Discovery of America. Prerequisites, course of events, consequences

What Christopher Columbus did, you will learn from this article.

What did Christopher Columbus discover? Discoveries of Christopher Columbus

The navigator is the most mysterious person of the era of Great Geographical Discoveries and travels. His life is full of mysteries, dark spots, inexplicable coincidences and actions. And all because humanity became interested in the navigator 150 years after his death - important documents had already been lost, and Columbus’s life remained shrouded in speculation and gossip. Plus, Columbus himself hid his origin (for unknown reasons), the motives of his actions and thoughts. The only thing that is known is the year 1451 - the year of his birth and the place of birth - the Genoese Republic.

He made 4 expeditions, which were supplied by the Spanish king:

• The first expedition - 1492-1493.
• Second expedition - 1493-1496.
• Third expedition - 1498 - 1500.
• The fourth expedition - 1502 - 1504.

During four expeditions, the navigator discovered many new territories and two seas - Sargasso and Caribbean.

Lands discovered by Christopher Columbus

It is interesting that all the time the navigator thought that he had discovered India, and beyond it he would find rich Japan and China. But that was not the case. He is responsible for the discovery and exploration of the New World. The islands discovered by Christopher Columbus are the Bahamas and Antilles, Saman, Haiti and Dominica, the Lesser Antilles, Cuba and Trinidad, Jamaica and Puerto Rico, Guadeloupe and Margarita. He is the pioneer of the lands of Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, as well as the northern coast of South America and the Caribbean part of Central America.

Discovery of America by Christopher Columbus

But the most important thing is that during his expedition, Christopher Columbus discovered America. This happened on October 12, 1492, when he landed on the island of San Salvador.

And it all started like this: on August 3, 1492, the expedition of a European navigator consisting of the ships “Santa Maria”, “Nina” and “Pinta” set out on a long journey. In September the Sargasso Sea was discovered. They walked through Germany for three weeks. On October 7, 1492, Columbus's team changed its course to the southwest, believing that they had missed Japan, which they so wanted to discover. After 5 days, the expedition came across an island named San Salvador by Christopher Columbus in honor of the savior Christ. This date, October 12, 1492, is considered the official day of the discovery of America.

A day later, Columbus landed and planted the Castilian banner. Thus, he formally became the owner of the island. Having explored the nearby islands, the navigator sincerely believed that these were the environs of Japan, India and China. At first, the open lands were called the West Indies. Christopher Columbus returned to Spain on March 15, 1493 on the ship Niña. As a gift to King Ferdinand II of Aragon, he brought gold, natives, plants unknown to Europeans - potatoes, corn, tobacco, as well as bird feathers and fruits.

We hope that from this article you learned how the discoveries of Christopher Columbus became famous throughout the world.

October 12, 1492 is a significant date in world history, since it was on this day that Christopher Columbus's expedition reached the island of San Salvador and thereby discovered a new continent - America. Let’s look at the main prerequisites for such an “incident”, highlighting some facts, analyze the progress of the expedition itself and briefly summarize its results for the states of that time.

Basic Prerequisites

It is not entirely correct to talk about the prerequisites for the discovery of America in isolation from the context of other great geographical discoveries: In addition to Columbus's expedition, many attempts were made to reach new lands by sea. There are three main factors that are crucial for the formation of such aspirations among many states and travelers:

• Not so long ago, Byzantium fell under the onslaught of the Ottoman Turks, which served as the birth of the Ottoman Empire. Since the latter was located in the east of the Mediterranean and Asia Minor, all trade relations(“Silk Road”) with the countries of the east were terminated.
• Spices, which were purchased in India and Indochina, as well as many other goods, were extremely important for European states.
• In the 14th century, scientific geographers misunderstood the size of the Earth. It was believed that all land was limited to the continents of Eurasia and Africa; they also thought that the distance between the western point of Europe and the eastern point of Asia was no more than several thousand kilometers.

Progress of the expedition

The beginning of the expedition is considered to be August 3, 1492: it was on this day that three ships (“Santa Maria”, “Pinta”, “Nina”) began their journey from the Spanish city of Palos de La Frontera. The first documented event was the appearance of aquatic algae along the path, which occurred on September 16th. We mention this fact for a reason: while passing through a body of water with algae, the Sargasso Sea was discovered. The next event occurred on October 7, 1492, when the course was seriously changed: it seemed to the crew that the ships had passed Japan. Therefore, the expedition headed to the southwest.

Soon, on October 12, ships saw one of the still famous Bahamas, which received the name San Salvador - a kind of symbolic tribute to the image of Jesus Christ. According to available information, the land was noticed by the sailor of the Pinta caravel, Rodrigo de Triana, who was never able to receive the reward promised by the King of Spain later.

It is worth noting that the duration Bahamian archipelago- more than a thousand kilometers: it “stretches” from Florida to Haiti and includes about three thousand islands of different sizes. On October 13, Columbus decided to land, during which he planted the Castilian banner; in fact, this was an official “taking over”: a corresponding document was even drawn up.

For two weeks, the expedition moved south, during which islands such as Cuba and Haiti were discovered. Since the geographical ideas of the 15th century were seriously different from modern ones, Columbus considered these lands East Asia. Subsequently, the open territories received the appropriate name - “West Indies”.

The next important incident happened in December - on the 26th, the ship Santa Maria was unlucky to get on the reefs. Thanks to the help of the natives - the indigenous inhabitants - the sailors were able to cope with the scourge: guns, supplies, and valuable cargo were removed. The wreckage of the ship became the basis for the creation of a fort, which became the first European settlement on the new continent. Its name is known to many - “Navidad”.

The next major date was March 15, 1493, when the expedition returned to its homeland. It is worth noting that Columbus took with him the natives (“Indians”), a certain amount of gold and plants strange to Europeans, including potatoes, tobacco and corn. Subsequently, three more expeditions were carried out, which we will not describe in detail; we only note that their result was the discovery of the islands of Jamaica, Dominica, Puerto Rico, as well as the territories of Honduras, Costa Rica and Nicaragua.

Moment of Realization

Let us note that at the time of the expedition’s return, many did not realize the significance of the discovery made. Columbus himself experienced extreme disappointment: the natives did not make much of an impression on him, and no wealth was found during the expedition. Soon - in 1494 - the so-called agreement was concluded. Treaty of Tordesillas, which divided open territories between Portugal and Spain. At that time, it was unknown that the entire western part of the American continent thereby came into possession of the latter. Soon after Columbus's return, many travelers headed towards open lands, but the realization of what had happened did not come immediately.

The name “America” itself appeared only in 1507: cartographers named the continent in honor of Amerigo Vespucci. The latter is also a famous discoverer: it was he who first suggested that the discovered Earths were not India at all, but the so-called. "New World". He sent reports in 1502 and 1504.

Results

Obviously, the results of the discovery of the new continent were stunning: the situation in the world has fundamentally changed. The active development of new lands began, and the development of shipbuilding was spurred on. It is natural that for some time international ties were significantly strengthened, but soon the new territories became the cause of numerous conflicts.

Another important point- fundamental changes in the economy. The so-called happened. “revolution” of prices caused by the flow of various metals (gold, silver and some others). World trade has strengthened significantly, and a colossal number of new products have emerged.

It is natural that certain areas of science and technology began to develop more rapidly. Moreover, the discovery of America was reflected even in culture: Europeans learned about a fundamentally different structure of society, which was reflected in the works of Thomas More.

America is a part of the world whose official discovery is attributed to Columbus, but its history is full of dark spots.

The modern United States plays a key role in political strife and has a serious influence on other countries and the world economy. But the path to such a high level was long and thorny. It all started with the discovery of America.

Christopher Columbus was a Spanish navigator who discovered two new continents for Europeans. He made 4 expeditions, each sent by kings, hoping to find a short trade route with India.

The first expedition consisted of three ships with a total complement of 91 people. She ended up on the island of San Salvador on October 12, 1492.

The second expedition, consisting of 17 ships and 1,500 people, lasted from 1493 to 1496. During this time, Columbus discovered Dominica, Guadeloupe, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and about 20 more Lesser Antilles. In June, he already reported to the government about his amazing findings.

The third expedition, which included 6 ships, set off in 1498, and two years later returned to their native shores. Several more lands were discovered, including Trinidad, Margarita, the Araya and Paria peninsulas.

The last expedition, sailing in 1502, included 4 ships. Within two years, the islands of Martinique, Panama, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica were discovered. Columbus was wrecked near Jamaica, and help arrived only a year later. The travelers arrived in their native Castile in November 1504.

Date when America was discovered - Vikings in 1000

Erik the Red was known as a great Viking. His son, Leif Erikson, was the first to set foot on American soil. After spending the winter in its vastness, Erickson and his expedition returned to Greenland. This happened around the year 1000.

Two years later, brother Torvald Erikson, the second son of Erik the Red, founded his settlement on the territory discovered by his brother. Less than a month later, his men were attacked by local Indians, killing Thorvald and forcing the others to return home.

Subsequently, Erik the Red's daughter Freydis and his daughter-in-law Gudrid also tried to conquer new spaces. The latter even managed to trade with the Indians, offering various goods. But the Viking settlement was never able to survive in America for more than 10 years, despite constant attempts.

When did Amerigo Vespucci discover America?

Amerigo Vespucci, after whom, according to some historians, the continents are named, first visited the New World as a navigator. The route of Alonso de Ojeda's expedition was chosen using a map created by Christopher Columbus. Along with him, Amerigo Vespucci took about a hundred slaves who were indigenous to America.

Vespucci visited new territory twice more - in 1501-1502 and from 1503 to 1504. If the Spaniard Christopher wanted to stock up on gold, then the Florentine Amerigo wanted to discover as many new lands as possible in order to gain fame and preserve his name in history.

What does Wikipedia say about the dates of the discovery of America?

The famous Wikipedia talks about the discovery of the American continents in unprecedented detail. In the vastness of the world encyclopedia you can find information about all the expeditions to the New World, about each of the possible discoverers, further history Indians

Wikipedia names the date of the discovery of America as October 12, 1492, speaking about Christopher Columbus.

It was he who managed not only to discover new territories, but to capture them on his map. Amerigo Vespucci was able to provide Europeans with a more complete picture of what the continents look like. Although his “complete” map was significantly different from the modern one.

In what year after the discovery did the settlement of America begin?

The settlement of American soil began many thousands of years before its official discovery. It is believed that the ancestors of the Indians were the Eskimos, Inuits, and Aleuts. The Vikings, as you know, also tried to take over the territories of the New World. But they failed - the indigenous people protected it too zealously.

After the discoveries of Columbus and Vespucci, almost 50 years passed before the first European settlements appeared.

In the American city of St. Augustine, the first small settlement of Spaniards was organized in 1565.

In 1585, the first British colony of Roanoke was created, which was destroyed by the Indians. The next attempt by the British was a colony in Virginia, which appeared in 1607.

And finally, the first colony in New England was the settlement located in Plymouth in 1620. This year is recognized as the official date of colonization of the New World.

Possible discoverers before Christopher Columbus

There are many people on the list of possible discoverers. Historians cannot find reliable facts about this, but there are sources indicating that the information is still correct.

Among the hypothetical discoverers it is worth highlighting:

• Phoenicians - 370 BC;
• ancient Egyptians;
• Hui Shen, who was a Buddhist monk who performed the first, as it turned out, trip around the world- V century;
• Irish monk Brendan, who followed in the footsteps of Shen - 6th century;
• Malay Sultan Abubakar II - 1330;
• Chinese explorer Zheng He - 1420;
• Portuguese Joao Corterial - 1471.

These people had pure intentions, did not seek fame and gold, and therefore did not tell the general public about their discovery. They were not trying to bring evidence or enslave Native Americans.

Perhaps that is why their names are not familiar to most contemporaries, and the more cruel and greedy Christopher Columbus is indicated as the discoverer of the new land.

The fate of the Native Americans

The history of the discovery of America is presented in modern history as a joyful event that laid the foundation for a new nation of “emigrants.” But it also became a nightmare for many Indians, who had to endure unspeakable horrors created by the conquerors.

The Spaniards killed several thousand native Americans and took several hundred into slavery. They made fun of the Indians and killed them with extreme cruelty, not even sparing babies. The “Whites” who arrived on the new lands sprinkled them with blood, reducing the joyful discovery to a bloody massacre.

One of those who observed the fate of the Indians, the priest Bartolome de Las Casas, who arrived with Columbus, tried to protect the Indians, even went to the Spanish court in the hope of their pardon. As a result, the court decided whether it was worth calling the Indians people at all, whether they had a soul.

The negative attitude is explained by the fact that Columbus left his crew to look after the New World and went home. When he returned, he saw all his people dead. As it turned out, the Spaniards became impudent, beating the men and raping the women of the tribe, as well as killing the rebellious. The Indians, who initially considered the “whites” to be gods, quickly realized how things were and began to defend themselves. This is what led to further tragic incidents.

In any case, the discovery of America- an important event, which today is considered one of the loudest in the history of civilization.

For the first time the idea of ​​crossing Atlantic Ocean, in order to find a direct and quick route to India, supposedly visited Columbus as early as 1474 as a result of correspondence with the Italian geographer Toscanelli. The navigator made the necessary calculations and decided that the easiest way would be to sail through the Canary Islands. He believed that from them to Japan there were only about five thousand kilometers, and from the Country rising sun Finding a way to India will not be difficult.

But Columbus was able to fulfill his dream only a few years later; he repeatedly tried to interest the Spanish monarchs in this event, but his demands were recognized as excessive and expensive. And only in 1492, Queen Isabella gave for the trip and promised to make Columbus admiral and viceroy of all discovered lands, although she did not donate money for it. The navigator himself was poor, but his comrade-in-arms, the shipowner Pinson, gave his ships to Christopher.

Discovery of America

The first expedition, which began in August 1492, involved three ships - the famous Niña, Santa Maria and Pinta. In October, Columbus reached land and ashore on an island he named San Salvador. Confident that this was a poor part of China or some other undeveloped land, Columbus, however, was surprised by many things unknown to him - he saw tobacco, cotton clothing, and hammocks for the first time.

Local Indians told about the existence of the island of Cuba in the south, and Columbus went in search of it. During the expedition, Haiti and Tortuga were discovered. These lands were declared the property of the Spanish monarchs, and Fort La Navidad was created in Haiti. The navigator went back with plants and animals, gold and a group of natives, whom the Europeans called Indians, since no one had yet suspected the discovery of the New World. All lands found were considered part of Asia.

During the second expedition, Haiti, the Jardines de la Reina archipelago, Pinos Island, and Cuba were explored. For the third time, Columbus discovered the island of Trinidad, found the mouth of the Orinoco River and Margarita Island. The fourth voyage made it possible to explore the shores of Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama, and Nicaragua. The route to India was never found, but South America was discovered. Columbus finally realized that a whole continent lay south of Cuba - a barrier to rich Asia. The Spanish navigator laid the foundation for exploration of the New World.

Christopher Columbus, who did not discover America

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.

Based on the officially recognized biography of Columbus, it becomes clear that not much is known about his life. Christopher Columbus (Spanish: Cristobal Colon; 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. Visited Madeira and the Canary Islands, walked along west coast Africa to the Portuguese trading post of São 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 Palos de la Fontera provided two ships for her: the Pinta and Niña caravels. In addition, the navigator chartered four-masted sailboat(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.

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, and 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, an admiral of the Turkish fleet, published the navigational atlas Bahriye. (This atlas is still kept in National Museum Istanbul.) Some of the maps in it depict with amazing accuracy North and South America, Greenland and even Antarctica, which in those days could not have been known to seafarers. 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 indicated very roughly. 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.

There is no doubt that before the start of 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 Canary Islands to Sipangu (modern Japan, considered part of India) is 2,400 miles (actually 10,600), and he supported his calculations with a quotation from the Bible. It says: “And you dried six parts.” Therefore, said Columbus, six-sevenths globe consists of 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 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. And 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, an overseas Viking colony, scientists have archaeological data. Runic inscriptions are found on east coast Canada, Labrador, 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. Confirmation of the hypothesis is provided by a large number of royal charters, which (starting from 1460–1462) give grants to captains and pilots for some unspecified islands with the aim of discovering and settling them. The most interesting and important of them are 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 used maps of lands that Europeans had not yet 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.”