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Christopher Columbus (1451–1506) was a Genoese trader , explorer , and navigator . He was born in Genoa , Italy , in the year 1451. "Christopher Columbus" is the English version of Columbus's name. His name in Italian was Cristoforo Colombo .

In 1492, Columbus sailed from Spain to find a faster route from Europe to Asia . He landed instead on an island of the Bahamas . He is credited with the discovery of the New World because Europeans began colonizing America shortly after his voyage. While Leif Erikson was the first European to land on the soils of America , it was not well documented and did not lead to the later contact between Europe and the New World.

When the Spanish learned that Columbus had found the New World, many other people, called conquistadors , went there too. This led to the Spanish colonization of the Americas .

Columbus died on May 20, 1506, in Valladolid , Spain .

Discovery of America

Treatment of native people, start of the transatlantic slave trade, arrest and the last voyage, later life and death, personal life, columbus's goals, after columbus, interesting facts about christopher columbus, christopher columbus quotes, related pages, images for kids.

Columbus was not the first European person to have discovered America. At the time of his voyage, Europeans did not know that the Americas existed. However, Leif Erikson had landed in what is now Canada around AD 1000. Indigenous peoples had lived there for thousands of years before he arrived. However, Native Americans did not record or add to the European record of history, so Columbus discovered America according to European history.

Voyage in 1492

Many people in Western Europe wanted to find a shorter way to get to Asia. Columbus thought he could get to Asia by sailing west . He did not know about the Western Hemisphere , so he did not realize it would block him from getting to Asia.

However, Columbus did not have enough money to pay for this voyage on his own. He went to the rulers of Spain , Ferdinand II and Isabella I of Castile , to ask for help. He promised to bring back gold and spices for them, and they promised their help. After they defeated the Emirate of Granada , Ferdinand and Isabella paid for Columbus's voyage.

In August 1492, Columbus and his sailors left Spain in three ships: the Santa María (the Holy Mary), the Pinta (the Painted), and the Santa Clara ( nicknamed the Niña : the Little Girl).

The three ships were very small. Historians think that the largest ship, the Santa María , was only about 60 ft (18 m) long, and about 16 to 19 feet (4.8 to 5.8 m) wide. Columbus's other ships were even smaller. Historians think they were about 50–60 ft (15–18 m) long.

On October 12, 1492, after sailing for about four months, Columbus landed on a small island in the Bahamas. The natives called it Guanahani; Columbus renamed it San Salvador Island ("Holy Savior "). He met Lucayan , Taíno , and Arawak Native Americans who lived on the island. They were friendly and peaceful toward Columbus and his crew. Because Columbus did not know where he was, and thought he had reached Asia, the "Indies," he called them "Indians." He claimed their land as Spain's.

Columbus then sailed to what is now Cuba , then to Hispaniola . On Hispaniola, Columbus built a fort . This was one of the first European military bases in the Western Hemisphere. He called it Navidad (Spanish for " Christmas "). He left thirty-nine crew members there and ordered them to find and store gold.

On the day he landed in the Bahamas, Columbus wrote about the Arawaks and Taíno. He thought they would make good servants. He planned to take six of them with him when he left. He noticed that some of the Arawaks had gold earrings . He took some of them as prisoners and ordered them to lead him to the gold. However, they could not.

Columbus thought the world looked like this

Replica of the Santa Maria

Painting of Columbus landing in the New World

Drawing of Columbus landing on Hispaniola

Route of Columbus's first voyage

Letter from Columbus (1493)

Second voyage

On September 24, 1493, Columbus left Spain with enough ships, supplies, and men to invade and make Spanish colonies in the New World. He had 17 ships and 1,200 men. These men included soldiers and farmers .

On this voyage, Columbus explored some of the Lesser Antilles islands. He also sailed around most of Hispaniola and explored the sides of Jamaica and Cuba he had not seen on his first voyage.

Then he went back to the Navidad fort and found the fort burned down. Eleven of the 39 soldiers Columbus left at the fort were buried there. The rest had disappeared. Historians think this happened because of disease and fights with the Arawak people.

The soldiers that Columbus left at Navidad while he was exploring Jamaica and Cuba stopped working. They began stealing from the Arawaks. This made the Arawaks decide to fight back against the Spaniards. However, Spain had many weapons that the Arawaks had never seen, including steel swords , pikes , crossbows , dogs , and horses . It was easy for Spain to win fights against the Arawaks.

Columbus also took revenge against the Arawaks for killing his soldiers at Navidad. He made every native older than 14 give him a certain amount of gold every three months. If they could not pay the gold, people would be made into slaves.

There was not much gold on the parts of the island Columbus took over. Many Arawaks tried to run away from Columbus and his men. However, Columbus's soldiers used dogs to hunt them down.

In February 1495, Columbus started the transatlantic slave trade . He and his soldiers captured about 1,500 Taíno. 400 were let go, 600 were kept on the island as slaves to the soldiers, and 500 were sailed back to Spain. Of those 500, about 200 died during the trip, and half of the rest were very sick when they arrived. This was the first time people had ever been shipped across the Atlantic Ocean to be sold as slaves.

Third voyage

In 1498, Columbus set out to find a continent that King John II of Portugal believed was to the southwest of the Cape Verde islands. Columbus sent three ships straight to the West Indies (the Caribbean ). He led another three ships: first to two Portuguese islands, then to the Canary Islands , then to Cape Verde. From Cape Verde, they sailed to the northern coast of South America and landed in Trinidad . He also explored part of South America and the islands now called Tobago and Grenada .

On August 19, 1498, Columbus returned to Hispaniola. He found that many of the Spanish settlers there were unhappy. They thought there would be more gold in the New World. Some had rebelled , and Columbus had them hanged. In 1499, Queen Isabella sent a man named Francisco de Bobadilla to Hispaniola. She gave him the power to do whatever he thought he should do. When he arrived in 1500, the first thing he did was to have Columbus arrested and sent back to Spain in chains.

When he was trying to make the Spanish settlers happy, Columbus started the Encomienda system in Hispaniola. He "gave" land, or even a whole village, to a Spanish settler. Any natives that were living on the land were forced to work for that Spanish settler.

On August 23, 1500, Columbus was arrested in Hispaniola, now called Santo Domingo, for cruelty to natives and Spaniards. He was sent to Spain in chains in October 1500. He was released on December 12, 1500, and taken to court . Columbus had important friends, and the King restored his freedom. He was allowed to lead another voyage.

Columbus made a fourth voyage in 1502 - 1504 . On this voyage, he explored the coast of Central America from Belize to Panama . In 1502 , off the coast of what is now Honduras , a trading ship "as long as a galley" was encountered, filled with cargo. This was the first recorded encounter by the Spanish with the indigenous civilization of Mesoamerica .

Later Columbus was stranded on Jamaica for a year; he sent two men by canoe to get help from Hispaniola. In the meantime, he impressed the local population by correctly predicting an eclipse of the moon . Help finally arrived, and he returned to Spain in 1504.

In his later years, Columbus demanded that the Spanish Crown give him 10% of all profits made in the new lands, according to earlier agreements . His demands were rejected. His family later sued for part of the profits from trade with America, but ultimately lost about fifty years later.

On May 20, 1506 , Columbus died of heart failure and arthritis in Valladolid , Spain, at the possible age of 54. He was still convinced that his discoveries were along the East Coast of Asia . Even after his death, his travels continued with his body first buried in Valladolid and then in Seville . The will of his son Diego, who was governor of Hispaniola, had the remains transferred to Santo Domingo in 1542 . In 1795 the French took over, and the body was moved to Havana . After the war of 1898, Cuba became independent and Columbus's remains were moved back to Spain, to the cathedral of Seville . However, some claim that he is still buried in the cathedral of Santo Domingo.

Columbus's relatives said that Columbus was born in Genoa , Italy. Today, no historian can say for sure where Columbus was born. Most experts think the best evidence says he was born in Genoa. However, other historians think Columbus was born somewhere else, like Spain or Portugal . His father was Domenico Colombo, a wool weaver who worked in Genoa and Savona and who also owned a cheese stand at which young Christopher worked as a helper. His mother was Susanna Fontanarossa. He had three brothers — Bartolomeo , Giovanni Pellegrino, and Giacomo (also called Diego) — and a sister named Bianchinetta. His brother Bartolomeo ran a cartography workshop in Lisbon for at least part of his adulthood.

His native language is thought to have been a Genoese dialect. His name in the 16th-century Genoese language was Cristoffa Corombo . His name in Italian is Cristoforo Colombo , and in Spanish Cristóbal Colón .

Columbus wrote that he first went to sea when he was 14 years old. In 1470, the Colombo family moved to Savona , where Domenico took over a tavern.

In 1477, Columbus married Felipa Moniz Perestrelo. She was from a semi- noble family with connections to sailing . She died around 1479 or 1480 while giving birth to their son, Diego.

In 1485, while in Córdoba , Spain, Columbus met Beatriz Enríquez de Trasierra. They lived together for a while. They had one child named Fernando. Columbus's first son Diego did not take care of Beatriz as Columbus had instructed him.

Being ambitious, Columbus eventually learned Latin , Portuguese , and Castilian . He read about astronomy , geography , and history , including the works of Claudius Ptolemy , Pierre Cardinal d'Ailly 's Imago Mundi , the travels of Marco Polo and Sir John Mandeville , Pliny 's Natural History , and Pope Pius II 's Historia Rerum Ubique Gestarum .

Columbus journeyed to the New World with goals in mind. First, he believed he could find a shorter and easier route to Asia, which made things Europe did not. Some people said this was nonsense. Columbus wanted to prove these people wrong.

Second, Columbus wanted to find gold . Gold was the main kind of money used in Columbus's time. Many historians believe that Columbus wanted to become a powerful person – and to become powerful, he needed to find gold.

When the Spanish learned about the New World , many conquistadors , or conquerors, went there. This led to the Spanish colonization of the Americas .

The Spanish conquistadors first settled on the islands of Hispaniola (now the Dominican Republic and Haiti ), Cuba , and Puerto Rico . They seized as much gold as they could.

In the United States , Columbus Day is a holiday that celebrates Columbus's arrival in the New World on October 12, 1492. The World's Columbian Exposition , which happened in 1893 in Chicago , Illinois , was held to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Columbus visiting the Americas.

Many people do not celebrate Columbus Day due to his treatment of the Indigenous people. Many Columbus statues have been removed and parades discontinued, although it is still a federal holiday.

• The real name that he was given when he was born in Genoa was Cristoforo Colombo .
• Many people during the time of Columbus believed that the Earth was flat .
• Before his famous voyages, he used to sell maps and charts.
• The first land they saw in America was the island of San Salvador , 375 miles off of the coast of Florida .
• Columbus never actually set foot on what is now the territory of the United States.
• Seville Cathedral in Spain , and the Columbus Lighthouse at Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic both claim to have Columbus's bones. In 2016 a DNA analysis said that the bones in Spain were his.
• "You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore."
• "Following the light of the sun, we left the Old World."
• "Nothing that results in human progress is achieved with unanimous consent. Those that are enlightened before the others are condemned to pursue that light in spite of the others."

Egg of Columbus

Christopher Columbus House in Genoa , an 18th-century reconstruction of the house in which Columbus grew up. The original was likely destroyed during the 1684 bombardment of Genoa.

Toscanelli 's notions of the geography of the Atlantic Ocean (shown superimposed on a modern map), which directly influenced Columbus's plans

"Columbus map", drawn c. 1490 in the Lisbon mapmaking workshop of Bartolomeo and Christopher Columbus

Columbus offers his services to the King of Portugal ; Chodowiecki , 17th century

The Alhambra , where Columbus received permission from the Catholic Monarchs for his first voyage

First voyage (conjectural). Modern place names in black, Columbus's place names in blue

Columbus's second voyage

Columbus's third voyage

Columbus's fourth voyage

Replicas of Niña , Pinta and Santa María sailed from Spain to the Chicago Columbian Exposition in 1893.

The Discovery of America sculpture, depicting Columbus and a cowering Indian maiden, stood outside the U.S. Capitol from 1844 to 1958.

Spanish Empire (red) in 1598, under Philip II , King of Spain and Portugal

Discovery of America , a postage stamp from the Faroe Islands commemorates the voyages of discovery of Leif Erikson ( c.  1000 ) and Christopher Columbus (1492).

The Columbus Monument in Columbus Circle , New York City

Lighthouse in homage to Christopher Columbus in Santo Domingo

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Christopher Columbus

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Christopher Columbus has been credited with opening North and South America for future settlers, but did you know that he never realized that he had found two continents? He believed that he had landed in China . This makes sense since reaching Asia was the goal of his journeys.

Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer who completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean, opening the way for widespread European exploration and the eventual conquest of the Americas by Europeans. His expeditions, sponsored by the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, were the first European contact with the Caribbean, Central America, and South America. Columbus is important because his voyages led to the Columbian Exchange, which greatly affected the world’s population, agriculture, and culture.

Christopher Columbus Facts For Kids

• Columbus was born in Genoa, Italy, in 1451.
• He sailed for King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain.
• Columbus made four trips to the New World.
• His first voyage started on August 3, 1492.
• He had three ships: the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria.
• Columbus thought he found a route to Asia.
• He actually landed in the Bahamas in 1492.
• Columbus called the people he met “Indians”.
• He brought back goods like gold and spices.
• Columbus Day is celebrated in his honor.

Age of Discovery

Christopher Columbus, a renowned Italian explorer, was a pivotal figure in the Age of Discovery from the 15th to the 17th century, an era marked by extensive European exploration of global territories. Columbus embarked on a notable expedition in 1492, sponsored by Spanish rulers King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, with the aim of identifying a new maritime path to Asia.

Unexpectedly, he discovered the Americas, bringing the New World to the attention of Europeans for the first time. This significant discovery triggered more exploration and subsequent colonization of the Americas, profoundly influencing the trajectory of history.

Columbus’s Voyages to the New World

Renowned Italian explorer, Christopher Columbus, is recognized for his four pivotal Atlantic voyages between 1492 and 1502, sponsored by Spanish monarchs, Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand.

His inaugural journey in 1492, aboard the Santa Maria, Pinta, and Niña, was originally intended to uncover a more direct path to Asia. However, he inadvertently arrived in the Bahamas, mistakenly identifying it as Asia.

This marked the beginning of enduring European interaction with the Americas, commonly referred to as the New World. The significance of Columbus’s expeditions lies in their role as precursors to the extensive European exploration and eventual colonization of the Americas.

History of the Americas

Italian explorer Christopher Columbus, born in Genoa in 1451, was a key figure in the history of the Americas. Columbus is best known for his 1492 expedition, during which he intended to discover a new trade path to Asia under the Spanish flag, but instead unveiled the New World – the Americas.

This significant revelation marked the onset of extensive European exploration and subsequent colonization of the Americas. Columbus’s four transatlantic voyages led to Europe’s general awareness of the new continent, sparking centuries of conquest and colonization.

This series of events profoundly influenced the course of the Americas’ history.

Native American History and Columbus’s Impact

Christopher Columbus, an Italian explorer recognized for his Atlantic expeditions, played a pivotal role in shaping Native American history after his discovery of the Americas in 1492. Before his arrival, North America was home to millions of indigenous people, each with unique cultures and societies. Columbus’s voyages initiated the Columbian Exchange — a widespread exchange of plants, animals, diseases, and cultures.

However, this exchange had devastating effects on the Native American populations due to the introduction of diseases such as smallpox. Columbus and subsequent European settlers often subjected Native Americans to forced labor, violence, and displacement, radically altering the trajectory of their history.

Thus, Columbus’s journeys marked the beginning of centuries of exploration and European colonization of the American continents, significantly impacting Native American history.

Controversies and Criticisms of Columbus

Christopher Columbus, a figure often lauded for his accomplishments in exploration, also carries a myriad of controversies and criticisms linked to his legacy. A significant contention among historians is whether Columbus should indeed be credited with the discovery of America, given that indigenous populations had resided on the continent for millennia prior to his arrival.

Further disapproval is derived from the conduct of Columbus and his crew towards these indigenous people. Upon landing in the New World, they imposed enslavement and forced conversion to Christianity on many natives, in addition to inadvertently introducing diseases that caused mass fatalities.

Consequently, some propose that instead of observing Columbus Day, a shift towards honoring the indigenous people who suffered due to his expeditions would be more appropriate.

Spanish Exploration and Colonization

The renowned Italian explorer, Christopher Columbus, is recognized for his exploratory voyages funded by Spanish monarchs, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. These voyages served as the catalyst for the Spanish Empire’s centuries-long exploration and colonization across the Atlantic.

In 1492, Columbus embarked on a journey with three ships – the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria – in pursuit of a quicker route to Asia, unintentionally leading to the discovery of the Americas. This unexpected discovery positioned Spain as one of the most affluent and influential nations of the era.

Furthermore, Columbus’s voyages were instrumental in the Spanish colonization of the New World, resulting in the widespread propagation of the Spanish language, culture, and religion among the indigenous inhabitants of the Americas.

The Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria

Christopher Columbus, a celebrated explorer, embarked on an impactful journey across the Atlantic Ocean in 1492 that changed the course of history. He voyaged on three ships – the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria, which were integral to his exploration.

The Santa Maria, as the largest and the flagship of the fleet, was the vessel Columbus himself captained. The Pinta and the Nina, on the other hand, were smaller, agile caravels, fast and efficient for the ambitious journey.

These three iconic ships played a pivotal role by facilitating Columbus’s navigation through expansive, unexplored waters, ultimately leading him to discover the ‘New World’, now known as the Americas.

Columbus’s Interactions with Indigenous Peoples

Christopher Columbus’s historical narrative is significantly marked by his interactions with the indigenous peoples, particularly the Taino tribe he encountered upon his landing in the Americas in 1492. Initially regarded as peaceful and friendly by Columbus, the relationship between the Taino and the explorers soured as Columbus’s quest for gold and other resources intensified.

This resulted in the Taino being subjected to forced labor under harsh conditions by Columbus and his crew. Compounded by the introduction of European diseases, these actions precipitated a drastic decline in the Taino population. As we delve into Columbus’s historical role, it is vital to acknowledge this grim aspect of his exploration.

Columbus Day: History and Controversy

Columbus Day, observed on the second Monday in October in the United States, celebrates Christopher Columbus, an Italian explorer whose arrival in the New World on October 12, 1492, is often considered a pivotal moment in the discovery of America.

This historical event is commonly taught to children. However, the celebration has sparked controversy, with critics highlighting the aftermath of Columbus’s arrival, which led to the exploitation and suffering of native populations.

These critics believe the holiday shouldn’t honor such actions. In response, some regions have started to observe Indigenous Peoples’ Day, a holiday dedicated to honoring the native people’s cultures and histories, who populated these lands far earlier than Columbus’s arrival.

Navigation Techniques of the 15th Century

Christopher Columbus, the celebrated 15th-century explorer, is renowned for his transatlantic voyage in which he sought Asia but fortuitously discovered the Americas instead. His expeditions were fundamentally underpinned by his innovative navigation strategies, which were groundbreaking during his era. Columbus adeptly utilized celestial navigation, leveraging the positions of the stars and the sun to ascertain his geographical location and course.

His use of early navigational tools such as the quadrant and astrolabe to gauge the angle between a celestial entity and the horizon was particularly noteworthy. Moreover, he employed a technique known as dead reckoning that allowed him to estimate his present location based on a previously known position, the direction he had been sailing, the distance journeyed, and the elapsed time.

These advanced techniques significantly contributed to Columbus’s explorations and ultimately facilitated his landmark discovery of the New World.

Muslims controlled the trade routes from Europe to India and Asia, making it very difficult to travel to these places by land. Columbus thought that if he sailed west across the Atlantic , he could find a better, safer, faster way to reach the East.

Fun Facts About Christopher Columbus for Kids

• Christopher Columbus was born on October 31, 1451 in Genoa, Italy .
• He began sailing when he was just a teenager. He went on trading voyages around the Mediterranean Sea.
• He took his first voyage into the Atlantic Ocean in 1476. French privateers attached his ship and set it on fire. He survived by swimming to the coast of Portugal .
• Columbus settled in Lisbon and married Filipa Moniz Perestrelo. They had one son together. His wife died and Columbus moved to Spain .
• Columbus presented his idea of sailing west to find new trade routes to the Portuguese king who rejected it. He presented his ideas in Genoa and Venice, but the governments there said no too. He finally went to the Spanish monarchy. Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand initially refused, but later agreed to help him. They gave him the money to buy three ships – the Santa Maria, the Nina and the Pinta.
• Columbus set out in August of 1492 to find Asia . Instead, he landed on an island in the Bahamas after 36 days of sailing. There they met friendly natives who traded beads, spears and parrots with them.
• Columbus left 39 men behind to build a settlement on the coast of Hispaniola before returning to Europe.
• The king and queen of Spain were very happy and agreed to finance two more trips. When Columbus reached the settlement in Hispaniola, he discovered that the settlement had been destroyed – probably by native people, although we’re not sure. He made slaves of some of the people and forced them to search for gold.
• Columbus’ men complained of his poor management and harsh treatment. Columbus was brought before the king and queen and stripped of his title.
• When Columbus died in 1506, he still believed he had discovered a trade route through China.

Christopher Columbus Vocabulary

• Voyage: a journey, usually by sea
• Privateer: sailors given permission by a government to attack enemy merchant ships, usually during war time
• Native: someone who was born and raised in an area. In most cases, the family has lived there for generations

All About Christopher Columbus Video for Kids

Check out this cool video all about Christopher Columbus for kids:

All About Christopher Columbus Q&A

Was christopher columbus a good guy or a bad guy.

That depends on who you ask. He paved the way for future explorations, which is a good thing if you came here from Europe. Columbus took foods, such as corn , potatoes and coffee, back to Europe. The corn and potatoes became important food crops there.

For the native people, though, Christopher Columbus’s explorations meant disaster. The small pox disease wiped out millions of native people. Future explorers, searching for gold and riches, killed or enslaved many people.

Who discovered America ?

Christopher Columbus was not the first European explorer to reach the Americas. He was preceded by the Norse expedition led by  Leif Eriksson  in the 11th century.

How Many Kids Did Christopher Columbus Have

Christopher Columbus had at least one son, Diego Columbus, who was born in 1480. It is possible that Columbus had other children, but there is no reliable information about any additional children.

Columbus was married to Felipa Perestrello e Moniz, but it is not clear how many children they had together. Columbus is known to have had several extended voyages at sea, which may have contributed to his limited time with his family.

What Are 5 Facts About Christopher Columbus?

• Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer and navigator who is credited with discovering the New World on behalf of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain.
• Columbus made four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean, beginning in 1492. On his first voyage, he landed on an island in the Bahamas that he named San Salvador.
• Columbus is often referred to as the “discoverer” of America, although he never actually set foot on mainland North America.
• Columbus’s voyages were sponsored by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain, who hoped to find a westward route to the East Indies and gain a trade advantage over other European powers.
• Columbus’s expeditions were controversial and had lasting consequences for the indigenous peoples of the Americas. Many Native American communities were decimated by disease and violence brought by the Europeans, and Columbus’s actions and those of his successors contributed to the colonization and exploitation of the Americas.

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