Columbus Christopher and the discovery of America. Christopher Columbus: Voyages to the Indies

«- Okay, take care of him! There are many memories associated with this suitcase.
- What memories? Not a single trip...
- About all the trips we never went on…»
Jack and Jill: Love on Suitcases

Nowadays, everyone knows that the discovery of America belongs to a gentleman named Christopher Columbus. This is where the school program to cover such a grandiose event usually ends, and those interested have to independently search for the necessary information in the library and the Internet. At this moment the most interesting thing comes: a person learns that with Columbus’s visit to America, not everything is so simple. There is evidence that he was not the first there, that many years before his first steps along the shores of the New World, Scandinavian Vikings, Biscay fishermen and other travelers were already frolicking there.

Today we will try to go through all the stages of the discovery of America, which are known to us from reliable sources, and establish who was the first to officially set foot on the shores of the new continent and declare it the New World.

Columbus Expedition, 1492

The end of the 15th century, there are still many unexplored places on Earth where no human has ever set foot. Obsessed with great plans to conquer everything, the Spaniards decide to create Great Expedition To Canary Islands, consisting of three high-speed caravels, one of which was the Santa Maria, a ship whose admiral was Christopher Columbus. Ahead of him lay months of travel and one of the main achievements in the history of mankind. On August 3, 1492, the ship weighed anchor and set off.

Admiral of all seas and oceans

In the spring of 1492, a few months before the expedition, Christopher Columbus, or, as the Spaniards called him, Don Cristoval Colon, was in audience with the royal couple who ruled Spain. Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon suggested that the researcher conclude an agreement according to which Christopher Columbus is recognized as the admiral of all seas and oceans, as well as a high-ranking governor of all lands and islands that he can discover during his journey. It would be unforgivable to refuse such an offer.

An additional incentive in the kings' proposal was the fact that one tenth of all the wealth, treasures and goods that Columbus would be able to exchange or find on new lands, the traveler could take for himself, while the remaining nine-tenths would go to the disposal of the royal treasury. This was a truly generous offer that could make Columbus one of the richest men in Europe.

Along with the title and wealth, Don Cristoval Colon was offered guarantees that his title would be inherited forever. He will also be able to retain his privileges for life in the previously unexplored lands of India. All participants in the journey were convinced that, setting sail to the West, Columbus would reach the eastern shores of India, but a surprise awaited them.

« The admiral decided to count fractions of the journey less than they actually took, in the event that the voyage turned out to be long, so that people would not be overcome by fear and confusion»

The True Aims of Christopher Columbus

Despite all the royal promises, Columbus's true motives and ideas about the Earth at that time remain the subject of debate to this day. Historians recognize the significant contribution of the great traveler to the history of mankind and his influence on the era of the Great geographical discoveries. However, this does not negate the fact that Columbus was driven more by mercantile interests than by the spirit of exploration.

A generous offer from the royal couple, as well as the opportunity to discover new trade routes and the untold riches of the East, were of much greater interest than perishing in the middle of a storm or dying from an unknown disease on unfamiliar shores. It was the thirst for money that became the main incentive for travelers of those times to make the most striking geographical discoveries.

However, if Columbus was calculating, he was also smart. Many modern historians suggest that the discoverer knew in advance where he would sail. That there is no India beyond the Atlantic Ocean, there is New land, endless and uninhabited. There were even rumors that Columbus had a certain map on which researchers marked not only the already discovered islands in the Atlantic Ocean, but also the eastern coast of the continent, which would later be called South America.

IN In 1474, the Florentine scientist Paolo dal Pozzo Toscanelli, who devoted his life to astronomy, geography and mathematics, sent a letter to the Portuguese king in which he drew conclusions about the geography of our planet, given that it is a sphere. Toscanelli argued that in this way you can get to India much faster if you sail through Atlantic Ocean. There is evidence that Columbus somehow obtained this letter, or a copy of it, with an attached map on which new lands were marked. However, no one has been able to prove this.

Conspiracy theories surrounding the discovery of America

Like any other high-profile scientific discovery, Columbus's voyage quickly acquired its own conspiracy theories from ill-wishers and simply due to a lack of information. We have no way to verify the events that took place in the 15th century, so speculation and theories will continue to exist. These include the rumors that Columbus himself was looking for an opportunity to go on a trip to the West, because he knew that there was a New Land there, so he tried to persuade the kings to equip an expedition for him.

According to some theories, Columbus simply followed the “beaten path” from other navigators who discovered this route long before him. Indeed, to make such a desperate journey across the unfriendly Atlantic Ocean for ships of those times seemed, if possible, then deadly dangerous.

Despite the fact that the majority of historians are of the opinion that it was Columbus who discovered America, there are many people, including respected ones in the scientific community, who suggest that the continent was discovered long before Columbus’s historical voyage in 1492. One of the main proponents of this theory was an Englishman named Gavin Menzies, who once wrote a book called “1421, or the year China discovered the world.”

The public loves conspiracy theories, so Menzies' book caused concern among the masses. At the same time, the scientific community is in no hurry to take seriously everything said in this book.

« Thursday, October 11. We sailed west-southwest. During the entire voyage there had never been such rough seas. We saw “pardelas” and green reeds near the ship. People from the Pinta caravel noticed a reed and a branch and caught a stick hewn, possibly with iron, and a fragment of a reed, and other herbs that were born on the ground, and one plank. People on the Niña caravel saw other signs of the earth and a branch strewn with rose hips. Everyone was inspired and happy when they saw these signs.»

Diary of the First Voyage, Christopher Columbus

The Great Journey of the Chinese

Despite the fact that the names of almost all great travelers are of European origin, the desire to explore the world was inherent in everyone on Earth.

In the spring of 1421, when the famous Christopher Columbus had not even been born, in one of the Chinese cities called Tangu, the ships of the Great Emperor's fleet were preparing to sail. The commander of the flotilla was the venerable Zheng He. More than a hundred huge unique ships were sent to the open sea. No other power in the world had similar ships: these were real autonomous floating giants that could calmly survive any storms on the high seas.

At that time there was a great holiday in China Forbidden City, after which the emperor instructed his admiral Zheng He to act as a kind of taxi driver and take high-ranking guests to their homes, who arrived from all over the world. When the admiral completed the task, the emperor ordered him not to rush back home, but instead to look “to the ends of the earth” and collect tribute from all the barbarians that he met along the way, and also wrap them in Confucianism in order to make civilized people out of them.

This voyage of the Golden Fleet was the largest ever undertaken by China. For three years, sailors explored our planet, and in his book, Gavin Menzies suggested that it was Chinese travelers who were able to draw up an approximate map globe, marking all six continents on it, and also went around all the oceans.

Obsessed with his idea of dispelling the influence of Columbus, Menzies spent many years collecting the facts of the Great Chinese Voyage, bit by bit, that were left to us from those times. Complicating his task was the fact that all of Zheng He's diaries and ship's logs had been destroyed or lost.

Some of Menzies' efforts were successful. For example, he established the fact that the wreckage of giant Chinese ships, the so-called “junks,” were found off the coast of almost all continents. Despite the fact that historians prefer to believe that junk wrecks could have been carried to Australia and America by currents, the research of Gavin Menzies cannot be ignored within the framework of modern history. Archaeologists also found chinese cards, on which all continents, including America, were mapped. Menzies is confident that these maps are much older than Columbus himself.

Amerigo Vespucci and the famous confusion

At school we were often told that although Christopher Columbus discovered America, it got its name in honor of another explorer. The fact is that Columbus never realized where he had sailed. Until recently, the researcher was sure that this eastern shores India and the Eurasian continent.

The traveler's research was inspired by the Italian Amerigo Vespucci, who a few years later shared his thoughts about the discovery of Columbus with his mentor Francesco del Medici. In them, he suggested that the new lands that Columbus spoke about in Spain are not eastern part India, and this is a completely new continent. These letters, as well as Vespucci's thoughts on other travels, were published in a large collection in 1507, which for some reason was called "The New World and New Countries Discovered by Amerigo Vespucci of Florence."

The significance of Columbus's discovery of America was lost in writing, and in the same year, the German cartographer Waldseemüller, based on Vespucci's letters, proposed calling the new part of the world America in honor of the name Amerigo. He reflected all this in his book “Introduction to Cosmography”. It is noteworthy that although Vespucci wrote about Columbus, Waldseemüller did not attach any importance to this.

The style of the young German scientist was liked by the public, and a few years later, in 1520, during a scientific meeting of the greatest minds of those times, a general geographical map The planet was named America.

Since then, the controversy has not subsided. If Columbus didn't understand what he discovered New World, and Vespucci did this for him, can it be attributed the latest discovery mainland?
However, there is evidence that people conventionally discovered new continents long before the voyages of the Chinese, Columbus and Vespucci’s assumptions.

Ambitious Vikings

At the end of the 10th century, when Europe had not yet thought about domination over the whole world, a large boat with Nords on board set sail from the shores of Iceland. They were commanded by Björni Hjorlfson, a rugged Norwegian Viking who was motivated by a thirst for adventure and profit.

Björni Hjorlfson set out to sea to reach Greenland, where a colony of Vikings had already settled and traded with Scandinavia. But Hjorlfson lost his way due to a storm, and a few days later he arrived on the shores unknown land, which were dotted with dense impenetrable forests. Björni decided not to take risks and not to land on an unfamiliar shore, but simply swam along it, simultaneously remembering everything he saw. A few days later, the Viking managed to swim to Greenland, where he told about what he had seen.

Hjorlfson's stories inspired another settler of Greenland, Leif Erikson, the son of the same Erik the Red, who was famous among the Viking peoples for his heroic character. The spirit of adventure led Leif and his comrades along the route told by Björni. First, their boat sailed to the rocky shore, which is now called Baffin Island. The area here seemed lifeless, everything around was covered with glaciers. Deciding that there was no life and nothing good on this land, the Vikings moved on, simultaneously giving the stone land a name - Helluland, the Land of Boulders.

Then the travelers reached the Canadian shores, covered with vegetation and forests. The Vikings also gave this land a name - Markland, Forest Land. The young and profit-hungry people did not stop there, so they went further south. A few days later they dropped anchor in one of the coastal bays. Coming ashore, the friends found real wild grapes among other vegetation, so they named this area Vinland. Modern historians have found that this bay is now located in Massachusetts.

Having returned after a long journey along unfamiliar lands, the Nords did not want to miss the opportunity to populate them, so two years later they equipped a new expedition. Leif's brother, the famous Thorvald, went to the shores of America and dropped anchor at the place of his brother's last stop - in Vinland. Here they unexpectedly met local residents- Indians who appeared in the bay on their pirogues. Everyone knows that the Vikings were not timid and were not averse to fighting, so the Norwegians simply killed several Indians and captured the rest. That same night, the Indians came to avenge their slain brethren and rained down arrows on the Viking camp. One of them hit Torvald, and he died a few days later.

In 1003, the Vikings again came to the shores of America, now with serious intentions of settling in uninhabited lands. Almost two hundred people sailed here on three boats, established relationships with the local population and even built a village here. However, the Indians soon sharply changed their attitude towards uninvited guests, and flatly refused to share lands with them. A bloody war broke out between people again, and traces of the Scandinavians soon completely disappeared from the shores of America.

First expedition

For the first expedition, two ships were allocated, and another ship was equipped by the seafarers and shipowners, the Pinson brothers. The flotilla crew consisted of 90 people. The names of the ships - "Santa Maria", "Nina" ("Baby") and "Pinta" - are now known throughout the world, and they were commanded by: "Pinta" - Martin Alonso Pinson, and "Nina" - Vincente Yañez Pinzon. Santa Maria became the flagship. Columbus himself sailed on it.

The purpose of the expedition is now disputed by many experts, citing various arguments in favor of the fact that Columbus was not going to look for India at all. Instead they call different legendary islands like Brazil, Antilia, etc. Still, most of these considerations seem insufficiently substantiated.

August 3, 1492 from the port of Paloe to Atlantic coast Three small caravels left Spain. At the head of this expedition was an extraordinary man, obsessed with a bold dream - to cross the Atlantic Ocean from east to west and reach the fabulously rich kingdoms of India and China. His sailors set out reluctantly - they were afraid of unknown seas, where no one had been before. The crew was hostile to the foreign admiral from the very beginning.

Leaving the last stop of the ships before entering the open ocean - the Canary Islands, many feared that they would never return back. Despite the favorable weather, all subsequent days of sailing in the vast expanses of the ocean became a real test for the sailors. Several times the team tried to mutiny and turn back. To reassure the sailors, Columbus hid from them how many miles had been traveled. He kept two ship logs: in the official one he entered false data, from which it followed that the ships had not gone that far from the European coast, while in the other, secret one, he noted how much had actually been traveled.

When passing the magnetic meridian on the caravels, all the compasses suddenly broke down - their arrows danced, pointing different directions. Panic began on the ships, but the compass needles calmed down just as suddenly. Columbus's expedition was beset by other surprises: one day at dawn, the sailors discovered that the ships were surrounded by a lot of algae and seemed to be floating not on the sea, but on a green meadow. At first the caravels walked briskly forward among the greenery, but then calm came and they stopped. Rumors spread that it was algae that entwined the keel and did not allow the ships to move on. This is how Europeans became acquainted with the Sargasso Sea.

The team was worried about the unusual situation, and in early October demands began to be made for a change of course. Columbus, who was heading west, was forced to give in. The ships turned west-southwest. But the situation continued to heat up, and the commander with the greatest work, persuasion and promises managed to keep the flotilla from returning.

Two months of difficult sailing across the ocean expanses... It seemed that there would be no end to the sea desert. Supplies of food and fresh water were running out. People are tired. The admiral, who did not leave the deck for hours, increasingly heard cries of discontent and threats from the sailors.

However, everyone on board the ships noticed signs of nearby land: birds flying in from the west and landing on the masts. One day the watchman saw the land, and everyone indulged in fun, but the next morning it disappeared. It was a mirage, and the team again plunged into despondency. Meanwhile, all the signs spoke of the proximity of the desired land: birds, floating green tree branches and sticks, clearly planed by a human hand.

“It was midnight on October 11, 1492. Just two more hours - and an event will take place that is destined to change the entire course of world history. No one on the ships was fully aware of this, but literally everyone, from the admiral to the youngest cabin boy, was in tense anticipation. The one who was the first to see the land was promised a reward of ten thousand maravedi, and now it was clear to everyone that the long voyage was nearing an end... The day was drawing to a close, and in the bright starry night three ships, driven by a fair wind, were rapidly gliding forward ..."

This is how the American historian J. Bakeless describes the exciting moment that preceded the discovery of America by Columbus...

That night, Captain Martin Pinzón, on the Pinta, walked ahead of the small flotilla, and the watchman at the bow of the ship was the sailor Rodrigo de Triana. It was he who was the first to see the earth, or rather, the reflections of a ghostly moonlight on the white sandy hills. "Earth! Earth!" - Rodrigo shouted. And a minute later the thunder of a gun shot announced that America was open.

All the ships removed the sails and began to impatiently wait for dawn. Finally it came, the clear and cool dawn of Friday, October 12, 1492. The first rays of the sun illuminated the mysteriously darkening earth ahead. “This island,” Columbus would later write in his diary, “is very sick and very flat, there are a lot of green trees and water, and in the middle there is big lake. There are no mountains.”

The discovery of the "Western Indies" has begun. And although on that momentous morning of October 12, 1492, the life of the vast American continent was outwardly undisturbed, the appearance of three caravels in the warm waters off the coast of Guanahani meant that the history of America had entered a new era full of dramatic events.

Boats were lowered from the ships. Stepping ashore, the admiral hoisted the royal banner there and announced open land possession of Spain. It was a small island that Columbus christened San Salvador - “Savior” (now Guanahani, one of the islands of the Bahamas archipelago). The island turned out to be inhabited: it was inhabited by cheerful and good-natured people with dark, reddish skin. “All of them,” writes Columbus, “walk naked, in what their mother gave birth, and women too... And the people I saw were still young, all of them were no more than 30 years old, and they were well built, and their bodies and their faces were very beautiful, and their hair was coarse, just like horse hair, and short... Their facial features were regular, their expression was friendly... These people were not black in color, but like the inhabitants of the Canary Islands.”

The first meeting of Europeans with American aborigines. The first, most vivid impressions of the New World. Everything here seemed unusual and new: nature, plants, birds, animals and even people...

None of the members of Columbus's expedition had any doubt that if the island he discovered was not yet fabulous India, at least it was somewhere close. The ships headed south. Soon it was opened big Island Cuba, which was considered part of the mainland. Here Columbus hoped to meet big cities, belonging to the great Chinese Khan, which Marco Polo spoke about.

The local residents were friendly and greeted the white newcomers with amazement. An exchange ensued between them and the sailors, and the natives paid for European trinkets with gold records. Columbus rejoiced: this was yet another proof that the fabulous gold mines of India were somewhere nearby. However, neither the residence of the Great Khan nor gold mines were found in Cuba - only villages and cotton fields. Columbus moved east and, having discovered another large island— Haiti, called it Hispaniola (Spanish Island).

While the admiral was exploring the open archipelago, Captain Pinzón left him, deciding to return to Spain. Soon after, the Santa Maria perished after running aground. Columbus only had the Niña, which could not accommodate the entire crew. The admiral decided to return home to immediately equip a new expedition. Forty sailors remained to wait for Columbus at the fort “La Navedad” (Christmas) built for them.

Neither Columbus nor his companions yet realized the full importance of what had happened. And many years later, his contemporaries still did not realize the significance of this discovery, which for a long time did not produce the coveted spices and gold. Only subsequent generations could appreciate it. It was still a long way from America itself. On the horizon, the sailors saw only one of the islands of the continent - Guanahani, and on this journey none of the Spaniards set foot on the mainland. Nevertheless, today it is October 12, 1492 that is considered the official date of the discovery of America, although it has been proven that even before Columbus, Europeans visited the lands of the Western Hemisphere.

On open lands, Columbus did not find anything that resembled India or other Asian countries. There were no cities here. The people, plants, and animals were very different from what one could read or hear from travelers about Asia. But Columbus believed so sacredly in his theory that he was absolutely confident in the discovery, if not of India, but of some poor country, but precisely in Asia. However, one could not expect anything else from him: after all, even at the most best maps At that time there was no mention of a continent on the opposite side of the globe, and the size of the Earth, although calculated back in the ancient period, medieval Europe were not known.

Columbus's return to Spain on March 15, 1493 on two surviving but badly battered ships turned into a true triumph for the great navigator. The admiral was immediately demanded to court. The finest hour had come for Christopher Columbus, who had no doubt that he had opened the way to India for Spain. The Genoese told his astonished listeners about the heavenly lands he had visited, showed the imported stuffed wild animals and birds, collections of plants and, most importantly, six natives taken from Hispaniola, who, naturally, were considered Indians. Columbus was showered with numerous honors and awards from the royal couple and received a firm promise of assistance in future expeditions to the “Indies.”

Of course, the real gains from the first voyage were small: a handful of pathetic trinkets made of low-grade gold, several half-naked natives, bright feathers of strange birds. But the main thing was done: this Genoese found new lands in the west, far beyond the ocean.

Columbus's report made an impression. The gold found opened up tempting prospects. Therefore, the next expedition was not long in coming. Already on September 25, with the rank of “chief admiral of the ocean,” Columbus, at the head of a flotilla of 17 ships, sailed to the west.

Second expedition

Columbus's second expedition, which set off across the Atlantic in September 1493, already involved 17 ships and more than 1,500 people. The ships were full of provisions: the Spaniards brought with them small livestock and poultry to breed them in new places. This time they took a course further south than on the first voyage, and discovered the islands of Dominica, Maria Talante, Guadeloupe, Antigua, which are part of the Lesser Antilles group, and Puerto Rico, and on September 22, landing again in Cuba, it turned out that all the colonists, those responsible for robbery and violence were destroyed by the islanders. To the east of the burned fort, Columbus built a city, named it Isabella, explored the island and reported to Spain about the discovery of a gold deposit, greatly exaggerating its reserves.

In April 1494, Columbus left Hispaniola to finally discover the “mainland of India,” but found only Fr. Jamaica. He soon returned to Cuba. A lot of trouble awaited him in the colony. The most significant thing for him was the violation of the royal treaty. Ferdinand and Isabella, considering that the income from Hispaniola was small, allowed all Castilian subjects to move to new lands if they contributed two-thirds of the gold mined to the treasury. In addition, now everyone had the right to equip ships for new discoveries. To top it all off, yielding to the dissatisfaction of the colonists with the governor, which was largely justified, the kings removed him from office and sent a new governor to Hispaniola.

On June 11, 1496, Columbus went to Spain to defend his rights. At a meeting with Their Majesties, he achieved his goal and received a promise of a monopoly for himself and his sons on discoveries, and in order to “cheap” the maintenance of the colony, he proposed to populate Hispaniola with criminals, reducing their sentences, which was done.

Third expedition

Despite the favorable outcome of the audience, Columbus managed to equip the third expedition with great difficulty in 1498. “Indian riches” were not yet in sight, therefore there were no hunters to finance the enterprise, as well as those willing to set off. And yet on May 30, 1498, six small ships with a crew of 300 people sailed to the west, and at about. The Hierro flotilla split up. Three ships headed to Hispaniola, and Columbus led the rest to the Cape Verde Islands with the intention of reaching the equator and then heading west.

On this voyage, the sailors encountered unprecedented heat. The supplies on the ships had deteriorated, and the fresh water had gone rotten. The torment experienced by the sailors resurrected scary stories about the Sea of Darkness and latitudes where it is impossible to live. Columbus himself, no longer a young man, suffered from gout and eye disease, and sometimes had attacks of nervous breakdown. And yet they reached distant lands overseas.

On this voyage, Columbus discovered the island of Trinidad (Trinity), located near the mouth of the Orinoco River, and came closest to the coast of the continent. The flow of fresh water that the sailors noticed in the ocean made Columbus think about a powerful river flowing from somewhere in the south. Apparently there was a mainland there. Columbus decided that the lands lying south of India were nothing more than Eden itself - paradise, the top of the world. From there, from this hill, all the great rivers originate. Illuminated by this insight, Columbus considered himself the first European destined to find his way to the earthly paradise, from where, according to the Bible, the ancestors of mankind, Adam and Eve, were expelled. Columbus believed that he had been chosen to once again show people the path to their lost bliss.

However, when the admiral returned to Hispaniola, he was met with reproaches and complaints from the settlers. They were dissatisfied with the conditions in which they found themselves, with the fact that their hopes for fantastic enrichment did not come true, and sent denunciations to Spain against Columbus, claiming that he had turned the colony into a “cemetery for Castilian nobles.” Ferdinand and Isabella had their own reasons for dissatisfaction with Columbus. Gold, spices, precious stones - everything that the participants of the expeditions and those who financed them so greedily sought - could not be obtained. Meanwhile, the Portuguese made the final push on their way to India: in 1498, Vasco da Gama circumnavigated Africa and reached his desired goal, returning with a rich cargo of spices. This was a painful blow for Spain.

On Hispaniola, Columbus was again in trouble. In 1499, the king and queen again abolished his monopoly and sent Francisco Boazillo to the colony to deal with the flow of complaints against the governor on the spot. Boazilla came to the conclusion that Columbus could not rule the country because he was a “hard-hearted” man, ordered him and his brothers to be shackled and sent to Spain. The deeply wounded admiral did not want to remove the shackles until he was heard by his sovereigns. In the metropolis, Columbus's supporters began a campaign in defense of the "admiral of all seas." Ferdinand and Isabella ordered his release and expressed sympathy, but did not restore his rights. The title of viceroy was not returned to Columbus, and by that time his financial affairs were in disarray.

Fourth expedition

And yet, the humiliated admiral managed to make one last journey to find a way to South Asia south of Cuba. This time, for the first time, he came close to the coast of Central America in the area of the Isthmus of Panama (Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama), where (mainly among the Panamanian Indians) he exchanged a significant amount of gold.

The journey began on April 3, 1502. Having at his disposal 4 ships with a crew of 150 people, Columbus discovered about. Martinique, then the island of Benaca off northern Honduras and explored part of the mainland coast from Mosquitos Bay to Cape Tiburon, a length of about 2 thousand km. When it became clear that there was no strait ahead, as the Indians reported, two caravels (the rest were abandoned) turned towards Jamaica. The ships were in such a state that on June 23, 1503, on the northern coast of the island, they had to be grounded to prevent them from sinking, and a pirogue with three sailors had to be sent to Hispaniola asking for help. Help arrived in June 1504.

Luck completely turned away from the admiral. It took him a full month and a half to travel from Jamaica to Hispaniola. Storms battered his ship on the way to Spain. Only on November 7, seriously ill Columbus saw the mouth of the Guadalquivir. Having recovered slightly, in May 1505 he arrived at court to renew his claims to the crown. Meanwhile, it turned out that his patron, Queen Isabella, had died. The consideration of the case regarding the admiral's property claims was delayed due to the fact that the royal court and the Spanish nobility did not receive the main thing - the coveted treasures of the Chinese and Indian rulers. On May 20, 1506, the “admiral of the ocean” died in Valladolid, without having obtained from the king a determination of the amount of income, rights and privileges due to him.

The great navigator died in complete oblivion and poverty. The traveler's ashes did not soon find peace. He was first moved to Seville and then transported across the ocean to Hispaniola and buried in the Cathedral of Santo Domingo. Many years later he was reburied in Cuba, in Havana, but then returned to Seville. Now it is not known exactly where the true grave of the great navigator is located - Havana and Seville equally lay claim to this honor.

A lot can be said about the role of Columbus in history in general and in the history of the development of geographical ideas in particular. Many scientific treatises and popular publications are devoted to this, but the main essence, apparently, is clearly stated by the historian-geographer J. Baker: “... he died, probably not fully imagining what he had discovered. His name is immortalized in a number geographical names in the New World, his achievements have become commonplace in history textbooks. And even if we take seriously the criticism that Columbus himself and his biographers were subjected to, he will still forever remain the central figure of the great era of European “overseas expansion” (“History of Geographical Discovery and Exploration”).

Columbus's diaries are lost. All that remains is the so-called “Diary of the First Voyage” as retold by Bartolomé Las Casas. He and other documents of that time related to the discoveries of the great traveler were published in Russian translation in the collection “The Travels of Christopher Columbus (Diaries, Letters, Documents),” which was published in several editions.

Contemporaries, as often happens in history, failed to appreciate the true significance of the discoveries made by Columbus. And he himself did not understand that he had discovered a new continent, until the end of his life he considered the lands he discovered to be India, and their inhabitants to be Indians. Only after the expeditions of Balboa, Magellan and Vespucci it became obvious that beyond the blue expanses of the ocean lay a completely new, unknown land. But they will call it America (after Amerigo Vespucci), and not Colombia, as justice demanded. Subsequent generations of compatriots turned out to be more grateful to the memory of Columbus.

The significance of his discoveries was confirmed already in the 20-30s. XVI century, when, after the conquest of the rich kingdoms of the Aztecs and Incas, a wide stream of American gold and silver poured into Europe. What for great navigator strived all his life, and what he so stubbornly sought in the “Western Indies” turned out to be not a utopia, not the delirium of a madman, but a very real reality. Columbus is still revered in Spain today. His name is surrounded by no less glory Latin America, where one, the northernmost country of the South American continent is named Colombia in his honor.

However, only in the United States is October 12 celebrated as a national holiday - Columbus Day. Many cities, a district, a mountain, a river, a university and countless streets are named after the great Genoese. Although with some delay, justice triumphed. Columbus received his share of glory and gratitude from a grateful humanity.

- one of the most mysterious personalities of the period of great travels and geographical discoveries. The life of every outstanding person is full of dark spots, mysteries, inexplicable actions and coincidences. This is easily explained by the fact that humanity begins to take an interest in the life of a great man only after his death, after about 100 - 150 years. When documents are lost, eyewitnesses are dead, and only gossip, speculation and secrets remain alive. And if the celebrity herself hides her origin all her life, the true motives of her actions, even her thoughts, everything becomes a thousand times more complicated. Such a person was the well-known Christopher Columbus.

Mystery one: origin

Until now, no one can indicate the exact date of birth of the great navigator. Even the year of birth - 1451 - does not have a strong enough basis. We only know for sure birthplace of Christopher Columbus- Republic of Genoa. Columbus's parents were the most ordinary city residents: his father was a weaver, his mother was a housewife. The question of the nationality of Columbus remains open. Researchers are considering several versions: Spanish, Italian, German, Slavic and Jewish. Exactly latest version seems most likely. It is known that the Columbuses were quite reserved; sometimes the whole family left for several days to an unknown destination. Diligently, even too diligently for Catholic Genoa, the family of the future navigator attended church, they regularly received communion and confession, and never missed a Sunday or holiday mass, as if fulfilling an important duty. The family had a special relationship with financiers from wealthy families of baptized Jews (Marranos). All of the above speaks in favor of the “Jewish” version. This assumption is confirmed by the fact that Columbus never wrote about his roots, although he left behind a solid literary archive. Since the 15th century was the height of the Inquisition in Europe, "un-Christian" could have a negative impact on his career. The family had to hide their history.

Secret two: education

According to the tradition of that time, the future traveler and discoverer received home education. Apparently, his teachers were wonderful. Young Columbus amazed his acquaintances with his knowledge of languages and broad outlook at the age of 14. It has been reliably established that he studied at the University of Padua. This is where questions arise: why would a weaver’s son gravitate towards the intellectual elite? And the cost of education and living was too much for the weaver-father, who had to feed three more children (Columbus had two brothers and a sister). However, if Christopher was supported by other relatives from the merchants, then everything looks very plausible. One thing is certain: Columbus was distinguished by outstanding abilities from childhood.

Mystery three: how did the idea of searching for India in the West come about?

As an educated person, Christopher Columbus could not help but know that the idea of the spherical shape of the Earth was expressed by very authoritative scientists back in antiquity. On the other hand, as a man of the 15th century, Columbus understood that public recognition of the truth of these assumptions is fraught with misunderstanding and mistrust of a society long accustomed to the idea that the Earth is flat as a pancake. In this situation, attempts to find a sea route to the “land of spices” by circumnavigating Africa look much more realistic and understandable. What prompted Christopher Columbus to the idea of looking in the West? And was he really looking for India?

Start: University Company

As a sociable and extraordinary person, Christopher Columbus made numerous friends while still at the university, both among students and among professors. The astronomer Toscanelli, well known to the future navigator, tells his friends that, according to his calculations, India is much closer to Europe if one sails to the West. Based on his friend's calculations, Columbus makes his own. The result amazes him: it turns out that from the Canary Islands to Japan is no more than three thousand miles. The calculations were wrong, but the idea turned out to be tenacious.

Continuation: own experience

Sea voyages began in the life of Christopher Columbus at the age of 14. According to tradition, the father sent his eldest son to gain experience by placing him as a cabin boy on the merchant ship of a merchant he knew. Christopher not only studied languages, navigation, and the art of trade, but also earned money to help his family. The first voyages were limited to the Mediterranean Sea, but it was this sea that was the focus of all economic relations between Europe and Asia. Therefore, Christopher Columbus had the opportunity to meet with Arab merchants, for whom India was a very familiar country. Greedily absorbing the stories of the Arabs about the wealth of a distant country, about the morals and customs of the population, about the rulers and state structure, young Christopher is increasingly interested in finding ways to a country that will make him fabulously rich. After a very profitable marriage, Columbus moved with his wife to. At this time, Christopher Columbus took part in several trade voyages, he visited West Africa(Guinea) Northern Europe(, Ireland, Iceland). Northern journey played a special role in life the great explorer Christopher Columbus. It has long been known that the Vikings visited America long before the Spaniards and Portuguese. But in the 15th century, enlightened Europe preferred not to notice the ancient chronicles of the northern peoples, considering them barbaric and unreliable. Columbus was not so arrogant, moreover, he was distinguished by extraordinary curiosity. While in Iceland, the traveler gets acquainted with the sagas telling about the travels of Erik the Red and Leiv Eriksson. From this moment on, the certainty is that " big land"is located across the Atlantic, never left Christopher Columbus.

The path of Christopher Columbus: from idea to implementation

It is known that Christopher Columbus proposed an expedition to the west of the Canary Islands five times. He first addressed this proposal back in 1475 to the government of the Genoese Republic and the richest merchants, promising unprecedented profits and wealth in India. The proposal was heard, but did not arouse enthusiasm. In the eyes of seasoned Genoese, the ardor of the 24-year-old weaver's son was the result of youth, a thirst for adventure and a lack of experience. The second attempt was made in 1483, this time Christopher Columbus wanted to seduce the Portuguese king with the treasures of India. The tight-fisted and sensible ruler ordered a careful study of the proposal, but as a result also refused support. The thing is that by this time Columbus had acquired quite large debts and, in the eyes of the monarch, could not be considered a trustworthy person. Christopher Columbus made a third proposal to the Spanish crown. In dire need of gold, she was painfully worried about her “provincialism.” An entire commission was created to consider the “Genoese” proposal. Financiers and theologians met for four years, and Columbus tried his best to hide the details of the upcoming journey, he was afraid that the idea would be stolen from him. To “insure himself”, tireless and obsessed with his idea, the traveler turns to the English and French kings. But the English Henry was busy with the internal problems of the country, and the young and confused Charles simply did not attach any importance to the message. While the Spaniards were deciding what to do with Columbus's proposal, the Portuguese king sent the navigator an invitation to return to Portugal and continue negotiations. Christopher Columbus makes no secret of this message; the Spaniards were in a hurry. Finally, the conditions of the expedition were announced: the initiator of the expedition must pay an eighth of the expenses, the rest of the money will come from the “queen’s uncollected taxes.” In other words, there was no money at all. The monarchs flavored the strange financing scheme with the creation of Christopher Columbus as a nobleman and the promise to make him viceroy of all the lands that he would discover. On the other hand, the royal attention to the journey helped to quickly find sponsors, creditors, assistants and associates.

Four expeditions of Christopher Columbus: how the discovery of America took place

Christopher Columbus's first expedition

Contrary to popular belief, he did not go to India, but to Japan and China. It was these countries that were supposed to meet on his way according to his calculations. Three ships - "Santa Maria", "Pinta" and "Nina" - set off towards the unknown in early August 1492. After a short repair in the Canary Islands, the expedition moved to the West. On October 12, 1492, the cry of the sailor Rodrigo de Triana: “Earth! Earth!” - ended the Middle Ages in Europe and gave rise to the New Age. small island The Bahamian archipelago, named San Salvador by Columbus, became the first landmass of the Americas to be discovered by Europeans for the second time, after the Vikings. Alas, no gold placers were discovered on the island. Columbus sails on... The coast is open, Haiti. Good contact has been established with the aborigines, who have a certain amount of gold jewelry, but do not value it at all and willingly exchange it for glass beads. Natural beauties delight the Spaniards, but... They didn’t come here for nature. Having learned from residents open islands that " yellow stone" V large quantities occurs in " southern lands", Christopher Columbus decides to suspend the "discovery of America". For the first time, what was seen and collected was enough to awaken the "appetites" of the Spanish crown and obtain funding for a second expedition, more serious and thorough.

The second voyage of Christopher Columbus

Despite the fact that the results of the first voyage were much more modest than previously announced, the royal family, impressed by the stories of Christopher Columbus, willingly finances the next expedition. This time, 17 ships are setting off, carrying up to one and a half thousand crew members, livestock, great amount supplies, grain, seeds. This is no longer exploration, this is an expedition to colonize open lands. Among the passengers of the ships are several dozen knights, priests, artisans, doctors, and officials. Everyone goes on a journey with the hope of getting rich... The journey goes quickly, the weather is favorable. After only 20 days of travel (November 3, 1493), land was spotted. And again the island. This time we managed to put the Antilles and Virgin Islands, Jamaica, Puerto Rico. Previously discovered Cuba and Haiti were explored. All participants understand that the discovered lands do not in any way point to India or China, but Columbus (by this time an admiral and viceroy) continues to insist that they are in Asia, and riches will be discovered very soon. In order to somehow justify the expenses of the expedition, Columbus sent ships to Spain with the gold he found, valuable timber and native slaves. The resulting “trophies” are so insignificant that the Spanish royal family decides to stop cooperating with Columbus, entrusting the task of supplying the colonists to Amerigo Vespucci. Having learned about this, the discoverer drops everything and hurries to Spain. During a reception with the royal couple, Christopher Columbus lies colorfully and emotionally: he found the mines of King Solomon, he brings the light of Christianity to hundreds of thousands of lost people. As proof, he provides cleverly compiled maps that prove that he reached Asia (the island of Cuba was shown on the map, but who at court understands this?) ... Finally, he demands that all rights to manage open lands, titles, be returned to him and ranks. And he will very soon fill Spain with gold... Christopher Columbus Map makes some impression on the king, and stories about natives converted to Christianity on the queen, and promises to “fill with gold” impress the entire Spanish court. This time I got out...

The third voyage of Christopher Columbus

Disastrous trip. The result was only the discovery of the island of Trinidad. Christopher Columbus's illness (yellow fever killed at least a third of the admiral's and viceroy's crew) prevented them from reaching the continental coast. The colonists who remained in Haiti were more engaged in internal disputes than in developing the land; they could not find a common language with the natives... Meanwhile, he is returning to Europe. Returns with a rich cargo of spices and silk, brocade and jewelry. The Portuguese are happy, Spain is shocked. So much money has been invested in the expeditions of the “Genoese”, but so far there has been nothing from him except colorful promises. All agreements with Christopher Columbus are broken. Francisco Bovadillo is sent for him, the order is to arrest and bring the “former viceroy” in shackles to Spain. The situation seemed hopeless. But here Christopher Columbus is helped by the main creditors of the Spanish crown - the Marranos. In essence, it was a ransom in the hope of future profits from the development of rich new lands. Forgetting about the claims, the king allows Columbus to set off on his fourth voyage in order to finally justify his trust. The crown does not give money, but there are still many people who want to get rich in Spain...

The fourth voyage of Christopher Columbus

Only the fourth time did Columbus's expedition manage to reach the continental coast. What did Christopher Columbus discover? this time? Having passed South coast Cuba, the ships of the "Genoese" approached the coast of Nicaragua, descended further south - to Costa Rica and Panama. Here the Indians told travelers that by land they could easily reach South Sea, and there live the warlike Incas, who own huge gold reserves. Columbus didn't believe it. Yellow fever claimed the lives of sailors, and it became increasingly difficult to continue the expedition. The admiral's order is to turn north, to the already known lands. On the way to Haiti, the expedition ships ran aground. Only Columbus's diplomatic skills, his ability to persuade and negotiate, made it possible to send several natives for help by boat. Help came, but there was nothing to get to Spain. For a whole year, travelers waited for a ship from Europe, which Columbus had to pay for with his own money. The return was difficult, the ocean was constantly stormy. From his trip, Columbus brought back samples of gold sand collected on the continental coast, as well as several silver nuggets. Evidence of the wealth of the new lands justified the traveler in the eyes of the king, but did not bring happiness to Columbus.

Sunset

No one remembered that according to the agreement with the royal couple, it was Columbus who was the ruler of the open lands. Long and painful correspondence with the court and ministers led to nothing. Sick, tired and offended, Columbus was dying in a modest house in the city of Valladolid. He spent all his savings accumulated over the years of travel from 1492 to 1504 to pay off the participants of the last expedition. On May 20, 1506, Christopher Columbus died. No one noticed his death. The fact is that it was at this time that the first ships from the New World, filled with gold and silver, began to arrive in Spain. There was no time for the “Genoese” here...

Main mystery: Asia or America?

Why did the discoverer of the New World so stubbornly talk about opening the way to Asia? Did he really not understand that a new, previously unknown part of the World had appeared on his way? Everything is explained simply: Columbus sailed towards the New World from the very beginning. But the grandeur of this discovery had to remain a secret for the time being. The cunning "Genoese" wanted to be the ruler of the whole world, new, unknown, rich. That is why it was important for him to secure the title of viceroy, which is why, even with the modest results of the first expeditions, he is so persistent in confirming his rights. Columbus did not have enough time, he did not have enough health. A navigator and scientist, he failed to calculate his strength, failed to acquire associates and friends. He wanted to do everything himself. Discoveries of Christopher Columbus contemporaries seemed modest and expensive. Only descendants were able to appreciate the significance of his expeditions. Although the open part of the World was named after Columbus’s main competitor, Amerigo Vespucci.

The last voyage of Christopher Columbus

Dying, Christopher Columbus bequeathed to bury himself “where my heart and life remain,” meaning Haiti, the first large island discovered in America. The will gathered dust for a long time among Columbus’s papers until, 34 years after the navigator’s death, it caught the eye of his grandson. The significance of the “Genoese’s” discoveries was undeniable by that time, so the appeal to the king with a request to “help fulfill the will of his grandfather” met with warm support. Dust navigator Christopher Columbus went to Haiti in 1540, where he was solemnly buried in the main temple of the city of Santa Domingo. When Haiti was captured by the French, the Spaniards, valuable relic, transported Columbus's ashes to Cuba. And after Cuba ceased to be the property of Spain, they returned it to Spain. This trip to America was the last, posthumous one for the great navigator.

Not so long ago, examining the remains of Columbus in , scientists determined that they did not belong to the navigator (the bones were miniature, and the “Genoese” had a heroic physique). The tomb of Christopher Columbus remains in Santa Domingo. However, during all the “moves”, the bones of Christopher Columbus could simply have been lost... Somewhere halfway from the New World to the Old World...

The name of Christopher Columbus gained worldwide fame after the discovery of America. Today, researchers question the glory of the discoverer, offering alternative versions of the events that accompanied the acquaintance of Europeans with the New World.

All the greatest mysteries of history / M. A. Pankova, I. Yu. Romanenko and others.

Based on the officially recognized biography of Columbus, it becomes clear that not much is known about his life. Christopher Columbus (Spanish Colon, Cristobal; Italian Cristoforo Colombo), the famous Spanish navigator, was born in 1451 in Genoa. He became a sailor early and sailed around the Mediterranean Sea all the way to the island of Chios in the Aegean Sea. Perhaps he was a merchant and commanded a ship. In the mid-1470s, Columbus settled in Lisbon. Under the Portuguese flag he sailed north to England and Ireland, and possibly to Iceland. He visited Madeira and the Canary Islands, walked along the west coast of Africa to the Portuguese trading post of Sao Jorge da Mina (modern Ghana). Columbus tried to interest Portugal and Britain with his plan for an expedition to Asia, but failed twice.

In 1485, Columbus left Portugal to try to find support in Spain. At the beginning of 1486 he was presented to the royal court. Queen Isabella of Castile and her husband King Ferdinand of Aragon showed interest in Columbus's project. The commission led by Talavera made an unfavorable conclusion about the advisability of traveling to the west, but the king and queen agreed to support the expedition and promised to award Columbus the title of nobility and the titles of admiral, viceroy and governor-general of all the islands and continents that he would discover. There is a legend that Isabella of Castile sold her jewelry to equip an expedition to India.

Columbus's first expedition took place in 1492-1493. The city of Paloe de la Fontera provided two ships for her: the Pinta and Niña caravels. In addition, the navigator chartered the four-masted sailing ship (NAO) Santa Maria. With the help of the famous sailor Martin Alonso Pinzon, Columbus assembled a crew of 90 people. During the expedition, he discovered the Sargasso Sea and reached the island of Samana. The caravels reached the shore on October 12, 1492, and this day is considered the official date of the discovery of America. Having left the ship, the navigator kissed the ground, and all the sailors followed his example. In their presence, Columbus declared the discovered land to belong to the Spanish crown.

Columbus declares the discovered land the property of the Spanish king. Illustration from 1893

During subsequent expeditions (1493-1496, 1498-1500, 1502-1504), he discovered the Greater Antilles, part of the Lesser Antilles and the coasts of South and Central America, the Caribbean Sea. In 1500, Columbus was arrested following a denunciation and sent to Castile, where his release awaited him. The navigator then kept the shackles in which he was shackled all his life. But he managed to prove he was right, and the expeditions continued. During the last of them there was a crash, and Christopher waited for help for a whole year. Columbus returned to Castile on November 7, 1504, already seriously ill. Last years Columbus passed away in illness and lack of money. He died on May 20, 1506.

The personality of Columbus, it must be said, is quite contradictory. He was distinguished by faith in Divine Providence and omens. In negotiations with monarchs, he more than once demonstrated a sharp mind and the gift of persuasion. But Columbus was not an abstract dreamer or altruist. Rather, he is a practical person. His painful pride and suspicion, passion for gold are usually not mentioned in the official biography. But it was Columbus who proposed to reduce the costs of colonizing new lands by populating the islands with criminals. The sentence for them was halved, so there were enough people willing to do so. And the expeditions themselves were organized for practical reasons (in addition to the nobility and the position of vice-governor, the Spanish monarchs promised the navigator 10% of the value of goods imported to Spain). Spain's investment has paid off handsomely. The discovery of America made possible the colonization of the richest lands. It is safe to say that Columbus's visit to the New World marked the beginning of a new era in the exploration of the world.

Today it is considered proven that Columbus had predecessors. The Spaniards, Chinese, Icelanders, Swedes, Portuguese are claiming primacy... According to a number of historians, Columbus not only was not a discoverer, he also appropriated the glory of those whose knowledge he used. Many versions owe their existence to clever falsifications. In particular, the map of Muhiddin Piri Reis was considered one of the most valuable documents on the basis of which the assumption of the “pre-Columbian” discovery of America appeared. In 1520 Piri Reis, admiral Turkish fleet, published the navigation atlas “Bahriye”. (This atlas is still kept in National Museum Istanbul.) Some of the maps in it depict with amazing accuracy the Northern and South America, Greenland and even Antarctica, which in those days could not be known to sailors. A number of details (Greenland and Antarctica are not yet covered with ice; the ridges of these islands are clearly outlined, only recently discovered with the help of modern equipment) indicate that the parchment reflects the geographical picture of the planet five thousand years ago. The examination was never able to establish whether the card is original or fake, but it is quite obvious: such a precise designation coastline and detailing the interior of continents can only be achieved through satellite imagery. Along with maps whose origin cannot be established, there were others made at a much lower level. As a rule, the coastline is drawn on them in detail. Mediterranean Sea(the most studied at that time), and more distant lands are indicated very approximately. But it is incorrect to draw conclusions from this fact, since it is quite natural that maps of those seas along which the main routes of merchants ran were in demand.

Quite naturally, before starting the expedition, Columbus studied all the materials available at that time, among which were documents mentioning the journey of the Madeiran Antonio Lemme. He saw islands or a continent to the west around 1484. Columbus apparently also had at his disposal the records of anonymous pilots who, after 1460, were also seen in the west of the island. Thus, the navigator based his calculations on real facts. Although he is credited with a rather strange statement for an experienced sailor. In one of the petitions, Christopher Columbus allegedly wrote that the distance from the Canary Islands to Sipangu (modern Japan, considered part of India) was 2,400 miles (actually 10,600), and proved his calculations with a quotation from the Bible. It says: “And you dried six parts.” Consequently, Columbus said, six-sevenths of the globe is land, and the ocean cannot be too wide.

It is difficult to imagine that a person who spent most of his life at sea relied only on Providence. It is likely that the Bible reference was included in the report specifically for the church, but other sources served as guidance for the drafting. Otherwise it is impossible to explain how Columbus chose twice optimal route for your voyage. A very strong Canary Current follows from the shores of the Iberian Peninsula to the Canary Islands. Immediately south of these islands the current turns sharply and joins the North Trade Wind Current. It crosses the Atlantic Ocean in the eastern trade winds and reaches the coasts of Cuba and Florida. It was this route that Columbus's expedition followed. Columbus set off on his return journey in 1493, using the Gulf Stream, which carried the ships to the Azores. It is already difficult to talk about coincidence; Columbus must have had accurate data.

Who paved the way to the New World? There is no clear answer to this question, because existing hypotheses are not mutually exclusive. According to one of them, owned by Thor Heyerdahl, on the eve of the official discovery of America, Columbus took part in the Portuguese-Danish expedition led by John Skolp. The day before the lookout on the Pinta shouted: “Earth!”, Columbus, according to Thor Heyerdahl, said: “Tomorrow we will be there.” So in 1492 he saw the American coast for the second time. John Skolp, in turn, was guided by the experience of the Vikings.

The version that the Vikings repeatedly sailed to the shores North America and even founded settlements there, is far from groundless. Along with the cycle of Scandinavian sagas about Vinland, the overseas Viking colony, scientists have archaeological data. Runic inscriptions are found on the east coast of Canada, Labrador, and New Foundland. Remains of settlements have also been discovered that are quite comparable in time and type to those mentioned in the sagas. According to the theory of researcher Jacques de Maillot, the Inca civilization maintained connections with the Vikings.

However, the Vikings were the first, but not the only visitors to the American continent. The fact that the Antilles are indicated on the map of Zuane Pizzigano of 1424 gives the right to assert that the Portuguese knew about the existence of the Antilles and the coast of the American continent in the first quarter of the 15th century. Probably, the discovery of the New World began in 1452 with the expedition of Diogo de Teivi and continued with the journey to the shores of America by Joao Vaz Corti-Real in 1472. If this is so, then the refusal of the Portuguese king to Columbus is quite understandable: he knew too well what kind of lands lay in the west, so there was no need for a new expedition. The hypothesis is confirmed big number royal charters, which (starting from 1460-1462) give grants to captains and pilots for some unspecified islands with a view to their discovery and settlement. The most interesting and important of them are the letters to the Madeiran Rui Gonçalves da Camara (1473) and Fernão Telis (1474).

Another contender for the palm is China. While studying ancient manuscripts of Venice, submarine commander Gavin Menzies came across a map dated 1459, on which there was a cape Good Hope, discovered by Bartolomeu Dias only in 1488. Soon other documents were discovered. It turned out that many European travelers They used maps of lands that Europeans had never visited. After devoting fourteen years to studying the mystery, Menzies came to the conclusion that the real discoverer of America was the Chinese naval commander Zheng He. Chinese chronicles suggest that Zheng He was known to the world under the name of Sinbad the Sailor. At least certain details of his biography served as the basis for the emergence of the famous legend. Zheng He, according to Menzies, visited Australia with his fleet and almost reached the South Pole. China had the technical ability to make a discovery: the Celestial Empire had a fantastic fleet of more than 300 ships. However, Chinese scientists do not agree with Menzies' opinion. The fact is that the life of Zheng He is described in detail in the “History of the Ming Dynasty”, and there is not a word about the discovery of America...

We may never know who really discovered America. Columbus's primacy is confirmed only by his own words, or more precisely, by the journal that he allegedly kept during his voyage. And this document is deliberately written very vaguely and full of contradictions. According to J. Cortezan, “if it cannot be proven with indisputable documents in hand that the American soil was reached by unknown or known navigators before Columbus sailed for the first time to the Antilles in 1492, it is even more difficult to refute this thesis with logical arguments.”

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