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Christopher
Columbus |
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Christopher Columbus was probably one of the greatest explorers of all time.
His accomplishments are extra ordinary. Everyone knows that he came to find The
New World, but theres much much more that he's done than that.
Christopher columbus was born in Genoa, Italy in fouteen fifty-one. As a child
he recieced little schooling, and the schooling he got was less than
satisfactory. He grew with a real education and because of this he was not very
book smart but did have a lot of knowledge. This was not uncommon in those days
and it really didn't make a difference Most people in Genoa bacame sailors
anyway, which didn't really call for much schooling. That was the path that
columbus too would end up taking.
Columbus wasn't always a great captain. Heading voyages, finding new lands, and
expanding the spanish empire. Everyone has to start somewhere and work they're
way up, which is exactly what he did. At the young of ninteen he got his first
job as a sailor. That was not his first time on a voyage though. It is said
that he had already sailed as far south as New Guinea before his sixtenth
birthday. It was voyages like these wher he learned to develop his navigational
skills, which he found he was quite good at. Navigation was not all he was good
at. He found a love for astronymy that he learned as much as he could about.
With the skills he learned he became quite a good sailor at a very young age.
In late fourteen seventy-one he tried in vain to get support from the
portuguses king to explore the far east by sailing westward, A plan that his
brother had thought up. The king would not fund his explorations or even help
get him any supplies. This Prompted Columbus to leave Portugal for Spain and
try his luck elsewhere.
Once in Spain Columbus received some assistance form Duke of Medina Celi, Don
Luis de la Cerda. Who gave him a place to stay and minor jobs around the city.
He was again unsecessful to get finiancial backing for his maritime endeavours.
You really couldn't blame him to undertake such an endeavour that only rulers
of nations could fund. While therehe started a relationship tha would result in
the coming of his son diego.
Finally in Fourteen ninety-one columbus pleaded to King Ferdinand for the
financial aid for his voyage to the far east and got it. Though an Italian
Columbus would sail for portugal and claim land in its name, so by April of the
same year he went before the crown again and was awarded twenty-thousand
maravedis out of Queen Isabellas private resources. He then got all the
supplies needed to make a voyage that would take some time and go down in
history forever.
The squadron Columbus took on his first voyage consisted of three ships. The
Santa Maria, completely decked and carried the flag of Admiral Columbus. The
Nina and the pinta, both were undecked, with cabin and forecastles. Between all
the ship they carried a total of one-hundred and twenty men. Before leaving it
Columbus received the Sacraments of Pennance and Holy Eucharists from the hands
of Father Juan Perez. With that the voyage departed from Palos on August the
third in nine-teen fourty-two.