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Jesse Chavez =**Christopher Columbus**=



"Following the light of the sun, we left the Old World." (Christopher Columbus).
====Many believe that Christopher Columbus was the one who discovered the Americas. However, that is not true because there were already people living in the Americas and also others had gone to the Americas much before he did. Christopher Columbus went by many different names such as Cristobal Colon and Cristoforo Colombo. A great man with great education leading to great knowledge, Christopher Columbus spoke several languages. He was an Italian investigator in search of a route to Asia, a route that he never found. Although he did not discover America, he did discover other locations. Apart from that, he also made important discoveries for people of his time.====

**Personal Background**

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==== Christopher Columbus was born in 1451. He was born to Domenico Colombo and Susanna Fontanarossa. His father was a wool weaver and was involved in local politics. His mother was daughter of a wool weaver. "Young Christopher grew up in Genoa, Italy" (Redd) and spoke Spanish at home. Columbus was tall and had red hair that turned white at an early age. He was the oldest of five children, three brothers (Bartholomew, Giovanni Pellegrino, and Giacomo, and one sister (Bianchinatta). He was Jewish but his family converted to Roman Catholicism. As a kid he helped his father wool weave. Christopher Columbus completed formal education at an early age. He first took sea at age fourteen. On that voyage he ended up in Lisbon where he studied math, astronomy, cartography, and navigation. He "worked closely with his brother of adulthood" (Redd). In 1476 he traveled to Portugal, where he set up a map-making business with his brother Bartholomew. Three years later he married Felipa Perestrello Moniz. She was the daughter of a governor of a Portuguese Island. From her Christopher got one son, Diego, in 1480. Unfortunately his wife died a couple years later. Therefore, in 1485, Christopher and his son Diego moved to Spain. In 1488, his son Fernando was born to Beatriz Enriquez de Arana. Christopher Columbus died of an illness on May 20, 1506. He died in his home in Valladolid, Spain. He dies in a comfortable circumstance believing India lies just beyond Panama. ====

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===="to persuade rulers... to search out a new route to Asia" (Redd). Christopher Columbus was a man that was well educated. He spoke several languages as an adult such as Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese. Christopher Columbus "had a considerable knowledge of classical literature" (Briney). He was eager to learn about wind and ocean currents from local pilots and sailors. Columbus drew upon science and knowledge. His logic was sound, but his math was faulty. Columbus was a man who was confident and determined. He was a guy who never gave up. Columbus was a person who was daring and was a path-breaking explorer. He was also a fine sailor.====

====However, not every person has just positive quality traits. Christopher Columbus was also "seen as having character flaws" (Sundel). He was an incompetent administrator. Christopher Columbus was also a man who wanted fame and fortune. He was an imperialist monster who blundered into fame. To add to all of this, Christopher Columbus was not respectful to the natives of the territories he sailed to.====

====Columbus had both good and bad quality traits. It is evident that he had more good quality traits than bad. All the good quality traits he had were put to good use which ended up in him having many great historical discoveries.====

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====Christopher Columbus was a man that faced many obstacles because of all the sea voyages he made throughout his life. Since he wanted to reach Asia by travelling west, Columbus had to make many calculations about his routes. However, "his calculations set the world at 66 percent smaller than... Earth's true size" (Redd). In 1483, Columbus presented his plan to Portugal, but he was rejected, therefore he went to Spain. Nine years later, April of 1492, his plan receives approval by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. Columbus was expected to bring back gold from the New World. The first voyage lasted from 1492 to 1493. In September of 1492, Columbus set sail for the Canary Islands. He was the captain of the ship Santa Maria and sailed along with Nina and Pinta. On October 12, 1492, Columbus landed on a small island on the Caribbean Sea. He then called that island San Salvador. A month later, Marton Pinzon, captain of Pinta, sails off alone but ends up coming back. In December of 1492, the ships land at Hispanola with the conundrum that Santa Maria was destroyed. In January of 1493, Columbus then leaves 39 men at La Navidad, Hispanola when he leaves back to Spain with the remaining two ships. Back in Spain, he is greeted as a hero. His second voyage ranged from 1493 to 1496. In September of 1493, Columbus returns to the Americas to start a colony in Hispanola. When he reached Hispanola in November 1493, he finds out that the sailors he had left behind were dead. He begins a settlement and returns to Spain approximately three years later in 1496. He begins his third voyage in May 1498 heading westbound. He reaches the Americas in July and explores the coast of South America, which is now Venezuela. In 1500, Francisco de Bobadilla arrests Columbus for his bad treatment towards Spanish settlers and Columbus is returned to Spain in chains. In April 1502, Columbus sails on his fourth and final voyage to the Americas. He then explores the Central American coast. Columbus damages his his ship and lands on Jamaica. From there he sends some crew members in a canoe to seek help in Hispanola. He is rescued in 1504 and hen returns to Spain. He is retired by King Ferdinand that same year. He faced a plethora of obstacles on the many voyages he made.====

Historical Significance
====Christopher Columbus made four highly important voyages. His first voyage lasted from 1492 to 1493. During that voyage he discovered the Bahamas, Cuba, and Haiti. Many scholars believe that he also discovered the Americas during his first voyage. However, "Columbus was not the first to settle in the Americas" (Briney). However, he was the first person to visit, settle, and stay in the Americas. Even though he did not actually discover the Americas, the District of Columbia is named after him. Also, Columbus day is celebrated every second Monday of October.====

====The second voyage lasted three years, from 1493 to 1496. During those three years, Columbus discovers the Lesser and Greater Antilles chain of Caribbean islands and Jamaica. He spent two years on his third voyage. That voyage lasted from 1498 to 1500. During that voyage, Columbus discovered Trinidad, the Orinoco delta, and Paria. His fourth and final voyage lasted two years, from 1502 to 1504. He arrived on Central America and South America. Columbus discovered Honduras and Nicaragua. Alone with discovering Honduras and Nicaragua, he also discovered Costa Rica and Panama.====

====His journeys marked the beginning of something very important. They opened up the beginning of centuries of trans-Atlantic conquest. His journeys also opened up the trade of goods and ideas between two lands. All his explorations had a profound impact on the world. The journeys led directly to the opening of the western hemisphere to European colonization. That means that the journeys helped Spain. It helped Spain acquire colonies and wealth. The exchange of plants, animals, cultures, and ideas increased. Also there was deaths of millions of indigenous American peoples from war, forced labor, and disease. All his journeys "brought new areas of the world into the forefront of the geographic thought of the time" (Briney).====

====Christopher Columbus discovered half of the planet on his voyages. All the journeys made him a daring and path breaking explorer. All in all, Christopher Columbus is honored as the explorer who opened up the Americas to European exploration.====

====Redd, Nola Taylor. "Christopher Columbus: A Brief Biography." //LiveScience //. TechMedia Network, 05 Oct. 2012. Web. 18 Dec. 2013. ====

====Sundel, Al. //Christopher Columbus and the Age of Exploration in World History //. Berkeley Heights, NJ: Enslow, 2002. Print. ====