Discovery of America by Columbus in what. Discovery of America by Columbus

Wake up anyone in the middle of the night with the question: “Who discovered America first?”, And without hesitation, they will immediately give you the correct answer, calling the name of Christopher Columbus. This is for everyone known fact , which, it would seem, no one disputes. But was Columbus the first European to set foot on a new land? Not at all. Question one: "So who?". But Columbus was called for a reason discoverer.

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How did Columbus discover

In what century did such significant changes for the world take place? The official date for the discovery of a new continent called the Americas is 1499, 15th century. At that time, speculation began to appear among the inhabitants of Europe that the earth was round. They began to think about the possibility of navigation on the Atlantic Ocean and the opening of the western route straight to the shores of Asia.

The story of how Columbus discovered America is very funny. It so happened that he randomly stumbled upon New World , holding the way to distant India.

Christopher was an avid sailor, from a young age who managed to visit all known at that time. Carefully studying great amount geographical maps, Columbus planned to sail to India across the Atlantic without passing through Africa.

He, like many scientists of that time, naively believed that, having gone straight from Western Europe to the East, he would reach the shores of such Asian countries as China and India. No one could even imagine what was in his way all of a sudden. new lands will appear.

It is the day when Columbus reached the shores of the new mainland and is considered beginning of American history.

Continents discovered by Columbus

Christopher is considered the one who discovered North America. But in parallel with it, after the news of the New World spread to all countries, in the struggle for the development of the northern territories the British entered.

In total, the navigator made four expeditions. The continents that Columbus discovered: the island of Haiti or, as the traveler himself called it, Lesser Spain, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Antigua and many other territories of North America. From 1498 to 1504, during his last expeditions, the navigator already mastered land South America , where he reached the shores of not only Venezuela, but also Brazil. A little later, the expedition reached Central America, where the coastlines of Nicaragua and Honduras were developed, all the way to Panama.

Who else mastered America

Formally, many navigators opened America to the world in different ways. History counts many names associated with the development of the lands of the New World. The Columbus case continued:

• Alexander Mackenzie;
• William Buffin;
• Henry Hudson;
• John Davis.

Thanks to these navigators, the entire continent was explored and mastered, including Pacific coast.

Also, another discoverer of America is considered a no less famous person - Amerigo Vespucci. The Portuguese navigator went on expeditions and explored the coast of Brazil.

It was he who first suggested that Christopher Columbus sailed far not to China and India, but to previously unknown. His conjectures were confirmed by Fernand Magellan, after making the first trip around the world.

It is believed that the mainland was named precisely in honor of Vespucci, contrary to all the logic of what is happening. And today the New World is known to everyone under the name of America, and not in any other way. So who really discovered America?

Pre-Columbian expeditions to the Americas

In the legends and beliefs of the Scandinavian peoples, one can often stumble upon the mention of distant lands called Vinland located near Greenland. Historians believe that it was the Vikings who discovered America and became the first Europeans to set foot on the lands of the New World, and in their legends, Vinland is nothing more than Newfoundland.

Everyone knows how Columbus discovered America, but in fact Christopher was far away not the first navigator who visited this continent. Leif Erickson, who named one of the parts of the new continent as Vinland, cannot be called the discoverer either.

Who is considered first? Historians dare to believe that he was a merchant from distant Scandinavia - Bjarni Herjulfsson, which is mentioned in the Greenlanders' Saga. According to this literary work, in 985. he moved towards Greenland to meet his father, but lost his way due to a strong storm.

Before the discovery of America, the merchant had to sail at random, since he had not seen the lands of Greenland before and did not know a specific course. He soon reached the level shores unknown island covered with forests. Such a description did not fit Greenland at all, which surprised him greatly. Bjarni decided not to land and turn back.

Soon he sailed to Greenland, where he told this story to Leif Erickson, the son of the discoverer of Greenland. Exactly he became the first of the vikings who tried their luck to enter to the lands of America before Columbus, which he called Vinland.

Forced search for new lands

Important! Greenland is not the most pleasant country to live in. It is poor in resources, with a harsh climate. The possibility of resettlement at that time seemed like a pipe dream for the Vikings.

Stories about fertile lands covered with dense forests only spurred them on. Erickson gathered a small team for himself and set off on a journey in search of new territories. Leif became the one who discovered North America.

The first uncharted places they stumbled upon were rocky and mountainous. In their description today, historians see nothing more than baffin land. The subsequent coasts turned out to be low-lying, with green forests and long sandy beaches. This historians were very reminded of the description coast of the Labrador Peninsula in Canada.

On the new lands, wood was mined, which is so hard to find in Greenland. Subsequently, the Vikings founded the first two settlements in the New World, and all these territories were called Vinland.

The scientist who was nicknamed the "second Columbus"

The famous German geographer, naturalist and traveler are all one great person who is called Alexander Humboldt.

This great scientist opened America to others on the scientific side, having spent many years on research, and he was not alone. About what kind of partner he needed, Humbaldt did not hesitate for a long time and immediately made his choice in favor of Bonpland.

Humboldt and French botanist in 1799. went to scientific expedition to South America and Mexico, which lasted for five years. This journey brought scientists worldwide fame, and Humboldt himself was called the "second Columbus".

It's believed that in 1796 The scientist set himself the following tasks:

• explore little-studied areas of the globe;
• systematize all the information received;
• taking into account the results of research by other scientists, a comprehensive description of the structure of the universe.

All tasks, of course, were successfully completed. After the discovery of America as a continent, no one dared to conduct such research. Therefore, he decides to go to the least explored area - the West Indies, which allows him to achieve tremendous results. Humboldt created the first geographical maps discovered America almost simultaneously, but in world history the name of Christopher Columbus will always be the first in the list of those who mastered the territories of the New World.

(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). October 14-24, Christopher Columbus visited a number of other Bahamas, and on October 28-December 5 discovered and examined a section of the northeastern 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 surveyed the entire southern coast of Haiti on August 19-September 15. 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, and 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. Waldseemüller 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.

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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 sovereign, 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 he knows a lot that is hidden from others, 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, despite 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 a pretext for an 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, moved his horse's chest towards 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.

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.

For the 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 the 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 when this Spanish navigator discovered a new land is indicated in history as 1492. 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 Treaty of Alcazovas of 1479, Spain, always seeking direct contact with Eastern countries, warmly supported the expedition of the Genoese navigator Columbus to the west.

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 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, 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 geographical map of the mainland was compiled. 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 that the Normans visited the New World in the 10th century after the discovery of Greenland. However, they failed to develop the territory 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.

In school textbooks around the world, you can find information that Columbus crossed the Atlantic and was the one who discovered America first. The only thing that can not be doubted is that he really overcame a long route across the ocean. In addition, Columbus landed on the continent only in 1498. This was the third expedition of the navigator. During the first trip, he could only get to the Bahamas and the Antilles.

Theories and hypotheses about who discovered America

The very term "discovery" in relation to the whole part of the world requires clarification, since America was not deserted. Indigenous tribes have lived on the mainland for over 15,000 years. Columbus opened the door for Western civilization to colonize the continent, nothing more. So did Columbus discover America or did he not?

The first who could actually get on their ships to the continent were the Phoenicians and Egyptians. There is no evidence to support this theory. A more convincing version is the Romans' voyage across the Atlantic. Some ships of the mighty empire were not inferior to the frigates of the XVIII century.

The only evidence that the Romans really were in America is only part of the statuette, a small terracotta head of a bearded man. It was discovered by archaeologists in the Tuluca Valley, 65 km from Mexico City. Thanks to new technologies, scientists were able to calculate: the find dates back to 200 BC. e. At this time, in ancient Rome, similar things were made in large quantities.

Viking sea voyages

Scandinavian navigators really were on the American continent, which is beyond doubt among modern scientists. The discovery of America is attributed to them. Much has been written about this in the Norwegian and Danish sagas. This has been confirmed by many archaeological finds. There is a generally accepted theory about how exactly the Normans got to the continent.

In 986, Bjarn Herulfson traveled to Greenland via Iceland. A victim of strong winds and thick fog, Bjarn lost his way. For a long time, his team swam almost blindly, until a new earth. Herulfson did not dare to leave the drakkars and step on land and ordered to go further along coastline. A few days later he again saw the wooded coast, but Bjarne continued to sail north until he reached Greenland.

Stories about this journey interested the navigator Eirik the Red. The Scandinavian colonists needed a tree, so the story of the land covered with forests was very interesting for them, as it could solve some of their problems. In 1004, Eirik set off with a small team along the route of Kherulfson. The Vikings landed in America in several places. After wintering, they returned to Greenland with a large load of wood. And in what year did Columbus discover America to all Western civilization? This happened only after 500 years. Impressive, isn't it?

Amerigo Vespucci and Christopher Columbus

From the very beginning of the Columbus expedition, the discovery of America was perceived as a shortcut to India. That is why the indigenous inhabitants of the new continent were called Indians. Four countries actively participated in the seizure of new lands:

1. Spain.
2. England.
3. Portugal.
4. Holland.

Gold was exported from North and South America, new settlements were built here. The name "America" ​​comes from the name famous traveler Amerigo Vespucci (pictured). The Medici trading house in Seville, which Vespucci was in charge of, took part in equipping the second and third expeditions of Columbus. It was at this time that Amerigo met the navigator.

After a joint voyage with Columbus, Vespucci was engaged in compiling maps and globes, using materials from Spanish expeditions. The idea to perpetuate the name of the great explorer Amerigo Vespucci came from the famous cartographer Martin Waldseemüller. He published a book where the new part of the world was called America.

Later world maps also used this name for new continents. Thus, the name of the Italian merchant remained forever on geographical map despite the fact that many scientists protested against it.

As everyone is probably well aware, such a process as the discovery of the continent of America is a very extensive topic, but this article will talk about the discovery of America briefly, laying out the main essence.

The discovery of America is one of major events in the world history of mankind, as a result of which, the Old World - that is Western Europe, learned about the existence of a new, huge continent called America.

Expeditions of Christopher Columbus - discovery of a new continent

Great Navigator Christopher Columbus in 1492 went on a sea voyage to find a shorter route to the rich country of India.

The King and Queen of Castile and Aragon sponsored this expedition with three ships.

October 12 of the same year Christopher Columbus reached the current Bahamas and this day is considered the date of the discovery of a new continent. After that, they discovered a number of islands. In March 1493 Columbus returned to Castile. Thus ended his first of four expeditions to the Americas he had discovered.

The second expedition already had a fairly large number of ships and people. If in the first it was only three ships and a crew of less than a hundred people, then in the second expedition there were seventeen ships and more than 1 thousand people on board. The most important achievement of this expedition can be considered conquest of Haiti. After that, Columbus in 1496 returns to Spain again.

scope third expedition which started in 1498, was much smaller - only six ships. The discovery of South America began with the third expedition. This expedition has been cancelled. in 1500 for the reason that Columbus was arrested and sent to Castile, but when he arrived there, he was completely acquitted.

Already at that moment, a huge number of those people appeared who wanted to appropriate the brilliant discovery of Christopher Columbus. AT 1502 Columbus struggles to get sponsored again for yet another search for a short, sea route to India. During this expedition, he discovered the shores of modern Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama and so on. But in 1503 year, Columbus's ship was wrecked, which forced him to stop the expedition in 1504 year, returning to Castile.

After that, Christopher Columbus never returned to America.

However, as further study of history showed, it was not Christopher Columbus who first set foot on the lands of a new continent, this was done long before his birth.

And yes, in general, humanity began to populate America only in 30 thousand years BC. e.

And they opened it for the first time, although they did not know that it was a whole continent, none other than the masters of the seas - Vikings, back in the tenth century.

The discoverer should be considered Leif Eriksson. Leif is the son of Eric the Red, a Viking and navigator who discovered Greenland.
This fact is confirmed by traces of a Viking settlement found in L'Ans-o-Meadows (the current territory of Newfoundland and Labrador (which is in Canada)).

As for the travel of Columbus, he himself believed that he discovered not a new continent, but the shores of Asia. And only in his last years, he realized that he had discovered a new continent.

The open continent was named after one of the main explorers of the New World - Amerigo Vespucci. This memorable event took place in 1507 year, from that moment the continent was considered independent.

There are also several hypotheses in history that other navigators could have discovered America. The most popular hypotheses are:
- in the fourth century BC. e. it could have been discovered by the Phoenicians;
- in the sixth century AD. e. it could be the Irish monk Brendan;
- around 1421, the Chinese navigator Zheng He;

However, there is no confirmation of this yet.