Christopher Columbus

By: B.J.

    Christopher Columbus was born in Genoa, Italy in 1454. His daddy was a weaver. When Christopher was 14, he sailed along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Later he went to Greece and Portugal

    During the time that he was alive, the only known way to get to Asia was across the Mediterranean Sea, and then you still had to cross thousands of miles in deserts and mountains.

    During this time, the Europeans were trying to find an easier way to get to Asia. Some Portuguese explorers were sailing south to Asia by sailing around Africa. Columbus thought that Asia was on the other side of the Ocean Sea (Atlantic Ocean). So he decided to sail west of Japan.

    For a long time, he tried to get European leaders interested in his plan and finally they agreed that Asia was in the west. But they didn’t know how far away it was.

    It wasn't until 1493 that King Ferdinand and Queen Isabelle agreed to give him 3 ships, and they also said that he could be governor of any new lands he might find.

    Once the ship had sailed 3000 miles, the crew threatened mutiny, and Columbus said that if they didn’t see land soon that they would turn back. But on Oct 12,1492 one of the Pinta’s sailors shouted, "Land! Land!"

    Although they didn't know it then, what the man really saw was one of the Bahaman Islands. Columbus thought that he was in the East Indies so he called the people Indians. Later on he discovered Cuba and Hispaniolia. Around Hispaniolia the waves smashed the Santa Maria to the ground.

    So Columbus set sail for Spain in the Nina. The Nina and the Pinta reached Spain safely. The voyage took 224 days. In between 1493 and 1504 he continued making trips back tot he Americas.

    On May 20 ,1506 Christopher Columbus died. He is one of the most famous of all the explorers of America.