Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer and was one of the first explorers sponsored by Spain. He asked the King and Queen to support his expedition several times before they finally agreed. They supplied Columbus with 3 ships and a crew of men. He name his ships Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria. Columbus' mission was to find a safer and faster route to Asia and China by sailing West.

Columbus and his crew experienced many obstacles during their journey. There were no maps to follow and they did not even know if they could get to Asia by traveling West. The trip was long and difficult. The crew tried to get Columbus to turn around and go home, but he continued on. Days later, land was spotted. The crew thought they finally reached India, so they called the native people Indians. This proved that Columbus really had no knowledge of the Indian culture. They had actually landed on an island in the Bahamas. He claimed it for Spain and named it San Salvador. During their exploration, they also explored Cuba and Hispaniola.

Columbus later made 3 more voyages with many more ships. He settled lands in Central and South America. Columbus died thinking he reached the Indies. He is now remembered for discovering the Americas.

Who sponsored Christopher Columbus?

• Italy

• Spain

• Germany

• United States

Where was Columbus born?

• Hispaniola

• Italy

• United States

• India

What was an obstacle Christopher Columbus faced on his voyages?

• He had no maps.

• India was far away.

• The Indians were brutal.

• Spain did not provide him with safe ships.

What was Columbus's goal?

• To find spices and gold.

• To claim land in America.

• To become governor of Spain.

• To find a faster route to Asia.

Where did Columbus settle at?

• India

• Spain

• Italy

• Central and South America

What did Columbus's crew want to do?

• Keep exploring until they found land.

• Turn around and go home.

• Find gold and become rich.

• Get to India faster.

True or False:

Columbus had a very good understanding of the Indian culture?

• True

• False

True or False:

Columbus died thinking he found the Indies.

• True

• False

True or False:

Columbus and his crew sailed on a safe and easy voyage.

• True

• False

True or False:

Columbus went on more voyages after landing in the Bahamas.

• True

• False