by Max C

Created on: July 11, 2010

When Christopher Columbus was born in the year 1541, in modern day Genoa, Italy, it was fairly uncommon for anyone to change their predetermined profession. In a family of middle-class wool weavers, it was blindingly obvious what Columbus was expected to do as he got older. But how did this boy grow into the man who would accidentally make the biggest discovery in European history. The discovery of America. What would begin as the life of the young Christopher Columbus, would eventually result in the founding of the most powerful nation in the world.

Columbus grew up the eldest child of a middle class family living in Genoa, a port city on the coast of Italy. As the eldest child, he would traditionally inherit everything the family owned when his parents died. This usually meant that until then, the eldest would work in the family business, and would be treated to a more posh and relaxed life than that of his siblings. But the draw of the sea was too much for young Christopher. Starting at age 14, Columbus began working various jobs on ships, including messenger, common sailor, and possibly even privateering. In 1476, on his second long voyage, the fleet of ships Columbus was traveling with was attacked by French Privateers. Columbus drifted to shore, lucky to be alive. In 1477, he settled in Lisbon, Portugal, where he joined his brother, a cartographer. Soon after moving, he married and fathered a son. Portugal's shipbuilding boom and seafaring industry influenced  Columbus to learn more about navigation and exploration.

   By around the year 1482, it was clear that Columbus was going to embark on a large exploration. He was using his father-in-law's nobility to his advantage, and learning all about currents,oceanic phenomenons, charts, maps, and the like. He may have even caught wind of stories about the Vikings settling in Greenland. All as well, the flame had been lit, and there was no stopping the fire. Columbus combined his ideas and theories with of thousands of years of nautical knowledge. His theory said that if one sailed west, then they would end up in the East, or Asia. Unfortunately, Columbus's theories had to major problems. First, his estimation of the Earth's size was incredibly far off, and second, he was mistaken in believing that Asia stretched much farther out in the Atlantic(having no knowledge of North America lying between). Despite his inaccuracies, Columbus forged ahead on the path to discovery. The only obstacle in his

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>