Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus was born in 1451.  Many historians believe he was born in Genoa but others think he was born on the island of Corsica.   He grew up in the city of Genoa on the west coast of Italy. As a young boy, he watched many sailors sail their ships in the sea. This inspired him to become a sailor.   He sailed around the Mediterranean and as far north as England and Ireland.

Early explorers traveled east over land to a faraway place called the Indies to trade goods.   The Indies were overflowing with gold, jewels and spices.   Many people wanted to find a shorter and safer route of getting to the Indies to reach these treasures.

Most people at the time of Columbus agreed that the earth was round like a ball, but they didn't agree on how big the earth was or how wide the ocean was.   Columbus studied maps and geography, and he thought about taking a short cut to get to the Indies.   He decided to reach the east by sailing west.   He thought if he sailed far enough west, he would eventually sail around the world and reach the east Indies.

Columbus spent the early months of 1492 getting ready for the voyage.   His three ships—the Nina , the Pinta , and the Santa Maria —set sail from Spain on August 3.   He had with him approximately 100 men, a company of cats to take care of rats, and an interpreter who spoke Arabic.

The voyage across the Atlantic Ocean was long and frightening.   The sailors fought with each other.   Columbus was worried when they did not see land for many days.   He promised his crew on October 10 that if they did not see land in the next three days, they would turn back.

On October 12, they saw land.   They landed at San Salvador, in the Bahamas.   They met friendly natives there and then sailed on to Cuba and to Hispaniola. There, the Santa Maria was wrecked. And Columbus and his men and headed back to Europe on the Nina .   They arrived in Europe in March 1493. He told everyone he had reached islands very near Asia and showed them the gold and treasures he had brought back with him.   Spain's king and queen were so excited that they helped him plan for another voyage.

Columbus made three other voyages—one to the Lesser Antilles then Hispaniola and Natividad, the next to Trinidad and the continent of South America, and finally to the island of Martinique, Central America and the Caribbean.   Columbus returned home to Spain in 1504.   He died two years later still believing he had reached Asia.

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