Who is the discoverer of America. Columbus travel routes to the coast of America. Landing of Columbus on the coast of America. Local natives mistook Spanish sailors for gods

There are many accidental discoveries in history, when the discoverers sought a completely different goal. Most a prime example-discovery of America by Columbus, made during the search sea route to India.

It all started with the idea of sailing to India along a new route - the Atlantic Ocean. Her Christopher Columbus first offered Portugal: however, King Juan II did not approve of the navigator's plan.

An Italian by birth, Columbus went to Spain. Here, not far from Palos, in one of the monasteries, a familiar monk was found. He helped Columbus get an audience with Queen Isabella. After listening to the navigator, she instructed the scientific council to discuss the project. The council consisted mainly of people who bore the clergy.

Columbus prepared a vivid report. He talked about how the ancient scientists proved that the Earth is a sphere. Showed a copy of the map compiled by the famous Italian astronomer Toscanelli. On it, the Atlantic Ocean was covered with a mass of islands, behind which one could see the eastern coast of Asia. He remembered the legends that there is a land beyond the ocean, from which tree trunks sometimes sail by sea, obviously processed by people. Columbus, who was well educated and spoke four languages, managed to win over the members of the council to his side.

In addition, the interest of the Spanish crown had other reasons.

In a country that had just survived the capture of Granada and the Reconquista, the economy was in a deplorable state. There was no money in the treasury, many nobles went bankrupt. If Columbus' voyage succeeded, it could help make a difference. Columbus received the status of viceroy of all the lands that would be open - and set off on his way.

First expedition

The first expedition began on August 3, 1492 in the port of Palos. The flotilla included 3 caravels (“Santa Maria”, “Pinta”, “Nina”), on which there were 90 people. First, the ships went to the Canary Islands, from where they turned to the west. On the way, the Sargasso Sea was discovered, where green algae grew in amazing abundance.

It took 2 months before the team saw land. On the night of October 12, 1492, at two o'clock, the watchman noticed the coast, which was illuminated by flashes of lightning. It was the Bahamas, but Columbus thought he had reached India, China, or Japan. Therefore, the people who met here were called Indians. And the archipelago was called the West Indies.

The island to which the travelers descended was named San Salvador, which belongs to the American continent. Officially, October 12, 1492 is considered the day of the discovery of America.

Continuing the voyage, the ships reached new islands - Cuba and Haiti. This happened on December 6, and on the 25th the ship "Santa Maria" was aground.

The expedition returned to Spain on March 15, 1493. Natives also arrived on ships, as well as potatoes, tobacco and corn - products unknown in Europe at that time. Columbus was surrounded with honor and given the title of admiral of the sea-ocean, as well as viceroy of the open lands and those that he had yet to find.

Second expedition

During his second voyage, Columbus explored most of the islands caribbean. 17 ships set sail, with 1,500 people on them.

On this journey, Guadeloupe, the islands of Dominica and Jamaica, Antigua and Puerto Rico were discovered. It was on this expedition, without suspecting it, that the navigators reached the coast of a new continent, which is now called Colombia - after the name of Columbus. On June 11, 1496, the Spanish ships returned to their homeland.

Third expedition

The third voyage of Columbus took place in 1498. The flotilla under his command reached the Orinoco Delta. It was the coast of a new unknown mainland. Also, 2 islands were discovered - Trinidad and Margarita, as well as the Paria Peninsula.
In 1500, the Spanish settlers of the New World rebelled against Columbus. He was relieved of his duties as head of the new lands. However, he received permission to go on a new journey.

Fourth expedition

The fourth voyage of Columbus lasted 2 years. From 1502 to 1504, he sailed along a large part of the coast of the new continent, which later became known as Central America.

Four ships traveled a long distance and discovered new islands - Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama. But at the end of June 1503, the ships got into a storm off Jamaica and were wrecked.

Great and unfortunate

Columbus himself did not suspect that he had discovered a new continent. He died believing that all expeditions led to India, and his discovery was the way to India from the west. On the lands that he discovered, there was no gold, there were no spices. This did not bring wealth to either Spain or Columbus himself.

The sailor was poor. All his money that he had, he spent on equipping a rescue expedition to save people on one of the caravels. He died sick and forgotten in 1506.

Who else discovered America

When the navigator and astronomer from Florence Amerigo Vespucci decided to go to the lands discovered by Columbus, he concluded that this was not India, but completely new continent. This happened during the expedition in 1501-1502. He published his thoughts, which became the basis for the creation new card peace in 1507. To Europe, Asia and Africa, another continent was added, which at first bore the name of the land of Amerigo. Later it was transformed into America.

This continent, as it became clear later, was discovered more than once. In 1497, a flotilla of Portuguese ships set off for India, led by Vasco da Gama (1469-1524). 4 ships, on which there were 170 people, left the port of Lisbon in the direction of the cape Good Hope. They went around the cape, reached the mouth of the Zambezi, passed north of Africa, after which they reached the harbor of Malindi. From here, the ships reached the port of Calicut, where they were led by an Arab pilot. This was the opening of the route to India, which took about 10 months.

The meeting in Calicut was cold. After staying there for 3 months, the Portuguese set off on the return journey. The captain decided to sail Indian Ocean, bypassing East Africa. The voyage lasted about a year, but by September 1499, two ships returned to Lisbon, having lost most commands.

What Christopher Columbus did, you will learn from this article.

What did Christopher Columbus discover? Discoveries of Christopher Columbus

The navigator is the most mysterious person era of the Great Geographical Discoveries and travels. His life is full of mysteries, dark spots, inexplicable coincidences and deeds. And all because mankind became interested in the navigator 150 years after his death - important documents already lost, and the life of Columbus remained fanned with speculation and gossip. Plus, Columbus himself hid his origin (for unknown reasons), the motives of his actions and thoughts. The only thing that is known is 1451 - the year of his birth and the place of birth - the Republic of Genoa.

He made 4 expeditions, which were supplied by the Spanish king:

The first expedition - 1492-1493.
The second expedition - 1493-1496.
The third expedition - 1498 - 1500.
The fourth expedition - 1502 - 1504.

During four expeditions, the navigator discovered many new territories and two seas - Sargasso and Caribbean.

Lands discovered by Christopher Columbus

It is interesting that all the time the navigator thought that he had discovered India, and behind it he would find rich Japan and China. But it wasn't. He owns the discovery and exploration of the New World. The islands discovered by Christopher Columbus are the Bahamas and Antilles, Saman, Haiti and Dominica, the Lesser Antilles, Cuba and Trinidad, Jamaica and Puerto Rico, Guadeloupe and Margarita. He is the discoverer of the lands of Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, as well as the northern coast South America and the Caribbean Central America.

Discovery of America by Christopher Columbus

But the most important thing is that during his expedition Christopher Columbus discovered America. It happened on October 12, 1492, when he landed on the island of San Salvador.

And it all started like this: on August 3, 1492, the expedition of the European navigator, consisting of the ships Santa Maria, Nina and Pinta, set out on a long journey. In September, the Sargasso Sea was discovered. They walked along German for three weeks. On October 7, 1492, the Columbus team changes its course to the southwest, believing that they missed Japan, which they so wanted to discover. After 5 days, the expedition stumbled upon an island named by Christopher Columbus in honor of the savior of Christ San Salvador. This date - October 12, 1492 is considered the official day of the discovery of America.

A day later, Columbus landed and hoisted the Castilian banner. Thus, he formally became the owner of the island. Having explored the nearby islands, the navigator sincerely believed that these were the vicinity of Japan, India and China. At first, the open lands were called the West Indies. Christopher Columbus returned to Spain on March 15, 1493 on the ship Nina. As a gift to King Ferdinand II of Aragon, he brought gold, natives, plants unprecedented to Europeans - potatoes, corn, tobacco, as well as bird feathers and fruits.

We hope that from this article you have learned what discoveries of Christopher Columbus became famous all over the world.

Pre-Columbian voyages to America Gulyaev Valery Ivanovich

Columbus and the discovery of America (instead of an introduction)

It was midnight October 11, 1492. Just another two hours - and an event will take place that is destined to change the entire course of world history. On the ships, no one was fully aware of this, but literally everyone, from the admiral to the youngest cabin boy, was in suspense. The one who sees the land first was promised a reward of ten thousand maravedis, and now it was clear to everyone that the long voyage was coming to an end ... The day was running out, and in a bright starry night, three boats, driven by a fair wind, were rapidly gliding forward ... " .

In such a solemnly elevated tone, the American historian J. Bakless describes the exciting moment that preceded the discovery of America by Columbus.

Three small wooden ship- "Santa Maria", "Pinta" and "Nina" - set off from the port of Paloe (Atlantic coast of Spain) on August 3, 1492. About 100 team members, the bare minimum of food and equipment. At the head of this expedition was an outstanding man, obsessed with a bold dream - to cross from east to west Atlantic Ocean and get to the fabulously rich kingdoms of India and China. His name was Cristobal Colon (Spanish for Christopher Columbus). He was a native of Genoa and was at that time in the Spanish service.

Two months of hard sailing across the ocean. The last piece of land - the Canary Islands - was left astern exactly 33 days ago. It seemed maritime wilderness there will be no end. Food supplies were running low and fresh water. People are tired. The admiral, who did not leave the deck for hours, increasingly heard exclamations of discontent and threats from the sailors.

But now the hardest part is over. All the signs spoke of the proximity of the desired land: birds, passing green branches of trees and sticks, clearly shaved off by a human hand.

That night, Captain Martin Pinzon, on the Pinta, was ahead of the small flotilla, and Rodrigo de Triana was the watchman at the bow of the vessel. It was he who first saw the earth, or rather, the reflections of a ghostly moonlight on white sand hills. "Earth! Earth!" shouted Rodrigo. And a minute later the thunder of a cannon shot announced that America was open.

The sails were removed on all the ships and they began to look forward to dawn. At last it came, the clear and cool dawn of Friday, October 12, 1492. The first rays of the sun illuminated the mysteriously darkening land ahead. “This island,” Columbus later wrote in his diary, “is very large and very even, there are many green trees and water, and in the middle there is big lake. There are no mountains."

The boats were lowered from the ships. Stepping ashore, the admiral hoisted the royal banner there and announced open land possession of Spain.

The island was inhabited. It was inhabited by cheerful and good-natured people with swarthy, reddish skin.

“All of them,” writes Columbus, “walk naked, in what their mother gave birth, and women too ... And the people I saw were still young, all of them were no more than 30 years old, and they were well built, both bodies and faces they were very beautiful, and their hair was coarse, just like horse hair, and short ... Their features were regular, their expression friendly ... These people were not black in color, but such as the inhabitants canary islands... "The first meeting of Europeans with American natives. The first, most vivid impressions of the New World. Here everything seemed unusual and new: nature, plants, birds, animals and even people.

The Indians themselves, if they were understood correctly, called their island Guanahani. Columbus christened the newly discovered land with the name of San Salvador (Holy Savior). There is no doubt that it was one of the Bahamas. From here, Florida is within easy reach and the impressive land masses of the Great Antilles.

The opening of the West Indies has begun. And although on that significant morning of October 12, 1492, the life of a huge American continent externally was not disturbed by anything, the appearance of three caravels in warm waters off the coast of Guanahani (San Salvador) meant that the history of America entered a new era full of dramatic events.

The return of Columbus to Spain in March 1493 on two surviving, but badly battered ships turned into a real triumph for the great navigator. He was showered with numerous honors and awards of the royal couple and received a firm promise of assistance in the implementation of future expeditions to "India".

Of course, the real acquisitions from the first voyage were small: a handful of miserable trinkets made of low-grade gold, a few half-naked natives, bright feathers of strange birds. But the main thing was done: this Genoese found new lands in the west, far beyond the ocean. In anticipation of future fabulous profits, the royal court and the Spanish moneybags opened a generous loan to the admiral.

The second voyage of Columbus across the Atlantic already involved 17 ships and more than 1,500 people. New large islands were discovered - Jamaica and Haiti, inhabited by numerous Indian tribes. However, gold, spices, precious stones- everything that the participants of the expeditions and those who financed them so greedily aspired to - could not be obtained. The star of Columbus rapidly rolled down. True, he managed to organize two more trips to the Western Hemisphere, discovered part of Central America (Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama), where (mainly among the Panamanian Indians) he exchanged a significant amount of gold. But the royal court and the arrogant Spanish nobility did not receive the main thing - the treasures of the Chinese and Indian rulers.

The great navigator died in Spain on May 20, 1506 in complete oblivion and poverty. Contemporaries, which often happens in history, failed to appreciate the true significance of his discoveries. And he himself did not understand that he had discovered a new continent, considering until the end of his life the lands he had discovered as India, and their inhabitants as Indians.

Only after the expeditions of Balboa, Magellan and Vespucci did it become obvious that beyond the blue expanses of the ocean lies a completely new, unknown land. But they will call it America (by the name of Amerigo Vespucci), and not Colombia, as justice required. More grateful to the memory of Columbus were subsequent generations of compatriots. The significance of his discoveries was confirmed already in the 20-30s of the 16th century, when, after the conquest of the rich kingdoms of the Aztecs and Incas, a wide stream of American gold and silver poured into Europe. To what great navigator aspired all his life, and what he sought so hard in " Western Indies" turned out to be not a utopia, not the delirium of a madman, but a very real reality.

Columbus is honored in Spain today. No less glory surrounds his name in Latin America where one, the most northern country The South American continent is named after him Colombia. However, only in the USA the day of October 12 is celebrated as National holiday- Columbus Day. Many cities, a district, a mountain, a river, a university and countless streets, cinemas and pharmacies are named after the great Genoese. So, although with some delay, justice prevailed. Columbus received his share of fame and appreciation from a grateful humanity, and this could be the end of it.

But almost immediately after the epoch-making voyages of the admiral, people appeared who challenged his right to the laurel wreath of the discoverer of America. And over the years, their number did not decrease at all, but grew. Whoever was not called the predecessors of the great navigator: the Phoenicians, and the Israelis, and the Greeks, and the Romans, and the Irish, and the Arabs, and, finally, the Vikings. In the United States, disputes on this basis became especially acute, since there were many immigrants from Italy and Scandinavia.

In the 60s, after the Norwegian X. Ingstad discovered the remains of a Norman settlement of the 10th-11th centuries on the northern tip of Newfoundland, the fact that Europeans (in this case the Vikings) 500 years before Columbus reached north east coast America and even tried to settle there. The arguments were weighty, and in the fall of 1964, US President Lyndon Johnson signed, on the recommendation of Congress, a bill on the annual celebration of October 9, Leif Eirikson Day. Thus, the Norman was officially recognized as the discoverer of the New World.

True, the former holiday, Columbus Day, has also been preserved. But it so happened that the "Norman bill" was signed on October 9, and, therefore, despite the indignation of the Americans of Italian origin, the holiday of the Viking Leif was three days ahead of the holiday of the Genoese Columbus. Passions ran high. On October 12, 1965, violent demonstrations of Columbus supporters began in many places. They were attended by Italian Americans who protested against the claims of the descendants of the Normans, who believed that America was discovered by their ancestor.

And it all started with the fact that two days before the holiday (Columbus Day) in the New York Times, not without intent, an article was published about the discovery of a 15th-century map depicting part of the territory North America(the area called by the Normans Vinland), which excited the minds of the Italian-Americans, who did not want to give up the priority of their Columbus.

“Yale University scientists,” the article said, “reported this morning (i.e. October 10, 1965. - V. G.) about the most amazing cartographic discovery of the century - the discovery of the only pre-Columbian geographical map those countries of the New World that were discovered in the 11th century by Leif Eirikson.

The map itself was placed next to the article. In the upper left corner, the inscription "Vinland" was clearly visible. Experts determined the time of the creation of the map - approximately 1440, that is, more than 50 years before the first voyage of Columbus to the shores of America.

The fact that the very eve of Columbus Day was chosen for the publication of this sensational material especially outraged the Italian-Americans, who saw in this not only an open challenge, but also tactlessness. True, some time later, serious doubts arose about the authenticity of the Vinland map. But the deed was done, and the Norman priority in discovering America received solid support.

In this whole story, of course, there is a lot of ridiculous and far-fetched. The paradox is that at first, US citizens diligently memorize the postulate on the school bench: North America was discovered by the Vikings 500 years before Columbus. And then 10-15 million Americans of Italian origin seem to forget about the bold campaigns of the Vikings in Vinland and, declaring them just legends, continue to diligently honor their great compatriot as the only discoverer of the New World.

But Columbus himself never set foot on the land of North America and did not even see it from a distance. He discovered only the islands in the Caribbean Sea and part of the eastern coast of Central America (Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama), and even then during his last, fourth voyage in 1502.

Therefore, there is every reason to consider another European, John Cabot from England, to be the discoverer of North America. On June 24, 1497, he landed at Cape Bald, Newfoundland, and then explored Cape Reis on the same island. In honor of this event, the strait between the peninsula is named after him. Nova Scotia and the island of Newfoundland. But the Italians again got the palm: John Cabot was actually called Giovanni Caboto - he was an Italian sailor in the English service.

Yet Columbus deserved his fame.

"Although Columbus never saw the North American continent and until the end of his days believed that he had discovered India, he at the same time remains the main figure of the era of the Great geographical discoveries. His services to mankind are much higher than the deeds of the Vikings.

The great Genoese not only discovered new lands unknown to "cultural mankind" in the west, but also laid the foundation for strong and regular ties between the Old and New Worlds.

This does not diminish the role of the Vikings.

“Today,” writes the famous German writer K. V. Keram, “we can only say one thing: the Viking landings in America are interesting from many points of view, but they did not change either the worldview or the economic conditions of life of both Europeans and the indigenous inhabitants of the American continent. Columbus did it."

It seems to me that the guardian fathers of the ancient American city Boston: in the last century they erected bronze monuments to both Columbus and Leif Eirikson.

It is important to understand the relationship between all known cases pre-Columbian voyages to America with the discoveries of the great navigator. In my opinion, the well-known American historian J. Fiske, the author of a fundamental two-volume work on the discovery of America, presented this most complex problem most objectively. He's writing:

"Contact between the two worlds began, in fact, only in 1492. At the same time, I do not at all intend to deny that random visitors from the Old World could and did appear before this time. On the contrary, I am inclined to think that there were such random visits more than we generally think."

Speaking about the role of the discoveries of the Vikings, who traveled from their colonies in Greenland and Iceland to the shores of North America, he notes:

"... All these ancient travels before Columbus did not have any important historical consequences. In the matter of colonization, they only led to the establishment of two unfortunate colonies on the Greenland coast, in other respects they did not make any real contribution to the treasury of geographical knowledge. They did not make any impact on the minds of Europeans outside Scandinavia ... travel to Vinland was forgotten by the end of the XIV century ... There was no real communication between the eastern and western halves of our planet until the great journey of Columbus in 1492 ".

In general, one could agree with such an assessment. But let's not rush. Let us also allow one of Fiske's opponents, the defender of the priority of Polynesian navigators in the discovery of America, F. Kuilichi, to speak. He is Italian by origin, which means he is a countryman of the great Genoese.

“In the Mediterranean Sea,” he writes in his book “Ocean,” “the descendants of the proud Phoenicians swam near the shores well known to them, and only occasionally the most daring of them crossed the entire enclosed sea, making a transition of no more than 200 miles. However, the Phoenicians not often dared to swim far from the shore.

Portuguese navigators collected a lot of information about the Atlantic Ocean. But it took as much as 600 years before the discovery of those located relatively close to the coast of Europe Azores and Madeira Island. Some ships made it to African coast. However, they did not dare to sail further - they knew that after crossing the equator they would lose sight of polar star, and this would mean certain death: mad travelers, according to the ideas of their contemporaries, would either boil alive in the boiling water of the ocean, or fall into the abyss, breaking off from the edge of the Earth.

At the opposite end of the Earth, Chinese junks sailed from one island to another, but they never lost sight of the coast of the mainland. Merchants from Arabia and India made rather bold voyages, however, they did not go far into the open sea. Only in the north of Europe did the Vikings venture on campaigns that can be compared with the campaigns of the Polynesians ...

The latter had a difficult task - to enter into a one-on-one fight with Pacific Ocean and overcome him. Without maps, without more or less perfect instruments, guided only by the stars and relying only on the mercy of the gods, they created genuine miracles. It took a good seven centuries before a native of Genoa, a Spanish subject named Christopher Columbus, on three large stable ships made his famous journey, much less long and dangerous than the trips of the Polynesians in flimsy canoes.

There are a great many examples of such a confrontation of views and opinions. The origins of all these disputes go back to the foggy haze of centuries, to that historical moment when Columbus set foot on Sandy shore islands of Guanahani. Both specialists and the general public have always been concerned about two questions, the solution of which in one direction or another significantly changed the view of the history of pre-Columbian America: where does the culture of local Indians originate from and did Columbus have predecessors?

Some authorities vehemently denied any possibility of any transoceanic contacts between the inhabitants of the American continent and the outside world in antiquity. Others, on the contrary, tried to prove that it was not difficult for a person of past eras to cross the ocean, and therefore all the cultural achievements of the Indians are rooted in the civilizations of the Old World.

Over the years, not only scientists, but also diplomats, officials, writers, religious figures, and even entire states have become involved in this dispute. Defending national prestige and the inviolability of the dogmas of faith, vanity and a thirst for wealth, the pursuit of sensation, at times made the controversy too sharp. However, this polemical intensity, which has not weakened up to the present day, serves, in my opinion, as an excellent proof of the great scientific and universal significance of this topic.

The literature on pre-Columbian connections that has accumulated over the past four centuries is enormous. The arguments of the parties are often very confusing and incomprehensible. Quite often, old hypotheses, long exposed and rejected by science, acquire, thanks to the efforts of interested parties, new shiny clothes and again rush to take their place in discussions. It is far from easy to understand this sea of facts without special skills and preparation.

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Expeditions of Christopher Columbus

1st expedition

The first expedition of Christopher Columbus (1492-1493), consisting of 91 people on the ships Santa Maria, Pinta, Nina, left Palos on August 3, 1492, turned west from the Canary Islands (September 9), crossed the Atlantic Ocean in subtropical zone and reached the island of San Salvador in the Bahamas, where Christopher Columbus landed on October 12, 1492 (the official date of the discovery of America). On October 14-24, Christopher Columbus visited a number of other Bahamas, and on October 28-December 5, he discovered and explored a section of the northeast coast of Cuba. On December 6, Columbus reached Fr. Haiti and moved along its northern coast. On the night of December 25, the flagship Santa Maria landed on a reef, but people escaped. Columbus on the ship "Nina" January 4-16, 1493 completed the survey of the northern coast of Haiti and March 15 returned to Castile.

2nd expedition

The 2nd expedition (1493-1496), which Christopher Columbus led already in the rank of admiral, and in the position of viceroy of the newly discovered lands, consisted of 17 ships with a crew of over 1.5 thousand people. On November 3, 1493, Columbus discovered the islands of Dominica and Guadeloupe, turning to the North-West, - about 20 more Lesser Antilles, including Antigua and the Virgin Islands, and on November 19 - the island of Puerto Rico and approached north coast Haiti. On March 12-29, 1494, Columbus, in search of gold, made an aggressive campaign into Haiti, and crossed the Cordillera Central ridge. On April 29-May 3, Columbus with 3 ships passed along the southeastern coast of Cuba, turned from Cape Cruz to the South, and on May 5 discovered about. Jamaica. Returning on May 15 to Cape Cruz, Columbus walked along the southern coast of Cuba to 84 ° west longitude, discovered the Jardines de la Reina archipelago, the Zapata Peninsula and the island of Pinos. On June 24, Christopher Columbus turned east and surveyed the entire southern coast of Haiti on August 19-September 15. In 1495 Christopher Columbus continued the conquest of Haiti; March 10, 1496 left the island and June 11 returned to Castile.

3rd expedition

The 3rd expedition (1498-1500) consisted of 6 vessels, 3 of which Christopher Columbus himself led across the Atlantic Ocean near 10 ° north latitude. On July 31, 1498, he discovered the island of Trinidad, entered the Gulf of Paria from the south, discovered the mouth of the western branch of the Orinoco Delta and the Paria Peninsula, marking the beginning of the discovery of South America. Having then left for the Caribbean Sea, Christopher Columbus approached the Araya Peninsula, discovered Margarita Island on August 15, and on August 31 arrived in the city of Santo Domingo (on the island of Haiti). In 1500, Christopher Columbus was arrested on a denunciation and sent to Castile, where he was released.

4th expedition

4th expedition (1502-1504). Having obtained permission to continue searching for a western route to India, Columbus with 4 ships reached the island of Martinique on June 15, 1502, on July 30 - the Gulf of Honduras and discovered from August 1, 1502 to May 1, 1503 Caribbean shores Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama to Uraba Bay. Turning then to the North, June 25, 1503 was wrecked off the island of Jamaica; help from Santo Domingo came only a year later. Christopher Columbus returned to Castile on November 7, 1504.

Data

Hypotheses

In addition, hypotheses were put forward about visiting America and contact with its civilization by seafarers before Columbus, representing various civilizations of the Old World (for more details, see Contacts with America before Columbus). Here are just a few of these hypothetical contacts:

in the 5th century - Hui Shen (Taiwanese monk)
in the 6th century - St. Brendan (Irish monk)
there are versions according to which, at least from the 13th century, America was known to the Knights Templar
OK. d. - Henry Sinclair (de St. Clair), Earl of Orkney (c. 1345 - c. 1400)
in - Zheng He (Chinese researcher)
in Juan Corterial (Portuguese)

Notes

Literature

Magidovich I.P. History of discovery and exploration of North America. - M .: Geografgiz, 1962.
Magidovich I.P. History of discovery and exploration of Central and South America. - M .: Thought, 1963.
John Lloyd and John Mitchinson. The book of general delusions. - Phantom Press, 2009.

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See what the "Discovery of America" is in other dictionaries:

Discovery of America by the expedition of Christopher Columbus- The Columbus expedition began on August 3, 1492, when the ships Santa Maria, Pinta and Nina left the bay Spanish city Palos de la Frontera. On September 16, 1492, bunches of green began to appear on the expedition's path ... ... Encyclopedia of newsmakers

Salvador Dali Discovery of America by Christopher Columbus' sleep effort, 1958 1959 Oil on canvas. 410 × 284 cm Music ... Wikipedia

Discovery of America and Spanish conquests- In the spring of 1492, the Spaniards took Granada last stronghold Moors on Iberian Peninsula, and on August 3 of the same year, three caravels of Christopher Columbus set off from the Spanish port of Paloe on a long voyage across the Atlantic Ocean in order to discover ... ... The World History. Encyclopedia

Christopher Columbus. Discovery of America Christopher Columbus. The Discovery Genre Drama Director John Glen Starring Marlon Brando Tom Selleck Duration 122 min ... Wikipedia

Christopher Columbus. The Discovery Genre Drama Director John Glen Starring Marlon Brando Tom Selleck Duration 122 min ... Wikipedia

Invention, find. Discovery of America, invention of gunpowder. Finding... Dictionary of Russian synonyms and expressions similar in meaning. under. ed. N. Abramova, M.: Russian dictionaries, 1999. discovery invention, find, know-how, patent; acquisition; Start … Synonym dictionary

Opening- Discovery ♦ Découverte To make a discovery is to make evident what already existed (as opposed to invention) but was unknown. Such are the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus and the discovery of the law of universal gravitation by Newton. Concept ... ... Philosophical Dictionary of Sponville

OPENING- - the identification of natural things, phenomena, patterns, etc., really existing in nature, but not known before (the discovery of America, the periodicity of elements, mineral deposits, etc.), which is dominated by internal ... ... Philosophy of Science and Technology: Thematic Dictionary

Christopher Columbus is the discoverer of South and Central America. Expeditions of Columbus.

Christopher Columbus biography

1 expedition. Discovery of America by Columbus in 1492

The first expedition Christopher Columbus assembled from three ships - "Santa Maria" (three-masted flagship 25 m long, with a displacement of 120 tons, captain of the ship Columbus), caravels "Pinta" (captain - Martin Alonso Pinzon) and "Nina" (captain - Vicente Yagnez Pinson) with a displacement of 55 tons and 87 people personnel expeditions.
The flotilla left Palos on August 3, 1492, turned west from the Canary Islands, crossed the Atlantic Ocean, opening the Sargasso Sea and reached an island in the Bahamas (the first to see American land was the sailor "Pinta" Rodrigo de Triana October 12, 1492). Columbus landed on the coast, which the locals call Guanahani, hoisted a banner on it, declared the open land the property of the Spanish king, and formally took possession of the island. The island was named San Salvador.
For a long time (1940-1982) Watling Island was considered San Salvador. However, our contemporary American geographer George Judge in 1986 processed all the collected materials on a computer and came to the conclusion that the first American land seen by Columbus was Samana Island (120 km southeast of Watling).
On October 14-24, Columbus approached several more Bahamas, and on October 28 - December 5 opened part of the northeast coast of Cuba. December 6 reached the island of Haiti and moved along the northern coast. On the night of December 25, the flagship Santa Maria landed on a reef, but the crew escaped. For the first time in the history of navigation, on the orders of Columbus, Indian hammocks were adapted for sailor bunks.
Columbus returned to Castile on the Nina on March 15, 1493. From America, Columbus brought seven captive American natives, who were called Indians in Europe, as well as some gold and plants and fruits hitherto unknown in the Old World, including an annual corn plant (in Haiti it is called maize), tomatoes, peppers, tobacco (“ dry leaves, which were especially prized local residents”), pineapples, cocoa and potatoes (because of its beautiful pink and white flowers). The political resonance of Columbus's voyage was the "papal meridian": the head of the Catholic Church established a demarcation line in the Atlantic, indicating different directions for the discovery of new lands by competing Spain and Portugal.
The first landing of Christopher Columbus on the shores of the New World: in San Salvador, Wisconsin, October 12, 1492.
Author of the painting: Spanish artist Tolin Puebla, Theophilus Dioscor Dioscoro Teofilo Puebla Tolin (1831-1901)
Publisher: American firm Currier and Ives (engravings, lithography, popular prints), publication 1892.

2 expedition of Christopher Columbus (1493 - 1496)

The second expedition (1493-96), led by Admiral Columbus, in the position of Viceroy of the newly discovered lands, consisted of 17 ships with a crew of 1.5-2.5 thousand people. On November 3-15, 1493, Columbus discovered the islands of Dominica, Guadeloupe and about 20 Lesser Antilles, on November 19, the island of Puerto Rico. In March 1494, in search of gold, he made a military campaign deep into the island of Haiti, in the summer he discovered the southeast and south coast Cuba, the Isle of Youth and Jamaica. For 40 days, Columbus examined South coast Haiti, whose conquest continued in 1495. But in the spring of 1496 he sailed home, completing his second voyage on June 11 in Castile. Columbus announced the discovery of a new route to Asia. The colonization of new lands by free settlers, which began soon, was very expensive for the Spanish crown, and Columbus proposed to populate the islands with criminals, halving their sentence. With fire and sword, plundering and destroying the country ancient culture, on the land of the Aztecs - Mexico - the military detachments of Cortes passed, on the land of the Incas - Peru - the detachments of Pizarro.

3 expedition of Christopher Columbus (1498 - 1499)

The third expedition (1498-99) consisted of six ships, three of which Columbus himself led across the Atlantic. On July 31, 1498, he discovered the island of Trinidad, entered the Gulf of Paria, discovered the mouth of the western arm of the Orinoco Delta and the Paria Peninsula, marking the beginning of the discovery of South America. Having entered the Caribbean Sea, he approached the Araya Peninsula, discovered the island of Margarita on August 15 and arrived in Haiti on August 31. In 1500, upon a denunciation, Christopher Columbus was arrested and, shackled (which he then kept for the rest of his life), was sent to Castile, where he was expected to be released.