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?