Christopher Columbus was born in the Italian seaport of Genoa in 1451, to a family of wool weavers. As a child he helped his father at this shop and then as a young lad went to sea. He became an experienced sailor and moved to Lisbon in Portugal to try and gain support for a new journey he was planning. He visited the courts of the kings and queens of Europe asking for help and money. Finally Ferdinand and Isabella, the king and queen of Spain, agreed to support him.
In the 15th and 16th centuries, the Europeans wanted to find sea routes to the East. Columbus wanted to find a new route to the Far East, to India, China, Japan and the Spice Islands. If he could reach these lands, he would be able to bring back rich cargoes of silks and spices. Columbus knew that the world was round and realized that by sailing west, instead of east around the coast of Africa, as other explorers at the time were doing, he would still reach the East and the rich Spice Islands.
Columbus thought that the earth was smaller than it is, and like all other Europeans at that time, he did not know about the existence of America.
Columbus probably made these voyages as he would recive a lot of gold spices and riches. Her would also become very popular and famous
In 1492 Columbus set sail from Palos in Spain with three ships. Two, the Nina and the Pinta were caravels, small ships with triangular sails. The third, the Santa Maria, was a nao, a larger square-rigged ship. The ships were small, between 15 and 36 metres long. Between them they carried about 90 men.
After sailing across the Atlantic Ocean for 10 weeks, land was sighted by a sailor called Rodrigo Bernajo. Columbus himself took the credit for this sighting. He landed on a small island in the Bahamas which Columbus named San Salvador. He claimed
