Who is Christopher Columbus? Christopher Columbus is the explorer who got credit for discovering America in That is why we call it “Columbus Day”.

- Columbus was born in 1451 in Genoa, Italy -His real name was Christoforo Columbus -His father was a weaver but Columbus was more interested in maps and exploring

-Be began sailing as a cabin boy at age 13 and would go on trips to the Mediterranean Sea -He became a captain at age 30 -He became a Portuguese citizen and married Felipa -He asked the King of Portugal to fund him money to sail East. He refused.

So Columbus asked the King and Queen of Spain (Ferdinand and Isabella) for funding…. ….. They refused at first…. Then agreed. Phew! Wait….. Why would they agree??

Christopher Columbus’s Voyage They started the voyage on August 3, It was Columbus’ first voyage.

Columbus’s Voyage Picture from the website:

Christopher Columbus’s Ships He had three ships, the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria. The Santa Maria was the largest ship. It could carry about 40 people and 20 tons of cargo. The Nina and Pinta carried about 24 people and 60 tons each. Replicas of Columbus’ ships. They sailed in 1992

How would you feel if you were on Columbus’ ship? Along the journey, the sailors began to be frightened. On October 10, they demanded that Columbus go back to Spain. To stop the tyranny, Columbus said that if they didn't sight land within two days, they would turn around.

Two days later, they saw birds and Columbus changed his direction to follow the birds. At 2:00 A.M., the morning of October 12, 1492, a sailor named Rodrigo de Triana on the Pinta sighted land.

There were people living on the island. They perceived Columbus as though he were a god. Columbus called these people "Indians" because he believed he had reached the Indies. He also announced the island to be named San Salvador.

In reality, Columbus didn’t exactly discover America because "to discover" means to see or learn or find something for the first time. …..The Native Americans may be the true discoverers of America.

So then why would we celebrate Columbus Day?!?

While Columbus never reached India, his accounts served as an inspiration to future explorers. His writings influenced nearly two centuries of exploration and discovery.

Columbus always thought he reached Asia and the Indies. When he landed in America, he always thought he had reached the Indies! He never knew he discovered a new world! The King and Queen were upset when he didn’t bring back any spices or riches. He was put into prison! He died later of a string of sicknesses from his last voyage.

Wait a minute…. So why isn’t our country named “Columbia”… after Columbus?

When a map maker was making a new map he decided to include the new world, and he decided to give it a name. He called it "America" in honor of Amerigo Vespucci, an explorer that made 2 voyages to the Americas. No one really knows for sure why HIM? But Vespucci may have been one of the first to realize the Americas were NOT part of Asia… that it was the New World.

Let’s review what we just learned……shall we?

Question 1 1. Columbus visited many kings and queens asking for support before who finally agreed to pay for his famed voyage of exploration? A. Felix and Ileana, the king and queen of Mexico B. Ferdinand and Isabella, the king and queen of Spain C. Francois and Iris, the king and queen of France

Question 2 1. What did Columbus hope to accomplish on his voyage? A. He wanted to reach India and Southeast Asia to trade for silk and spices. B. He wanted to reach Italy to search for his family. C. He wanted to reach Ireland to trade for wool and tea.

Question 3 3. Why did Columbus refer to the people he met as Indians? A. Because that is how they introduced themselves B. Because he mistakenly thought he had arrived in the East Indies C. Because in those times, it was known as a term of affection

Question 4 4. How long before Columbus first came to what he called the New World had people lived in North and South America? A. No one lived in the Americas before Columbus arrived. B. People lived in the Americas for years before Columbus arrived. C. People had lived in the Americas for tens of thousands of years before Columbus arrived.