15/09/2022
Me, Christopher Columbus, born between August 26 and October 31?, 1451,—died May 20, 1506. I was a master navigator and admiral whose four transatlantic voyages opened the way for European exploration, exploitation, and colonization of the Americas. I have long been called the “discoverer” of the New World. I made my transatlantic voyages under the sponsorship of Ferdinand II and Isabella I, the Catholic Monarchs of Aragon, Castile, and Leon in Spain. I 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.
What did I do?
I made four trips across the Atlantic Ocean from Spain. in 1492, 1493, 1498 and 1502. I was determined to find a direct water route west from Europe to Asia, but I never did. Instead, I stumbled upon the Americas. Though I did not really “discover” the so-called New World—millions of people already lived there—my journeys marked the beginning of centuries of exploration and colonization of North and South America.
Why was I important?
My discoveries changed the lives of both Europeans and the people of the Americas: new plants and animals crossed the ocean, millions of people migrated, new empires rose and fell, new countries and cultures began. Therefore, I had a profound impact on the course of history. However, I enslaved thousands of natives and harshly punished them for every small mistake they made. Thousands of them were killed either by disease, by overworking or by the hands of me and my men. All these reasons overcome and good legacy that I would've left behind and made me villainous.
Interesting facts:
- Once I received the money and the ships,I still had a hard time trying to find a crew. Many people still believed that the earth was flat and that at some point a ship would hit a waterfall and fall off of the side of the earth.
- My first voyage with the Nina, Pinta and the Santa Maria began on August 3, 1492. On October 12, 1492 a sailor on the Pinta shouted “Tierra!” or “Land!”
- I began my career as a seafarer at the age of fourteen and later supported myself by selling maps and charts.
