Paola giangiacomo biography of christopher columbus

Columbus learnt to sail from an early age and later worked as a business agent, travelling around Europe to England, Ireland and later along the West coast of Africa. He was not a scholar but was an enthusiastic self-educated man, who read extensively on astronomy, science and navigation. He also became fluent in Latin, Portuguese and Spanish.

Christopher Columbus was a believer in the spherical nature of the world some Christians still held the view that the world was flat. An ambitious man, Christopher Columbus hoped to find a Western trade route to the lucrative spice markets in Asia. Rather than sailing east, he hoped that sailing west would lead to countries like Japan and China.

To gain the necessary funding and support for his journeys, he approached the Catholic Monarchs of Spain. The Spanish monarchs agreed to fund Columbus, partly on the Christian missionary efforts, but also hoping to gain an upper hand in the lucrative trade markets. One advantage of the westward exploration is that it avoided conflict with the growing power of the Ottomans in the east.

A map from , with the perceived geography of the world in yellow superimposed on actual land. Filipa was the daughter of a prominent nobleman, and their union provided Columbus with valuable connections that might have aided his later expeditions. Together, they had one son, Diego, who was born around Tragically, Filipa passed away when Diego was still a child, which left Columbus to navigate his early fatherhood without her support.

Columbus eventually had a second son, Fernando, born in , with Beatriz Enriquez de Arana, a woman with whom he had a long-term relationship. Unlike Diego, who was recognized as Columbus's legitimate heir, Fernando's status was more complicated due to his illegitimate birth. Columbus's children played varying roles in his legacy; while Diego officially inherited many of Columbus's titles and fortunes, Fernando distanced himself from some of his father's controversial actions.

Together, these children contributed to Columbus's personal life story, reflecting both his ambitions as an explorer and the complexities of his family relationships. Christopher Columbus, while primarily known for his voyages, did not amass significant wealth from his explorations during his lifetime. After his initial journey in , Columbus was rewarded by the Spanish Crown with titles and a share of any riches discovered in the lands he explored.

His rewards included the governorship of the newly found territories and the right to collect a percentage of any gold, spices, or profits generated. However, the financial returns from these endeavors were often less than expected, primarily due to poor mismanagement and declining relations with indigenous populations. Throughout his four voyages, Columbus struggled to balance the expectations of the Spanish monarchy against the actual resources acquired.

His estimates of the wealth he would find were vastly overstated, leading to dissatisfaction among his investors and the Crown. By the end of his life, Columbus faced financial ruin as much of his promised gold and treasures never materialized. He lived off his modest earnings as he fought to restore his reputation, ultimately dying in relative obscurity and not as a wealthy man despite his monumental impact on world history.

We assure our audience that we will remove any contents that are not accurate or according to formal reports and queries if they are justified. There are questions about the location of his burial site. In May , Columbus made headlines as news broke that a team of archaeologists might have found the Santa Maria off the north coast of Haiti. After a thorough investigation by the U.

Columbus has been credited for opening up the Americas to European colonization—as well as blamed for the destruction of the native peoples of the islands he explored. Ultimately, he failed to find that what he set out for: a new route to Asia and the riches it promised. The horse from Europe allowed Native American tribes in the Great Plains of North America to shift from a nomadic to a hunting lifestyle.

Paola giangiacomo biography of christopher columbus

Wheat from the Old World fast became a main food source for people in the Americas. Coffee from Africa and sugar cane from Asia became major cash crops for Latin American countries. And foods from the Americas, such as potatoes, tomatoes and corn, became staples for Europeans and helped increase their populations. The Columbian Exchange also brought new diseases to both hemispheres, though the effects were greatest in the Americas.

Smallpox from the Old World killed millions, decimating the Native American populations to mere fractions of their original numbers. This more than any other factor allowed for European domination of the Americas. The overwhelming benefits of the Columbian Exchange went to the Europeans initially and eventually to the rest of the world.

The Americas were forever altered, and the once vibrant cultures of the Indigenous civilizations were changed and lost, denying the world any complete understanding of their existence. As more Italians began to immigrate to the United States and settle in major cities during the 19 th century, they were subject to religious and ethnic discrimination.

This included a mass lynching of 11 Sicilian immigrants in in New Orleans. Just one year after this horrific event, President Benjamin Harrison called for the first national observance of Columbus Day on October 12, , to mark the th anniversary of his arrival in the Americas. Italian-Americans saw this honorary act for Columbus as a way of gaining acceptance.

Colorado became the first state to officially observe Columbus Day in and, within five years, 14 other states followed. Thanks to a joint resolution of Congress, the day officially became a federal holiday in during the administration of Franklin D. In , Congress declared the holiday would fall on the second Monday in October each year. As of , approximately 29 states no longer celebrate Columbus Day , and around cities have renamed it or replaced with the alternative Indigenous Peoples Day.

One of the most notable cities to move away from celebrating Columbus Day in recent years is the state capital of Columbus, Ohio, which is named after the explorer. We know there are many countries, some far away, and that there are lots of different people. It was only when explorers travelled to new places that they met each other.

The Indies were in the east, but Columbus thought it would be quicker to go west, around the world. In , Columbus set sail. A few months later, the crew spotted land. Columbus thought he had reached the Indies. But he was wrong! He'd found a part of the world new to Europeans. Spain sent soldiers to take over these new lands. They took the people's treasures, like gold.

Spain became very rich. The locals were treated cruelly, some taken as slaves.