Christopher Columbus: Explorer of New World
After a long time, I write about history. As you see, my last blogs were related to literature including novels, literary theories… Therefore, I am happy to write blogs which are related to history. Indeed, this blog will differ from other history blogs, focusing on a figure who discovered America. Before 500 years ago, the history was rewritten by Christopher Columbus. To briefly mention Colombus’ life; He was a Genoa-born sailor who lived between 1451-1506. It is accepted that he discovered America. Columbus, who was interested in making maps, made sea voyages at a young age. He travelled to England and possibly to Greenland. In 1482, he went to the fortress on the Gold Coast of Africa, built by the Portuguese. At the same time, he had the idea that ‘by travelling westwards one could reach India and the Far East’. Scientists of the time believed that the earth was round, but there was uncertainty about its size. By analysing previous geographical information, Columbus thought the world was smaller than it was. He correctly calculated the distance between Europe and Japan to be one-fifth the size. However, like the people of that time, he was unaware of the American continent and the Pacific Ocean. He applied to the King of Portugal in 1485 to make the journey he thought of, but when he could not get a result, he came to Spain. In 1486, he presented his proposal to Queen Isabella. Six years later, Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand agreed to financially support Columbus' voyage. According to a legend, he comes to Constantinople to meet Bayezid II to support him.
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| Portrait of a Man, Said to be Christopher Columbus Sebastiano del Piombo (Sebastiano Luciani) (Italian, Venice (?) 1485/86–1547 Rome) |
On 3 August 1492, with a crew of 120 people, he sailed west from the port of Palos with the ships named Santa Maria, Nina and Pinta. Taking advantage of the wind, he headed southwest and reached the Canary Islands on 3 September. On 12 October, when he arrived in the Bahama Islands, his crew revolted. From this point on, and throughout his life, he thought he had reached East India. This misconception led to the fact that today this region is called ‘West India’ and the indigenous American people are referred to as ‘Indians’. Starting from that region, he tried to make it look like Asia. His dreams of gold and spices were not realised. As a result of the grounding of the Santa Maria, he left 39 people in this region, then returned in a north-easterly direction and returned to the port of Palos on 15 March 1493, 224 days later. In the spring of 1493, he was rewarded. He sailed from Cadiz on 25 September 1493 with 17 ships and 1200 sailors, soldiers and immigrants to establish a colony. On 3 November he easily reached Dominica, then travelled around the Antilles Islands and named the territories. When he arrived at the location of the first 39 people, he found that they had been expelled by the locals for bad behaviour. This colony, established in the Hispaniola region, carried European barbarism there, reducing the native population from 250,000 in 1492 to 60,000 in 1508 and to less than 500 in 1560. Departing on 10 March 1496, he returned to Cadiz on 11 June.
On 30 May 1498, he embarked on his third voyage and went further south. He discovered the island of Trinidad, close to Venezuela. When he came to the colony he had established earlier, he found the situation very complicated. In 1500, an official sent by Ferdinand and Isabella took over the administration of the colony and sent Columbus to Spain in chains. He arrived in Cadiz in October 1500. Ferdinand and Isabella believed that Columbus could not provide a good enough administration for the colony he had founded. A new governor was appointed to the colony, and Columbus was given permission to travel for the fourth time on 3 April 1502. Columbus, who travelled all along the coast of Central America to find a shorter route to India, failed to discover the Pacific Ocean from Panama. It was discovered a few years later by Vasco Núñez de Balboa. The lower parts of the ships were destroyed by barnacles. He arrived in Spain in November 1504, a few days before the death of Queen Isabella. King Ferdinand paid no compliments to Columbus. He died on 20 May 1506 in Spain, abandoned by his friends.
Christopher Columbus’ exploratory journeys have left a significant mark
on history, especially by introducing the Western world to new lands. Columbus
initially set out with the aim of charting a route westward. However, these
voyages, full of challenges, were met with numerous obstacles. Columbus’ ships
encountered difficulties when they entered the Sargasso Sea (Bermuda Triangle).
There, they were unable to move forward for a long time; the calmness of the
sea and the lack of wind caused the ships to remain stationary. At one point,
Columbus told his crew, “Give me three days, and things will improve.” And
indeed, on the third day, the winds changed direction, and the ships began to
move again.
Columbus’ second journey involved exploring more of the Western lands.
This time, he visited the Caribbean islands. On his third voyage, he expanded
the territories he had discovered earlier. Columbus believed that this was
paradise and discovered fresh water sources in the area. On his fourth voyage,
he reached Central America and uncovered new territories. During his
explorations, Columbus proved to be both a bold and pragmatic leader. Unlike
others, he preferred to utilize the new lands rather than destroy them.
Columbus believed that the lands in the Americas belonged to him because he
stated, “This place was promised to me.” His voyages, conducted between 1492
and 1502, resulted in the mapping of many regions. During this period, Columbus
had a significant impact on mapmaking, particularly in Spain.
Columbus’ journeys not only led to geographical discoveries but also accelerated cultural interactions in Europe. Columbus and his crew transported various plants, animals, and cultural elements, introducing Europeans to a new world. These discoveries help us understand why Columbus has been remembered as a hero throughout history. However, it is also a fact that Columbus faced challenges in the lands he discovered. Especially the conflicts with native peoples and cultural differences from the other side of the reality surrounding these explorations.
