The Voyages of Christopher Columbus
It is no doubt that the story of Christopher Columbus is both captivating and motivating. Born with the urge to cross a thousand waters, Columbus is credited for founding many lands, including what is known as the United States of America in modern days. Welcome to a discussion of this amazing journey as I try to unravel the different voyages that the explorer took. I’m popularly known as Garry B. on ScholarsHelp.com, where I help students with their college papers of History, Art, Theatre, and Film as well as Ethics and Sociology.
Christopher Columbus was born in the Republic of Genoa somewhere between August and October 1451. He is best known for his voyages across the Atlantic Ocean, initially in search of the East Indies, and subsequently for the establishment of trade routes. He began his encounters with sea travel at a tender age, meaning that he was conversant with geography, history, and astronomy by the time he was navigating the Atlantic Ocean. In 1492, Columbus received sponsorship from Spanish Catholic Monarchs to take an expedition to the southwest of Europe.
First Voyage
Columbus sailed south with three ships: The Santa Maria, Pinta, and Nina. He left Palos de la Frontera aboard the Santa Maria while the other two smaller ships flacked his from the sides. His first stopover was at the Canary Island where the three ships were repaired as the crew restocked their supplies. After the Canary Islands, the ships sailed further west until October 11 1492 when they spotted land. Columbus named this land San Salvador to mean the Holy Savior. In this first voyage, Columbus encountered the native people (which he named Indios) as well exploring what are today called Cuba and Haiti. Columbus and his ships left the Caribbean for Spain on January 13, 1493.
Second Voyage
Columbus’s second voyage began on September 24 1493 and ended on March 10, 1496. Christopher Columbus sailed with 17 ships from Spain and carried professionals that would become colonizers in the Americas. For the 3 years that he stayed in the Americas, he captured slaves and ferried them to Spain, and established a ruthless colonial government that among other things, forced Christianity on the natives. During this voyage, Columbus discovered and named islands such as Montserrat, Antigua, Saint Martin, and the Virgin Islands.
Third Voyage
The third voyage started on 30 May 1498 at Sanlucar in Spain. Columbus sailed with six vessels, and on reaching the Canary Islands, three of the ships headed west, while the rest – commanded by Columbus – sailed south to Cape Verde. Columbus and his team departed Cape Verde, headed west to Venezuela, and discovered South America. On 19 August 1498, Columbus returned to Hispaniola only to find the place embroiled in violent opposition against his rule. He asked Spain to send a judge over the political acrimony, but he came to dethrone him. The judge, Francisco de Bobadilla, exiled Columbus and his brother Diego to be imprisoned in Spain. King Ferdinand of Spain ordered their release and promised to fund Columbus for another voyage across the Atlantic.
Fourth Voyage
In his fourth voyage, Columbus carried 140 men and four ships to the Caribbean. They left Spain on 9 May 1502 and reached the coast of Honduras on 30 July the same year. For the next two months, he explored Nicaragua, Honduras, and Costa Rica. On his way to Hispaniola, his ships were damaged by a storm, which left him stranded on the Island for six months. His attempts to seek help from the governor at Hispaniola failed, forcing him to recruit the natives for survival support. Through other means, Columbus summoned help from Hispaniola, enabling him to travel back to Spain on 7 November 1502.
For 10 years, Columbus spent his life in and out of Spain as he accomplished his missions in the Caribbean nations. Due to these expeditions, Columbus is acknowledged as the discoverer of the new world. Indeed, his efforts opened Central and South America to Europe and helped to spread Christianity and civilization to this part of the world. However, this encounter led to the enslavement of the native inhabitants of America as well as the Spanish colonization of these two continents. The story of Christopher Columbus remains a historical gesture of commitment and zeal in exploring and documenting events from a first-person perspective.
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