by Danny Ritzer

Created on: July 10, 2008

In 1451, Christopher Columbus was born into a changing world. Throughout Western Europe during the mid 15th century three major events were happening, and these changes would bring a philosophical and vast educational impact on society. These changes would affect the direction that Columbus's life in the future as an explorer. Each of the events took place in and around the Mediterranean. The conquest of Ceuta in North Africa by the Portuguese in 1415, the Fall of Constantinople to the Muslim Turks in 1453, and the defeat of Muslim Granada by the Christian Spaniards in 1492 (Encarta, 2002). These events were the cause of a century long battle between the Muslims and Christians.

In 1415 the Portuguese would stage an attack on North Africa and defeat the commercial center of Ceuta. Some look at this event as getting even for the Christian Crusades that lasted over a century. The struggle against the Muslims last a long time and the Christendom's were unwavering in their conviction to destroy Islam. Portugal was successful and aligned themselves with the bourgeois class. This brought them wealth not just in Africa, but in the Atlantic Islands as well. . The trip they had embarked on was not concluded until 1460 after King Henry's death. Now the Portuguese would embark on a 16 month tour of the Africa. It was not until 1488 that it was known that this trip was a success. The goal was to reach Asia, though it took eleven more years before this would come to be known.

Columbus was not a highly educated man, this is said to be known from his writings throughout his life. He spoke with a Genoese dialect. Columbus came from meager means, his father a wool weaver by trade. At just a young man of 14 he start sailing the sea's as an apprentice on ocean voyages. Little else is known of his younger years. However his life would take his life in grand directions. In 1467 Columbus did visit the coast of Iceland. Most of his travels during this time were to Portugal.

Columbus's original goal was to find the short passage to Asia. This was the great race of the time period. Columbus settled for a time in Portugal, were he worked on learning how to read maps in geographical and theological literature, with his lack of education, he was not very successful in achieving his goal of having a practical and maritime career. Moving on to Spain after a time his luck began to change, Columbus was a persuasive individual by this time and found he had gained the support of the Catholic monarchs,

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