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Articles and Products of History Christopher ColumbusChristopher Columbus was of the mind set that the world was round. He dared to dream that he could travel west across the Atlantic to Asia. Not willing to see his dream die, he set out to find funding through a government for his great expedition. King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain agreed to help Columbus.
Christopher Columbus was equipped with three small ships in 1492. This ships are the Nina, Pinta, and the Santa Maria. With approximately 90 men, Christopher Columbus set sail. The longer the ships sailed, the more fearful the crew became. It seemed Columbus had greatly underestimated the portion of earth covered by water. Columbus had inaccurately assumed that the earth was six parts land and one part water, when it is actually seven parts water and three parts land. Under the threat of mutiny, Columbus vowed to his crew that if land was not spotted within a few days, he would turn around. Finally, land was spotted and Columbus discovered the New World. Columbus and his crew landed in the Bahamas. Columbus assumed he was in India, and called the natives “Indians.” Continuing onward, Columbus discovered Cuba and Hispaniola. He soon returned back to Spain and was met with a hero’s welcome. Columbus made three other voyages sponsored by Spain. On his last voyage he was named governor of Santo Domingo, a colony on the island of Hispaniola. However, he proved to be a hard taskmaster and was returned in chains to Spain. He was released by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. To his death, Columbus believed that he had discovered new land, however he believed it to be near China. Despite his many miscalculations, Columbus was a great explorer. His determination helped to set into motion a chain of events that would eventually lead to the birth of a new nation. Further Reading
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