HRISTOPHER COLUMBUS
discovered America in 1492. At least that is what all elementary school
children were always taught: "In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue." Of
course, Columbus never did "discover" North America, and the regions he
did explore were already inhabited. He only discovered them from the
viewpoint of the Europeans. Yet his first voyage did prove one thing for
sure, that the earth was not only round, but that it was bigger than he
had thought, Eratosthenes notwithstanding.
One of the first known celebrations marking the discovery of the "New
World" by Christopher Columbus was in 1792, when a ceremony organized
by the Colombian Order was held in New York City honoring Christopher
Columbus and the 300th anniversary of his landing in the Bahamas. Then,
on October 12, 1866 the Italian population of New York organized the first
celebration of the discovery of America. Three years later, in 1869
Italians in San Francisco celebrated October 12 calling it C-Day.
To mark the 400th anniversary of Columbus' voyage, in 1892, President
Benjamin Harrison made a commemorative proclamation. But it was Colorado,
in 1905, that became the first state to observe a Columbus Day. Since 1920
the day has been celebrated annually, and in 1937 President Franklin
Roosevelt proclaimed every October 12 as Columbus Day. That's where it
remained until 1971 when Congress declared it a federal public holiday on
the second Monday in October.
Christopher Columbus (1451 - 1505)
Columbus, the son of a wool merchant and weaver, was born in Genoa,
Italy and went to sea at the age of 14. Following a shipwreck off the
coast of Portugal in 1470, he swam ashore and settled in that country.
Between 1477 and 1482 Columbus made merchant voyages as far away as
Iceland and Guinea. But in 1484, his "Enterprise of the Indies" idea fell
on deaf ears when he presented it to King John of Portugal. Shortly
thereafter, he moved to Spain, where King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella
became more interested in his adventuresome ideas.
To the New World
On August 2, 1492, Columbus set sail in search of the East Indies. The
voyage was financed by Ferdinand and Isabella by making the city of Palos
Columbus and 90 crewmen boarded the three ships that were to make
the first voyage to the New World, the Niña, Pinta, and the
flagship, Santa Maria. On October 12, 1492, Columbus first saw
the islands of the new world, landing in the Bahamas. Later in the month,
he would sail to Cuba, and to Hispaniola (now Haiti). He thought he had
reached the East Indies, the islands off Southeast Asia.
Contrary to popular belief, most educated individuals in the 15th
century, and especially sailors, already knew that the earth was round.
What was not realized by Columbus, however, was just how big a globe it
was. Columbus seriously underestimated the size of the planet.
Seaworthy Cuisine
The menu for Spanish seamen consisted of water, vinegar, wine, olive
oil, molasses, cheese, honey, raisins, rice, garlic, almonds, sea
biscuits, dry legumes such as chickpeas, lentils, beans, salted and
barreled sardines, anchovies, dry salt cod and pickled or salted meats
(beef and pork), salted flour.
Food, mostly boiled, was served in a large communal wooden bowl. It
consisted of poorly cooked meat with bones in it, the sailors attacking it
with fervor, picking it with their fingers as they had no forks or spoons.
The larger pieces of meat were cut with the knife each sailor carried.
Fish was eaten most often. On calm days, the crew would fish and then
cook their catch.
Return to Spain and Additional Voyages
On Christmas Day, 1492, the Santa Maria sank off Hispaniola.
Columbus departed for Spain on January 16, 1493 on the Niña,
arriving there on March 4.
Columbus made three additional voyages to the New World. The second
voyage set sail in September, 1493, with 17 ships. During his expeditions,
he helped to colonize Hispaniola, and discovered the South American
mainland. He did not, however, see mainland North America during any of
his voyages.
He returned to Spain for the last time on November 7, 1504. He died at
Valladolid, Spain on May 20, 1506, at the age of 55.
Controversy
Much controversy exists over Columbus' expeditions and whether or not
one can "discover" an already-inhabited land. The natives of the Bahamas
and other islands on his journey were peaceful and friendly. Yet many of
them were later enslaved by the Spanish. Also, it is known that the
Vikings explored the North American coast 500 years before Columbus.
Nevertheless, Columbus' expedition was unique and important in that it
resulted in the first intertwining of Europe with the Americas, resulting
in the first permanent European colonies in the New World.
Credits: Castello Banfi, Keith A. Pickering, Joseph M.
Laufer, Cambridge Encyclopedia Database, Encarta
October 8, 2006
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