Christopher Columbus is one of the most mysterious historical figures. Scientists still do not know who he is by origin, where he was born and what his real name was. Who was the person who began the development of the New World and the geographical expansion of Europe?
Foggy childhood
Researchers are sure that Columbus was born in some city in the Republic of Genoa, but they have not found evidence that he was born in the city of Genoa. The date of his birth is also unknown. Historians believe that his birthday is somewhere between August and October 1451. Some sources indicate that the traveler was born in October 1450. Many countries claim to be considered the birthplace of a great man.
The data on a large family are not questioned. Historians agree that Christopher was the oldest child. After him four brothers and one sister were born. Little is known about the social status of the Columbus family. Some researchers believe that he was born into a family of wool-wool craftsmen. Other historians believe that the navigator belonged to the noble caste.
The confusion occurs for a simple reason: it is not known exactly what the name of the discoverer of America was. If we turn to the Italian version of his origin, then his name is Cristoforo Colombo. But Spain, where he is called Cristobal Colon, is fighting for the right to be considered the homeland of the traveler. The Swedes also dispute the version of origin, considering him their compatriot with the name Christoffer Columbus. Scientists will not come to a consensus soon.
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Youth
Most researchers are sure that Columbus did not make his first sea voyage to the New World. The young years of the navigator are also covered with a veil of secrecy. Many believe that he began to get acquainted with the basics of shipping and survival at sea as a corsair, attacking Spanish sea caravans off the coast of North Africa. Columbus made his first long voyage in 1474, hiring a ship bound for the island of Chios in the Aegean Sea.
It is known that the navigator had two sons. The first, Diego, followed in his father's footsteps and was very successful in life. Having chosen the naval business, he rose to the rank of admiral of the fleet, and later became viceroy and governor of India. Almost nothing is known about Columbus's wife - she died quite early or left Christopher, leaving her only son in the care of his father. Later he had a second son, Ferdinand. According to the researchers, he appeared out of wedlock. According to Ferdinand's recollections, his father was a fair-haired man and completely turned gray by the age of 30.
Island travel
Everyone knows that the discovery of America was made by accident. By the time of Columbus's journey, it had already become known that the Earth was round, guided by simple logic, the navigator set off to open a short way to India. He did not achieve his goal, but made several geographical discoveries. In October 1492, Columbus landed on one of the islands of the Bahamas archipelago, presumably on Watling Island, believing that he had sailed to Asia.
In fact, he never set foot on the North American mainland. Columbus in the New World only visited the Caribbean, South America and Central America. During his life, he returned four times to the lands he discovered. After the first trip in 1492, he returned to the Hispaniola colony (now Haiti and the Dominican Republic). In 1498, Columbus traveled to Trinidad and visited the South American mainland. He made his last voyage to the shores of Panama in 1502.
Writer's gift
Every mariner compulsorily keeps a ship's log every day, which records all the events that have occurred during the day. This is a kind of diary, the history of a sea trip. Columbus, in addition to such recordings, wrote two books. One of them included correspondence with the royal family of Spain, letters from the pontiff, and a collection of state and papal documents. This book also includes his own memories of his journey to the New World.
He had to resort to the epistolary genre. The Spanish royal family did not keep their promises over the years. In the second book, entitled "The Book of Prophecy", he claimed that all his travels were part of a divine mission, he believed that he had found the end of the world. Until the end of his days, Columbus was sure that he had opened a new path to India, he never knew about the open continent.
America was discovered earlier
Columbus was not the first European to cross the Atlantic Ocean. The pioneer title is assigned to the Norse Viking Leif Eriksson. Almost 500 years earlier, he managed to swim to the shores of North America (modern Newfoundland). The memory of this event is celebrated annually on October 9th. Although the holiday was established in 1954, the majority of the population is indifferent to it or does not know about it at all.
In 2015, the National Academy of Sciences published data from a fundamental study, from which one conclusion was made - Columbus did not discover the New World. The first humans arrived on the continent 13,300 years ago.
Touches for the portrait of the hero
Columbus, believing that he had come to India in a new way, wanted to receive untold riches, but found that the local lands, at first glance, are poor. By the right of a conqueror, he considered that in this case people would become the most valuable resource. On the first day of his stay, he ordered the team to recruit six Aboriginal servants. On his subsequent visits, he took out the natives by the thousands to be sold into slavery in Spain.
With the advent of the European team, the Indians began to be mercilessly enslaved, in addition, the local natives were not ready for the imported viruses. Thousands of people have died from previously unknown diseases. The crew of the ship was not distinguished by pleasant manners and love of cleanliness. The crew members, although they traveled to distant countries, were very poor and rude people. None of them had their own pair of shoes or a change of underwear. Lice were a constant problem for the entire marine community.
Legends and reality
In 1500, Christopher Columbus was arrested during the third expedition to the New World. The arrest was made by the royal commissioner, the prisoner was taken to Spain in shackles. The Spanish crown accused the navigator of exceeding his authority in using the Hispaniola colony. The navigator managed to wriggle out and prove his innocence. Columbus was so convincing that King Ferdinand sponsored his last campaign.
The ships "Ninya" and "Pinta" actually had completely different official names. The ship "Niña" was called "Santa Clara", owned by Juan Niño, in honor of his surname, the ship was nicknamed. "Pinta" means "painted", in a semantic translation it will describe a woman of easy virtue and the most ancient port profession.
No one knows where the remains of the great navigator are buried. Historians believe that the ashes are scattered between the Old and New Worlds, as his body was repeatedly transported from continent to continent and was eventually lost during the storm.
Columbus Day is celebrated in many countries. In the Bahamas, the holiday is called Opening Day. Belize and Uruguay celebrate America's Day, Argentines celebrate Cultural Diversity Day, and Latinos celebrate Race Day.
Over the years and in the absence of documents, it will probably never be possible to fully study the personality and biography of Christopher Columbus. In addition, many historians believe that he did not seek to tell the truth about himself. There are so many contradictions in his books that it can be concluded that he was a brave man with a great but adventurous talent. But it is precisely this character that allows one to commit daring deeds and discover new lands.
Author: Politikova Tatiana