Columbus's Finding of America

http://www1.minn.net/~keithp/cctl.htm

The Early Years: 1451 Born in Genoa, the son of a wool merchant and weaver.

1476 Swims ashore when his ship is sunk in a battle off Portugal.

1476 Joins his brother Bartholomew, a cartographer, in Lisbon.

1477-1482 Makes merchant voyages as far as Iceland and Guinea.

1484 Conceives of "The Enterprise of the Indies." Fails to convince King John of Portugal to back the plan.

1485 Moves to Spain.

1492/1/2 Ferdinand & Isabela capture Granada, the last Moorish city in Spain.

The First Voyage: 1492/8/3 Departs from Palos, Spain (near Huelva)

1492/9/6 Departs Gomera (Canary Islands) after repair and refit.

1492/10/12 New world sighted at 2:00 a.m. by Rodrigo de Triana, somewhere in the Bahamas.

1492/10/29 Arrives at Cuba.

1492/11/22 MartÐ"­n Alonso PinzÐ"Ñ-n, captain of the Pinta, deserts the expedition off Cuba.

1492/12/5 Columbus arrives at Hispaniola.

1492/12/25 Flagship Santa Maria sinks off Hispaniola. Columbus founds La Navidad.

1493/1/6 PinzÐ"Ñ-n rejoins Columbus.

1493/1/16 Columbus departs Hispaniola for Spain in the NiÐ"±a.

1493/2/14 NiÐ"±a and Pinta are separated again in a fierce storm.

1493/2/15 Sights Santa Maria Island in the Azores.

1493/3/4 Arrives at Lisbon, Portugal.

1493/3/15 NiÐ"±a and Pinta return separately to Palos, Spain.

The Second Voyage: 1493 September The Grand Fleet of 17 ships departs Cadiz.

1493/10/13 Departs Hierro (Canary Islands), sailing WSW

1493/11/3 The island of Dominica sighted at dawn; Guadeloupe shortly after.

1493/11/22 Arrives at Hispaniola.

1493/11/28 Returns to Navidad, finds fort destroyed.

1493/12/8 Founds new colony of La Isabela.

1494/4/24 Sails from Isabela in search of mainland.

1494/4/30 Arrives at Cuba.

1494/5/5 Arrives at Jamaica.

1494/5/14 Returns to Cuba.

1494/6/13 Starts the return to La Isabela.

1494/8/20 Reaches Hispaniola.

1496/3/10 Departs from La Isabela for Spain.

1496/6/8 Reaches the coast of Portugal.

The Third Voyage: 1498/5/30 Departs from Sanlucar, Spain, with six ships.

1498/6/19 Arrives at Gomera (Canary Islands); splits fleet into two squadrons.

1498/7/4 Departs from the Cape Verde Islands.

1498/7/31 Arrives at Trinidad.

1498/8/13 Leaves the Gulf of Paria, arrives at Margartia.

1498/8/19 Arrives at Hispaniola.

1500 October Columbus is arrested and sent home in chains.

The Fourth Voyage: 1502/5/11 Departs from Cadiz, Spain, with four ships.

1502/6/29 Arrives at Santo Domingo, Hispaniola.

1502/7/30 Arrives at the Mosquito Coast, modern Nicaragua.

1503/1/9 Establishes garrison at Rio Belen.

1503/4/6 Garrison attacked by Indians and abandoned.

1503/4/16 Leaves Rio Belen for home.

1503/6/25 Ships beached and abandoned at Jamaica, marooning crew.

1504/6/29 Crew rescued from Jamaica.

1504/11/7 Columbus returns to Spain.

1506/5/20 Columbus dies at Valladolid.

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http://www.ibiblio.org/expo/1492.exhibit/c-Columbus/columbus.html

Man and Myth

After five centuries, Columbus remains a mysterious and controversial figure who has been variously described as one of

the greatest mariners in history, a visionary genius, a mystic, a national hero, a failed administrator, a naive

entrepreneur, and a ruthless and greedy imperialist.

Columbus's enterprise to find a westward route to Asia grew out of the practical experience of a long and varied

maritime career, as well as out of his considerable reading in geographical and theological literature. He settled

for a time in Portugal, where he tried unsuccessfully to enlist support for his project, before moving to Spain.

After many difficulties, through a combination of good luck and persuasiveness, he gained the support of the Catholic

monarchs, Isabel and Fernando.

The widely published report of his voyage of 1492 made Columbus famous throughout Europe and secured for him the

title of Admiral of the Ocean Sea and further royal patronage. Columbus, who never abandoned the belief that he

had reached Asia, led three more expeditions to the Caribbean. But intrigue and his own administrative failings

brought disappointment and political obscurity to his final years.

In Search and Defense of Privileges

Queen Isabel and King Fernando had agreed to Columbus's lavish demands if

...