Basic Information about Christopher Columbus (4)
Christopher Columbus was born October 31, 1451 in Genoa, Italy. He enjoyed the sea even as a boy and made his first voyage when he was 19 in the Aegean Sea, to Marseilles, Tunis, the Greek island of Chios, and an attempt to Flanders and England. He landed poor in Portugal and was taken in.
Columbus married Felipa Perestrello e Moniz in 1479 and she beared him a son named Diego. In this marriage, Columbus became enthuisiastic about charting new islands. He decided to sail West to the Indies. Portugal rejected to fund his voyage so he turned to Spain and they sponsored his expeditions.
On his first voyage in 1492, Columbus commanded three ships. He claimed the island of Guanahani for Spain and renamed it San Salvador. They also landed on Cuba and Espanola (later called Hispaniola, now the Dominican Republic and Haiti.)
Columbus soon went on a second voyage in 1493 and landed on the islands of Dominica, Guadeloupe, and Antigua and established the first European settlement in the Americas. At the end of this voyage, he bagan to have criticism from the sailors who traveled with him. The queen still supported him.
On his third expedition in 1498, Columbus sighted what is now Venezuela and disovered South America. He found Espanola in revolt and was arrested. In his last voyage (his fourth) in 1502, he searched for nearly six months along the Central American coast for the passage across the continent to Asia. He landed in Panama and established a colony. His fleet becamed marooned near Jamaica. They waited nearly a year for rescue. Columbus died two years after his return.
Columbus married Felipa Perestrello e Moniz in 1479 and she beared him a son named Diego. In this marriage, Columbus became enthuisiastic about charting new islands. He decided to sail West to the Indies. Portugal rejected to fund his voyage so he turned to Spain and they sponsored his expeditions.
On his first voyage in 1492, Columbus commanded three ships. He claimed the island of Guanahani for Spain and renamed it San Salvador. They also landed on Cuba and Espanola (later called Hispaniola, now the Dominican Republic and Haiti.)
Columbus soon went on a second voyage in 1493 and landed on the islands of Dominica, Guadeloupe, and Antigua and established the first European settlement in the Americas. At the end of this voyage, he bagan to have criticism from the sailors who traveled with him. The queen still supported him.
On his third expedition in 1498, Columbus sighted what is now Venezuela and disovered South America. He found Espanola in revolt and was arrested. In his last voyage (his fourth) in 1502, he searched for nearly six months along the Central American coast for the passage across the continent to Asia. He landed in Panama and established a colony. His fleet becamed marooned near Jamaica. They waited nearly a year for rescue. Columbus died two years after his return.