish traveler Columbus, their acquaintance probably took place in the trading house of Danoto Berardi.
The discoverer Vespucci did not go unnoticed, and it was in honor of his discoveries that the lands of the New Overseas World were later named America.
What then did Columbus discover?
If it was Vespucci who discovered the continents of America, which is reflected even in its name, then what are the merits of the famous Columbus, why is he considered the discoverer of this region of the world?
Many travelers reached the shores of the New World even before Columbus, but the problem with their travels was that they did not leave behind any intelligible and structured information. The property of the travels of Christopher's predecessors remained in the shadows, few people knew about them, and that part of the world still remained distant and mysterious.
Columbus himself, starting from 1499 and later, in his further voyages not only reached the shores of the Western Hemisphere, but collected a lot of information about the countries and islands located there.
It was he who opened these places for a wide range of Europeans and launched mass travel and migration to this region, began an age of great change and transformation of the whole world.
When and how was America discovered by Christopher Columbus
The discovery of America is a collective concept that includes many events, and not just some found largest island or country on the continent.
It is believed that the discoverer discovered the New World in 1492, during his first expedition there. At this time, Spanish ships reached Haiti, the Caribbean Islands, visited the Bahamas, and also Cuba.
The first island that travelers met in America was San Salvador, where they landed in the memorable year 1492.
This expedition, like the three subsequent ones, was organized by the Spanish king in order to find shorter routes to India, with which ever closer trade relations were being established at that time. But fate turned out differently, and the path of the sailors went to the shores of completely new lands.
Four expeditions of Columbus - briefly about the history of the discovery of America
In total, Columbus, together with other brave sailors, made 4 expeditions to the shores of Novaya Zemlya. Thanks to these visits, a lot of new islands, countries and regions appeared on the map, many of which still have the names that the sailors of the past assigned them.
The first trip took place in 1492-1493, there were 91 people on 3 ships, the places visited at that time have already been mentioned above. The sailors returned home on March 15, 1943.
The next, 2nd trip in a row, took place in 1493-1496. The navigator was already in the rank of admiral and, in addition to this, also viceroy of the open lands. Now, a team of fifteen hundred people and 17 ships had the task of fortifying themselves on new lands and carefully exploring them. This time it was possible to discover the Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe, Puerto Rico, Pinos, to go deeper into the study of Haiti.
The third time the journey lasted 2 years (1498-1500) and this voyage made it possible to study the New World even better. The islands of Trinidad, the peninsula of Paria were discovered, the development of not only the lands of the current United States, but also South America began. The peninsulas of Margarita and Araya were also found, many studies were carried out.
The last, 4th trip of Columbus, took place in 1502-1504. This time the brave discoverer of new lands reached the Caribbean shores, visited Nicaragua, Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama. In 1503, trouble happened - the sailor's ship was wrecked near Jamaica.
Columbus travel routes on the map
To clearly see what path the brave traveler from Europe traveled with his team, just look at the routes of all 4 expeditions depicted on the map. In general terms, the features of the route of each new voyage are clear from the list of discovered new lands, but for greater clarity, you can use the following image:
America's official discovery date
As mentioned above, the official date of the discovery of America is 1492, when the very first expedition of the great European sailor took place.
There are many stories that indirectly indicate that the coast of America was first discovered not by Columbus or Vespucci, but by many other researchers and even representatives of the Viking people.
But the official date of discovery is exactly 1492, because it was not just a discovery on the map, but also the discovery of the countries of the New World as a cultural phenomenon, the beginning of an endless stream of emigrants and the establishment of trade and economic ties.
The fact that it was Christopher Columbus who took upon himself the great fame of being considered a discoverer is in some way a luck of fate, but not just fallen on his head, but given as a reward for courage, activity and lack of fear of trials and distant wanderings.
Significance of the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus
Obviously, the discovery of the New World for Europe in the form of North and South America was a grandiose event of its time and set the vector for the development of an entire world civilization for hundreds of years to come.
Thanks to these events, the United States appeared, at first frail and mired in internal conflicts, populated by incomprehensible personalities and adventurers, and later rapidly turned into an advanced country that fought slavery, created the most powerful dollar currency, and shifted progress in science and technology to new horizons.
The considered event became extremely important both for Europe and America, and for the whole world as a whole. It is difficult to imagine what the current civilization, the economic and political map of the world would look like, if it were not for the presence of a Spanish daredevil at one time, who, for the sake of a call of honor and a reckless desire for adventure, would not go to conquer the Atlantic Ocean.
