Who Discovered America?

Are you interested in the history of the world, and have you wondered who discovered America? The discovery of America and the resulting colonies throughout North America resulted in the opening up of the world, and the idea of a “new land” with the promise of a different life for individuals. However, what is the history behind these explorations, and who discovered America?

Although Viking sailors knew about parts of North America before the Europeans, Christopher Columbus was the first European to land in territory of what is now in the United States. He landed in Puerto Rico in 1493. He subsequently brought back treasures and treats from this exotic land back to Europe, and this was the catalyst for the colonization of the New World. Yet, what was the background behind the man who discovered America?

Who Was Christopher Columbus?

Christopher Columbus was born in 1451, sometime between August 25th and October 31st in Genoa, in Italy. His father was Domenico Colombo and his mother was Susanna Fontanarossa. His father was a wool weaver, and also operated a cheese stand in Italy. He had four brothers.

According to one account about Columbus’ childhood, he traveled on the sea when he was only ten years old. He later was on a ship under the service of Rene I of Anjou as part of the mission to conquer the Kingdom of Naples.

Then, in 1473, Columbus began an apprenticeship with the Centurione, Di Negro, and Spinola families. This apprenticeship was to become a business agent for these families. After this apprenticeship he often traded for the families, and thus he went on several more boat rides. For example, he took a trip to see one of his brothers in Lisbon.

How Did Columbus Discover America?

The countries of Europe frequently traveled by land to China and India for the purpose of trading for such commodities as silk, spices, and opiates. However, after the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Turks in 1453, the pathway became much more difficult.

Christopher Columbus developed a plan to travel to South and East Asia by sea instead of land. He believed that if he traveled west across the Atlantic Ocean, he would land in Asia. Columbus believed that the world was much smaller than it fact is.

He proposed a significantly smaller diameter for the Earth than other scientists believed, and used this as proof that if he sailed west across the Atlantic, he would land in Asia. Columbus’  theory about the size of the Earth was correctly dismissed at the time. However, the majority of Europeans also believed that there was uninterrupted aquatic space between Europe and Asia.

Thus, the majority of Columbus’ peers believed that Columbus’ calculations were wrong, and also, that he would be sailing for months longer than he anticipated before he hit land.

Columbus' Voyage

In 1485, Columbus began to try and receive funding for his campaign. He attempted to receive funding from Portugal, and presented his plan to John II, the King of Portugal. Columbus’ plan was rejected.

After Portugal, he was rejected by both Genoa and Venice as well. Finally, he presented his plan to Ferdinand V and Isabella I in Spain. They granted permission for three ships for Columbus in 1492, after much debating and lobbying on the behalf of Columbus. Spain, in fact, only funded part of the trip. About half of the funding for the trip came from private Italian investors.

Columbus left on August 3, 1492 with the following three ships: Santa Maria, Pinta, and the Nina. After a brief stop in the Canary Islands for additional supplies, Columbus continued on his journey. On October 12, 1492, land was sighted by one of the sailors. It is now known that Columbus landed in the Bahamas.

Thus, even though Columbus thought that he was somewhere else, he was the man who officially “discovered” the Americas. His journey to the New World was the beginning of a new era for the world.