by Maurice Sassoon

Created on: October 12, 2008   Last Updated: October 13, 2008

Christopher Columbus is famous as the discoverer of America. In the year 1492. he sailed from Spain and landed in the West Indies. During this period in history, Europeans were under the impression that the continents of Europe, Africa and Asia covered the whole earth. They had little knowledge about the Atlantic Ocean and absolutely nothing about the continent of America or the Pacific Ocean. When Columbus found land west of the Atlantic, he believed that he had finally reached Asia. About 25 years later, Ferdinand Magellan made the first voyage all the way around the world. It soon became known that Columbus discovered a New World, four times as large as the Continent of Europe.

It is not clear who Columbus' parents were, what his early life was like and when, and where he was born. It is thought that he was born in Genoa, Italy, between 1446 and 1451, and that his father was a weaver of wool and a tavern-keeper. He had two younger brothers, Bartholomew and Diego, and was the father of two sons. He was tall, with blue-grey eyes. He was known to be a dignified and honorable man. Some say that he had very little schooling, while others believe that he made good maps and charts and was a well-trained navigator. He was fasmiliar with the adventures of Marco Polo. a hundred years before his time. Columbus probably never heard of the Scandinavians like Leif Ericson, the explorer of North America in the 10th century. It is said that he visited Iceland in the year 1477 and might have befriended some people who knew about some early voyagers. The documents that he received from the Spanish king and queen revealed that he was supposed to sail, in search for certain islands in the sea, which he knew existed.

Columbus had dreamed of sailing west for twenty years and tried to get help from the king of Portugal. In 1485, he sought the help of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain. Around this time, the Spanish were engaged in fighting the Moors who were Muslims, for which reason, he could not get any immediate encourasgement from the king and queen of Spain. In 1492, Spain finally defeated the Moors. Columbus was given ships for his daring journey. It was a fearful and difficult voyage. The crews were wild and rowdy, mostly dare-devils and former criminals.

After almost a month on the open seas, they landed on one of the Bahamas islands, northeast of Cuba. Columbus named the island San Salvador, meaning "the Savior." He thought that he was near India, and was under the impression that the people of the island were Indians, as a result of which, the region became known as the West Indies. He then discovered Cuba and Haiti, but could not find Asia. Thereafter, he returned to Spain. He brought with him pieces of gold, parrots, cotton, as well as new plants.

On his second voyage, Columbus experienced many hardships and was often deserted by those he had trusted. He sailed again when he succeeded in exploring the South American coast and Central America, as far as Panama.Altogether, he made four trips to the New World from Spain. Ironically, few noticed the event of his discovery, and men made light of it, saying that anyone could have done what he did. Columbus passed an egg around a table and asked for someone to make it stand up. When no one was able to do so, he tapped the shell, creating an air pocket that caused the egg to stand. "Anyone could do it," Columbus said, "after I have shown the way."
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