EXPLORATION, EXPLOITATION,

EXPANSIONTHE MOMENTOUS JOURNEYS OF

CHRISTOFORO COLOMBO

What was his name?Cristoforo Colombo – ItalianCristòfor Colom – CatalanCristóbal Colón – SpanishCristóvão Colombo – PortugueseChristohorus Columbus - LatinChristoffa Corombo – GenoeseCristopher Columbus - English

When was he born?Between August 22 and October 31, 1451Holy Week and Passover at the same time

Where was he born?GenoaCatalonia?Portugal?Spain?On the high seas?

Italy

What do we know?Father: Domenico Colombo – wool weaver and

merchantMother: Susanna FontanarossaBrothers: Bartolomeo, cartographer; Giovanni

Pellegrino and GiacomoWife: Filipa Moniz PerestreloSon: DiegoMistress: Beatriz Enriquez de AranaSon: Fernando

The ‘Old World’

The TimesEducated knowledge: Earth is a sphere: Aristotle (984-

322 BC)/Ptolemy (85-165 AD)/Saint Bede (673-735 AD)

Size of Earth correctly estimated: Erosthenes (c 276-195 BC) and Alfraganus (9th C)

Vikings, like Leif Ericson had explored these lands (c 1000)

Marco Polo’s accounts (1298)Motivation to reach China (Cathay), India and Japan

(Cipangu)Portugal (Bartolomeu Dias) push to South of AfricaSpain: End of the Reconquista: Jan 2, 1492

BackgroundEarly sea travelsSelf-educatedInterested in biblical textsLearned Latin, Portuguese and CastilianRead works about astronomy, geography, and

historyWas mistaken about the size of the Earth, the

size of Eurasia, and the distance between Japan and China.

Quest for Support1485 – John II, King of Portugal1486 – Isabella, Queen of Castile1488 – John II, King of PortugalGenoaVeniceBartholomew to Henry VII, King of England1492 – Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella

of Castile

The ExplorerThe Admiral of the Ocean SeaViceroy and Governor of the Indies10% of all acquired treasures

Iberia

The Admiral and his fleetPortrait La Pinta, La Niña y

La Santa Maria

Canary Islands

Momentous First VoyageAug 3, 1492 – Port of Palos, Spain to Canary IslandsSept 6 – San Sebastian de la Gomera5 weeks across the oceanOct 12, 1492 – San Salvador (Guanahani),

The BahamasOct 28 – Northeast CubaDec 5 – Hispaniola (Haiti) Jan 13, 1493 – Samana Peninsula (Dominican Rep)March 4 – Lisbon, PortugalMarch 15 – Palos, Spain

First Voyage (Aug 3, 1492-March 15, 1493)

Exploration and Conflict: Second VoyageSept 24, 1493 - CadizOct 13 – Canary IslandsLesser Antilles, including Virgin IslandsGreater Antilles: Puerto Rico (San Juan

Bautista), Hispaniola, Southeast Cuba, and Jamaica

August 20, 1494 – Hispaniola and Spain

Second Voyage (Sept 24, 1493 – Aug 20, 1994)

Exploration and Exploitation: Fall from Grace – Third VoyageMay 30, 1498 – Sanlúcar, Spain to Portugal

(Porto Santo and Madeira) to Canary Islands and Cape Verde

July 31 – TrinidadAug 4 to 12 – Gulf of aria, mainland of South

America including Venezuela, the Orinoco River, Margarita Island, Tobago and Granada

Aug 19, 1500 – HispaniolaOct 1, 1500 – Columbus and brothers sent to

Spain in chains

Third Voyage (May 30, 1498 – Oct 1500)

Fourth and Last Voyage: DisasterMay 11, 1502 – Cadiz to Moroccan coast Martinique island, Santo Domingo, Bay

Islands, Honduras, Puerto Castilla, Honduras mainland

Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama April 16 left for HispaniolaMay 10 – Cayman islands (Las Tortugas) and

JamaicaFebruary 29, 1504 – Lunar EclipseNov 7 – Sanlúcar, Spain

Fourth Voyage (May 11, 1502 – Nov 7, 1504)

ForgottenReturns to Spain in disgraceFights the courts for reinstatement of his

rights ‘Pleitos Colonbinos) – continued by his heirs

Writes two books: Book of Privileges (1502) and Book of Prophecies (1506)

Dies in Valladolid, May 20, 1506 (age 54) a broken man

New World

Expansion: Why America?Amerigo Vespucci, Americo Vespucio, Americus

VespuciusBorn in Florence, Italy – March 9, 1954 to February 22,

1512Merchant, Explorer, CartographerDemonstrated that the New World was not Asia, but a

previously unknown continentTwo letters (Mundus Novus and Lettera) demonstrate

that these lands were not Asia but a fourth previously unknown continent

Martin Waldseemüller translated to Latin, and named the continent ‘America’ in 1507 on his world map.

Myths and IroniesPopular belief about the earth’ shape and size Queen Isabel selling her jewelsCC: first explorer to reach AmericasCC calling the inhabitants ‘Indios’‘Discovery’‘New’ world’Perception of the term ‘America’ Naming of the continent

ImpactWhat DID he DO?Was he a visionary hero or a despicable

villain?

RECOMMENDED READINGThe Memoirs of Christopher Columbus with

Stephen Marlowe, 1987

Contact us:

Dr. Maria H. Koonce and William J. Kooncebillmar@cfl.rr.com