Christopher Columbus was born in the family of a Genoese weaver-draper in 1451. The childhood and youth of the future navigator, the eldest son in the family, took place in a weaving workshop, where he helped his father in his work. However, from an early age he dreamed of long sea voyages. Already in the early 1470s, Columbus Christopher first fell into his first trading expeditions. Many biographers of the eminent Italian believe that it was during this period that he had the idea of finding a new path in
India It is believed that such a thought could be prompted by the then-famous geographer and astronomer Paulo Toscanelli.
A new way to India
In this place it is necessary to dwell on the military-political situation in Europe at that time. The fact is that in the east of the continent, the Muslim Ottoman Empire grew more and more . So, for example, in 1453, the ancient capital of Byzantium, Constantinople (which is still the largest Turkish city in Istanbul) was captured. This powerful empire during the XV century. actually blocked the classic silk caravan route from Europe to Asia, imposing high duties on merchants and hindering the development of such trade. However, the eastern lands have always attracted the inhabitants of the Old World. Legends about fabulous creatures and the incredible wealth of the East did not lose popularity. These facts stimulated the idea of finding additional workarounds to the East, in particular to India. The reality of such plans, among other things, confirmed the "young" at that time assumption of the sphericity of the Earth.
The famous voyage to India
Columbus Christopher arrived in Portugal in 1477, where he became friends with people who had forever changed his life. Acquainted with the principles of navigation, gaining experience
on trade expeditions, the traveler first expressed the idea of trying to find a way to India, circling the African continent. With this proposal, he turned to the
Portuguese king Juan III in 1483. However, the project of the future discoverer seemed too unbelievable to the monarch, and also prohibitively expensive. Columbus Christopher was refused. Moreover, over the next nine years, he experienced five more such failures. So far in 1492, such a journey was not approved. The first expedition set off on an oceanic distance on August 3, 1492. It consisted of three very small ships: "Pint", "Nina" (literally "small") and "Santa Maria". The further story of how sailors, having lost their course, went not along Africa, but far to the west, is widely known. Only two months later, on October 12, 1492, already desperate sailors saw the earth on the horizon. It was one of the modern Bahamas. Subsequently, Columbus made three more expeditions to the shores of the new continent. However, he became seriously ill after the fourth voyage, and died in 1506. What is paradoxical, having never learned that he discovered not just a new path, but a whole new continent. This fact will be reported to the world by another famous Italian - Amerigo Vespucci. And the honor of opening a detour to India will be awarded to Vasco da Gama.
The significance of Columbus's voyage and the great geographical discoveries in general
The continent that Christopher Columbus discovered still had to significantly transform the face of our world. Not only regarding geographical knowledge, but also in all areas of the Old World. Many new goods and gold reserves of American civilizations poured into the markets of Europe. This process stimulated the so-called initial accumulation of capital, the development of market relations and capitalism. Over the next few centuries, the barely open continent became home to numerous colonialists who later founded their own states. Several European states became global colonial empires that not only forced the indigenous peoples (not only in America, but also in other parts of the world) to work for themselves, but also contributed to the establishment of European values around the world. Of course, Columbus Christopher was not the only one who had such a significant influence on the development of world history, besides him, there were hundreds of other travelers, theorists and inspirers. However, he is undoubtedly one of the greatest discoverers.