Columbus' Journey

Columbus' ships: The Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria

Why Columbus Sailed

There were a number of reasons that led to Christopher Columbus' famous voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. First, Columbus was driven by his desire for fame and fortune. He knew the wealth one could obtain by controlling the spice trade and he wanted to have a share of that. In order to gain this wealth, he knew he would have to find a new route to the Spice Islands. Since the Ottoman Empire controlled the lands to the East of Europe and Portugal controlled that routes around Africa, Columbus decided to sail West across the Atlantic.

In addition to avoiding the Ottoman and Portugese trade routes, Columbus thought sailing West would provide the quickest way to reach the Spice Islands. Columbus, who is Italian, initially went to Italy for funds to sail, but they turned him down. Columbus found a willing partner in Spain since their neighbor, Portugal, was quickly becoming a powerful nation. Spain's king and queen, Ferdinand and Isabella, agreed to supply Columbus and his crew on their journey.

Landing

Columbus left the shores of Spain on August 3rd, 1492 and made it to the Bahamas on October 12th. Columbus believed that he had made it to India, so upon meeting the indigenous Arawak people, he called them "Indians." Eventually Columbus realized that he was not in India because of all the new resources he found. For Columbus and the rest of Europe, they had discovered a "new land."

A depiction of Columbus landing in the Bahamas.

No doubt Columbus and his crew couldn't believe their eyes. There were plants, animals, and food they had never seen before. Columbus returned to Spain in March of 1493 with examples of these unknown resources (and a few of the Arawak) to show off his "discoveries." Columbus was instantly hailed as a hero.

Other Voyages

The excitement surrounding Columbus' return to Spain was incredible and Ferdinand and Isabella sent him back to the New World six months later with "seventeen ships, 1,200 to 1,500 men, cannons, crossbows, guns, cavalry, and attack dogs for a second voyage." Columbus returned with an intent to colonize the region and gain full control of the resources of the West Indies. This came at the expense of the Arawak and other indigenous people of the region. Many were killed or forced to be slaves as Columbus began to control the land and collect resources. 

A map showing the route of Columbus' third voyage to the West Indies.

Columbus' third voyage in 1498 brought him to mainland South America as he continued his search for gold (there was none, but Columbus had been convinced there was). He also returned to Hispanola, where he had left his brothers in charge. The colonists there led a revolt against the Columbus brothers and Christopher was actually arrested and brought back to Spain. Many of the charges against him were dropped, but his titles of nobility were taken away. However, in 1502, Columbus was given one final opportunity to return to the New World. He sailed to present-day Panama, but faced many attacks from the natives. He had no choice but to return to Spain, where he died in 1506.

The route of Columbus' fourth and final voyage to the New World.

Works Cited:
History.com: http://www.history.com/topics/christopher-columbus#a2
Lies My Teacher Told Me, by James Loewen.