In what year did Columbus discover the continent of America? Discovery of America. Prerequisites, course of events, consequences

23.03.2016

The name of the American continent is strongly associated with the name of Christopher Columbus, the famous discoverer of the New World. There is evidence that even before the 15th century, Europeans managed to reach the shores of America. These were the Vikings who sailed to the coast of the Labrador Peninsula in the 10th century. However, their travels did not have much practical significance for Europe; they were generally unknown to contemporaries. Therefore, it is an honor to be considered the first person to cross Atlantic Ocean and having reached the new continent, it began to belong to Columbus. Although the question is still sometimes asked: “Who was the first to discover America - Christopher Columbus or Amerigo Vespucci?” So, first things first...

In 1492, Christopher Columbus, trying to get to India by a short route from the eastern side, discovered the islands of Central America. Columbus hatched the project of an expedition to the west for ten years, and it took about eight more to find organizers and sponsors. He proposed the idea to Genoese merchants, Portuguese, French, English rulers, and, more than once, to the Spanish royal couple.

Ultimately, it was the Catholic monarchs, Isabella and Ferdinand, who agreed to patronize Columbus, gave him a title of nobility and promised a monopoly on income from the territories that he managed to discover. On his first voyage in 1492-1494, this Spanish subject (although he was Italian by origin) discovered the islands: Haiti (Hispaniola), Cuba, San Salvador (one of Bahamas).

Columbus returned to his homeland in full confidence that he had reached East Asia, mistaking Cuba for the Chinese peninsula. On the next sea voyage, several thousand people on 17 ships set off to the shores of still unexplored islands. In search of gold and other treasures, Europeans began to seize the islands and subjugate the natives, who were called Indians.

The maps included Dominica, Guadeloupe, Jamaica, Montserrat, Antigua, Puerto Rico and other names. But the mainland of “India” had still not been discovered, as well as the gold promised to the king. Having learned about the dissatisfaction of his patrons, Columbus was forced to return to Spain in order to somehow justify himself. He managed to regain the favor of the rulers and gain the right to sole exploration of the lands of the West Indies.

The third expedition in 1498 turned out to be more modest; it was possible to raise funds to send only six ships. But this time Columbus was able to explore about 300 km of mainland Central America. Once at the mouth of the Orinoco River, he realized that such large river must flow from a large land mass. But he was unable to continue the expedition due to illness.

In 1499, Vasco da Gama triumphantly returned to Portugal, opening the sea route to real India. Columbus, after such news, completely lost the trust of the Spanish monarchs and was even taken into custody. He was soon released under the patronage of influential friends who financed the expeditions. However, the monopoly on land development was taken away from Columbus. And the supply of settlers in the West Indies (as this region was still called) was entrusted to the new manager of the finances of the Florentine trading house - Amerigo Vespucci.

Vespucci was an employee of the trading house that sponsored Columbus's second and third expeditions. The navigator's successes aroused curiosity in the Florentine, and when such an opportunity arose, he himself set off on a long journey across the Atlantic Ocean. On the voyage of 1499, he received a position as navigator on the ship of Admiral Alonso de Ojeda. Using maps compiled by Columbus, Ojeda easily led his crew to the coast of the mainland.

They reached land on the territory of modern Suriname. Moving along the coast, the travelers reached the Bay of Maracaibo, where Vespucci saw houses standing in the water on stilts. He called this country “Little Venice” - Venezuela. In 1500, a map of the West Indies was published, where, among others, all the names given by Amerigo Vespucci during the expedition of Alonso de Ojeda were plotted. The author of the map was the pilot Juan de la Cosa.

Vespucci, returning from his first trip, moved from Spanish Cadiz to Lisbon, from where, already under the patronage of the Portuguese king, he visited the shores of the new continent twice more. Information about Vespucci's travels is preserved in letters to his patron Lorenzo Medici and the gonfaloniere (guardian of justice) of the Florentine Republic and longtime friend Pietro Soderini. These texts aroused keen interest in Europe and were translated into French, German, Italian and Spanish (the originals were written in Latin).

The German cartographer and publisher Martin Waldseemüller published the book “Introduction to Cosmography”, where he also published Vespucci’s letters, in which he called open lands New World. The publisher himself was so delighted with the travels described that he suggested naming the mainland in honor of Amerigo. The public supported this idea. This is how America acquired its modern name.

The achievements of Columbus quickly faded into the background among his contemporaries, because after him much more large-scale discoveries began to occur in the continental regions of the New World. However, when looking at the events of more than five hundred years ago, the primacy of Christopher Columbus in the exploration of America is no longer in doubt.

Dioscoro Pueblo. “Columbus Landing in America” (1862 painting)

Discovery of America- an event as a result of which a new part of the world became known to the inhabitants of the Old World - America, consisting of two continents.

Expeditions of Christopher Columbus

1st expedition

The first expedition of Christopher Columbus (1492-1493) consisting of 91 people on the ships "Santa Maria", "Pinta", "Nina" left Palos de la Frontera on August 3, 1492, and turned from the Canary Islands to West (September 9), crossed the Atlantic Ocean in the subtropical zone and reached the island of San Salvador in the Bahamas archipelago, where Christopher Columbus landed on October 12, 1492 (the official date of the discovery of America). On October 14-24, Christopher Columbus visited a number of other Bahamas, and on October 28-December 5 he discovered and explored a section of the northeastern coast of Cuba. On December 6, Columbus reached Fr. Haiti and moved along northern shore. On the night of December 25, the flagship Santa Maria landed on a reef, but the people escaped. Columbus on the ship Niña completed his exploration of the northern coast of Haiti on January 4-16, 1493 and returned to Castile on March 15.

2nd expedition

The 2nd expedition (1493-1496), which Christopher Columbus led already with the rank of admiral and as viceroy of the newly discovered lands, consisted of 17 ships with a crew of over 1.5 thousand people. November 3, 1493 Columbus discovered the islands of Dominica and Guadeloupe, turning to the North-West - about 20 more Small Antilles, including Antigua and the Virgin Islands, and on November 19 - the island of Puerto Rico and approached the northern coast of Haiti. On March 12-29, 1494, Columbus, in search of gold, made an aggressive campaign into Haiti, and crossed the Cordillera Central ridge. On April 29-May 3, Columbus with 3 ships sailed along the southeastern coast of Cuba, turned south from Cape Cruz and discovered the island on May 5. Jamaica. Returning to Cape Cruz on May 15, Columbus passed along south coast Cuba to 84° west longitude, discovered the Jardines de la Reina archipelago, the Zapata Peninsula and the island of Pinos. On June 24, Christopher Columbus turned east and explored the entire South coast Haiti. In 1495, Christopher Columbus continued his conquest of Haiti; On March 10, 1496 he left the island and returned to Castile on June 11.

3rd expedition

The 3rd expedition (1498-1500) consisted of 6 ships, 3 of which Christopher Columbus himself led across the Atlantic Ocean near 10° north latitude. On July 31, 1498, he discovered the island of Trinidad, entered the Gulf of Paria from the south, discovered the mouth of the western branch of the Orinoco River delta and the Paria Peninsula, marking the beginning of the discovery of South America. Having then entered the Caribbean Sea, Christopher Columbus approached the Araya Peninsula, discovered Margarita Island on August 15, and arrived in the city of Santo Domingo (on the island of Haiti) on August 31. In 1500, Christopher Columbus was arrested following a denunciation and sent to Castile, where he was released.

4th expedition

4th expedition (1502-1504). Having obtained permission to continue the search for the western route to India, Columbus with 4 ships reached the island of Martinique on June 15, 1502, the Gulf of Honduras on July 30, and opened the Caribbean coast of Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama to the Gulf of Uraba from August 1, 1502 to May 1, 1503. Turning then to the North, on June 25, 1503 he was wrecked off the island of Jamaica; help from Santo Domingo came only a year later. Christopher Columbus returned to Castile on November 7, 1504.

Discoverer Candidates

  • The first people to settle in America were the indigenous Indians, who moved there about 30 thousand years ago from Asia along the Bering Isthmus.
  • In the 10th century, around 1000, the Vikings led by Leif Eriksson. L'Anse aux Meadows contains the remains of a Viking settlement on the continent. This historical and archaeological site (L'Anse aux Meadows) is recognized by scientists as evidence of transoceanic contacts that took place before the discovery made by Columbus.
  • In 1492 - Christopher Columbus (Genoese in the service of Spain); Columbus himself believed that he had discovered the route to Asia (hence the names West Indies, Indians).
  • In 1507, cartographer M. Waldseemüller proposed that the discovered lands be named America in honor of the New World explorer Amerigo Vespucci - this is considered the moment from which America was recognized as an independent continent.
  • There is sufficient reason to believe that the continent was named after the English philanthropist Richard America from Bristol, who financed the second transatlantic expedition of John Cabot in 1497, and Vespucci took his nickname in honor of the already named continent [ ] . In May 1497, Cabot reached the shores of Labrador, becoming the first recorded European to set foot on the North American continent. Cabot compiled a map of the coast of North America - from Nova Scotia to Newfoundland. In the Bristol calendar for that year we read: “... on St. John the Baptist, the land of America was found by merchants from Bristol, who arrived on a ship from Bristol with the name "Matthew" ("Metic").

Hypothetical

In addition, hypotheses were put forward about the visit to America and contact with its civilization by sailors before Columbus, representing various civilizations of the Old World (for more details, see Contacts with America before Columbus). Here are just a few of these hypothetical contacts:

  • in 371 BC e. - Phoenicians
  • in the 5th century - Hui Shen (Taiwanese Buddhist monk who traveled to the country in the 5th century

History of the discovery of America

When and who discovered America? The issue remains controversial to this day. Because first we need to decide: what is considered the discovery of America? The first proven visit of Europeans to the New World? This happened half a millennium before Christopher Columbus (remember the Normans). The first European settlement on the new continent arose at the same time. Although, the Vikings did not appreciate their discovery...

But so does Columbus! The discovery of America at the end of the Middle Ages is of particular importance: it was from this time that Europeans began colonizing the new continent, and then exploring it. However, uncertainty remains. Let's take into account: in the first two expeditions, Columbus explored only the islands adjacent to the New World. Only in the summer of 1498 did he set foot on the soil of South America.

A year earlier, members of an English expedition led by John Cabot, an Italian by birth, reached North America. And in this case, it was assumed that the “Kingdom of the Great Khan” (China) had been opened. The voyage was repeated in the spring of next year. But the lack of economic benefit and income from such enterprises cooled the British interest in developing new territories. Scientific achievements must be realized and associated with expanding the horizons of knowledge. And here there is a complete misunderstanding of the essence of what has been achieved. It is more logical to determine the moment when the truth was first revealed. And then the name of Amerigo Vespucci comes to the fore.


But we must pay tribute to the feat of Columbus and his contribution to the knowledge of the Earth. It was he who obtained evidence (albeit later significantly clarified), obtained facts confirming the idea of ​​​​the sphericity of the Earth. It is no coincidence that he conceived a trip around the world and tried to carry it out. Let Columbus imagine the Earth to be much smaller than it actually is. More importantly, he not only speculatively, in his imagination, but also realistically, thanks to his travels, became convinced of the spherical nature and closedness of earthly space.

And yet, the oceans have turned from a great barrier into great connecting links connecting all continents and all peoples of the planet. Conditions have arisen for the creation of a single all-terrestrial civilization (“oceanic”, according to L.I. Mechnikov’s idea). In subsequent centuries all that remained was to develop vehicles and make contacts.

A significant fact: almost at the same time as Columbus entered South America and Cabot entered North America, the Portuguese flotilla under the command of Vasco da Gama reached India for the first time by sea. Tens of years later, the Spanish conquistador Vasco Balboa with a military detachment, having overcome mountain slopes and dense thickets, crossed the Isthmus of Panama and was the first European to visit the shores of the unknown “South Sea”.

The world's oceans somehow immediately, almost overnight, conquered people. Why did this happen? First of all, as a consequence of the emergence of navigation instruments that make it possible to navigate the open sea, as well as geographical maps of lands and oceans. Even if the instruments and maps were imperfect, they made it possible to navigate in space, outline specific goals and pave the way to them.

Christopher Columbus

Amerigo Vespucci was a fairly experienced helmsman and cartographer and knew navigation; last years life held the position of chief pilot of Castile (tested the knowledge of ship pilots, supervised the compilation of maps, was involved in drawing up secret reports to the government about new geographical discoveries). He took part in one of the first expeditions to reach the “Southern Continent” (as South America was initially called) and, perhaps, was the first to realize the essence of the achievement. To put it another way, he made a scientific theoretical discovery, while Columbus practically discovered new lands.

During the time of Amerigo, a letter from him was allegedly published, in which he reported his visit to the Southern continent back in 1497, that is, before Columbus. But this is not documented. It looks like nothing like this simply happened. But Amerigo’s innocence in this kind of misunderstanding is beyond any doubt. He did not claim the laurels of the discoverer and did not try to assert his priority. The popularization of knowledge and the spread of printing had an impact here.

In Europe, messages about new lands and peoples were in great demand. People understood the greatness of the deeds being performed, their enormous significance for the future. Printing houses quickly printed messages about travel to the west. One of them appeared in 1503 in Italy and France: a small brochure entitled “ New World" The preface says that it has been translated from Italian into Latin, “so that all educated people will know how many wonderful discoveries have been made these days, how many unknown worlds have been discovered and how rich they are.”

The book was a great success among readers. It is written vividly, interestingly, truthfully. It reports (in the form of a letter from Vespucci) about the voyage in the summer of 1501 on behalf of the King of Portugal across the stormy Atlantic to the shores of the Unknown Land. It is not called Asia, but the New World.

A little later, another message was published about the voyages of Amerigo Vespucci. And in the end, a collection appeared, including stories from various authors about the voyages of Columbus, Vasco da Gama and some other travelers. The compiler of the collection came up with a catchy title that intrigues readers: “The New World and New Countries Discovered by Alberico Vespucci from Florence.”

Thousands of readers of the book could decide that both the New World and new countries were discovered by Amerigo (Alberico), although this does not follow from the text. But the title is usually better remembered and makes a greater impression than any paragraphs or chapters of the book. In addition, the descriptions written by Amerigo were written vividly and convincingly, which, without a doubt, strengthened his authority as a discoverer.

A little later, Vespucci’s “New World” was published in Germany under the title “On the Antarctic Belt.” And then this same work, already under the guise of a letter to the ruler of one small German kingdom, appeared as an addition to the famous and now classic “Cosmography” of Ptolemy. The whole work was called: “Introduction to cosmography with the necessary fundamentals of geometry and astronomy.

Amerigo Vespucci

In addition, 4 voyages of Amerigo Vespucci and, in addition, a description (map) of the Universe both on a plane and on a globe of those parts of the world that Ptolemy did not know about and which were discovered in modern times" About the discovery of America it is said this way: “Amerigo Vespucci, truly speaking, notified humanity more widely about this.” The authors of the addition were sure that Amerigo was the first to set foot on the new continent back in 1497. Therefore, it was proposed to name the discovered land “after the name of the wise man who discovered it.”

Quite fantastic contours of the New World were put on the world map with the inscription: “America”. The sound of this word turned out to be attractive to many people. They willingly put it on maps. The opinion of Amerigo as the discoverer of the New World spread - spontaneously. And among specialists, the image of a clever rogue, an ambitious swindler who gave his name to an entire continent, was increasingly emerging.

Thus, a sincere fighter for justice, Las Casas, in his writings angrily exposed Amerigo. But not a single document was found confirming such accusations. Vespucci himself never proposed to name the discovered lands after himself. He quite definitely wrote: “These countries should be called the New World” and referred to facts obtained in travels and research.

The Austrian writer Stefan Zweig said well about Vespucci: “And if, in spite of everything, a sparkling ray of glory fell on him, then this happened not because of his special merits or special guilt, but because of a peculiar combination of circumstances, mistakes, accidents, misunderstandings... A person who talks about a feat and explains it can become more significant for descendants than the one who accomplished it. And in the incalculable play of historical forces, the slightest push can often cause the strongest consequences...

America should not be ashamed of its name. This is the name of an honest and brave man, who, already at the age of fifty, set sail three times on a small boat across an unknown ocean, like one of those “unknown sailors”, hundreds of whom at that time risked their lives in dangerous adventures... This mortal name was transferred to immortality not by the will of one person - it was the will of fate, which is always right, even if it may seem that it is acting unfairly ... And today we use this word, which was invented by the will of blind chance, in a fun game, as a matter of course, the only conceivable and only correct - the sonorous, light-winged word America.”

True, there is reason to believe that the New World was named after the Bristol philanthropist Richard America (England), who financed John Cabot's second transatlantic voyage in 1497, and Amerigo Vespucci after that took a nickname in honor of the continent named so. To prove this version, researchers cite the facts that Cabot reached the shores of Labrador two years earlier, and therefore became the officially registered first European to set foot on new land.

Such navigators as John Davis, Alexander Mackenzie, Henry Hudson and William Baffin continued to explore the continent of North America. And thanks to their research, a new continent was explored all the way to the Pacific coast. But history also knows many other names of navigators who visited the new land even before Amerigo Vespucci and Columbus. These are Hui Shen, a Thai monk who visited there in the 5th century, Abubakar, the Sultan of Mali, who sailed to the American coast in the 14th century, the Earl of Orkney de Saint-Clair, the Chinese explorer Zhee He, the Portuguese Juan Corterial, etc.

The history of the discovery of America is quite amazing. These events took place at the end of the 15th century due to the rapid development of navigation and shipping in Europe. In many ways, we can say that the discovery of the American continent happened completely by accident and the motives were very banal - the search for gold, wealth, large trading cities.

In the 15th century, ancient tribes lived on the territory of modern America who were very good-natured and hospitable. In Europe, in those days, even then the states were quite developed and modern. Each country tried to expand its sphere of influence and find new sources of replenishment of the state treasury. At the end of the 15th century, trade and the development of new colonies flourished.

Who discovered America?

In the 15th century, ancient tribes lived on the territory of modern America who were very good-natured and hospitable. In Europe, even then the states were quite developed and modern. Each country tried to expand its sphere of influence and find new sources of replenishment of the state treasury.

When you ask any adult or child who discovered America, we will hear about Columbus. It was Christopher Columbus who gave impetus to the active search and development of new lands.

Christopher Columbus is the great Spanish navigator. Information about where he was born and spent his childhood is limited and contradictory. It is known that as a young man, Christopher was interested in cartography. He was married to the daughter of a navigator. In 1470, the geographer and astronomer Toscanelli informed Columbus of his assumptions that the route to India was shorter if one sailed west. Apparently, then Columbus began to hatch his idea of ​​​​a short route to India, and according to his calculations, it was necessary to sail through the Canary Islands, and Japan would be close there.
Since 1475, Columbus has been trying to implement the idea and make an expedition. The purpose of the expedition is to find a new trade route to India across the Atlantic Ocean. To do this, he turned to the government and merchants of Genoa, but they did not support him. The second attempt to find funding for the expedition was made by the Portuguese King João II, however, even here, after a long study of the project, he was refused.

For the last time, he came to the Spanish king with his project. At the beginning, his project was considered for a long time, there were even several meetings and commissions, this lasted several years. His idea was supported by bishops and Catholic kings. But Columbus received final support for his project after the victory of Spain in the city of Granada, which was liberated from the Arab presence.

The expedition was organized on the condition that Columbus, if successful, would receive not only the gifts and riches of new lands, but also receive, in addition to the status of a nobleman, the title: Admiral of the Sea-Ocean and Viceroy of all the lands that he discovers. For Spain, a successful expedition promised not only the development of new lands, but also the opportunity to trade directly with India, since according to the treaty concluded with Portugal, Spanish ships were prohibited from entering the waters of the western coast of Africa.

When and how did Columbus discover America?

Historians consider 1942 to be the year of the discovery of America, although these are rather approximate data. Discovering new lands and islands, Columbus had no idea that this was another continent, which would later be called the “New World”. The traveler undertook 4 expeditions. He arrived to new and new lands, believing that these were the lands of “Western India”. For quite a long time everyone in Europe thought so. However, another traveler Vasco da Gama declared Columbus a deceiver, since it was Gamma who found a direct route to India and brought gifts and spices from there.

What America did Christopher Columbus discover? It can be said that thanks to his expeditions since 1492, Columbus discovered both North and South America. To be more precise, islands were discovered that are now considered either South or North America.

Who discovered America first?

Although historically it is believed that it was Columbus who discovered America, but in fact this is not entirely true.

There is evidence that the “New World” was previously visited by the Scandinavians (Leif Eriksson in 1000, Thorfinn Karlsefni in 1008); this journey became known from the manuscripts “The Saga of Eric the Red” and “The Saga of the Greenlanders”. There are other “discoverers of America,” but the scientific community does not take them seriously because there is no reliable data. For example, America was previously visited by an African traveler from Mali - Abu Bakr II, a Scottish nobleman Henry Sinclair, and a Chinese traveler Zheng He.

Why was America called America?

The first widely known and recorded fact is the visit of this part of the “New World” by the traveler and navigator Amerigo Vespucci. It is noteworthy that it was he who put forward the assumption that this was not India or China, but a completely new, previously unknown continent. It is believed that this is why the name America was assigned to the new land, and not its discoverer, Columbus.

Columbus discovered America

The year when this Spanish navigator discovered a new land is indicated in history as 1492. And by the beginning of the eighteenth century, all other areas of North America, for example, Alaska and the regions of the Pacific coast, had already been discovered and explored. It must be said that travelers from Russia also made an important contribution to the exploration of the mainland.

Development

The history of the discovery of North America is quite interesting: it can even be called accidental. At the end of the fifteenth century, a Spanish navigator and his expedition reached the shores of North America. At the same time, he mistakenly believed that he was in India. From this moment begins the countdown of the era when America was discovered and its exploration and exploration began. But some researchers consider this date inaccurate, arguing that the discovery of a new continent occurred much earlier.

The year Columbus discovered America - 1492 - is not an exact date. It turns out that the Spanish navigator had predecessors, and more than one. In the middle of the tenth century, the Normans arrived here after they discovered Greenland. True, they failed to colonize these new lands, since they were repelled by the harsh weather conditions of the north of this continent. In addition, the Normans were also frightened by the remoteness of the new continent from Europe.

According to other sources, this continent was discovered by ancient sailors - the Phoenicians. Some sources call the time when America was discovered the middle of the first millennium AD, and the Chinese as the pioneers. However, this version also does not have clear evidence.

The most reliable information is considered to be about the time when the Vikings discovered America. At the end of the tenth century, the Normans Bjarni Herjulfson and Leif Eriksson found Helluland - “stone”, Markland - “forest” and Vinland - “vineyards” of land, which contemporaries identify with the Labrador Peninsula.

There is evidence that even before Columbus, in the fifteenth century, the northern continent was reached by Bristol and Biscay fishermen, who called it the island of Brazil. However, the time periods of these expeditions cannot be called the milestone in history when America was truly discovered, that is, it was identified as a new continent.

Columbus - a true discoverer

And yet, when answering the question of what year America was discovered, experts most often name the fifteenth century, or rather its end. And Columbus is considered the first to do this. The time when America was discovered coincided in history with the period when Europeans began to spread ideas about round shape Land and the possibility of reaching India or China along the western route, that is, across the Atlantic Ocean. It was believed that this path was much shorter than the eastern one. Therefore, given the Portuguese monopoly on control over South Atlantic, obtained by the Treaty of Alcaçovas in 1479, Spain, always eager to obtain direct contacts with eastern countries, warmly supported the expedition of the Genoese navigator Columbus to westward.

Honor of opening

Christopher Columbus was interested in geography, geometry and astronomy from an early age. From a young age, he took part in sea expeditions and visited almost all the then known oceans. Columbus was married to the daughter of a Portuguese sailor, from whom he received many geographical maps and notes from the time of Henry the Navigator. The future discoverer carefully studied them. His plans were to find a sea route to India, but not bypassing Africa, but directly across the Atlantic. Like some scientists - his contemporaries, Columbus believed that, having gone west from Europe, it would be possible to reach the Asian eastern shores - those places where India and China are located. At the same time, he did not even suspect that he would meet an entire continent on the way, until then known to Europeans. But it happened. And from this time the history of the discovery of America began.

First expedition

For the first time, Columbus's ships sailed from Palos harbor on August 3, 1492. There were three of them. Before Canary Islands The expedition proceeded quite calmly: this section of the journey was already known to the sailors. But very soon they found themselves in a vast ocean. Gradually the sailors began to become despondent and begin to grumble. But Columbus managed to pacify the rebellious, maintaining hope in them. Soon signs began to appear - harbingers of the proximity of land: unknown birds flew in, tree branches floated up. Finally, after six weeks of sailing, lights appeared at night, and when dawn broke, a green, picturesque island, all covered with vegetation, opened before the sailors. Columbus, having landed on shore, declared this land to be the possession of the Spanish crown. The island was named San Salvador, that is, the Savior. It was one of the small pieces of land included in the Bahamas or Lucayan archipelago.

The land where there is gold

The natives are peaceful and good-natured savages. Noticing the greed of those who sailed for the gold jewelry that hung in the noses and ears of the aborigines, they told with signs that in the south there was a land literally abounding in gold. And Columbus moved on. In the same year, he discovered Cuba, which, although he mistook it for a continent, or rather, for east coast Asia, also declared a Spanish colony. From here the expedition, turning east, landed in Haiti. Moreover, along the entire route the Spaniards met savages who not only willingly exchanged their gold jewelry for simple glass beads and other trinkets, but also constantly pointed to the southern direction when asked about this precious metal. Which Columbus named Hispaniola, or Little Spain, he built a small fortress.

Return

When the ships landed in Palos harbor, all the inhabitants came ashore to greet them with honors. Columbus and Ferdinand and Isabella received him very graciously. The news of the discovery of the New World spread very quickly, and those who wanted to go there with the discoverer gathered just as quickly. At that time, Europeans had no idea what kind of America Christopher Columbus discovered.

Second trip

The history of the discovery of North America, which began in 1492, continued. From September 1493 to June 1496, the second expedition of the Genoese navigator took place. As a result, the Virgin and Windward Islands were discovered, including Antigua, Dominica, Nevis, Montserrat, St. Christopher, as well as Puerto Rico and Jamaica. The Spaniards firmly settled in the lands of Haiti, making them their base and building the fortress of San Domingo in its southeastern part. In 1497, the British entered into competition with them, also trying to find northwestern routes to Asia. For example, the Genoese Cabot, under the English flag, discovered the island of Newfoundland and, according to some reports, came very close to the North American coast: the peninsulas of Labrador and Nova Scotia. Thus, the British began to lay the foundation for their dominance in the North American region.

Third and fourth expeditions

It began in May 1498 and ended in November 1500. As a result, the island of Trinidad and the mouth of the Orinoco were discovered. In August 1498, Columbus landed on the coast already on the Paria Peninsula, and in 1499 the Spaniards reached the shores of Guiana and Venezuela, after which - Brazil and the mouth of the Amazon. And during the last - fourth - voyage from May 1502 to November 1504, Columbus had already discovered Central America. His ships sailed along the coasts of Honduras and Nicaragua, reaching from Costa Rica and Panama all the way to the Gulf of Darien.

New continent

In the same year, another navigator, whose expeditions took place under the Portuguese flag, also explored the Brazilian coast. Having reached Cape Cananea, he put forward the hypothesis that the lands that Columbus discovered were not China, or even India, but a completely new continent. This idea was confirmed after the first trip around the world perfected by F. Magellan. However, contrary to logic, the name America was assigned to the new continent - on behalf of Vespucci.

True, there is some reason to believe that the new continent was named in honor of the Bristol philanthropist Richard America from England, who financed the second transatlantic voyage in 1497, and Amerigo Vespucci after that took his nickname in honor of the continent named so. To prove this theory, researchers cite the facts that Cabot reached the shores of Labrador two years earlier, and therefore became the officially registered first European to set foot on American soil.

In the mid-sixteenth century, Jacques Cartier, a French navigator, reached the shores of Canada, giving the territory its modern name.

Other contenders

The exploration of the continent of North America was continued by such navigators as John Davis, Alexander Mackenzie, Henry Hudson and William Baffin. It was thanks to their research that the continent was studied right up to the Pacific coast.

However, history knows many other names of sailors who landed on American soil even before Columbus. These are Hui Shen, a Thai monk who visited this region in the fifth century, Abubakar, the Sultan of Mali, who sailed to the American coast in the fourteenth century, the Earl of Orkney de Saint-Clair, the Chinese explorer Zhee He, the Portuguese Juan Corterial, etc.

But, in spite of everything, Christopher Columbus is the person whose discoveries had an unconditional impact on the entire history of mankind.

Fifteen years after the time when the ships of this navigator discovered America, the very first geographic map mainland. Its author was Martin Waldseemüller. Today it, being the property of the United States, is stored in Washington.

The lands were the most common: the founding of cities, the discovery of deposits of gold and wealth. In the 15th century, navigation was actively developing, and expeditions were set up in search of the unexplored continent. What was on the continent before the arrival of Europeans, when Columbus discovered America, and under what circumstances did this happen?

The story of the great discovery

By the 15th century European states were different high level development. Each country tried to expand its sphere of influence, searching for additional sources of profit to replenish the treasury. New colonies were formed.

Before the discovery, tribes lived on the continent. The natives were distinguished by their friendly character, which was favorable for the rapid development of the territory.

Christopher Columbus, while still a teenager, discovered the hobby of cartography. A Spanish navigator once learned from the astronomer and geographer Toscanelli that if he sailed westward, he could reach India much faster. It was 1470. And the idea came just in time, since Columbus was looking for another route that would allow him to reach India in short time. He assumed that it was necessary to build a route through the Canary Islands.

In 1475, the Spaniard organized an expedition, the purpose of which was to find a quick route by sea to India across the Atlantic Ocean. He reported this to the government with a request to support his idea, but received no help. The second time Columbus wrote to King João II of Portugal, however, he was also rejected. He then turned again to the Spanish government. Several commission meetings were held on this issue, which lasted for years. The final positive decision on financing was made after the victory of Spanish troops in the city of Granada, liberated from Arab occupation.

If a new route to India was discovered, Columbus was promised not only wealth, but also a noble title: Admiral of the Sea-Ocean and Viceroy of the lands he would discover. Since Spanish ships were prohibited from entering the waters for west coast Africa, then such a step was beneficial for the government in order to conclude a direct trade agreement with India.

In what year did Columbus discover America?

Officially, the year of the discovery of America in history is recognized as 1942. Having discovered undeveloped lands, Columbus did not imagine that he had discovered a continent that would be called the “New World”. In what year the Spaniards discovered America can be said tentatively, since a total of four campaigns were undertaken. Each time the navigator found new lands, believing that this was the territory of Western India.

Columbus began to think that he was following the wrong route after Vasco de Gama's expedition. The traveler arrived in India and returned in a short time with rich goods, accusing Christopher of deception.

It later turned out that Columbus discovered the islands and continental parts of North and South America.

Which traveler discovered America earlier?

It is not entirely true to say that Columbus became the discoverer of America. Before this, the Scandinavians landed on the lands: in 1000 - Leif Eriksson and in 1008 - Thorfinn Karlsefni. This is evidenced by the historical records “The Saga of the Greenlanders” and “The Saga of Eric the Red”. There is other information about travel to the “New World”. Traveler Abu Bakr II, a resident of the Celestial Empire Zheng He and a nobleman from Scotland Henry Sinclair arrived from Mali to America.

There is historical evidence indicating that in the 10th century the New World was visited by the Normans after the discovery of Greenland. However, they were unable to develop the territories due to heavy weather conditions, unsuitable for Agriculture. In addition, the journey from Europe was very long.

Visits to the mainland by the navigator Amerigo Vespucci, after whom the continent was named.

500 years ago, from Columbus's caravel they saw a previously unknown land. From that moment on, a new page in the history of mankind began - the expansion of the framework of the ecumene, the development of a gigantic continent, called the New World.

What was it: discovery, colonization, Christianization of pagans? Conquest, enslavement, Indian resistance? A meeting of two worlds, two cultures? Each of these concepts has adherents both in scientific circles and among the general public. The interpretation of the events that began in October 1492 is ambiguous and depends both on the position taken by the researcher and on the point of view from which they are viewed.

Nowadays, on the eve of the 500th anniversary, these different positions have emerged especially clearly, since the question has come to the fore: what anniversary are we celebrating? To paraphrase a Latin proverb, one could say: “Tell me what you celebrate and I will tell you who you are.”

In the most general terms, existing concepts can be grouped into three areas. Eurocentric emphasizes the contribution and significance of Europeans' mission to the New World; Latin American highlights the importance of the cultures and traditions of the indigenous peoples of the continent, whose development was interrupted by foreign invasion; the latter, conciliatory, primarily marks such an aspect as the meeting of two worlds. Therefore, it is necessary, first of all, to determine what exactly we are honoring, without forgetting, of course, the main thing: the landing of Europeans on the American continent changed the course of historical development and its significance for all humanity is indisputable.

Note that most interpretations of this event are based on a narrow, often speculative approach: events are considered from the perspective of one people, one continent and within one time - the past. Consequently, they are considered biased, based on certain interests, logical and ideological constructs, and thereby coming into conflict with other points of view.

Columbus, Christopher (Cristoforo Colombo, Cristobal Colon) (1451-1506), Spanish navigator who discovered America. Italian by origin. Born in Genoa between August 25 and October 31, 1451 in the family of wool weaver Domenico Colombo. In 1470 he began to actively participate in commercial transactions (until 1473 under the leadership of his father). In 1474-1479 he made several voyages as part of the trade expeditions of the Genoese company Centurione Negro: he visited the island of Chios, England, Ireland, the islands of Porto Santo and Madeira. In 1476 he settled in Portugal. In 1482-1484 he visited the Azores and the Guinean coast (Fort of São Jorge da Mina).

In the early 1480s, he began developing a project to sail to the shores of East Asia by a western route across the Atlantic Ocean; This idea was prompted by the works of Aristotle, Seneca, Pliny the Elder, Strabo, Plutarch, Albertus Magnus and Roger Bacon, but his main inspiration was the Florentine cartographer Paolo Toscanelli (1397-1482). In 1484 he presented his project to the Portuguese King João II (1481-1495). However, in the spring of 1485, the Mathematical Junta (Lisbon Academy of Astronomy and Mathematics) recognized Columbus’s calculations as “fantastic.” In the summer of 1485 he left for Spain (Castile) and in January 1486 he proposed his project to the Spanish royal couple - Ferdinand II of Aragon (1479-1516) and Isabella I of Castile (1474-1504), who created a special commission headed by E. de Talavera. In the summer of 1487, the commission issued an unfavorable conclusion, however, Ferdinand and Isabella postponed the decision until the end of the war with the Emirate of Granada.

In the fall of 1488, Columbus visited Portugal to re-offer his project to John II, but was again refused and returned to Spain. In 1489, he unsuccessfully tried to interest the regent of France, Anna de Beaujeu, and two Spanish grandees, Dukes Enrique Medinasidonia and Luis Medinaceli, in the idea of ​​sailing to the west. But after the fall of Granada, with the support of influential patrons at the Spanish court, he was able to achieve the consent of Ferdinand and Isabella: on April 17, 1492, the royal couple entered into an agreement (“capitulation”) with Columbus in Santa Fe, granting him the title of nobility, the titles of Admiral of the Sea-Ocean, Vice -king and governor-general of all the islands and continents that he will discover. The office of admiral gave Columbus the right to rule in disputes arising in matters of trade, the office of viceroy made him the personal representative of the monarch, and the office of governor general provided the highest civil and military authority. Columbus was given the right to receive a tenth of everything found in new lands and an eighth of the profits from trading operations with overseas goods. The Spanish crown pledged to finance most of the expenses of the expedition of Volnikov A.A. General History of State and Law. M.: Delo, 1993. - P. 145.

The first journey (1492-1493). Early in the morning of August 3, 1492, Columbus's flotilla of three ships (the caravels "Pinta" and "Nina" and the four-masted sailing ship (nao) "Santa Maria") with a crew of 90 people. left the port of Palos de la Frontera (near the confluence of the Rio Tinto into the Gulf of Cadiz). On August 9, she approached the Canary Islands. After the Pinta was repaired on the island of Gomera, the ships on September 6, 1492, heading west, began crossing the Atlantic Ocean. Having passed the Sargasso Sea, Columbus turned southwest on October 7. On October 12, the Spaniards reached the island of Guanahani (modern Watling) in the Bahamas archipelago - the first land they encountered in the Western Hemisphere. Columbus named the island San Salvador (St. Savior) and its inhabitants Indians, believing that he was off the coast of India. This day is considered the official date of the discovery of America.

Having learned from the natives about the existence of a rich island in the south, Columbus left the Bahamas archipelago on October 24 and sailed further to the southwest. On October 28, the flotilla approached the shores of Cuba, which Columbus named “Juana.” Then the Spaniards, inspired by the stories of the local Indians, spent a month searching for the golden island of Baneque (modern Great Inagua); On November 21, the captain of the Pinta, M.A. Pinson, took his ship away, deciding to search for this island on his own. Having lost hope of finding Baneke, Columbus with the two remaining ships turned east and on December 5 reached the northwestern tip of the island of Bohio (modern Haiti), to which he gave the name Hispaniola (“Spanish”). Moving along north coast Hispaniola, the expedition on December 25 approached the Holy Cape (modern Cap-Haïtien), where the Santa Maria crashed and sank. This forced Columbus to leave part of the crew (39 people) in Fort Navidad (“Christmas”), which he founded, and set off on the Niña on the return journey (January 2, 1493). On January 6 he met "Pinta". On January 16, both ships headed northeast, taking advantage of a passing current - the Gulf Stream. On February 11-14, they were caught in a strong storm, during which the Pinta was lost. On February 15, the Niña reached Santa Maria Island in the Azores archipelago, but only on February 18 did it manage to land on shore. The Portuguese governor of the island tried to detain the ship by force, but encountered decisive resistance from Columbus and released the travelers; On February 24, Niña left the Azores. On February 26, she again encountered a storm, which on March 4 washed her ashore on the Portuguese coast near the mouth of the Tagus (Tajo). João II gave Columbus an audience, at which he informed the king about his discovery of the western route to India and reproached him for refusing to support his project in 1484. Despite the advice of the courtiers to kill the admiral, João II did not dare to enter into conflict with Spain, and on March 13, the Niña was able to sail to her homeland. On March 15, the 225th day of the voyage, she returned to Palos. Later, “Pinta” came there too. Isabella and Ferdinand gave Columbus a solemn welcome and gave permission for a new expedition.

Second Voyage (1493-1496). On September 25, 1493, Columbus's flotilla of 17 caravels (in addition to the ship's crews, there were soldiers, officials, monks and colonists on board) left Cadiz and reached Canary Islands ov. On October 11, Columbus began crossing the Atlantic, taking a more southerly course than during his first voyage, since he planned to reach Hispaniola from the southeast. On November 3, the ships approached one of the Lesser Antilles, to which Columbus gave the name Dominica (it was Sunday - “Lord’s Day”); He called the aborigines who practiced ritual cannibalism “cannibals.” Then the navigators discovered a number of other islands in the northern part of the Lesser Antilles archipelago - Montserrat, Antigua, Nevis, San Cristobal (modern Saint Christopher), San Eustasio (modern Sint Eustatius), Santa Cruz and the “Isles of the Eleven Thousand Virgins” "(Virginian), and large island Boriken, renamed San Juan Bautista (modern Puerto Rico) by the admiral. Approaching the eastern tip of Hispaniola, the flotilla moved along its northern coast and on November 27 reached Fort Navidad, which was devastated; Not a single colonist remained alive. East of the fort (in a very unfortunate location), Columbus founded a new settlement, calling it La Isabela in honor of the Queen of Spain. In January 1494, he sent an expedition deep into the island under the command of A. de Ojeda, which obtained from the Indians great amount gold items. On February 2, the admiral sent twelve ships with loot to their homeland. In the spring of 1494, the Spaniards switched to a policy of systematic robbery and extermination of the local population Volnikov A.A. General History of State and Law. M.: Delo, 1993. - P. 296.

Leaving his brother Diego in charge of Hispaniola, Columbus sailed west with three ships on April 24, 1494, continuing his search for a route to Asia (China). On April 29, he approached the eastern tip of Cuba. Moving along its southern coast, the flotilla reached Guantanamo Bay, and then turned south and dropped anchor off the northern coast of Jamaica on May 5. Encountering the open hostility of the natives, Columbus returned to the Cuban coast, headed west and reached Cortez Bay near the western tip of the island. Deciding that the Malacca Peninsula was in front of him, he turned back (June 13). Having bypassed Jamaica from the south, the flotilla returned to La Isabela on September 29.

Throughout 1495, Columbus suppressed the Indian uprising that broke out in Hispaniola. In the same year, under the influence of complaints against the admiral from colonists who fled to Spain, Ferdinand and Isabella deprived him of the monopoly right to discover overseas lands and sent their authorized representative J. Aguado to the island. After the conflict with J. Aguado, Columbus left Hispaniola on March 10, 1496, transferring power to his brother Bartolome. On June 11 he arrived in Cadiz.

Third Voyage (1498-1500). Although Ferdinand and Isabella had serious doubts about the profitability of Columbus's discoveries, the Portuguese prepared a flotilla under the command of Vasco da Gama for a decisive push into Indian Ocean around Cape Good Hope forced them to agree to organize a third expedition to the west N. Erofeev. English colonialism in the middle. XIX century-M.: Mysl, 1977. - P. 112.

On May 30, 1498, six ships of Columbus left the port of San Lucar de Barrameda (at the confluence of the Guadalquivir into the Gulf of Cadiz). Arriving at Madeira Island, they reached the Canary Islands. There, the admiral sent three ships with colonists directly to Hispaniola, and he himself, with one nao and two caravels, moved south to the Cape Verde Islands, intending to cross the Atlantic using the Southern Trade Wind Current. Having left the Cape Verde Islands, the flotilla headed southwest on July 4, and then west, and on July 31 reached big island, which Columbus called Trinidad ("Trinity"). On August 1, we saw the coast of Venezuela - this is how South America was discovered. On August 5, the Spaniards were the first Europeans to land on its coast (Paria Peninsula). The admiral decided that he had found the outskirts of Asia, where the “country eternal spring", earthly paradise.

Having passed the strait on August 13, to which Columbus gave the name Bocas del Dragon (“Dragon’s Mouth”), the expedition moved to the northwest, reached Hispaniola on August 21, and on August 31 dropped anchor at the new administrative center of the island, Santo Domingo. Having become the head of the administration, Columbus in August 1499 achieved an end to the rebellion of F. Roldan, who rebelled against his brother Bartolome. Rumors of unrest on the island, however, prompted the Spanish court to send the plenipotentiary judge-auditor F. de Bobadilla to investigate affairs in the colony. In September 1500, F. de Bobadilla arrested Columbai and his two brothers and at the beginning of October sent them in chains to Spain. However, Ferdinand and Isabella gave the admiral a warm welcome, dropped all charges against him and returned some of his titles and all his property. At the same time, they did not retain the title of Viceroy of the Indies, thereby depriving him of the rights to manage the lands he had discovered.

The Fourth Voyage (1502-1504). In March 1502 Columbus received highest resolution to organize a new expedition, however, with a recommendation not to visit Hispaniola. On May 9, 1502, a flotilla of four small caravels (140-150 people) sailed from Cadiz. Having entered the Canary Islands, on May 25 she entered the open ocean and on June 15 reached the island of Matinino, which Columbus renamed Martinique. Having passed the coast of Hispaniola and rounded Jamaica from the south, the ships approached the island of Jardines de la Reina (“Gardens of the Queen”), and then turned sharply to the southwest. In three days (July 27-30), they crossed the Caribbean Sea and reached the Islas de la Bahia archipelago and the land to which the admiral gave the name Honduras ("The Depths") due to its great coastal depths. This is how Central America was discovered.

First heading east, Columbus rounded Cape Gracias a Dios (“Thanks be to God”) and sailed south along the coasts of Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. Having learned from the Panamanian Indians about the land lying in the west richest country Ciguar and big river, he decided that this was both India and the Ganges River. On January 6, 1503, the ships stood at the mouth of the Belen River and in March they founded the small settlement of Santa Maria there. However, already in the first half of April they had to leave it due to an Indian attack; during the retreat they abandoned one caravel. Then moving east along the Panamanian coast, the flotilla at the end of April reached the Gulf of Darien and the shores of modern. Colombia, and on May 1 from Cape Punta de Mosquitas it turned north and on May 12 it reached the Jardines de la Reina Islands. Due to the deplorable condition of the ships, Columbus was able to bring them only to the northern coast of Jamaica (June 25); sailors were forced to spend a whole year in Santa Gloria Bay (modern St. Anns). They were saved from imminent death by volunteer D. Mendez, who managed to get to Santo Domingo in two canoes and send a caravel from there. On August 13, 1504, the rescued arrived in the capital of Hispaniola. On September 12, Columbus sailed for his homeland and landed in San Lucar on November 7.

At the beginning of 1505, Columbus finally abandoned further plans for sea expeditions. He devoted the last year and a half of his life to the struggle for his restoration as Viceroy of the Indies and satisfaction of financial claims, but achieved only partial monetary compensation. Until his death, he remained convinced that the lands he discovered were part of the Asian continent, and not a new continent Erofeev N.. English colonialism in the middle. XIX century-M.: Mysl, 1977. - P. 220.

Columbus died on May 20, 1506 in Valladolid, where he was buried. In 1509, his ashes were transferred to Seville to the monastery of Santa Maria de las Cuevas, from where in 1536-1537 (according to other sources, in the 1540s) they were sent to Hispaniola and placed in Cathedral Santo Domingo. In 1795, the remains were transported to Cuba to the Havana Cathedral, and in 1899 - back to Spain, where they were finally finally laid to rest in the Seville Cathedral.

The state of Colombia is named after Columbus. South America, Columbia Plateau and Columbia River North America, District of Columbia in the USA and British Columbia in Canada; There are five cities in the United States named Columbus and four named Columbia.

 

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