christopher columbus essay

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Early career and preparation for the first voyage

• The first voyage
• The second and third voyages
• The fourth voyage and final years
• Written sources
• Calculations

What is Christopher Columbus known for?

What was christopher columbus looking for, did christopher columbus discover america, what was the impact of columbus's travels.

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Christopher Columbus

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• Christopher Columbus was a navigator who explored the Americas under the flag of Spain.
• Some people think of him as the "discoverer" of America, but this is not strictly true.
• His voyages across the Atlantic paved the way for European colonization and exploitation of the Americas.

Columbus sailed in search of a route to Cathay (China) and India to bring back gold and spices that were highly sought in Europe. His patrons, Ferdinand II and Isabella I of Spain, hoped that his success would bring them greater status.

Where did Christopher Columbus go?

Columbus made four transatlantic voyages: 1492–93, 1493–96, 1498–1500, and 1502–04. He traveled primarily to the Caribbean, including the Bahamas , Cuba , Santo Domingo , and Jamaica , and in his latter two voyages traveled to the coasts of eastern Central America and northern South America.

Some people say Columbus discovered America or the "New World," but Vikings such as Leif Eriksson had visited North America centuries earlier, and Native American tribes had lived in the Americas for centuries before either Columbus or the Vikings arrived.

• Columbus's journeys to the Americas opened the way for European countries to colonize and exploit those lands and their peoples.
• Trade was soon established between Europe and the Americas. Plants native to the Americas (such as potatoes, tomatoes, and tobacco) were imported to Europe.
• This trade route also paved the way for the slave trade between Europe, Africa, and the Americas.
• Explorers and settlers brought with them diseases that had a devastating effect on Native American populations. Many native peoples perished or were driven from their homes by colonizers.

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Christopher Columbus (born between August 26 and October 31?, 1451, Genoa [Italy]—died May 20, 1506, Valladolid , Spain) was a master navigator and admiral whose four transatlantic voyages (1492–93, 1493–96, 1498–1500, and 1502–04) opened the way for European exploration , exploitation, and colonization of the Americas. He has long been called the “discoverer” of the New World, although Vikings such as Leif Eriksson had visited North America five centuries earlier. Columbus made his transatlantic voyages under the sponsorship of Ferdinand II and Isabella I , the Catholic Monarchs of Aragon , Castile , and Leon in Spain . He was at first full of hope and ambition, an ambition partly gratified by his title “Admiral of the Ocean Sea,” awarded to him in April 1492, and by the grants enrolled in the Book of Privileges (a record of his titles and claims). However, he died a disappointed man.

The period between the quatercentenary celebrations of Columbus’s achievements in 1892–93 and the quincentenary ones of 1992 saw great advances in Columbus scholarship. Numerous books about Columbus appeared in the 1990s, and the insights of archaeologists and anthropologists began to complement those of sailors and historians. This effort gave rise to considerable debate. There was also a major shift in approach and interpretation; the older pro-European understanding gave way to one shaped from the perspective of the inhabitants of the Americas themselves. According to the older understanding, the “discovery” of the Americas was a great triumph, one in which Columbus played the part of hero in accomplishing the four voyages, in being the means of bringing great material profit to Spain and to other European countries, and in opening up the Americas to European settlement. The more recent perspective, however, has concentrated on the destructive side of the European conquest, emphasizing, for example, the disastrous impact of the slave trade and the ravages of imported disease on the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean region and the American continents. The sense of triumph has diminished accordingly, and the view of Columbus as hero has now been replaced, for many, by one of a man deeply flawed. While this second perception rarely doubts Columbus’s sincerity or abilities as a navigator, it emphatically removes him from his position of honour. Political activists of all kinds have intervened in the debate, further hindering the reconciliation of these disparate views.

Little is known of Columbus’s early life. The vast majority of scholars, citing Columbus’s testament of 1498 and archival documents from Genoa and Savona , believe that he was born in Genoa to a Christian household; however, it has been claimed that he was a converted Jew or that he was born in Spain , Portugal , or elsewhere. Columbus was the eldest son of Domenico Colombo, a Genoese wool worker and merchant, and Susanna Fontanarossa, his wife. His career as a seaman began effectively in the Portuguese merchant marine . After surviving a shipwreck off Cape Saint Vincent at the southwestern point of Portugal in 1476, he based himself in Lisbon , together with his brother Bartholomew . Both were employed as chart makers, but Columbus was principally a seagoing entrepreneur . In 1477 he sailed to Iceland and Ireland with the merchant marine, and in 1478 he was buying sugar in Madeira as an agent for the Genoese firm of Centurioni. In 1479 he met and married Felipa Perestrello e Moniz, a member of an impoverished noble Portuguese family. Their son, Diego , was born in 1480. Between 1482 and 1485 Columbus traded along the Guinea and Gold coasts of tropical West Africa and made at least one voyage to the Portuguese fortress of São Jorge da Mina (now Elmina, Ghana ) there, gaining knowledge of Portuguese navigation and the Atlantic wind systems along the way. Felipa died in 1485, and Columbus took as his mistress Beatriz Enríquez de Harana of Córdoba, by whom he had his second son, Ferdinand (born c. 1488).

In 1484 Columbus began seeking support for an Atlantic crossing from King John II of Portugal but was denied aid. (Some conspiracy theorists have alleged that Columbus made a secret pact with the monarch, but there is no evidence of this.) By 1486 Columbus was firmly in Spain, asking for patronage from King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. After at least two rejections, he at last obtained royal support in January 1492. This was achieved chiefly through the interventions of the Spanish treasurer, Luis de Santángel, and of the Franciscan friars of La Rábida, near Huelva , with whom Columbus had stayed in the summer of 1491. Juan Pérez of La Rábida had been one of the queen’s confessors and perhaps procured him the crucial audience.

Christian missionary and anti-Islamic fervour, the power of Castile and Aragon, the fear of Portugal, the lust for gold, the desire for adventure, the hope of conquests, and Europe’s genuine need for a reliable supply of herbs and spices for cooking, preserving, and medicine all combined to produce an explosion of energy that launched the first voyage. Columbus had been present at the siege of Granada , which was the last Moorish stronghold to fall to Spain (January 2, 1492), and he was in fact riding back from Granada to La Rábida when he was recalled to the Spanish court and the vital royal audience. Granada’s fall had produced euphoria among Spanish Christians and encouraged designs of ultimate triumph over the Islamic world , albeit chiefly, perhaps, by the back way round the globe. A direct assault eastward could prove difficult, because the Ottoman Empire and other Islamic states in the region had been gaining strength at a pace that was threatening the Christian monarchies themselves. The Islamic powers had effectively closed the land routes to the East and made the sea route south from the Red Sea extremely hard to access.

In the letter that prefaces his journal of the first voyage, the admiral vividly evokes his own hopes and binds them all together with the conquest of the infidel, the victory of Christianity, and the westward route to discovery and Christian alliance:

…and I saw the Moorish king come out of the gates of the city and kiss the royal hands of Your Highnesses…and Your Highnesses, as Catholic Christians…took thought to send me, Christopher Columbus, to the said parts of India, to see those princes and peoples and lands…and the manner which should be used to bring about their conversion to our holy faith, and ordained that I should not go by land to the eastward, by which way it was the custom to go, but by way of the west, by which down to this day we do not know certainly that anyone has passed; therefore, having driven out all the Jews from your realms and lordships in the same month of January, Your Highnesses commanded me that, with a sufficient fleet, I should go to the said parts of India, and for this accorded me great rewards and ennobled me so that from that time henceforth I might style myself “Don” and be high admiral of the Ocean Sea and viceroy and perpetual Governor of the islands and continent which I should discover…and that my eldest son should succeed to the same position, and so on from generation to generation forever.

Thus a great number of interests were involved in this adventure, which was, in essence, the attempt to find a route to the rich land of Cathay ( China ), to India , and to the fabled gold and spice islands of the East by sailing westward over what was presumed to be open sea. Columbus himself clearly hoped to rise from his humble beginnings in this way, to accumulate riches for his family, and to join the ranks of the nobility of Spain. In a similar manner, but at a more exalted level, the Catholic Monarchs hoped that such an enterprise would gain them greater status among the monarchies of Europe, especially against their main rival, Portugal. Then, in alliance with the papacy (in this case, with the Borgia pope Alexander VI [1492–1503]), they might hope to take the lead in the Christian war against the infidel.

At a more elevated level still, Franciscan brethren were preparing for the eventual end of the world, as they believed was prophesied in the Revelation to John . According to that eschatological vision, Christendom would recapture Jerusalem and install a Christian emperor in the Holy Land as a precondition for the coming and defeat of Antichrist , the Christian conversion of the whole human race , and the Last Judgment . Franciscans and others hoped that Columbus’s westward project would help to finance a Crusade to the Holy Land that might even be reinforced by, or coordinated with, offensives from the legendary ruler Prester John , who was thought to survive with his descendants in the lands to the east of the infidel. The emperor of Cathay—whom Europeans referred to as the Great Khan of the Golden Horde —was himself held to be interested in Christianity, and Columbus carefully carried a letter of friendship addressed to him by the Spanish monarchs. Finally, the Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias was known to have pressed southward along the coast of West Africa, beyond São Jorge da Mina, in an effort to find an easterly route to Cathay and India by sea. It would never do to allow the Portuguese to find the sea route first.

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Christopher Columbus

By: History.com Editors

Updated: August 11, 2023 | Original: November 9, 2009

The explorer Christopher Columbus made four trips across the Atlantic Ocean from Spain: in 1492, 1493, 1498 and 1502. He was determined to find a direct water route west from Europe to Asia, but he never did. Instead, he stumbled upon the Americas. Though he did not “discover” the so-called New World—millions of people already lived there—his journeys marked the beginning of centuries of exploration and colonization of North and South America.

Christopher Columbus and the Age of Discovery

During the 15th and 16th centuries, leaders of several European nations sponsored expeditions abroad in the hope that explorers would find great wealth and vast undiscovered lands. The Portuguese were the earliest participants in this “ Age of Discovery ,” also known as “ Age of Exploration .”

Starting in about 1420, small Portuguese ships known as caravels zipped along the African coast, carrying spices, gold and other goods as well as enslaved people from Asia and Africa to Europe.

Did you know? Christopher Columbus was not the first person to propose that a person could reach Asia by sailing west from Europe. In fact, scholars argue that the idea is almost as old as the idea that the Earth is round. (That is, it dates back to early Rome.)

Other European nations, particularly Spain, were eager to share in the seemingly limitless riches of the “Far East.” By the end of the 15th century, Spain’s “ Reconquista ”—the expulsion of Jews and Muslims out of the kingdom after centuries of war—was complete, and the nation turned its attention to exploration and conquest in other areas of the world.

The Voyages of Christopher Columbus: Timeline

• 1451 Columbus is born
• 1492–1493 Columbus sails to the Americas
• 1493–1496 Columbus returns to Hispaniola
• 1498–1500 Columbus seeks a strait to India
• 1502–1504 Columbus's last voyage
• 1506 Columbus dies

Christopher Columbus is born in the Republic of Genoa. He begins sailing in his teens and survives a shipwreck off the coast of Portugal in 1476. In 1484, he seeks aid from Portugal’s King John II for a voyage to cross the Atlantic Ocean and reach Asia from the east, but the king declines to fund it.

After securing funding from Spain’s King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella, Columbus makes his first voyage to the Americas with three ships—the Niña , the Pinta and the Santa Maria . In October 1492, his expedition makes landfall in the modern-day country of The Bahamas. Columbus establishes a settlement on the island of Hispaniola (present-day Haiti and the Dominican Republic).

In November 1943, Columbus returns to the settlement on Hispaniola to find the Europeans he left there dead. During this second voyage, which lasts over two years, Columbus’ expedition establishes an “encomienda” system. Under this system, Spanish subjects seize land and force Native people to work on it. More

In the summer of 1498, Columbus—still believing he’s reached Asia from the east—sets out on this third voyage with the goal of finding a strait from present-day Cuba to India. He makes his first landfall in South America and plants a Spanish flag in present-day Venezuela. After failing to find the strait, he returns to Hispaniola, where Spanish authorities arrest him for the brutal way he runs the colony there. In 1500, Columbus returns to Spain in chains. More

The Spanish government strips Columbus of his titles but still frees him and finances one last voyage , although it forbids him return to Hispaniola. Still in search of a strait to India, Columbus makes it as far as modern-day Panama, which straddles the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. In his return journey, his ships become beached in present-day Jamaica and he and his crew live as castaways for a year before rescue. More

On May 20, 1506, Columbus dies in Valladolid, Spain at age 54, still asserting that he reached the eastern part of Asia by sailing across the Atlantic. Despite the fact that the Spanish government pays him a tenth of the gold he looted in the Americas, Columbus spends the last part of his life petitioning the crown for more recognition.

Early Life and Nationality 

Christopher Columbus, the son of a wool merchant, is believed to have been born in Genoa, Italy, in 1451. When he was still a teenager, he got a job on a merchant ship. He remained at sea until 1476, when pirates attacked his ship as it sailed north along the Portuguese coast.

The boat sank, but the young Columbus floated to shore on a scrap of wood and made his way to Lisbon, where he eventually studied mathematics, astronomy, cartography and navigation. He also began to hatch the plan that would change the world forever.

Columbus’ Quest for Gold

On Christopher Columbus’s second voyage to the Americas, he enslaved the Indigenous people and forced them to mine for gold.

Columbus’ Mutinous Crew

After 60 days and no sign of their destination, Columbus’ doubtful crew wanted to turn back.

How Early Humans First Reached the Americas: 3 Theories

How and when did humans first set foot in North America? Here are three theories.

Christopher Columbus' First Voyage

At the end of the 15th century, it was nearly impossible to reach Asia from Europe by land. The route was long and arduous, and encounters with hostile armies were difficult to avoid. Portuguese explorers solved this problem by taking to the sea: They sailed south along the West African coast and around the Cape of Good Hope.

But Columbus had a different idea: Why not sail west across the Atlantic instead of around the massive African continent? The young navigator’s logic was sound, but his math was faulty. He argued (incorrectly) that the circumference of the Earth was much smaller than his contemporaries believed it was; accordingly, he believed that the journey by boat from Europe to Asia should be not only possible, but comparatively easy via an as-yet undiscovered Northwest Passage . 

He presented his plan to officials in Portugal and England, but it was not until 1492 that he found a sympathetic audience: the Spanish monarchs Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile .

Columbus wanted fame and fortune. Ferdinand and Isabella wanted the same, along with the opportunity to export Catholicism to lands across the globe. (Columbus, a devout Catholic, was equally enthusiastic about this possibility.)

Columbus’ contract with the Spanish rulers promised that he could keep 10 percent of whatever riches he found, along with a noble title and the governorship of any lands he should encounter.

Exploration of North America

The Vikings Discover the New World The first attempt by Europeans to colonize the New World occurred around 1000 A.D. when the Vikings sailed from the British Isles to Greenland, established a colony and then moved on to Labrador, the Baffin Islands and finally Newfoundland. There they established a colony named Vineland (meaning fertile region) […]

The Viking Explorer Who Beat Columbus to America

Leif Eriksson Day commemorates the Norse explorer believed to have led the first European expedition to North America.

Christopher Columbus Never Set Out to Prove the Earth was Round

Humans have known the earth is round for thousands of years.

Where Did Columbus' Ships, Niña, Pinta and Santa Maria, Land?

On August 3, 1492, Columbus and his crew set sail from Spain in three ships: the Niña , the Pinta and the Santa Maria . On October 12, the ships made landfall—not in the East Indies, as Columbus assumed, but on one of the Bahamian islands, likely San Salvador.

For months, Columbus sailed from island to island in what we now know as the Caribbean, looking for the “pearls, precious stones, gold, silver, spices, and other objects and merchandise whatsoever” that he had promised to his Spanish patrons, but he did not find much. In January 1493, leaving several dozen men behind in a makeshift settlement on Hispaniola (present-day Haiti and the Dominican Republic), he left for Spain.

He kept a detailed diary during his first voyage. Christopher Columbus’s journal was written between August 3, 1492, and November 6, 1492 and mentions everything from the wildlife he encountered, like dolphins and birds, to the weather to the moods of his crew. More troublingly, it also recorded his initial impressions of the local people and his argument for why they should be enslaved.

“They… brought us parrots and balls of cotton and spears and many other things, which they exchanged for the glass beads and hawks’ bells," he wrote. "They willingly traded everything they owned… They were well-built, with good bodies and handsome features… They do not bear arms, and do not know them, for I showed them a sword, they took it by the edge and cut themselves out of ignorance. They have no iron… They would make fine servants… With fifty men we could subjugate them all and make them do whatever we want.”

Columbus gifted the journal to Isabella upon his return.

10 Things You May Not Know About Christopher Columbus

Check out 10 things you may not know about the Genoese explorer who sailed the ocean blue in 1492.

The Ships of Christopher Columbus Were Sleek, Fast—and Cramped

Two of Christopher Columbus’ ships were so small that men had no refuge to sleep and poor food storage led to wormy meals.

Christopher Columbus: How The Explorer’s Legend Grew—and Then Drew Fire

Columbus's famed voyage to the New World was celebrated by Italian‑Americans, in particular, as a pathway to their own acceptance in America.

Christopher Columbus's Later Voyages

About six months later, in September 1493, Columbus returned to the Americas. He found the Hispaniola settlement destroyed and left his brothers Bartolomeo and Diego Columbus behind to rebuild, along with part of his ships’ crew and hundreds of enslaved indigenous people.

Then he headed west to continue his mostly fruitless search for gold and other goods. His group now included a large number of indigenous people the Europeans had enslaved. In lieu of the material riches he had promised the Spanish monarchs, he sent some 500 enslaved people to Queen Isabella. The queen was horrified—she believed that any people Columbus “discovered” were Spanish subjects who could not be enslaved—and she promptly and sternly returned the explorer’s gift.

In May 1498, Columbus sailed west across the Atlantic for the third time. He visited Trinidad and the South American mainland before returning to the ill-fated Hispaniola settlement, where the colonists had staged a bloody revolt against the Columbus brothers’ mismanagement and brutality. Conditions were so bad that Spanish authorities had to send a new governor to take over.

Meanwhile, the native Taino population, forced to search for gold and to work on plantations, was decimated (within 60 years after Columbus landed, only a few hundred of what may have been 250,000 Taino were left on their island). Christopher Columbus was arrested and returned to Spain in chains. 

In 1502, cleared of the most serious charges but stripped of his noble titles, the aging Columbus persuaded the Spanish crown to pay for one last trip across the Atlantic. This time, Columbus made it all the way to Panama—just miles from the Pacific Ocean—where he had to abandon two of his four ships after damage from storms and hostile natives. Empty-handed, the explorer returned to Spain, where he died in 1506.

Legacy of Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus did not “discover” the Americas, nor was he even the first European to visit the “New World.” (Viking explorer Leif Erikson had sailed to Greenland and Newfoundland in the 11th century.)

However, his journey kicked off centuries of exploration and exploitation on the American continents. The Columbian Exchange transferred people, animals, food and disease across cultures. Old World wheat became an American food staple. African coffee and Asian sugar cane became cash crops for Latin America, while American foods like corn, tomatoes and potatoes were introduced into European diets. 

Today, Columbus has a controversial legacy —he is remembered as a daring and path-breaking explorer who transformed the New World, yet his actions also unleashed changes that would eventually devastate the native populations he and his fellow explorers encountered.

HISTORY Vault: Columbus the Lost Voyage

Ten years after his 1492 voyage, Columbus, awaiting the gallows on criminal charges in a Caribbean prison, plotted a treacherous final voyage to restore his reputation.

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Christopher Columbus Essay | Essay on Christopher Columbus for Students and Children in English

February 13, 2024 by Prasanna

Christopher Columbus Essay: Christopher Columbus is one of the most well-known explorers of all times and is credited with the discovery of America. He had made four trips across the Atlantic Ocean with the intent of finding a direct water route from Europe to Asia.

Christopher Columbus is, without doubt, one of the most notable personalities of history who had revolutionized the way we visualize the word on a map and opened doors to several new trade opportunities.

You can also find more  Essay Writing  articles on events, persons, sports, technology and many more.

Long and Short Essays on Christopher Columbus for Students and Kids in English

We are providing students with essay samples on an extended essay of 500 words and a short essay of 150 words on the topic Christopher Columbus for reference.

Long Essay on Christopher Columbus 500 Words in English

Long Essay on Christopher Columbus is usually given to classes 7, 8, 9, and 10.

Christopher Columbus is one of the most well-known explorers of all times who had made history with the discovery of America. The explorer had made four trips across the Atlantic Ocean in order to find a direct water route connecting Europe and Asia. He never managed to achieve his intentions but instead ended up discovering the ‘New World’.

Christopher Columbus was the son of a wool merchant and born in the city of Genoa, Italy in 1451. As a teenager, he worked on a merchant ship and remained at sea till the ship was sunk by pirates. Columbus managed to escape and floated to safety on a scrap of wood.

Columbus studied mathematics, astronomy, navigation and cartography in Lisbon and there started his will to explore the world. The first voyage of Columbus was at the end of the 15 the century when it was very difficult to reach Asia from Europe by land. The Portuguese had started sailing around the cape of good hope to reach Asia, but Columbus had other plans in his mind.

Columbus wanted to discover a way to sail west along the Atlantic instead of going around the vast African continent. Although Columbus’ plan was sound, the calculations were not entirely correct since his estimation of the earth’s circumference was smaller than reality. Nevertheless, Columbus presented his plans to English and Portuguese officials, where he secured the support of Ferdinand and Isabella. They started their journey on three ships—Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria. The ships reached the Bahamian Islands two months after their departure.

Columbus sailed to various islands after that in search of spice and valuables but could not find much. In January 1943, he left behind several dozen men on the settlement of Hispaniola which is present-day Haiti and the Dominican Republic and set course for Spain. After returning six months later, Columbus saw to his dismay that the Hispaniola settlement had been completely destroyed.

After leaving his brother responsible for rebuilding Hispaniola, Columbus headed west to find gold and other goods. In May 1948, Columbus set out on his third voyage. He visited Trinidad and South Americas before reaching Hispaniola settlements where a revolt had broken out against the mismanagement of the Columbus brothers. The conditions were so poor that the Spanish authorities had to step in and send a new governor.

Following this, Christopher Columbus was arrested and returned to Spain. He was acquitted of significant charges but also stripped of all the noble titles he had. An ageing Columbus persuaded the Spanish government to pay for one last trip where he went all the way to Panama. His ships suffered significant damages from hostile enemies and storms, and the great explorer had to return to Spain empty-handed where he died in 1506.

Christopher Columbus is today remembered as an essential yet controversial figure. Although he transformed the new world and facilitated trade, his actions would also set give way to a series of inhuman atrocities on the indigenous populations that his fellow explorers encountered.

Short Essay on Christopher Columbus 150 Words in English

Short Essay on Christopher Columbus is usually given to classes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.

Christopher Columbus is an important historical figure who was born in Genoa, Italy, in 1451. His journey along the Atlantic led to the discovery of several new trade routes and altered the course of trade and travel in history. He was the son of a wool merchant, and his first job was as a teenager on a merchant ship. He continued his work there till pirates attacked his ship and he escaped on a plank of wood.

Christopher Columbus made four trips in 1492, 1493, 1498 and 1502. Although he wanted to discover a faster route along the Atlantic Ocean connecting Asia and Europe, he ended up finding the Americas. His role in discovering the new world and setting a series of atrocities on the native population makes him one of the most talked-about, analysed and controversial figure in history.

10 Lines on Christopher Columbus in English

• Christopher Columbus was born in Genoa, Italy, in 1451.
• His first work was as on a merchant ship which was later attacked by pirates.
• Columbus studied various subjects like mathematics, navigation and cartography in Lisbon.
• The first voyage of Columbus was in 1492.
• Columbus wanted to find a direct trade route linking Asia and Europe along the Atlantic Ocean.
• Columbus landed on the Bahamian islands instead of the East Indies.
• The mismanagement of the Columbus brothers caused a revolt by the natives of the Hispaniola settlement.
• Columbus was arrested and brought back to Spain.
• Although the charges against Columbus were removed, he was stripped of his major titles.
• Columbus set out for his last voyage in 1502.

FAQ’s on Christopher Columbus Essay

Question 1.  Where was Christopher Columbus born?

Answer: Columbus was born in Genoa, Italy, in 1451.

Question 2. What did Columbus want to discover?

Answer: Columbus wanted to discover a direct route connecting Asia and Europe along the Atlantic Ocean.

Question 3.  Why was Columbus arrested?

Answer: Christopher Columbus was arrested because of the mismanagement by the Columbus brothers in Hispaniola, which caused unrest and led the natives to revolt.

Question 4.  Why is Columbus a controversial figure?

Answer: Columbus helped in opening up new avenues of trade and travel and discovered the ‘new world’ but is responsible for the mistreatment of the natives of the places the explorers visited.

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History Resources

Columbus reports on his first voyage, 1493

A spotlight on a primary source by christopher columbus.

On August 3, 1492, Columbus set sail from Spain to find an all-water route to Asia. On October 12, more than two months later, Columbus landed on an island in the Bahamas that he called San Salvador; the natives called it Guanahani.

For nearly five months, Columbus explored the Caribbean, particularly the islands of Juana (Cuba) and Hispaniola (Santo Domingo), before returning to Spain. He left thirty-nine men to build a settlement called La Navidad in present-day Haiti. He also kidnapped several Native Americans (between ten and twenty-five) to take back to Spain—only eight survived. Columbus brought back small amounts of gold as well as native birds and plants to show the richness of the continent he believed to be Asia.

When Columbus arrived back in Spain on March 15, 1493, he immediately wrote a letter announcing his discoveries to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, who had helped finance his trip. The letter was written in Spanish and sent to Rome, where it was printed in Latin by Stephan Plannck. Plannck mistakenly left Queen Isabella’s name out of the pamphlet’s introduction but quickly realized his error and reprinted the pamphlet a few days later. The copy shown here is the second, corrected edition of the pamphlet.

The Latin printing of this letter announced the existence of the American continent throughout Europe. “I discovered many islands inhabited by numerous people. I took possession of all of them for our most fortunate King by making public proclamation and unfurling his standard, no one making any resistance,” Columbus wrote.

In addition to announcing his momentous discovery, Columbus’s letter also provides observations of the native people’s culture and lack of weapons, noting that “they are destitute of arms, which are entirely unknown to them, and for which they are not adapted; not on account of any bodily deformity, for they are well made, but because they are timid and full of terror.” Writing that the natives are “fearful and timid . . . guileless and honest,” Columbus declares that the land could easily be conquered by Spain, and the natives “might become Christians and inclined to love our King and Queen and Princes and all the people of Spain.”

An English translation of this document is available.

I have determined to write you this letter to inform you of everything that has been done and discovered in this voyage of mine.

On the thirty-third day after leaving Cadiz I came into the Indian Sea, where I discovered many islands inhabited by numerous people. I took possession of all of them for our most fortunate King by making public proclamation and unfurling his standard, no one making any resistance. The island called Juana, as well as the others in its neighborhood, is exceedingly fertile. It has numerous harbors on all sides, very safe and wide, above comparison with any I have ever seen. Through it flow many very broad and health-giving rivers; and there are in it numerous very lofty mountains. All these island are very beautiful, and of quite different shapes; easy to be traversed, and full of the greatest variety of trees reaching to the stars. . . .

In the island, which I have said before was called Hispana , there are very lofty and beautiful mountains, great farms, groves and fields, most fertile both for cultivation and for pasturage, and well adapted for constructing buildings. The convenience of the harbors in this island, and the excellence of the rivers, in volume and salubrity, surpass human belief, unless on should see them. In it the trees, pasture-lands and fruits different much from those of Juana. Besides, this Hispana abounds in various kinds of species, gold and metals. The inhabitants . . . are all, as I said before, unprovided with any sort of iron, and they are destitute of arms, which are entirely unknown to them, and for which they are not adapted; not on account of any bodily deformity, for they are well made, but because they are timid and full of terror. . . . But when they see that they are safe, and all fear is banished, they are very guileless and honest, and very liberal of all they have. No one refuses the asker anything that he possesses; on the contrary they themselves invite us to ask for it. They manifest the greatest affection towards all of us, exchanging valuable things for trifles, content with the very least thing or nothing at all. . . . I gave them many beautiful and pleasing things, which I had brought with me, for no return whatever, in order to win their affection, and that they might become Christians and inclined to love our King and Queen and Princes and all the people of Spain; and that they might be eager to search for and gather and give to us what they abound in and we greatly need.

Questions for Discussion

Read the document introduction and transcript in order to answer these questions.

• Columbus described the Natives he first encountered as “timid and full of fear.” Why did he then capture some Natives and bring them aboard his ships?
• Imagine the thoughts of the Europeans as they first saw land in the “New World.” What do you think would have been their most immediate impression? Explain your answer.
• Which of the items Columbus described would have been of most interest to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella? Why?
• Why did Columbus describe the islands and their inhabitants in great detail?
• It is said that this voyage opened the period of the “Columbian Exchange.” Why do you think that term has been attached to this period of time?

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Christopher Columbus

Italian explorer Christopher Columbus discovered the “New World” of the Americas on an expedition sponsored by King Ferdinand of Spain in 1492.

c. 1451-1506

Quick Facts

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Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer and navigator. In 1492, he sailed across the Atlantic Ocean from Spain in the Santa Maria , with the Pinta and the Niña ships alongside, hoping to find a new route to Asia. Instead, he and his crew landed on an island in present-day Bahamas—claiming it for Spain and mistakenly “discovering” the Americas. Between 1493 and 1504, he made three more voyages to the Caribbean and South America, believing until his death that he had found a shorter route to Asia. Columbus has been credited—and blamed—for opening up the Americas to European colonization.

FULL NAME: Cristoforo Colombo BORN: c. 1451 DIED: May 20, 1506 BIRTHPLACE: Genoa, Italy SPOUSE: Filipa Perestrelo (c. 1479-1484) CHILDREN: Diego and Fernando

Christopher Columbus, whose real name was Cristoforo Colombo, was born in 1451 in the Republic of Genoa, part of what is now Italy. He is believed to have been the son of Dominico Colombo and Susanna Fontanarossa and had four siblings: brothers Bartholomew, Giovanni, and Giacomo, and a sister named Bianchinetta. He was an apprentice in his father’s wool weaving business and studied sailing and mapmaking.

In his 20s, Columbus moved to Lisbon, Portugal, and later resettled in Spain, which remained his home base for the duration of his life.

Columbus first went to sea as a teenager, participating in several trading voyages in the Mediterranean and Aegean seas. One such voyage, to the island of Khios, in modern-day Greece, brought him the closest he would ever come to Asia.

His first voyage into the Atlantic Ocean in 1476 nearly cost him his life, as the commercial fleet he was sailing with was attacked by French privateers off the coast of Portugal. His ship was burned, and Columbus had to swim to the Portuguese shore.

He made his way to Lisbon, where he eventually settled and married Filipa Perestrelo. The couple had one son, Diego, around 1480. His wife died when Diego was a young boy, and Columbus moved to Spain. He had a second son, Fernando, who was born out of wedlock in 1488 with Beatriz Enriquez de Arana.

After participating in several other expeditions to Africa, Columbus learned about the Atlantic currents that flow east and west from the Canary Islands.

The Asian islands near China and India were fabled for their spices and gold, making them an attractive destination for Europeans—but Muslim domination of the trade routes through the Middle East made travel eastward difficult.

Columbus devised a route to sail west across the Atlantic to reach Asia, believing it would be quicker and safer. He estimated the earth to be a sphere and the distance between the Canary Islands and Japan to be about 2,300 miles.

Many of Columbus’ contemporary nautical experts disagreed. They adhered to the (now known to be accurate) second-century BCE estimate of the Earth’s circumference at 25,000 miles, which made the actual distance between the Canary Islands and Japan about 12,200 statute miles. Despite their disagreement with Columbus on matters of distance, they concurred that a westward voyage from Europe would be an uninterrupted water route.

Columbus proposed a three-ship voyage of discovery across the Atlantic first to the Portuguese king, then to Genoa, and finally to Venice. He was rejected each time. In 1486, he went to the Spanish monarchy of Queen Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon. Their focus was on a war with the Muslims, and their nautical experts were skeptical, so they initially rejected Columbus.

The idea, however, must have intrigued the monarchs, because they kept Columbus on a retainer. Columbus continued to lobby the royal court, and soon, the Spanish army captured the last Muslim stronghold in Granada in January 1492. Shortly thereafter, the monarchs agreed to finance his expedition.

In late August 1492, Columbus left Spain from the port of Palos de la Frontera. He was sailing with three ships: Columbus in the larger Santa Maria (a type of ship known as a carrack), with the Pinta and the Niña (both Portuguese-style caravels) alongside.

On October 12, 1492, after 36 days of sailing westward across the Atlantic, Columbus and several crewmen set foot on an island in present-day Bahamas, claiming it for Spain.

There, his crew encountered a timid but friendly group of natives who were open to trade with the sailors. They exchanged glass beads, cotton balls, parrots, and spears. The Europeans also noticed bits of gold the natives wore for adornment.

Columbus and his men continued their journey, visiting the islands of Cuba (which he thought was mainland China) and Hispaniola (now Haiti and the Dominican Republic, which Columbus thought might be Japan) and meeting with the leaders of the native population.

During this time, the Santa Maria was wrecked on a reef off the coast of Hispaniola. With the help of some islanders, Columbus’ men salvaged what they could and built the settlement Villa de la Navidad (“Christmas Town”) with lumber from the ship.

Thirty-nine men stayed behind to occupy the settlement. Convinced his exploration had reached Asia, he set sail for home with the two remaining ships. Returning to Spain in 1493, Columbus gave a glowing but somewhat exaggerated report and was warmly received by the royal court.

In 1493, Columbus took to the seas on his second expedition and explored more islands in the Caribbean Ocean. Upon arrival at Hispaniola, Columbus and his crew discovered the Navidad settlement had been destroyed with all the sailors massacred.

Spurning the wishes of the local queen, Columbus established a forced labor policy upon the native population to rebuild the settlement and explore for gold, believing it would be profitable. His efforts produced small amounts of gold and great hatred among the native population.

Before returning to Spain, Columbus left his brothers Bartholomew and Giacomo to govern the settlement on Hispaniola and sailed briefly around the larger Caribbean islands, further convincing himself he had discovered the outer islands of China.

It wasn’t until his third voyage that Columbus actually reached the South American mainland, exploring the Orinoco River in present-day Venezuela. By this time, conditions at the Hispaniola settlement had deteriorated to the point of near-mutiny, with settlers claiming they had been misled by Columbus’ claims of riches and complaining about the poor management of his brothers.

The Spanish Crown sent a royal official who arrested Columbus and stripped him of his authority. He returned to Spain in chains to face the royal court. The charges were later dropped, but Columbus lost his titles as governor of the Indies and, for a time, much of the riches made during his voyages.

After convincing King Ferdinand that one more voyage would bring the abundant riches promised, Columbus went on his fourth and final voyage across the Atlantic Ocean in 1502. This time he traveled along the eastern coast of Central America in an unsuccessful search for a route to the Indian Ocean.

A storm wrecked one of his ships, stranding the captain and his sailors on the island of Cuba. During this time, local islanders, tired of the Spaniards’ poor treatment and obsession with gold, refused to give them food.

In a spark of inspiration, Columbus consulted an almanac and devised a plan to “punish” the islanders by taking away the moon. On February 29, 1504, a lunar eclipse alarmed the natives enough to re-establish trade with the Spaniards. A rescue party finally arrived, sent by the royal governor of Hispaniola in July, and Columbus and his men were taken back to Spain in November 1504.

In the two remaining years of his life, Columbus struggled to recover his reputation. Although he did regain some of his riches in May 1505, his titles were never returned.

Columbus probably died of severe arthritis following an infection on May 20, 1506, in Valladolid, Spain. At the time of his death, he still believed he had discovered a shorter route to Asia.

There are questions about the location of his burial site. According to the BBC , Columbus’ remains moved at least three or four times over the course of 400 years—including from Valladolid to Seville, Spain, in 1509; then to Santo Domingo, in what is now the Dominican Republic, in 1537; then to Havana, Cuba, in 1795; and back to Seville in 1898. As a result, Seville and Santo Domingo have both laid claim to being Columbus’ true burial site. It is also possible his bones were mixed up with another person’s amid all of their travels.

In May 2014, Columbus made headlines as news broke that a team of archaeologists might have found the Santa Maria off the north coast of Haiti. Barry Clifford, the leader of this expedition, told the Independent newspaper that “all geographical, underwater topography and archaeological evidence strongly suggests this wreck is Columbus’ famous flagship the Santa Maria.”

After a thorough investigation by the U.N. agency UNESCO, it was determined the wreck dates from a later period and was located too far from shore to be the famed ship.

Columbus has been credited for opening up the Americas to European colonization—as well as blamed for the destruction of the native peoples of the islands he explored. Ultimately, he failed to find that what he set out for: a new route to Asia and the riches it promised.

In what is known as the Columbian Exchange, Columbus’ expeditions set in motion the widespread transfer of people, plants, animals, diseases, and cultures that greatly affected nearly every society on the planet.

The horse from Europe allowed Native American tribes in the Great Plains of North America to shift from a nomadic to a hunting lifestyle. Wheat from the Old World fast became a main food source for people in the Americas. Coffee from Africa and sugar cane from Asia became major cash crops for Latin American countries. And foods from the Americas, such as potatoes, tomatoes and corn, became staples for Europeans and helped increase their populations.

The Columbian Exchange also brought new diseases to both hemispheres, though the effects were greatest in the Americas. Smallpox from the Old World killed millions, decimating the Native American populations to mere fractions of their original numbers. This more than any other factor allowed for European domination of the Americas.

The overwhelming benefits of the Columbian Exchange went to the Europeans initially and eventually to the rest of the world. The Americas were forever altered, and the once vibrant cultures of the Indigenous civilizations were changed and lost, denying the world any complete understanding of their existence.

As more Italians began to immigrate to the United States and settle in major cities during the 19 th century, they were subject to religious and ethnic discrimination. This included a mass lynching of 11 Sicilian immigrants in 1891 in New Orleans.

Just one year after this horrific event, President Benjamin Harrison called for the first national observance of Columbus Day on October 12, 1892, to mark the 400 th anniversary of his arrival in the Americas. Italian-Americans saw this honorary act for Columbus as a way of gaining acceptance.

Colorado became the first state to officially observe Columbus Day in 1906 and, within five years, 14 other states followed. Thanks to a joint resolution of Congress, the day officially became a federal holiday in 1934 during the administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt . In 1970, Congress declared the holiday would fall on the second Monday in October each year.

But as Columbus’ legacy—specifically, his exploration’s impacts on Indigenous civilizations—began to draw more criticism, more people chose not to take part. As of 2023, approximately 29 states no longer celebrate Columbus Day , and around 195 cities have renamed it or replaced with the alternative Indigenous Peoples Day. The latter isn’t an official holiday, but the federal government recognized its observance in 2022 and 2023. President Joe Biden called it “a day in honor of our diverse history and the Indigenous peoples who contribute to shaping this nation.”

One of the most notable cities to move away from celebrating Columbus Day in recent years is the state capital of Columbus, Ohio, which is named after the explorer. In 2018, Mayor Andrew Ginther announced the city would remain open on Columbus Day and instead celebrate a holiday on Veterans Day. In July 2020, the city also removed a 20-plus-foot metal statue of Columbus from the front of City Hall.

• I went to sea from the most tender age and have continued in a sea life to this day. Whoever gives himself up to this art wants to know the secrets of Nature here below. It is more than forty years that I have been thus engaged. Wherever any one has sailed, there I have sailed.
• Speaking of myself, little profit had I won from twenty years of service, during which I have served with so great labors and perils, for today I have no roof over my head in Castile; if I wish to sleep or eat, I have no place to which to go, save an inn or tavern, and most often, I lack the wherewithal to pay the score.
• They say that there is in that land an infinite amount of gold; and that the people wear corals on their heads and very large bracelets of coral on their feet and arms; and that with coral they adorn and inlay chairs and chests and tables.
• This island and all the others are very fertile to a limitless degree, and this island is extremely so. In it there are many harbors on the coast of the sea, beyond comparison with others that I know in Christendom, and many rivers, good and large, which is marvelous.
• Our Almighty God has shown me the highest favor, which, since David, he has not shown to anybody.
• Already the road is opened to gold and pearls, and it may surely be hoped that precious stones, spices, and a thousand other things, will also be found.
• I have now seen so much irregularity, that I have come to another conclusion respecting the earth, namely, that it is not round as they describe, but of the form of a pear.
• In all the countries visited by your Highnesses’ ships, I have caused a high cross to be fixed upon every headland and have proclaimed, to every nation that I have discovered, the lofty estate of your Highnesses and of your court in Spain.
• I ought to be judged as a captain sent from Spain to the Indies, to conquer a nation numerous and warlike, with customs and religions altogether different to ours.

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Christopher Columbus and the Discovery of the New World

In the annals of history, few names resonate as profoundly as Christopher Columbus’s. To many, he is a visionary navigator, a daring explorer who courageously ventured into the uncharted waters of the Atlantic, driven by an insatiable curiosity and a fierce determination. To others, he symbolizes European imperialism, whose voyages led to the colonization and subjugation of indigenous populations. This dichotomy presents a tantalizing enigma: Who was Christopher Columbus truly? Beyond the folklore and mythology, who was the man who set foot on the shores of the New World in 1492? This essay will traverse the seas of time, dispelling myths and unearthing facts as we journey alongside Columbus on his epoch-making voyage to the Americas. Through a lens of historical scrutiny, we will attempt to understand this seminal figure’s motivations, challenges, and legacies, setting the stage for a deep exploration into the repercussions of his discoveries.

Table of content

The landscape of the late 15th century was a tapestry of burgeoning empires vying for dominion and wealth. Europe, especially, was in the throes of a profound transformation. Renaissance ideals were fanning the flames of knowledge, art, and human potential. Cities like Florence and Venice were not just magnificent hubs of culture; they were cauldrons of ambition, with tales of Marco Polo’s adventures to the East echoing in their streets.

Against this backdrop, nations like Spain and Portugal were engaged in an intense rivalry, seeking the elusive and profitable passage to the East. The overland Silk Road, though historically significant, had its limitations and dangers. Moreover, the Ottomans’ control over Constantinople in 1453 challenged Europe’s access to the Asian trade markets. Maritime supremacy became the watchword of the day.

Enter Christopher Columbus – a Genoese sailor with a grand vision. Armed with a blend of experience and audacity, Columbus believed the key to these Eastern riches was not by navigating around Africa, as the Portuguese were attempting, but by sailing westward. Though met with skepticism from various quarters, this idea found a sympathetic ear in the Spanish monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella. Columbus’s ambitious dream was poised to become a reality with their patronage.

However, more than the promise of trade fueled this venture. There was an undercurrent of religious zeal, as Christendom hoped to find a route to spread Christianity to the East. Columbus himself harbored such hopes, as evident in his writings.

This chapter sets the stage for Columbus’s monumental voyage, exploring the confluence of economic aspirations, geopolitical rivalries, and personal ambitions that propelled him into the vastness of the Atlantic.

The Journey

In the late summer of 1492, the harbors of Palos, Spain, were abuzz with frenetic activity. Three ships – the Niña, the Pinta, and the stately Santa Maria – anchored side by side were being outfitted for an expedition into the unknown. Sailors exchanged whispers of both anticipation and trepidation. Many were venturing out of the confines of the known world, fueled by a cocktail of hope, fear, and curiosity.

Under Columbus’s leadership, the flotilla embarked on this daring voyage, charting waters that, according to some naysayers of the time, hid leviathans and where the horizon might drop into oblivion. The ocean’s vastness proved to be both a challenge and a marvel. Stars that once felt familiar to these seasoned sailors took on new patterns, and the compass, their trusted ally, began behaving unpredictably as they ventured farther from home.

Days turned into weeks. The monotony of the open sea, with its endless blue horizons, tested the crew’s mettle. Whispers of mutiny began to circulate as land remained elusive. However, with a blend of stern leadership and guile, Columbus managed to quell the rising discontent, promising his crew that they were on the cusp of discovery.

Then, in the pre-dawn hours of October 12th, a cry echoed from the Pinta’s lookout: “Tierra! Tierra!” (Land! Land!). The relentless expanse of the Atlantic had finally yielded its secret. As dawn broke, an island, lush and teeming with life, unfurled on the horizon – presenting a world untouched by European footsteps. Unaware that they had stumbled upon a new continent altogether, Columbus and his crew believed they had reached the outskirts of Asia.

The challenges and tribulations of this voyage were not merely physical but psychological. Columbus’s journey was a testament to human endurance and navigation skills and the indomitable spirit of exploration and discovery. This chapter seeks to recreate the highs and lows, the anxieties and elations, of this historic passage across the Atlantic.

Encounter with the Natives

As Columbus and his men disembarked, they found themselves amidst a world startlingly distinct from their European milieu. This land was painted with the vivid hues of tropical flora and filled with the harmonious notes of unfamiliar fauna. Nevertheless, most arresting were the inhabitants of this newfound land, the native peoples, who looked on with curiosity and caution.

The indigenous tribes, diverse in their cultures and languages, had lived in harmony with their surroundings for millennia. Their societies were intricate tapestries of tradition, spirituality, and communal kinship. From the intricate patterns they weaved in their baskets to the tales they spun around evening fires, these tribes possessed a vibrant heritage.

Initial encounters were marked by a sense of wonderment on both sides. The natives, skin bronzed by the sun and adorned with feathers and beads, approached the Europeans, fascinated by their pale complexions, shining armor, and large vessels. In his journals, Columbus often vacillated between admiration for their gentle nature and a patronizing tone, noting their “naivety” as an opportunity for both conversion to Christianity and subjugation.

However, as days turned into months, the veneer of mutual fascination began to crack. The Europeans’ insatiable hunger for gold and other treasures put them at odds with the indigenous populations. Barter turned to coercion, and coercion soon gave way to violence. Many natives were forced into servitude, their freedoms curtailed, and their cultures derided. The dichotomy of the Europeans’ approach – marveling at the ‘New World’ while attempting to mold it in their image – set the stage for centuries of colonial conflict and cultural erosion.

The Impact of the Discovery

The wake of Columbus’s voyages sent ripples across the Atlantic and worldwide, ushering in an era of transformation on an unprecedented scale. This newly discovered realm, abundant in resources and potential, became the cynosure of European ambitions, altering geopolitics, economies, and societies in ways previously unimagined.

Economically, the ‘New World’ opened up a treasure trove for Europe. Precious metals, particularly gold and silver from the mines of South America, began flooding European coffers. This influx of wealth, while bolstering the fortunes of monarchies like Spain, also wreaked havoc on European economies by leading to inflation and economic disparities.

Nevertheless, it was not just mineral wealth that reshaped the global landscape. The Columbian Exchange, as historians call it, was a vast bi-directional transfer of plants, animals, technologies, and even diseases. Tomatoes, potatoes, and maize, staple diets of many countries today, were introduced to Europe, while horses, cattle, and wheat made their way to the Americas. The cultural and culinary landscapes of entire continents were rewritten, creating a rich tapestry of global interconnectedness.

However, this exchange came with its shadowy underbelly. Diseases from Europe, such as smallpox, for which the indigenous populations had no immunity, decimated tribes, wiping out vast swathes of native inhabitants. It is a somber testament to the unintended consequences of exploration.

On the sociopolitical front, the discovery heralded the rise of European colonial empires. Territories were claimed, borders were drawn, and indigenous populations were often subjugated and marginalized in their ancestral lands. The seeds of modern nation-states in the Americas were sown, often drenched in the blood of colonial conflict and native resistance.

As waves of European settlers arrived, they also brought their beliefs, religions, and ways of governance, forever altering the societal mosaic of the New World. The spread of Christianity, in particular, became a cornerstone of colonial policy, leading to the establishment of missions and the often forceful conversion of indigenous populations.

Modern Perspectives

As the mists of time roll forward, the figure of Christopher Columbus, once celebrated with near-mythic reverence, now stands at the intersection of evolving historical narratives and present-day discourses. Today, as we stand on the precipice of a globalized, interconnected world, the legacy of Columbus is reevaluated through lenses tinted with nuances and introspection.

The earlier portrayals of Columbus, especially in Western education, painted him as an intrepid explorer, a symbol of human tenacity and the quest for knowledge. Parades, statues, and even a national holiday in the United States were instituted in his honor, commemorating the ‘discovery’ of a new land. To many, Columbus became emblematic of the spirit of exploration and the breaking of frontiers.

However, a paradigm shift began to unfold in the latter half of the 20th century and into the 21st. Historians, anthropologists, and indigenous activists began to spotlight the darker facets of the Columbian encounter. The tales of exploitation, enslavement, and ecological upheaval started to challenge the monolithic narrative of Columbus as a hero. In modern classrooms and public discourses, the emphasis shifted to understanding the profound human and environmental costs that accompanied the European incursion into the Americas.

Furthermore, indigenous voices, long marginalized in retelling their own history, began to resurface with vigor. Their oral histories, traditions, and perspectives provided a counter-narrative, re-centering the story from one of ‘discovery’ to one of ‘invasion’ or ‘encounter.’ The implications of this linguistic shift are profound, reframing the entire narrative to be more inclusive and representative.

Today, statues of Columbus, once erected with pride, have become flashpoints of contention in some regions, with debates raging over their removal or preservation. These debates are emblematic of a broader societal reckoning with colonial legacies and the quest for historical truth.

Columbus’s discovery of the New World changed the course of history. While his achievements in navigation and exploration cannot be denied, it is essential to approach his legacy with a nuanced understanding. The history is enlightening and cautionary, reminding us that every action has repercussions.

By focusing on the various facets of Columbus’s journey and the subsequent consequences, this essay sample offers a comprehensive overview of a turning point in global history. The aim is to foster a balanced perspective, highlighting both the achievements and the dark sides of the era of exploration.

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Writings of Christopher Columbus : descriptive of the discovery and occupation of the New World

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NIAF NCCA Christopher Columbus Essay Contest

About the Contest

Since 1996, NIAF has proudly joined with the National Christopher Columbus Association (NCCA) to sponsor an annual national essay contest on a topic related to Christopher Columbus for high school students throughout the United States.

Three outstanding essays are chosen from amongst the submissions to win a cash prize. The first-place winner receives a $1,200 prize and an all-expense-paid trip to Washington to read the essay at the Columbus Day event in Washington.  The second-place winner receives $500 and the third-place winner receives $300.

Christopher Columbus’s transatlantic voyages are largely considered the beginning of the Age of Exploration. How did Columbus’s voyages set the stage for the Age of Exploration and impact European commerce and politics?”

Program Details

The contest is open to students in grades 9 through 12 in public, private, or parochial schools, or to those who are home schooled. This contest is conducted without regard to race, religion, gender, or national origin.

For more information regarding the specific criteria of the essay, please visit the link below.

Important Dates

All submissions must be sent as PDF or Word Document format via e-mail to [email protected] .

Deadline: March 15, 2024 11:59pm EST

Notification: June 15, 2024 5:00 pm EST

The National Christopher Columbus Association Essay Contest

Since 1996, the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) has joined with the National Christopher Columbus Association to sponsor an annual national essay contest on Christopher Columbus. The contest is open to students in grades 9 through 12 in public, private, or parochial schools, or to those who are home-schooled. This contest is conducted without regard to race, religion, gender, or national origin.  

2023-2024 Topic

Christopher Columbus’s transatlantic voyages are largely considered the beginning of the Age of Exploration. How did Columbus’s voyages set the stage for the Age of Exploration and impact European commerce and politics?

Essay Criteria

Essays must have a word count between 800-1,200 words and will be judged for historical accuracy, adherence to topic, organization of materials, interest, originality, spelling, grammar, punctuation, and neatness. In addition to the required length, students must include the following elements in their essay:

• A title page with an original title, name, mailing address, e-mail address, phone number, school, grade, and word count
• MLA formatted citations and bibliography
• 3 number of print/non-internet sources

Important dates

• All submissions must be sent via e-mail to [email protected] by the deadline below for consideration.
• Deadline: 11:59 PM EST March 15, 2024
• Notification: June 15, 2024 by 5:00 pm EST

Recognition

First, second and third-place national winners are selected after judging on a national level. To qualify for first place, the winner must be able to go to Washington, D.C. to read his or her winning essay at the Christopher Columbus Celebration. The first-place national winner will receive a $1,200 prize in addition to paid lodging and transportation to Washington, D.C. in October for the winner and one parent or guardian to attend the NCCA’s annual Columbus Day Celebration and read their essay. The second place national winner receives $500, and the third-place winner receives $300.

Previous Winners

2023 – Logan Kneller

2022 – John Hill

2021 – Joseph Stetson

2020 – Anna Newby

2019 – Margaret Hartigan

2018 – Francesca Testen

2017 – Rachel Elizabeth Grace

2016 – M. Meer

2015 – Claud J.A. Boyd

2014 – Anita Ramaswamy

2013 – Victoria Anne Youngs

2012 – Audrey Lee

2011 – Taylor Barnhart

2010 – Lucas A. Hadley

2009 – Naomi K. Wells

2008 – Christina Jean Moazed

2007 – Hayley Schoeppler

2006 – Catharine Magdalene Wingfield Clayton

2005 – Irtefa Anwara Bibte-Farid

2004 – Monika Grzesiak

2003 – Ami Patel

2002 – Mary Colene Burns

2001 – Winchester Adkins

2000 – Craig L. Bucki

1999 – John Victor Danford

1998 – Ryan A. Stoner

1997- Crissia Ahnna Reay

Annual Celebration

The annual civic Columbus Day Ceremony is set against the backdrop of the National Christopher Columbus Memorial Fountain in Christopher Columbus Circle located in the Nation’s Capital.  One block away from historic Union Station and the United States Capitol, the program features:

• “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band
• United States Joint Armed Forces Honor Guard
• Knights of Columbus Color Corps with Historical Flags of the U.S
• Presidential and Mayoral Proclamations
• Diplomatic Corps from the Embassies of Spain, Italy, Bahamas
• Presentation of National Youth Essay Contest Winner
• Wreath Presentations by Embassies, Fraternal, Civic, Service, and Patriotic Societies

Each year the NCCA creates and distributes a program book at the National Christopher Columbus Celebration. Please consider taking out an ad for yourself, your business, or your organization to help support the ongoing work of the NCCA.

Florist Information

For those organizations participating in the wreath ceremony at the National Christopher Columbus Celebration, the NCCA strongly encourages using Amanda’s Arrangements & Garden Center  to build and deliver your wreath to Columbus Circle.

Directions to Event

9 reasons Christopher Columbus was a murderer, tyrant, and scoundrel

Why do we even celebrate Columbus Day?

by Dylan Matthews

It’s somewhat old hat at this point to point out that Christopher Columbus — in whose name children are off school and mail isn’t delivered today — was a homicidal tyrant who initiated the two greatest crimes in the history of the Western Hemisphere, the Atlantic slave trade, and the American Indian genocide.

Rehashing all of his crimes would require a much longer article, not least because evaluating the claims of contemporary primary sources is a somewhat tricky historiographical enterprise. Philadelphia Magazine’s Michael Coard has a good survey here ; Howard Zinn’s work on this is controversial, but you can find a good excerpt at Jacobin and an illustrated version at the Oatmeal .

Here are just a handful of specific cases, mostly culled from Laurence Bergreen’s recent biography, Columbus: The Four Voyages , of almost unimaginable cruelty inflicted by Columbus and his crew during their time in the Caribbean.

1) Columbus kidnapped a Carib woman and gave her to a crew member to rape

Bergreen quotes Michele de Cuneo, who participated in Columbus’s second expedition to the Americas (page 143):

While I was in the boat, I captured a very beautiful woman, whom the Lord Admiral [Columbus] gave to me. When I had taken her to my cabin she was naked — as was their custom. I was filled with a desire to take my pleasure with her and attempted to satisfy my desire. She was unwilling, and so treated me with her nails that I wished I had never begun. I then took a piece of rope and whipped her soundly, and she let forth such incredible screams that you would not have believed your ears. Eventually we came to such terms, I assure you, that you would have thought she had been brought up in a school for whores.

2) On Hispaniola, a member of Columbus’s crew publicly cut off an Indian’s ears to shock others into submission

After an attack by more than 2,000 Indians, Columbus had an underling, Alonso de Ojeda, bring him three Indian leaders, whom Columbus then ordered publicly beheaded. Ojeda also ordered his men to grab another Indian, bring him to the middle of his village, and “‘cut off his ears’ in retribution for the Indians’ failing to be helpful to the Spaniards when fording a stream.” (Bergreen, 170-171)

3) Columbus kidnapped and enslaved more than a thousand people on Hispaniola

According to Cuneo, Columbus ordered 1,500 men and women seized, letting 400 go and condemning 500 to be sent to Spain, and another 600 to be enslaved by Spanish men remaining on the island. About 200 of the 500 sent to Spain died on the voyage, and were thrown by the Spanish into the Atlantic. (Bergreen, 196-197)

4) Columbus forced Indians to collect gold for him or else die

Columbus ordered every Indian over 14 to give a large quantity of gold to the Spanish, on pain of death. Those in regions without much gold were allowed to give cotton instead. Participants in this system were given a “stamped copper or brass token to wear around their necks in what became a symbol of intolerable shame.” (Bergreen, 203)

5) About 50,000 Indians committed mass suicide rather than comply with the Spanish

Bergreen explains, page 204:

The Indians destroyed their stores of bread so that neither they nor the invaders would be able to eat it. They plunged off cliffs, they poisoned themselves with roots, and they starved themselves to death. Oppressed by the impossible requirement to deliver tributes of gold, the Indians were no longer able to tend their fields, or care for their sick, children, and elderly. They had given up and committed mass suicide to avoid being killed or captured by Christians, and to avoid sharing their land with them, their fields, groves, beaches, forests, and women: the future of their people.

6) 56 years after Columbus’s first voyage, only 500 out of 300,000 Indians remained on Hispaniola

Population figures from 500 years ago are necessarily imprecise, but Bergreen estimates that there were about 300,000 inhabitants of Hispaniola in 1492. Between 1494 and 1496, 100,000 died, half due to mass suicide. In 1508, the population was down to 60,000. By 1548, it was estimated to be only 500.

Understandably, some natives fled to the mountains to avoid the Spanish troops, only to have dogs set upon them by Columbus’s men. (Bergreen, 205)

7) Columbus was also horrible to the Spanish under his rule

While paling in comparison to his crimes against Caribs and Taino Indians, Columbus’s rule over Spanish settlers was also brutal. He ordered at least a dozen Spaniards “to be whipped in public, tied by the neck, and bound together by the feet” for trading gold for food to avoid starvation. He ordered a woman’s tongue cut out for having “spoken ill of the Admiral and his brothers.”

Another woman was “stripped and placed on the back of a donkey … to be whipped” as punishment for falsely claiming to be pregnant. He “ordered Spaniards to be hanged for stealing bread” (Bergreen, 315-316). Bergreen continues:

He even ordered the ears and nose cut off one miscreant, who was also whipped, shackled, and banished from the island. He ordered a cabin boy’s hand nailed in public to the spot where he had pulled a trap from a river and caught a fish. Whippings for minor infractions occurred with alarming frequency. Columbus ordered one wrongdoer to receive a hundred lashes — which could be fatal — for stealing sheep, and another for lying about the incident. An unlucky fellow named Juan Moreno received a hundred lashes for failing to gather enough food for Columbus’s pantry.

8) Settlers under Columbus sold 9- and 10-year-old girls into sexual slavery

This one he admitted himself in a letter to Doña Juana de la Torre , a friend of the Spanish queen: “There are plenty of dealers who go about looking for girls; those from nine to ten are now in demand, and for all ages a good price must be paid.”

9) Indian slaves were beheaded when their Spanish captors couldn’t be bothered to untie them

Benjamin Keen, a historian of the Spanish conquest of the Americas, noted that multiple sources confirmed accounts of “exhausted Indian carriers, chained by the neck, whose heads the Spaniards severed from their bodies so they might not have to stop to untie them.”

Update: A prior version of this article used another translation of Columbus’s letter that wasn’t as clear that he was speaking of 9- and 10-year-old girls; a different translation was substituted for clarity.

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Christopher Columbus- Not an American Hero Essay

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
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Introduction

Discovery of america, the crimes of columbus, opposing views, works cited.

“In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue”. This is a quote from a poem that is taught to grade school children to help them remember Christopher Columbus and his maiden voyage to discover America.

Every October, Americans celebrate Columbus Day to honor this brave hero. Was he really a hero? Did he even discover America? He landed in Central America in 1492, but the Chinese had sailed to the Caribbean in 1421. What about all the crimes he is said to have committed? He is majorly associated with slave trade. In my opinion, the holiday should also honor all those who arrived in America first and rarely spoken of.

John Cabot (Giovanni Caboto), Sir Henry St. Clair or Antonio Zeno are all names that are much less popular with the general public, unlike Christopher Columbus. This is generally because the discovery of America is greatly attributed to Columbus who in 1942 is said to have visited the Central America (Lathe 1). When Columbus set out in his first voyage, it was for the sole purpose of reaching Asia by sailing to the west and not to discover any new habitation (Minster 1).

Lathe in his article explores some details that put to doubt the honor crowned to Columbus as the discoverer of America (Lathe 1). For instance in 1398, it is said that Sir Henry St. Clair had arrived at the coast of America. Antonio Zeno his “chief navigator” is said to have given the details of their voyage (Lathe 1). Even earlier in about 995 AD, it is said that Leif Eiriksson had even settled in “Vinland” which is found in North America (Lathe 1).

There is even archaeological evidence put forward by Patricia Sutherland that indicates artifacts of European descent (Lathe 3). Thus a strong opposition can be launched against the argument that Columbus discovered America. It will be an honorable move to give credit to those who were also there before Columbus came, or not to downplay anyone’s discovery, make the Columbus Day one to honor all who took part in the discovery.

If per chance Columbus had no major negative aspects linked to him, then may be there would not have been a lot of fuss about the holiday named after him. But in contrast, there are major atrocities he is said to have committed. It is on this basis that a strong opposition is necessary on having a holiday named after one who was involved in “slavery, warfare and inhumane acts” (DeWitt 1).

When he settled in a place, he completely disregarded the natives and went to the extent of giving them new names with the purpose to “glorify Spain…while creating fame for himself” (DeWitt 1). He had an inclination of making profits in order to win the favor of Queen Isabella of Spain who had supported his expeditions (DeWitt 1). He resorted to slave trade when the gold and other forms of trade failed him (Minster 1).

The Indians are known to have suffered most of his wrath: he “terrorized, tortured and killed them” (DeWitt 1). The Indians were exported in masses and it is said that only two thirds arrived alive, the rest died and their bodies were left floating on the water (DeWitt 1). Rape is considered to have been a minimal crime in comparison to worse crimes committed against the Indians (DeWitt 1).

Columbus should be viewed as a criminal who lowered the standard of human dignity. There should not be a holiday for Columbus taking into consideration the kind of hostile activities that he committed. Various critics have voiced their concern against this holiday for example: “Columbus makes Hitler look like a juvenile delinquent” says one Russell; the National Council of Churches calls for a time of “reflection and repentance” during the Columbus anniversary, and “not a time for celebration” (D’Souza 1).

There are those with a differing opinion concerning Christopher Columbus. One such is Carroll, who states that all heroes are flawed and that Columbus should be given the due credit for discovering America (Carroll 1). Christianity in America can also be much attributed to him in many ways than one. The Queen Isabella of Spain agreed to sponsor him mainly because she had faith in him and the course he was pursuing (Carroll 1). For this reason, Carroll consented to the fact that Columbus was flawed, but should still be honored (Carroll 1).

Columbus was not only flawed, he was majorly flawed, how could one commit all those crimes with no mercy whatsoever? That is not the type of heroism children should be taught. Most of all, he did not achieve the purpose for which he had set out for. He was to discover a route to the west connecting Asia and he did not accomplish this. America was a “mistake” per se since it wasn’t his goal. Minster rightfully summarizes him as “am man and not a legend” (Minster 1).

That he was a great voyager is in no doubt, but that he committed all those atrocities and can still be called a hero is almost insane. Credit should be given to the other discoverers as well and they should be allowed to share the fame during a public holiday not named after Columbus, but one honoring all of them.

Carroll, Warren. Honoring Christopher Columbus . Home Library, 1999. Web.

D’Souza, Dinesh. The Crimes of Christopher Columbus . Leader, 1995. Web.

DeWitt, Whitney. Christopher Columbus: Hero or Murderer? Campus pages, n.d. Web.

Lathe, Richard. Who discovered America anyway? Pieta Research, 2003. Web.

Minster, Christopher. Biography of Christopher Columbus . Latin America History, 2011. Web.

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IvyPanda. (2019, March 13). Christopher Columbus- Not an American Hero. https://ivypanda.com/essays/christopher-columbus-not-an-american-hero/

"Christopher Columbus- Not an American Hero." IvyPanda , 13 Mar. 2019, ivypanda.com/essays/christopher-columbus-not-an-american-hero/.

IvyPanda . (2019) 'Christopher Columbus- Not an American Hero'. 13 March.

IvyPanda . 2019. "Christopher Columbus- Not an American Hero." March 13, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/christopher-columbus-not-an-american-hero/.

1. IvyPanda . "Christopher Columbus- Not an American Hero." March 13, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/christopher-columbus-not-an-american-hero/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Christopher Columbus- Not an American Hero." March 13, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/christopher-columbus-not-an-american-hero/.