Changes

==First Voyage==

==First Voyage==

He went to [[Ferdinand and Isabella|Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain]] to ask them to finance his journey to the Far East (China and Japan); his plan was to sail west to get to the east: contrary to popular misconceptions, it was well known at the time, that the world was round - however its true circumference was unknown, so it seemed feasible to Columbus, to be able to sail from Europe to Asia within a reasonable amount of time. His first appeal to the king and queen was disappointing but the second time they furnished him with three ships ([[The Niña]], [[The Pinta]] and The [[Santa Maria]]). Leaving August 3 1492, from the port of Palos, he sailed for months without sight of land while his crew was becoming increasingly disillusioned with the voyage believing themselves to be sailing towards their deaths; they began plotting [[mutiny]].  

He went to [[Ferdinand and Isabella|Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain]] to ask them to finance his journey to the Far East (China and Japan); his plan was to sail west to get to the east: contrary to popular misconceptions, it was well known at the time, that the world was round - however its true circumference was unknown, so it seemed feasible to Columbus, to be able to sail from Europe to Asia within a reasonable amount of time. His first appeal to the king and queen was disappointing but the second time they furnished him with three ships ([[The Niña]], [[The Pinta]] and The [[Santa Maria]]). Leaving August 3 1492, from the port of Palos, he sailed for months without sight of land while his crew was becoming increasingly disillusioned with the voyage believing themselves to be sailing towards their deaths; they began plotting mutiny.  

[[Image:Christopher-columbus.jpg|thumb|October 12, 1492]]

[[Image:Christopher-columbus.jpg|thumb|250px|October 12, 1492]]

Finally they came to land in the West Indies (October 12, 1492). When they explored a little they found the natives to be friendly and they found many new things that no European had ever seen before. Columbus thought he had landed in India, so he called the native people "Indians" - a designation which remains common to this very day. As they prepared to return to [[Spain]] the Santa Maria ran aground on a coral reef and could not be repaired. Columbus saw this as a sign from God and established a trading outpost he called Navidad (after the Christmas holiday).  

Finally they came to land in the West Indies (October 12, 1492). When they explored a little they found the natives to be friendly and they found many new things that no European had ever seen before. Columbus thought he had landed in India, so he called the native people "Indians" - a designation which remains common to this very day. As they prepared to return to [[Spain]] the Santa Maria ran aground on a coral reef and could not be repaired. Columbus saw this as a sign from God and established a trading outpost he called Navidad (after the Christmas holiday).  

==Second Voyage==

==Second Voyage==

When Columbus sailed back to the new world in 1493, he found no sign of Navidad or of his crew. It is unknown what became of the crew, but one widely believed theory is the local Indian population grew tired of being harassed for gold and killed the sailors. Columbus then built a new settlement called Isabella (after the queen), then left it in the charge of his brother Diego and went exploring. He was puzzled that his maps of the east did not match with what he had seen. When he reached modern day [[Cuba]] he believed that this was the mainland and forced his crew to swear that it was.  He also discovered [[Jamaica]] shortly afterwards. On his second voyage Columbus was able to sail back exactly to the same place as on his first voyage, despite poor navigating techniques of the time period. Some attribute this fact to [[divine providence]].

When Columbus sailed back to the new world in 1493, he found no sign of Navidad or of his crew. It is unknown what became of the crew, but one widely believed theory is the local Indian population grew tired of being harassed for gold and killed the sailors. Columbus then built a new settlement called Isabella (after the queen), then left it in the charge of his brother Diego and went exploring. He was puzzled that his maps of the east did not match with what he had seen. When he reached modern day [[Cuba]] he believed that this was the mainland and forced his crew to swear that it was.  He also discovered [[Jamaica]] shortly afterwards. On his second voyage Columbus was able to sail back exactly to the same place as on his first voyage, despite poor navigating techniques of the time period. Some attribute this fact to divine providence.

==Third Voyage==

==Third Voyage==

==Further reading==

==Further reading==

 

===Historiography===

===Historiography===

* Axtell, James. "Columbian Encounters: 1992-1995." ''William And Mary Quarterly'' 1995 52(4): 649-696. [http://www.jstor.org/stable/2947042 in JSTOR], reviews the major publications

* Axtell, James. "Columbian Encounters: 1992-1995." ''William And Mary Quarterly'' 1995 52(4): 649-696. [http://www.jstor.org/stable/2947042 in JSTOR], reviews the major publications

* Axtell, James. "The Moral Dimensions of 1492," ''Historian'' 1993 56(1): 17-28. 0018-2370   

* Axtell, James. "The Moral Dimensions of 1492," ''Historian'' 1993 56(1): 17-28. 0018-2370   

* Davidson, Miles H. ''Columbus Then and Now: A Life Reexamined.'' (1997). 609 pp.

* Davidson, Miles H. ''Columbus Then and Now: A Life Reexamined.'' (1997). 609 pp.

* Summerhill, Stephen J. and John Alexander Williams. ''Sinking Columbus: Contested History, Cultural Politics, and Mythmaking during the Quincentenary.'' (2000). 219 pp.

* Summerhill, Stephen J. and John Alexander Williams. ''Sinking Columbus: Contested History, Cultural Politics, and Mythmaking during the Quincentenary.'' (2000). 219 pp.

[[Category:European History]]

[[Category:European History]]