CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS Voyage to the Americas

Quick Facts Cristoforo Colombo was born on October 31, 1451 in The Republic of Genoa (now Italy) Died May 20, 1506 in Valladolid, Spain. Christopher’s dream was to become a sea captain. He studied geography books, the bible, Marco Polo’s writings and Pierre d’ Ally’s Picture of the World, to gather all the information he could about the world. He became a chart maker because he believed he world was a sphere (round) instead of flat. He wanted to find a shorter route to Asia.

Quick Facts Dona died shortly after childbirth. Married Dona Felipa Perestrello in 1479 in Portugal. They had one son-Diego. Dona died shortly after childbirth. Columbus then married with Beatriz Enrique in Spain and had a son, named Fernando.

Columbus went and asked King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain to help fund his trip. In 1492, several years after his appeal, he received the money for the trip. The King and Columbus made a deal that Columbus would only keep 10% of the wealth he brought back. Columbus also agreed to spread the word of Christianity.

He sailed from Spain in 1492 with three ships, the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria.

Sighting Land After sailing across the Atlantic Ocean for 10 weeks land was sighted by a sailor named Rodrigo Bernajo.

On this voyage Columbus encountered the islands which became known as the West Indies, in the Caribbean Sea.

Columbus’s Arrival in the Americas On October 12, 1492, Christopher Columbus and his crew made their first landfall in the Americas, on a small island in The Bahamas. In a solemn ceremony before an audience of uncomprehending islanders, Columbus claimed the island for Spain and named it San Salvador (Holy Savior).