The Explorers: Christopher Columbus · The Explorers: Christopher Columbus An oil painting of...
Transcript of The Explorers: Christopher Columbus · The Explorers: Christopher Columbus An oil painting of...
The Explorers: Christopher Columbus
An oil painting of Christopher Columbus in 1519. Wikimedia Commons
Synopsis: Explorer and navigator Christopher Columbus was born in 1451 in the Republic
of Genoa, Italy. In 1492, Columbus left Spain in the Santa Maria with two other ships, the
Niña and the Pinta. He is known for opening up North and South America to European
colonization.
Early Voyages
Explorer and navigator Columbus was born in 1451 in the Republic of Genoa, Italy. He was
the grandson of a weaver. Columbus had his first experience at sea as a teenager in the
Mediterranean and Aegean seas.
His voyage into the Atlantic Ocean in 1476 nearly killed Columbus. The ship he was on
was attacked by private French sailors off the coast of Portugal. Columbus swam to the
Portuguese shore.
Later sailed on expeditions to Africa. There, he learned about the Atlantic Ocean currents
that flowed east and west from the Canary Islands. Muslims controlled the trade routes
through the Middle East. This made travel to India and China difficult for Europeans.
By Biography.com Editors and A+E Networks, adapted by Newsela staff on 06.28.16
Word Count 713
This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 1
Columbus believed a route sailing west across the Atlantic would be quicker and safer.
Experts disagreed with Columbus' math, which estimated that China was closer than it
actually was.
First Voyage To The New World
Columbus needed money to make a three-ship voyage of discovery. Spanish monarchs
Isabella of Castille and Ferdinand of Aragon became interested in helping in 1486.
However, they did not have the money to give him. Their money was being spent on a war
with the Muslims.
Soon after the Spanish army won the war in Granada in January of 1492, the monarchs
agreed to pay for his expedition. In August of 1492, Columbus left Spain on a ship named
the Santa Maria, alongside the Pinta and the Niña.
Columbus and his men sailed to the islands Cuba and Hispaniola. Today Hispaniola holds
Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The Santa Maria crashed off the coast of Hispaniola.
With the help of some islanders, Columbus' men built a settlement called Villa de la
Navidad. They used wood from the wreck. Convinced he had reached Asia, Columbus
sailed home with the two remaining ships. Thirty-nine of Columbus' men stayed behind.
Later Voyages
Columbus returned to Spain in 1493 and told the king he could bring him great riches. He
was not entirely honest with the king. When he went back to Hispaniola, he found the
Navidad settlement had been destroyed and all the sailors had been killed. Columbus
forced the natives into slavery, making them rebuild the settlement and search for gold.
Little gold was found and the natives hated him. Columbus returned to Spain, leaving his
two brothers in charge.
On his third voyage, Columbus finally reached the mainland of South America. When he
returned to Hispaniola the settlers were angry. The gold had not appeared. They did not
like Columbus' brothers. The Spanish Crown sent a royal official to arrest Columbus and
take him back to Spain.
Columbus convinced King Ferdinand to pay for one more voyage in 1502. A storm
wrecked one of his ships, stranding the captain and his sailors in Cuba. The local islanders
refused to give them food. Columbus came up with a plan to trick them. His almanac
predicted a lunar eclipse soon. He told the islanders that he would "take away the moon."
This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 2
In a lunar eclipse, it looks like the moon goes missing. The shadow of the Earth blocks the
light of the sun. When the eclipse happened, the natives were scared. They did what
Columbus said. He returned to Spain in 1504.
Mixed Legacy
Columbus died May 20, 1506, still believing he had discovered a shorter route to Asia.
He has been credited for helping Europeans colonize the Americas. He has also been
blamed for killing many native peoples. He failed to find a new route to Asia, but he began
an exchange of people, plants, animals, and cultures.
Columbus and his men also brought deadly diseases to Native Americans. Smallpox killed
millions of them. Their colorful and rich civilizations were lost.
Recent Discoveries
In May 2014, archaeologists said they may have found the Santa Maria off the north coast
of Haiti. Barry Clifford, the leader of this possible discovery, told a newspaper that all they
saw made it seem like the "wreck is Columbus' famous flagship the Santa Maria."
This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 3
Quiz
1 Read the section "Later Voyages." Select the paragraph that suggests that Europeans
understood the skies and stars better than the native island people did during Columbus' time.
2 Which selection from the section "First Voyage To The New World" shows that getting someone
to pay for Columbus' voyage depended on political conditions in Spain?
(A) Spanish monarchs Isabella of Castille and Ferdinand of Aragon became
interested in helping in 1486.
(B) However, they did not have the money to give him. Their money was being
spent on a war with the Muslims.
(C) In August of 1492, Columbus left Spain on a ship named the Santa Maria,
alongside the Pinta and the Niña.
(D) Columbus and his men sailed to the islands Cuba and Hispaniola. Today
Hispaniola holds Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
3 Which selection from the article is MOST important to include in its summary?
(A) Explorer and navigator Columbus was born in 1451, in the Republic of
Genoa, Italy. He was the son of a weaver.
(B) Columbus had his first experience at sea as a teenager in the Mediterranean
and Aegean seas.
(C) With the help of some islanders, Columbus' men built a settlement called
Villa de la Navidad. They used wood from the wreck.
(D) He has been credited for helping Europeans colonize the Americas. He has
also been blamed for killing many native peoples.
4 Which of the following BEST reflects Columbus' main goal?
(A) to discover new islands
(B) to enslave native people
(C) to find a faster route to Asia
(D) to sail three ships across the ocean
This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 4
Answer Key
1 Read the section "Later Voyages." Select the paragraph that suggests that Europeans
understood the skies and stars better than the native island people did during Columbus' time.
Paragraph 9:
Columbus convinced King Ferdinand to pay for one more voyage in 1502. A
storm wrecked one of his ships, stranding the captain and his sailors in Cuba.
The local islanders refused to give them food. Columbus came up with a plan to
trick them. His almanac predicted a lunar eclipse soon. He told the islanders that
he would "take away the moon." In a lunar eclipse, it looks like the moon goes
missing. The shadow of the Earth blocks the light of the sun. When the eclipse
happened, the natives were scared. They did what Columbus said. He returned
to Spain in 1504.
2 Which selection from the section "First Voyage To The New World" shows that getting someone
to pay for Columbus' voyage depended on political conditions in Spain?
(A) Spanish monarchs Isabella of Castille and Ferdinand of Aragon became
interested in helping in 1486.
(B) However, they did not have the money to give him. Their money was
being spent on a war with the Muslims.
(C) In August of 1492, Columbus left Spain on a ship named the Santa Maria,
alongside the Pinta and the Niña.
(D) Columbus and his men sailed to the islands Cuba and Hispaniola. Today
Hispaniola holds Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
3 Which selection from the article is MOST important to include in its summary?
(A) Explorer and navigator Columbus was born in 1451, in the Republic of
Genoa, Italy. He was the son of a weaver.
(B) Columbus had his first experience at sea as a teenager in the Mediterranean
and Aegean seas.
(C) With the help of some islanders, Columbus' men built a settlement called
Villa de la Navidad. They used wood from the wreck.
(D) He has been credited for helping Europeans colonize the Americas. He
has also been blamed for killing many native peoples.
This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 5