Have you ever wondered who Christopher Columbus was before he discovered the Americas? As a young boy, Columbus always wanted to sail. This fueled his passion to attempt and sail around the world. He worked fervently and ceaselessly to gather support and funds for his voyage. Christopher Columbus had worked his entire life on a journey that he didn’t know would change the world. Columbus was born to a wool merchant in Italy during the Age of Discovery in 1451. While he was a teenager Columbus got a job on a merchant ship. He remained out at sea until 1470 when pirates ransacked their vessel. The boat sank killing most of the crew but young Columbus narrowly survived floating on scrap wood. After this harrowing encounter, Columbus decided
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This was a genius move because the westerlies prevailing in the Azores had halted previous attempts to sail to the west. Since the ships headed toward the Canary Islands they were able to pick up the northeast trade winds. After nearly a month in the Canaries, the ships set out again from Gomera. On several occasions in September and early October sailors spotted floating vegetation and different species of birds. But by October 10 the crew had lost patience they thought a shortage of provisions, contrary winds, and other such problems would keep them from ever returning home. Columbus successfully nullified their fears temporarily but on October 12 land had finally been sighted. He landed in the Bahamas but besides planting the royal flag left quickly anxious to arrive in Cipangu in Japan. He landed in Cuba on October 28 where he thought he had found Cipangu but had yet to see any of the great cities that had been described to him causing him to turn back southeastward in disappointment. Adverse winds carried the ships off course to an island known by the natives as Haiti. Their Columbus found enough gold and prosperity to save him from embarrassment back in Spain. The return trip home was a nightmare. The westerlies correctly directed them homeward but a terrible storm forced them off course battering their ship forcing it to land in Lisbon, which caused some to believe he was collaborating with Spain’s enemies. When Columbus finally got back to Spain is sparked more and more expeditions and it wasn’t until Amerigo Vespucci that it was finally realized as a new
This was a genius move because the westerlies prevailing in the Azores had halted previous attempts to sail to the west. Since the ships headed toward the Canary Islands they were able to pick up the northeast trade winds. After nearly a month in the Canaries, the ships set out again from Gomera. On several occasions in September and early October sailors spotted floating vegetation and different species of birds. But by October 10 the crew had lost patience they thought a shortage of provisions, contrary winds, and other such problems would keep them from ever returning home. Columbus successfully nullified their fears temporarily but on October 12 land had finally been sighted. He landed in the Bahamas but besides planting the royal flag left quickly anxious to arrive in Cipangu in Japan. He landed in Cuba on October 28 where he thought he had found Cipangu but had yet to see any of the great cities that had been described to him causing him to turn back southeastward in disappointment. Adverse winds carried the ships off course to an island known by the natives as Haiti. Their Columbus found enough gold and prosperity to save him from embarrassment back in Spain. The return trip home was a nightmare. The westerlies correctly directed them homeward but a terrible storm forced them off course battering their ship forcing it to land in Lisbon, which caused some to believe he was collaborating with Spain’s enemies. When Columbus finally got back to Spain is sparked more and more expeditions and it wasn’t until Amerigo Vespucci that it was finally realized as a new