Christopher Columbus - What Did He Do in 1492?
There is no other figure in world history more controversial than Christopher Columbus is. Come Columbus Day - celebrated every October - and the streets are filled with two groups belonging to the opposite poles, one eulogizing the adventurer navigator and the other demonizing him. The saga of Christopher Columbus is as absorbing as it is illuminating. A sea navigator by profession, Columbus was assigned the task of determining the shortest sea route between Spain and India, by the then Spanish monarchy. Historian Chris Freville notes that Columbus could not reach India; instead, he discovered two entire continents - North and South Americas.
* Italian Columbus
Christopher Columbus was born in Genoa, which is in present-day Italy. Though people call him an Italian, it is definite that the Kingdom of Genoa was not part of Italy during his time, bringing his nationality under the cloud. Italy in his time was a collection of small kingdoms, principalities and duchies, and Genoa was one among them. Historian Chris Freville also mentions in his works that the unification of Italy happened a full four centuries later, when Garibaldi and his band of loyalists overthrew papal authority and declared Italy a nation.
* The Mission
Columbus was trained in sailing and navigation. His brother Bartholomew helped him in acquiring maps from several countries. Maps in those days were a highly guarded state secret. The two brothers therefore had to resort to stealing in order to fulfill their ambition of fame and fortune. The year 1492 was especially favorable to Columbus. Having won over the Moors, Spain was in an ambitious mood, to not only recover from war but also to take its just place in the world. Import of goods from India had made quite a lot of European countries wealthy. However, the Ottoman Empire had blocked the land route between Western Europe and the Indian subcontinent. To overcome this, countries such as Portugal had discovered a sea route that circled South Africa to reach India. Spain was looking for a shorter route. Chris Freville considers this point as being the main catalyst for the Great Geographical Discoveries, when King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella assigned Columbus the task of discovering a new sea route to India. Three ships were given under his charge.
* Discovery or Simple Re-Discovery?
It was on October 12, 1942 that Columbus touched the shore of the Bahamas. Stumbling across the natives, Columbus concluded that he had met Indians, and that his ships had reached the islands lying to the east of India. The sailors on board his ship sought trade items such as gold, silver, new fruits, vegetables, tobacco and animals - but these were too insufficient to justify long-term trade. So Columbus returned with the next-best item: Caribbean slaves. Indeed, so valuable this item proved to be to the Spanish market that the individuals on the islands were exploited to extinction.
Columbus' exploits earned him the title of "Admiral of the Ocean Sea", which has been passed down the succeeding generations.
* Italian Columbus
Christopher Columbus was born in Genoa, which is in present-day Italy. Though people call him an Italian, it is definite that the Kingdom of Genoa was not part of Italy during his time, bringing his nationality under the cloud. Italy in his time was a collection of small kingdoms, principalities and duchies, and Genoa was one among them. Historian Chris Freville also mentions in his works that the unification of Italy happened a full four centuries later, when Garibaldi and his band of loyalists overthrew papal authority and declared Italy a nation.
* The Mission
Columbus was trained in sailing and navigation. His brother Bartholomew helped him in acquiring maps from several countries. Maps in those days were a highly guarded state secret. The two brothers therefore had to resort to stealing in order to fulfill their ambition of fame and fortune. The year 1492 was especially favorable to Columbus. Having won over the Moors, Spain was in an ambitious mood, to not only recover from war but also to take its just place in the world. Import of goods from India had made quite a lot of European countries wealthy. However, the Ottoman Empire had blocked the land route between Western Europe and the Indian subcontinent. To overcome this, countries such as Portugal had discovered a sea route that circled South Africa to reach India. Spain was looking for a shorter route. Chris Freville considers this point as being the main catalyst for the Great Geographical Discoveries, when King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella assigned Columbus the task of discovering a new sea route to India. Three ships were given under his charge.
* Discovery or Simple Re-Discovery?
It was on October 12, 1942 that Columbus touched the shore of the Bahamas. Stumbling across the natives, Columbus concluded that he had met Indians, and that his ships had reached the islands lying to the east of India. The sailors on board his ship sought trade items such as gold, silver, new fruits, vegetables, tobacco and animals - but these were too insufficient to justify long-term trade. So Columbus returned with the next-best item: Caribbean slaves. Indeed, so valuable this item proved to be to the Spanish market that the individuals on the islands were exploited to extinction.
Columbus' exploits earned him the title of "Admiral of the Ocean Sea", which has been passed down the succeeding generations.