Christopher Columbus Discovered America
And european popular culture his historical legacy is more nuanced.
Christopher columbus discovered america. Las casas was an historian and columbus s biographer who had access to the original journal of the voyage. Christopher columbus was born in genoa between august and october 1451. Getty images getty 14 the explorer set sail from spain to find a direct water route from europe to. Between 1492 and 1504 genoese explorer christopher columbus led four spanish based transatlantic maritime expeditions to the americas a continental landmass which was virtually unknown to and outside of the old world afro eurasia these voyages to america led to the widespread knowledge of its existence.
In 1492 1493 1498 and 1502. The next day land was discovered. But did christopher columbus discover america before other. This breakthrough inaugurated the period known as the age of discovery which saw the.
However we do have an accurate abstract of the journal written by bartolome de las casas in the 1530s. Though christopher columbus came to be considered the discoverer of america in u s. A new world is revealed. His father was a weaver and small time merchant.
From a civil liberties point of view the claim that christopher columbus discovered america contains several problematic implications. Christopher columbus italian cristoforo colombo spanish cristóbal colón born between august 26 and october 31 1451 genoa italy died may 20 1506 valladolid spain 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. The most serious is the idea that the americas were in any sense undiscovered when they were in fact already occupied. The question of who discovered america is a difficult one to answer.
While many schoolchildren are taught that christopher columbus was responsible for the discovery of america in 1492 the true history of the land s exploration stretches back long before columbus was even born. It is commonly said that columbus discovered america it would be more accurate perhaps to say that he introduced the americas to western europe during his four voyages to the region between. The explorer christopher columbus made four voyages across the atlantic ocean from spain. America had first been discovered and populated by asians crossing beringia its indigenous population and the first europeans to reach its shores were erik the red in 10th century greenland and his son leif erikson in 11th century vinland.
Christopher columbus is best known for discovering america in the late 15th century credit.