Christopher Columbus’s voyages had a deep impact on the world. Columbus’s travels opened up new trade possibilities and created a true world economy. He found lands and native populations that were previously unknown to the people of Eurasia which allowed the flora and fauna in each region to mix in new ways. Biological and ecological impacts resulting from his voyages were profound. These voyages allowed cultures and societies to mix in ways that they had not before and change the course of world history.
Not much is known about Christopher Columbus prior to 1492. It is believed that he was born in 1451 to merchant parents in northern Italy. Columbus lacked a “formal education” and his geography and navigational skills were largely self-taught. Despite his lack of education, Columbus became a skilled navigator, sailor, and geographer. In addition to being a skilled seaman, Christopher Columbus was also a devoutly religious Catholic who believed “that God destined him to be an instrument for spreading the faith” and this religious fervor motivated his plans and preparations for his voyages. Christopher Columbus began making plans for a voyage across the Atlantic Ocean in 1486. In order to fund …show more content…
Columbus’s voyages started this epic exchange and it is something that historians are still studying the impact of today. Not only did Columbus’s discovery allow for the biological, ecological, and cultural exchanges to occur. It also allowed Spain to build a powerful maritime empire in North and South America by creating a permanent new route for Spanish ships to travel between Europe and the Americas and paved the way for other European powers to establish colonies in both North and South America. Without this steady travel between the two continents, colonization of North and South America would have been much more
Not much is known about Christopher Columbus prior to 1492. It is believed that he was born in 1451 to merchant parents in northern Italy. Columbus lacked a “formal education” and his geography and navigational skills were largely self-taught. Despite his lack of education, Columbus became a skilled navigator, sailor, and geographer. In addition to being a skilled seaman, Christopher Columbus was also a devoutly religious Catholic who believed “that God destined him to be an instrument for spreading the faith” and this religious fervor motivated his plans and preparations for his voyages. Christopher Columbus began making plans for a voyage across the Atlantic Ocean in 1486. In order to fund …show more content…
Columbus’s voyages started this epic exchange and it is something that historians are still studying the impact of today. Not only did Columbus’s discovery allow for the biological, ecological, and cultural exchanges to occur. It also allowed Spain to build a powerful maritime empire in North and South America by creating a permanent new route for Spanish ships to travel between Europe and the Americas and paved the way for other European powers to establish colonies in both North and South America. Without this steady travel between the two continents, colonization of North and South America would have been much more