Christopher Columbus :: Christopher Columbus Essays

Christopher Columbus, born in 1451, was the oldest son of Domenico Colombo. A controversial figure blamed for the eradication of the natives in the island he â€Å"discovered†, Columbus nonetheless should be credited with opening Europe’s eyes and ears to the Caribbean. Throughout his lifetime Columbus made 4 pilgrimages to the New World.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On the first trip on Aug. 3, 1492, Columbus sailed from Palos, Spain, with three small ships, the Santa Marà ­a, commanded by Columbus himself, the Pinta under Martà ­n Pinzà ³n, and the Nià ±a under Vicente Yà ¡Ãƒ ±ez Pinzà ³n. After halting at the Canary Islands, he sailed due west from Sept. 6 until Oct. 7, when he changed his course to the southwest. On Oct. 10 a small mutiny was quelled, and on Oct. 12 he landed on a small island (Watling Island; or San Salvadort) in the Bahamas group. He took possession for Spain and, with impressed natives aboard, discovered other islands in the neighborhood. On Oct. 27 he sighted Cuba and on Dec. 5 reached Hispaniola. On Christmas Eve the Santa Marà ­a was wrecked on the north coast of Hispaniola, and Columbus, leaving men there to found a colony, hurried back to Spain on the Nià ±a. His reception was all he could wish; according to his contract with the Spanish sovereigns he was made â€Å"admiral of the ocean se a† and governor-general of all new lands he had discovered or should discover.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On the second trip fitted out with a large fleet of 17 ships, with 1,500 colonists aboard, Columbus sailed from Cà ¡diz in Oct., 1493. His landfall this time was made in the Lesser Antilles, and his new discoveries included the Leeward Islands and Puerto Rico. The admiral arrived at Hispaniola to find the first colony destroyed by Native Americans. He founded a new colony nearby, and then sailed off in the summer of 1494 to explore the southern coast of Cuba. After discovering Jamaica he returned to Hispaniola and found the colonists, interested only in finding gold, completely disorderly; his attempts to enforce strict discipline led some to seize vessels and return to Spain to complain of his administration. Leaving his brother Bartholomew in charge at Hispaniola, Columbus also returned to Spain in 1496.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On his third expedition, in 1498, Columbus was forced to transport convicts as colonists, because of the bad reports on conditions in Hispaniola and because the novelty of the New World was wearing off.