The discovery of America x by Columbus took place in. Who discovered America? History of the Discovery of America

(1492-1493), consisting of 91 people on the ships Santa Maria, Pinta, Nina, left Pálos de la Frontera on August 3, 1492, turned west from the Canary Islands (September 9 ), crossed Atlantic Ocean in the 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 the north coast. On the night of December 25, the flagship Santa Maria landed on a reef, but people escaped. Columbus on the ship "Nina" on January 4-16, 1493 completed the survey of the northern coast of Haiti and on 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. November 3, 1493 Columbus discovered the islands of Dominica and Guadeloupe, turning to the North-West - about 20 more Small Antilles, including Antigua and the Virgin Islands, and on November 19 - the island of Puerto Rico and approached the northern coast of 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 south coast 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 explored the entire South coast Haiti. 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, the Gulf of Honduras on July 30, and discovered from August 1, 1502 to May 1, 1503 the Caribbean coast of 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.

Candidates for pioneers

• The first people who settled in America are the native Indians, who crossed there about 30 thousand years ago from Asia along the Bering Isthmus.
• In the 10th century, around 1000, the Vikings led by Leif Eriksson. L'Anse aux Meadows has the remains of a Viking settlement on the continent.
• In 1492 - Christopher Columbus (Genoese in the service of Spain); Columbus himself believed that he opened the way to Asia (hence the name West Indies, Indians).
• In 1507, the cartographer M. Waldseemuller proposed that the discovered lands be named America in honor of the explorer of the New World Amerigo Vespucci - this is considered the moment from which America was recognized as an independent continent.
• There are good reasons to believe that the continent was named after an English philanthropist. Richard America from Bristol, who financed John Cabot's second transatlantic expedition in 1497, and Vespucci took his nickname after the already named continent. In May 1497, Cabot reached the shores of Labrador, becoming the first officially registered European to set foot on American soil, two years earlier than Vespucci (we are talking about North America). Cabot mapped the coast of North America from Nova Scotia to Newfoundland. In the Bristol calendar for that year we read: "... on the day of St. John the Baptist, the land of America was found by merchants from Bristol, who arrived on a ship from Bristol with the name "Matthew" ("metik").

Hypothetical

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 371 BC. e. - Phoenicians
• in the 5th century - Hui Shen (a Taiwanese Buddhist monk who traveled to the country of Fusang in the 5th century, identified in different versions with Japan or America)
• in the VI century - St. Brendan (Irish monk)
• in the XII century - Madog ap Owain Gwynedd (a Welsh prince, according to legend, visited America in 1170)
• there are versions according to which, at least from the 13th century, America was known to the Knights Templar
• in 1331 - Abubakar II (Sultan of Mali)
• OK. 1398 - Henry Sinclair (de St. Clair), Earl of Orkney (c. 1345 - c. 1400)
• in 1421 - Zheng He (Chinese explorer)
• in 1472 - Juan Corterial (Portuguese)

Also known is Thor Heyerdahl's version of the Egyptians visiting America. As part of the evidence, there were expeditions on boats Ra and Ra-2, built according to ancient technologies. The first boat failed to reach the Caribbean, but was only a few hundred kilometers short. The second expedition reached its goal.

Write a review on the article "Discovery of America"

Notes

Literature

• Bakless D. America through the eyes of the discoverers / Per. from English. 3. M. Kanevsky. - M.: Thought, 1969. - 408 p.: ill.
• 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.

Before Columbus great maritime discoveries conquistadors Mapping

An excerpt characterizing the Discovery of America

As long as Boris continued to make the figures of the mazurka, he never ceased to be tormented by the thought of what kind of news Balashev brought and how to find out before others.
In the figure where he had to choose the ladies, whispering to Helen that he wanted to take Countess Pototskaya, who, it seems, went out onto the balcony, he, sliding his feet on the parquet, ran out the exit door into the garden and, noticing the sovereign entering with Balashev on the terrace , paused. The Emperor and Balashev were heading for the door. Boris, in a hurry, as if not having time to move away, respectfully pressed himself against the lintel and bent his head.
The emperor, with the excitement of a personally offended person, finished the following words:
- Without declaring war, enter Russia. I will make peace only when not a single armed enemy remains on my land,” he said. As it seemed to Boris, it was pleasant for the sovereign to express these words: he was pleased with the form of expression of his thoughts, but was dissatisfied with the fact that Boris heard them.
- so that no one knows anything! added the sovereign, frowning. Boris realized that this was referring to him, and, closing his eyes, tilted his head slightly. The emperor again entered the hall and stayed at the ball for about half an hour.
Boris was the first to learn the news of the crossing of the Neman by the French troops, and thanks to this, he had the opportunity to show some important people that much hidden from others is known to him, and through this he had the opportunity to rise higher in the opinion of these persons.

The unexpected news that the French had crossed the Neman was especially unexpected after a month of unfulfilled expectations, and at the ball! The emperor, in the first minute of receiving the news, under the influence of indignation and insult, found that, which later became famous, a saying that he himself liked and fully expressed his feelings. Returning home from the ball, at two in the morning the sovereign sent for Secretary Shishkov and ordered him to write an order to the troops and a rescript to Field Marshal Prince Saltykov, in which he certainly demanded that words be placed that he would not reconcile until at least one an armed Frenchman will remain on Russian soil.
The next day the following letter was written to Napoleon.
Monsieur mon frere. J "ai appris hier que malgre la loyaute avec laquelle j" ai maintenu mes engagements envers Votre Majeste, ses troupes ont franchis les frontieres de la Russie, et je recois a l "instant de Petersbourg une note par laquelle le comte Lauriston, pour cause de cette agression, annonce que votre majeste s "est consideree comme en etat de guerre avec moi des le moment ou le prince Kourakine a fait la demande de ses passeports. Les motifs sur lesquels le duc de Bassano fondait son refus de les lui delivrer, n "auraient jamais pu me faire supposer que cette demarche servirait jamais de pretexte a l" agression. En effet cet ambassadeur n "y a jamais ete autorise comme il l" a declare lui meme, et aussitot que j "en fus informe, je lui ai fait connaitre combien je le desapprouvais en lui donnant l" ordre de rester a son poste. Si Votre Majeste n "est pas intentionnee de verser le sang de nos peuples pour un malentendu de ce genre et qu" elle consente a retirer ses troupes du territoire russe, je regarderai ce qui s "est passe comme non avenu, et un accommodement entre nous sera possible. Dans le cas contraire, Votre Majeste, je me verrai force de repousser une attaque que rien n "a provoquee de ma part. Il depend encore de Votre Majeste d "eviter a l" humanite les calamites d "une nouvelle guerre.
Je suis, etc.
(signe) Alexandre.
[“My lord brother! Yesterday it dawned on me that, in spite of the frankness with which I observed my obligations in relation to Your Imperial Majesty, Your troops crossed the Russian borders, and only now received a note from Petersburg, which Count Lauriston informs me about this invasion, that Your Majesty considers yourself in hostile relations with me since the time when Prince Kurakin demanded his passports. The reasons on which the Duke of Bassano based his refusal to issue these passports could never have led me to suppose that my ambassador's act was the occasion for the attack. And in fact, he had no order from me to do so, as he himself announced; and as soon as I found out about this, I immediately expressed my displeasure to Prince Kurakin, ordering him to fulfill the duties entrusted to him as before. If Your Majesty is not disposed to shed the blood of our subjects because of such a misunderstanding, and if you agree to withdraw your troops from the Russian possessions, then I will ignore everything that has happened, and an agreement between us will be possible. Otherwise, I will be forced to repel an attack that was not initiated by anything on my part. Your Majesty, you still have the opportunity to save humanity from the scourge of a new war.
(signed) Alexander. ]

On June 13, at two o'clock in the morning, the sovereign, having called Balashev to him and read his letter to Napoleon to him, ordered him to take this letter and personally hand it over to the French emperor. Sending Balashev, the sovereign again repeated to him the words that he would not reconcile until at least one armed enemy remained on Russian soil, and ordered that these words be conveyed to Napoleon without fail. The sovereign did not write these words in the letter, because he felt with his tact that these words were inconvenient to convey at the moment when the last attempt at reconciliation was being made; but he certainly ordered Balashev to hand them over to Napoleon personally.
Leaving on the night of June 13-14, Balashev, accompanied by a trumpeter and two Cossacks, arrived at dawn in the village of Rykonty, at the French outposts on this side of the Neman. He was stopped by French cavalry sentries.
A French hussar non-commissioned officer, in a crimson uniform and a shaggy hat, shouted at Balashev, who was approaching, ordering him to stop. Balashev did not immediately stop, but continued to move along the road at a pace.
The non-commissioned officer, frowning and muttering some kind of curse, advanced with his horse's chest on Balashev, took up his saber and rudely shouted at the Russian general, asking him: is he deaf that he does not hear what they say to him. Balashev named himself. The non-commissioned officer sent a soldier to the officer.
Paying no attention to Balashev, the non-commissioned officer began to talk with his comrades about his regimental affairs and did not look at the Russian general.
It was extraordinarily strange for Balashev, after being close to the highest power and might, after a conversation three hours ago with the sovereign and generally accustomed to honors in his service, to see here, on Russian soil, this hostile and, most importantly, disrespectful attitude of brute force towards himself.
The sun was just beginning to rise from behind the clouds; the air was fresh and dewy. On the way, the herd was driven out of the village. In the fields, one by one, like bubbles in water, the larks burst up with a chuckle.
Balashev looked around him, waiting for the arrival of an officer from the village. The Russian Cossacks, and the trumpeter, and the French hussars silently looked at each other from time to time.
A French hussar colonel, apparently just out of bed, rode out of the village on a handsome, well-fed gray horse, accompanied by two hussars. On the officer, on the soldiers and on their horses there was a look of contentment and panache.

October 12, 1492 is a significant date in world history, because it was on this day that the expedition of Christopher Columbus reached the island of San Salvador and thereby discovered a new continent - America. We will deal with the main prerequisites for such an “incident”, highlighting some facts, analyze the course of the expedition itself and briefly summarize its results for the states of that time.

Basic prerequisites

It is not entirely correct to talk about the prerequisites for the discovery of America in isolation from the context of other great geographical discoveries: In addition to the expedition of Columbus, many attempts were made to reach new lands by sea. There are three main factors that are crucial for the formation of such aspirations in many states and travelers:

• Not so long ago, under the onslaught of the Ottoman Turks, Byzantium fell, which was the birth of Ottoman Empire. Since the latter was located in the east of the Mediterranean and in Asia Minor, all trade relations ("Silk Road") with the countries of the east were terminated.
• Spices, which were purchased in India and Indochina, as well as many other goods, were extremely important for European states.
• In the 14th century, learned geographers misunderstood the size of the Earth. It was believed that all land was limited to the continents of Eurasia and Africa; they also thought that the distance between the western point of Europe and the eastern point of Asia was no more than a few thousand kilometers.

Expedition progress

The beginning of the expedition is considered to be August 3, 1492 when: it was on this day that three ships (“Santa Maria”, “Pinta”, “Nina”) began their journey from the Spanish city of Palos de la Frontera. The first documented event was the appearance of aquatic algae on the way, which occurred on September 16th. We mention this fact for a reason: during the passage through the body of water with algae, the Sargasso Sea was discovered. The next event occurred on October 7, 1492, when the course was seriously changed: it seemed to the crew that the ships had passed Japan. Therefore, the expedition headed southwest.

Soon - on October 12 - from the ships they saw one of the famous Bahamas, which received the name San Salvador - a kind of symbolic tribute to the image of Jesus Christ. According to available information, the land was spotted by the sailor of the caravel "Pinta" Rodrigo de Triana, who never managed to receive the reward promised by the King of Spain afterwards.

It is worth noting that the duration of the Bahamas archipelago is more than a thousand kilometers: it “stretches” from Florida to Haiti and includes about three thousand islands of different sizes. On October 13, Columbus decided to land, during which he planted the Castilian banner; in fact, it was an official "taking over": a corresponding document was even drawn up.

For two weeks, the expedition moved south, during which islands such as Cuba and Haiti were discovered. Since the geographical representations of the 15th century were seriously different from modern ones, Columbus considered these lands East Asia. Subsequently, the open territories received the corresponding name - "West Indies".

The next important incident happened already in December - on the 26th, the ship "Santa Maria" was not lucky enough to get on the reefs. Due to the help of the natives - the indigenous people - the sailors managed to cope with the scourge: guns, supplies, and valuable cargo were removed. The wreckage of the ship became the basis for the creation of a fort, which became the first settlement of Europeans on the new continent. Its name is known to many - "Navidad".

The next major date is March 15, 1493, when the expedition returned to their homeland. It is worth noting that Columbus took with him the natives ("Indians"), a certain amount of gold and plants outlandish for Europeans, among which were potatoes, tobacco and corn. Subsequently, three more expeditions were carried out, which we will not describe in detail; we only note that their result was the discovery of the islands of Jamaica, Dominica, Puerto Rico, as well as the territories of Honduras, Costa Rica and Nicaragua.

moment of awareness

It should be noted that at the time of the return of the expedition, many did not realize the significance of the discovery made. Columbus himself was vehemently disappointed: the natives did not make a special impression on him, and no wealth was found during the expedition. Soon - in 1494 - the so-called. Treaty of Tordesillas, which divided the open territories between Portugal and Spain. At that time, it was unknown that the entire western part of the American continent thus passed into the possession of the latter. Soon after the return of Columbus, many travelers headed towards open lands, but the realization of what had happened did not come immediately.

In itself, the name "America" ​​appeared only in 1507: this is how cartographers named the continent in honor of Amerigo Vespucci. The latter is also a famous discoverer: it was he who first suggested that open lands- not India at all, but the so-called. "New World". He sent reports in 1502 and 1504.

Results

Obviously, the results of the discovery of a new continent were stunning: the situation in the world has fundamentally changed. Active development of new lands began, the development of shipbuilding was spurred on. It is natural that for some time international relations were significantly strengthened, but soon the new territories became the cause of numerous conflicts.

Another important point is cardinal changes in the economy. There was a so-called. "revolution" of prices, due to the flow of various metals (gold, silver and some others). World trade has strengthened significantly, and a huge number of new products have appeared.

Naturally, certain areas of science and technology began to develop more rapidly. Moreover, the discovery of America was reflected even in culture: Europeans learned about a fundamentally different structure of society, which was reflected in the works of Thomas More.

The history of the discovery of America is quite amazing. These events took place at the end of the 15th century due to the rapid development of navigation and shipping in Europe. In many ways, we can say that the discovery of the American continent happened quite by accident and the motives were very banal - the search for gold, wealth, large trading cities.

In the 15th century, ancient tribes lived on the territory of modern America, who were very good-natured and hospitable. In Europe, in those days, even then the states were quite developed and modern. Each country tried to expand its sphere of influence, to find new sources of replenishment of the state treasury. At the end of the 15th century, trade flourished, the development of new colonies.

Who discovered America?

In the 15th century, ancient tribes lived on the territory of modern America, who were very good-natured and hospitable. In Europe, even then the states were quite developed and modern. Each country tried to expand its sphere of influence, to find new sources of replenishment of the state treasury.

When you ask any adult and child who discovered America, we will hear about Columbus. It was Christopher Columbus who gave impetus to the active search and development of new lands.

Christopher Columbus - the great Spanish navigator. Information about where he was born and spent his childhood is scarce and contradictory. It is known that being young, Christopher was fond of cartography. He was married to the daughter of a sailor. In 1470, the geographer and astronomer Toscanelli informed Columbus of his assumptions that the journey to India was shorter if one sailed west. Apparently, then Columbus began to hatch his idea of ​​​​a short way to India, while, according to his calculations, it was necessary to sail through the Canary Islands, and Japan would already be close there.
Since 1475, Columbus has been trying to implement the idea and make an expedition. The purpose of the expedition is to find a new trade route to India across the Atlantic Ocean. To do this, he turned to the government and the merchants of Genoa, but he was not supported. The second attempt to find funding for the expedition was the Portuguese king João II, however, even here, after a long study of the project, he was refused.

AT last time with his project, he came to the Spanish king. At the beginning, his project was considered for a long time, even several meetings, commissions were held, this lasted for several years. His idea was supported by bishops and Catholic kings. But Columbus received final support for his project after the victory of Spain in the city of Granada, which was freed from the Arab presence.

The expedition was organized on the condition that Columbus, if successful, would receive not only the gifts and wealth of new lands, but also receive, in addition to the status of a nobleman, the title: Admiral of the Sea-Ocean and Viceroy of all lands, which he would open. For Spain, a successful expedition promised not only the development of new lands, but also the opportunity to trade directly with India, since according to an agreement concluded with Portugal, Spanish ships were forbidden to enter the waters of the western coast of Africa.

When and how did Columbus discover America?

Historians consider 1942 to be the year of the discovery of America, although this is rather approximate data. Discovering new lands and islands, Columbus did not even imagine that this was another continent, which would later be called the "New World". The traveler undertook 4 expeditions. He arrived in new and new lands, believing that these were the lands of "Western India". For a long time everyone in Europe thought so. However, another traveler, Vasco da Gama, declared Columbus a deceiver, since it was Gamma who found a direct route to India and brought gifts and spices from there.

What America did Christopher Columbus discover? We can say that thanks to his expeditions since 1492, Columbus discovered both North and South America. To be more precise, the islands were discovered, which are now considered either South or North America.

Who discovered America first?

Although historically it is believed that it was Columbus who discovered America, but in fact this is not entirely true.

There is evidence that the "New World" was previously visited by the Scandinavians (Leif Eriksson in 1000, Thorfinn Karlsefni in 1008), this journey became known from the manuscripts "The Saga of Eric the Red" and "The Saga of the Greenlanders". There are other "discoverers of America", but the scientific community does not take them seriously, as there is no reliable data. For example, America was previously visited by an African traveler from Mali - Abu Bakr II, a Scottish nobleman Henry Sinclair, a Chinese traveler Zheng He.

Why is America called America?

The first widely known and recorded fact is the visit to this part of the "New World" by the traveler and navigator Amerigo Vespucci. It is noteworthy that it was he who suggested that this is not India or China, but a completely new previously unknown mainland. It is believed that this is why the name America was assigned to the new land, and not its discoverer - Columbus.

Columbus discovered America

The year this Spanish navigator discovered new land, in history it is indicated as the 1492nd. And by the beginning of the eighteenth century, all other regions of North America were already discovered and explored, for example, Alaska and the regions of the Pacific coast. It must be said that travelers from Russia also made an important contribution to the study of the mainland.

Development

The history of the discovery of North America is quite interesting: it can even be called accidental. At the end of the fifteenth century, a Spanish navigator with his expedition reached the shores of North America. However, he mistakenly believed that he was in India. From this moment, the countdown of that era begins, when America was discovered and its development and exploration began. But some researchers consider this date to be inaccurate, arguing that the discovery of a new continent happened much earlier.

The year of discovery of America by Columbus - 1492 - is not an exact date. It turns out that the Spanish navigator had predecessors, and moreover, not one. In the middle of the tenth century, the Normans got here after they discovered Greenland. True, they failed to colonize these new lands, because they were repelled by the harsh weather conditions of the north of this continent. In addition, the Normans were also frightened by the remoteness of the new mainland from Europe.

According to other sources, this continent was discovered by ancient navigators - the Phoenicians. Some sources call the middle of the first millennium of our era the time when America was discovered, and the Chinese are the pioneers. However, this version also does not have clear evidence.

The most reliable information is considered to be the time when the Vikings discovered America. At the end of the tenth century, the Normans Bjarni Herjulfson and Leif Eriksson found Helluland - "stone", Markland - "forest" and Vinland - "vineyard" land, which contemporaries identify with the Labrador Peninsula.

There is evidence that even before Columbus in the fifteenth century, the northern continent was reached by fishermen from Bristol and Biscay, who called it the island of Brazil. However, the time periods of these expeditions cannot be called that milestone in history when they discovered America for real, that is, identified it as a new continent.

Columbus is a real pioneer

And yet, when answering the question in what year America was discovered, experts most often name the fifteenth century, or rather its end. And Columbus is considered the first to do this. The time when America was discovered coincided in history with the period when Europeans began to spread ideas about the round shape of the Earth and the possibility of reaching India or China along the western route, that is, through the Atlantic Ocean. At the same time, it was believed that this route is much shorter than the eastern one. Therefore, given the Portuguese monopoly on control over South Atlantic, received by the Alcasovas agreement of 1479, Spain, always striving to obtain direct contacts with eastern countries, warmly supported the expedition of the Genoese navigator Columbus in the western direction.

Opening honor

Christopher Columbus was interested in geography, geometry and astronomy from an early age. From a young age, he participated in sea expeditions, visited almost all the then known oceans. Columbus was married to the daughter of a Portuguese sailor, from whom he inherited many geographical maps and notes from the time of Henry the Navigator. The future discoverer carefully studied them. His plans were to find a sea route to India, however, not bypassing Africa, but directly across the Atlantic. Like some scientists - his contemporaries, Columbus believed that, having gone west from Europe, it would be possible to reach the Asian eastern shores - those places where India and China are located. At the same time, he did not even suspect that on the way he would meet a whole mainland, until then not known to Europeans. But it happened. And since that time, the history of the discovery of America begins.

First expedition

For the first time the ships of Columbus set sail from the harbor of Palos on August 3, 1492. There were three. Before the Canary Islands, the expedition proceeded quite calmly: this segment of the journey was already known to the sailors. But very soon they found themselves in a boundless ocean. Gradually, the sailors began to fall into despondency and raise a murmur. But Columbus managed to pacify the recalcitrant, maintaining hope in them. Soon signs began to come across - harbingers of the proximity of land: unknown birds flew in, tree branches sailed. Finally, after six weeks of sailing, lights appeared at night, and when dawn broke, a green picturesque island, all covered with vegetation, opened up before the sailors. Columbus, having landed on the coast, declared this land the possessions of the Spanish crown. The island was named San Salvador, that is, the Savior. It was one of the small pieces of land included in the Bahamas or Lucayan archipelago.

Land where there is gold

The natives are peaceful and good-natured savages. Noticing the greed of those who sailed to the golden ornaments that hung in the nose and ears of the natives, they told with signs that in the south there is a land literally abounding in gold. And Columbus went on. In the same year, he discovered Cuba, which, although he mistook for the mainland, or rather, for east coast Asia, also declared a Spanish colony. From here, the expedition, turning east, landed in Haiti. At the same time, along the way, the Spaniards met savages who not only willingly exchanged their gold jewelry for simple glass beads and other trinkets, but also constantly pointed to the south direction when they were asked about this precious metal. On which Columbus called Hispaniola, or Lesser Spain, he built a small fortress.

Return

When the ships landed in the harbor of Palos, all the inhabitants came ashore to greet them with honors. Very graciously received Columbus and Ferdinand with Isabella. The news of the discovery of the New World spread very quickly, just as quickly gathered those who wanted to go there with the discoverer. At that time, Europeans had no idea what kind of America Christopher Columbus discovered.

Second trip

The history of the discovery of North America, which began in 1492, continued. From September 1493 to June 1496, the second expedition of the Genoese navigator took place. As a result, the Virgin and Windward Islands were discovered, including Antigua, Dominica, Nevis, Montserrat, St. Christopher, as well as Puerto Rico and Jamaica. The Spaniards firmly settled on the lands of Haiti, making them their base and building the fortress of San Domingo in its southeastern part. In 1497, the British entered into rivalry with them, also trying to find northwestern routes to Asia. For example, the Genoese Cabot under the English flag discovered the island of Newfoundland and, according to some reports, came very close to the North American coast: to the Labrador and Nova Scotia peninsulas. So the British began to lay the foundation for their dominance in the region of North America.

Third and fourth expeditions

It began in May 1498 and ended in November 1500. As a result, the island of Trinidad and the mouth of the Orinoco were discovered. In August 1498, Columbus landed on the coast already on the Paria Peninsula, and in 1499 the Spaniards reached the shores of Guiana and Venezuela, after which - Brazil and the mouth of the Amazon. And during the last - fourth - trip from May 1502 to November 1504, Columbus had already discovered Central America. His ships passed along the coast of Honduras and Nicaragua, reached from Costa Rica and Panama up to the Gulf of Darien.

new mainland

In the same year, another navigator - whose expeditions took place under the Portuguese flag - also explored the Brazilian coast. Having reached Cape Cananea, he put forward a hypothesis that the lands discovered by Columbus are not China, and not even India, but a completely new mainland. This idea was confirmed after the first round-the-world trip made by F. Magellan. However, contrary to logic, the name America was assigned to the new continent - on behalf of Vespucci.

True, there is some reason to believe that the new continent was named after the Bristol philanthropist Richard America from England, who financed the second transatlantic voyage in 1497, and Amerigo Vespucci after that took on the nickname in honor of the continent so named. To prove this theory, the researchers cite the facts that Cabot reached the shores of Labrador two years earlier, and therefore became the officially registered first European to set foot on American soil.

In the middle of the sixteenth century, Jacques Cartier, a French navigator, reached the coast of Canada, giving the area its modern name.

Other contenders

Exploration of the continent North America continued by such navigators as John Davis, Alexander Mackenzie, Henry Hudson and William Buffin. It was thanks to their research that the continent was studied up to the Pacific coast.

However, history also knows many other names of sailors who moored to American soil even before Columbus. These are Hui Shen, a Thai monk who visited the region in the fifth century; Abubakar, the Sultan of Mali, who sailed to the American coast in the fourteenth century; the Earl of Orkney de Saint-Clair;

But, in spite of everything, it is Christopher Columbus who is the man whose discoveries had an unconditional impact on the entire history of mankind.

Fifteen years after the time when the ships of this navigator discovered America, the very first geographic map mainland. Its author was Martin Waldseemüller. Today it, being the property of the United States, is kept in Washington.

The lands were the most common: the founding of cities, the discovery of deposits of gold and wealth. In the 15th century, navigation was actively developing, and expeditions were equipped in search of an unknown continent. What was on the mainland before the arrival of Europeans, when Columbus discovered America, and under what circumstances did this happen?

History of the great discovery

By the 15th century, European states were distinguished by a high level of development. Each country tried to expand its sphere of influence, looking for additional sources of profit to replenish the treasury. New colonies formed.

Before the discovery, tribes lived on the continent. The natives were distinguished by a friendly character, which favored the rapid development of the territory.

Christopher Columbus, while still a teenager, discovered such a hobby as cartography. The Spanish navigator once learned from the astronomer and geographer Toscanelli that if you sail westward, you can reach India much faster. It was 1470. And the idea came just in time, as Columbus was looking for another route that would allow him to get to India in a short time. He suggested that a route should be laid through the Canary Islands.

In 1475, the Spaniard organizes an expedition, the purpose of which is to find a fast way by sea to India across the Atlantic Ocean. He reported this to the government with a request to support his idea, but received no help. The second time Columbus wrote to King Joao II of Portugal, however, he was also refused. Then he again turned to the government of Spain. On this occasion, several meetings of the commission were held, lasting a year. The final positive decision on financing was made after the victory of the Spanish troops in the city of Granada, liberated from the occupation of the Arabs.

In the event that a new path to India was discovered, Columbus was promised not only wealth, but also a noble title: Admiral of the Sea-Ocean and Viceroy of the lands that he would discover. Since Spanish ships were forbidden to enter the waters on west coast Africa, then such a step was beneficial for the government in order to conclude a direct trade agreement with India.

In what year did Columbus discover America?

1942 is officially recognized as the year of the discovery of America in history. Having discovered undeveloped lands, Columbus did not imagine that he had discovered the continent, which would be called the "New World". In what year the Spaniards discovered America, one can say conditionally, since a total of four campaigns were undertaken. Each time the navigator found more and more new lands, believing that this was the territory of Western India.

Columbus thought that he was following the wrong route after the expedition of Vasco de Gama. The traveler arrived in India and returned in a short time with rich goods, accusing Christopher of deceit.

Later it turned out that Columbus discovered the islands and the continental part of North and South America.

Which travelers discovered America earlier?

To say that Columbus became the discoverer of America is not entirely true. Before that, the Scandinavians landed on the lands: in 1000 - Leif Eriksson and in 1008 - Thorfinn Karlsefni. This is evidenced by the historical records "The Saga of the Greenlanders" and "The Saga of Eric the Red". There is other information about travel to the "New World". Traveler Abu Bakr II, a resident of the Celestial Empire Zheng He and a nobleman from Scotland, Henry Sinclair, arrived from Mali to America.

There is historical evidence showing that in the 10th century New World visited by the Normans after the discovery of Greenland. However, they failed to develop the territories due to severe weather conditions unsuitable for Agriculture. In addition, the way from Europe was very long.

Visits to the mainland by the navigator Amerigo Vespucci, after whom the continent was named.

America is a part of the world that Columbus is credited with officially discovering, but history is full of dark spots.

The modern United States plays one of the key roles in political strife, has a serious impact on other countries and the global economy. But the path to such a high level was long and thorny. It all started with the discovery of America.

Christopher Columbus was a Spanish navigator who discovered two new continents for Europeans. He made 4 expeditions, each of which was sent by kings, hoping to find a short trade route with India.

The first expedition consisted of three ships with a total of 91 people. She ended up on the island of San Salvador on October 12, 1492.

The second expedition, consisting of 17 ships and 1500 people, lasted from 1493 to 1496. During this time, Columbus discovered Dominica, Guadeloupe, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and about 20 more Lesser Antilles. In June, he already reported to the government about his amazing finds.

The third expedition, which included 6 ships, set off in 1498, and two years later returned to their native shores. Several more lands were discovered, including Trinidad, Margarita, the Araya and Paria peninsulas.

The last expedition, which sailed in 1502, included 4 ships. Within two years, the islands of Martinique, Panama, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica were discovered. Columbus crashed near Jamaica, and help arrived only a year later. The travelers arrived in their native Castile in November 1504.

Date when America was discovered - Vikings in 1000

Eric the Red was known as a great Viking. His son, Leif Erickson, was the first to set foot on American soil. After wintering in its open spaces, Erickson and his expedition returned to Greenland. This happened around the year 1000.

Two years later, brother Thorvald Erikson, the second son of Eric the Red, founded his settlement on the territory discovered by his brother. Less than a month later, local Indians attacked his people, killing Torvald and forcing the rest to return home.

In the future, the daughter of Erik the Red Freydis and his daughter-in-law Gudrid also tried to conquer new territories. The latter even managed to trade with the Indians, offering various goods. But the Viking settlement could not survive in America for more than 10 years, despite constant attempts.

When did Amerigo Vespucci discover America?

Amerigo Vespucci, after whom, according to some historians, the continents are named, first visited the New World as a navigator. Alonso de Ojeda's expedition route was chosen using a map created by Christopher Columbus. Together with him, Amerigo Vespucci took about a hundred slaves, who were the indigenous inhabitants of America.

Vespucci visited the new territory twice more - in 1501-1502 and from 1503 to 1504. If the Spaniard Christopher wanted to stock up on gold, then the Florentine Amerigo wanted to discover as many new lands as possible in order to gain fame and save his name in history.

What does Wikipedia say about the dates of the discovery of America?

The famous Wikipedia tells about the discovery of the continents of America with unprecedented detail. In the vastness of the world encyclopedia, you can find information about all the expeditions to the New World, about each of the possible discoverers, and the further history of the Indians.

Wikipedia calls the date of the discovery of America October 12, 1492, referring to Christopher Columbus.

It was he who managed not only to discover new territories, but to capture them on his map. Amerigo Vespucci was able to provide Europeans with a more complete picture of how the continents look. Although his "complete" map was significantly different from the modern one.

In what year after the discovery did the settlement of America begin?

The settlement of American soil began many thousands of years before its official discovery. It is believed that the ancestors of the Indians were the Eskimos, Inuit, Aleuts. The Vikings, as you know, also tried to take over the territories of the New World. But they did not succeed - the indigenous people protected it too jealously.

After the discoveries of Columbus and Vespucci, almost 50 years passed before the first European settlements appeared.

In the American city of St. Augusting in 1565, the first small settlement of the Spaniards was organized.

In 1585, the first British colony of Roanoke was created, which was destroyed by the Indians. The next attempt by the British was a colony in Virginia, which appeared in 1607.

And finally, the first colony in New England was the village, located in Plymouth in 1620. It is this year that is recognized as the official date for the colonization of the New World.

Possible discoverers before Christopher Columbus

There are many people on the list of possible discoverers. Historians cannot find reliable facts about this, but there are sources indicating that the information is still correct.

Of the hypothetical discoverers, it is worth highlighting:

• Phoenicians - 370 BC;
• ancient Egyptians;
• Hui Shen, who was a Buddhist monk who did the first, as it turned out, trip around the world- V century;
• Irish monk Brendan, who followed in the footsteps of Shen - VI century;
• Malay Sultan Abubakar II - 1330;
• Chinese explorer Zheng He - 1420;
• Portuguese Juan Corterial - 1471.

These persons had pure intentions, they were not looking for fame and gold, therefore they did not tell the general public about their find. They weren't trying to bring evidence or enslave the native Americans. Perhaps that is why their names are not familiar to most contemporaries, and the discoverer of the new land is indicated by the more cruel and greedy for gold Christopher Columbus.

The fate of the natives of America

The story of the discovery of America is presented in modern history as a joyful event that laid the foundation for a new nation of "emigrants." But it also became a nightmare for many Indians who had to endure the indescribable horrors created by the conquerors.

The Spaniards killed several thousand native Americans, and took several hundred into slavery. They made fun of the Indians, killed with particular cruelty, not sparing even babies. The “whites” who arrived in the new lands sprinkled them with blood, reducing the joyful discovery to a bloody massacre.

One of the Indians watching the fate, the priest Bartolome de Las Casas, who arrived with Columbus, tried to protect the Indians, even went to the Spanish court in the hope of pardoning them. As a result, the court decided whether it was worth calling the Indians people at all, whether they had a soul.

The negative attitude is due to the fact that Columbus left his team to look after the New World and went home. When he returned, he saw all his people dead. As it turned out, the Spaniards became impudent, beating the men and raping the women of the tribe, as well as killing the recalcitrant. The Indians, who initially considered the "white" gods, quickly realized how things were, and began to defend themselves. This is what led to further tragic incidents.

In any case, the discovery of America- a worthy event, which today is considered one of the loudest in the history of civilization.

There are many accidental discoveries in history, when the discoverers sought a completely different goal. The most striking example is the discovery of America by Columbus, made during the search for a 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 Canary Islands from where they turned 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 shore, 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 Caribbean islands. 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 was later called 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 a 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 of the crew.