Christopher Columbus
A portrait of Christopher Columbus.
Christopher Columbus was born in 1451 in Genoa, Italy. His parents were Susanna and Domenico Colombo. As a young boy, Columbus dreamed of going to sea. As he grew into a young man, he followed his dreams and he became a sailor. In 1476, when he was twenty-five, Columbus was on a ship sailing for England, when his ship was attacked by French pirates. He was thrown into the sea, and he made his way to the nearest shore. He came ashore in Lagos, Portugal, and he stayed there until he was well. After, he went to live with his brother Bartholomew in Lisbon, Portugal. Together, they ran a shop where they sold maps to sailors and books. In Lisbon, Columbus married Dona Felipa Moniz de Perestrello, they had a son, named Diego. While in Lisbon, Columbus heard people talking about sailing east, around Africa, to China, Japan, The East Indies, and India, in search for valuable jewels and spices. Columbus, using his knowledge, thought that he could get there more quickly by sailing west. Columbus asked the king of Portugal, the king of France, the king of England, and the king and queen of Spain for three ships to make the voyage. They all refused him. In 1492, after three years of waiting, the king and queen of Spain finally agreed to help him. They gave him three ships, the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria, and about ninety men to sail with him. On August 3, 1492 the voyage began. On October 12, 1492, Columbus had reached an island to the southeast of Florida, they rowed ashore and claimed this island for Spain. They named the island San Salvador. There were native people already living on this island, and Columbus greeting them by giving them red caps and glass bead necklaces. He named the native people "indians" since he thought he had reached the Indies. Christopher Columbus had not reached the Indies at all, he had landed in America, the New World.
Source: Adler, D. A. (1991). A Picture Book of Christopher Columbus. New York: Holiday House.
Source: Adler, D. A. (1991). A Picture Book of Christopher Columbus. New York: Holiday House.