22 January 2020, Wednesday




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Christopher Columbus

https://www.biography.com/explorer/christopher-columbus

Famed Italian explorer Christopher Columbus discovered the 'New World' of the Americas on an expedition sponsored by King Ferdinand of Spain in 1492.

Who Was Christopher Columbus?

Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer and navigator. In 1492, he sailed across the Atlantic Ocean from Spain in the Santa Maria, with the Pinta and the Niña ships alongside, hoping to find a new route to India. 

Between 1492 and 1504, he made a total of four voyages to the Caribbean and South America and has been credited – and blamed – for opening up the Americas to European colonization.

Early Years 

Columbus was born in 1451 in the Republic of Genoa, part of what is now Italy. In his 20s he moved to Lisbon, Portugal, and later resettled in Spain, which remained his home base for the duration of his life.

Columbus first went to sea as a teenager, participating in several trading voyages in the Mediterranean and Aegean seas. One such voyage, to the island of Khios, in modern-day Greece, brought him the closest he would ever come to Asia.

His first voyage into the Atlantic Ocean in 1476 nearly cost him his life as the commercial fleet he was sailing with was attacked by French privateers off the coast of Portugal. His ship was burned and Columbus had to swim to the Portuguese shore. 

He made his way to Lisbon, Portugal, where he eventually settled and married Felipa Perestrello. The couple had one son, Diego, around 1480. His wife died soon after, and Columbus moved to Spain. He had a second son, Fernando, who was born out of wedlock in 1488 with Beatriz Enriquez de Arana.

After participating in several other expeditions to Africa, Columbus gained knowledge of the Atlantic currents flowing east and west from the Canary Islands. 

Columbus' Route

The Asian islands near China and India were fabled for their spices and gold, making them an attractive destination for Europeans – but Muslim domination of the trade routes through the Middle East made travel eastward difficult. 

Columbus devised a route to sail west across the Atlantic to reach Asia, believing it would be quicker and safer. He estimated the earth to be a sphere and the distance between the Canary Islands and Japan to be about 2,300 miles. 

Many of Columbus' contemporary nautical experts disagreed. They adhered to the (now known to be accurate) second-century B.C. estimate of the Earth's circumference at 25,000 miles, which made the actual distance between the Canary Islands and Japan about 12,200 statute miles. 

Despite their disagreement with Columbus on matters of distance, they concurred that a westward voyage from Europe would be an uninterrupted water route.

Columbus proposed a three-ship voyage of discovery across the Atlantic first to the Portuguese king, then to Genoa and finally to Venice. He was rejected each time. 

In 1486, he went to the Spanish monarchy of Queen Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon. Their focus was on a war with the Muslims, and their nautical experts were skeptical, so they initially rejected Columbus. 

The idea, however, must have intrigued the monarchs, for they kept Columbus on a retainer. Columbus continued to lobby the royal court, and soon the Spanish army captured the last Muslim stronghold in Granada in January of 1492. Shortly thereafter, the monarchs agreed to finance his expedition. 

Ships

In late August of 1492, Columbus left Spain from the port of Palos de la Frontera. 

He was sailing with three ships: Columbus in the larger Santa Maria (a type of ship known as a carrack), with the Pinta and the Niña (both Portuguese-style caravels) alongside. 

When Did Columbus Discover America? 

On October 12, 1492, after 36 days of sailing westward across the Atlantic, Columbus and several crewmen set foot on an island in the present-day Bahamas, claiming it for Spain. 

There his crew encountered a timid but friendly group of natives who were open to trade with the sailors, exchanging glass beads, cotton balls, parrots and spears. The Europeans also noticed bits of gold the natives wore for adornment.

Columbus and his men continued their journey, visiting the islands of Cuba (which he thought was mainland China) and Hispaniola (now Haiti and the Dominican Republic, which Columbus thought might be Japan) and meeting with the leaders of the native population. 

During this time, the Santa Maria was wrecked on a reef off the coast of Hispaniola. With the help of some islanders, Columbus' men salvaged what they could and built the settlement Villa de la Navidad ("Christmas Town") with lumber from the ship. 

Thirty-nine men stayed behind to occupy the settlement. Convinced his exploration had reached Asia, he set sail for home with the two remaining ships. Returning to Spain in 1493, Columbus gave a glowing, somewhat exaggerated report and was warmly received by the royal court. 

 Voyages

In 1493, Columbus took to the seas on his second expedition and explored more islands in the Caribbean Ocean. Upon arrival at Hispaniola, Columbus and his crew discovered the Navidad settlement had been destroyed with all the sailors massacred. 

Spurning the wishes of the local queen, who found slavery offensive, Columbus established a forced labor policy over the native population to rebuild the settlement and explore for gold, believing it would prove to be profitable. His efforts produced small amounts of gold and great hatred among the native population. 

Before returning to Spain, Columbus left his brothers Bartholomew and Diego to govern the settlement on Hispaniola and sailed briefly around the larger Caribbean islands further convincing himself he had discovered the outer islands of China.

It wasn't until his third voyage that Columbus actually reached the mainland, exploring the Orinoco River in present-day Venezuela. Unfortunately, conditions at the Hispaniola settlement had deteriorated to the point of near-mutiny, with settlers claiming they had been misled by Columbus' claims of riches and complaining about the poor management of his brothers. 

The Spanish Crown sent a royal official who arrested Columbus and stripped him of his authority. He returned to Spain in chains to face the royal court. The charges were later dropped, but Columbus lost his titles as governor of the Indies and, for a time, much of the riches made during his voyages.

Final Voyage

After convincing King Ferdinand that one more voyage would bring the abundant riches promised, Columbus went on what would be his last voyage in 1502, traveling along the eastern coast of Central America in an unsuccessful search for a route to the Indian Ocean. 

A storm wrecked one of his ships, stranding the captain and his sailors on the island of Cuba. During this time, local islanders, tired of the Spaniards' poor treatment and obsession with gold, refused to give them food. 

In a spark of inspiration, Columbus consulted an almanac and devised a plan to "punish" the islanders by taking away the moon. On February 29, 1504, a lunar eclipse alarmed the natives enough to re-establish trade with the Spaniards. A rescue party finally arrived, sent by the royal governor of Hispaniola in July, and Columbus and his men were taken back to Spain in November of 1504.

In the two remaining years of his life following his last voyage to the Americas, Columbus struggled to recover his lost titles. Although he did regain some of his riches in May of 1505, his titles were never returned. 

Death

Columbus probably died of severe arthritis following an infection on May 20, 1506, still believing he had discovered a shorter route to Asia.

Columbian Exchange: A Complex Legacy

Columbus has been credited for opening up the Americas to European colonization - as well as blamed for the destruction of the native peoples of the islands he explored. Ultimately, he failed to find that what he set out for: a new route to Asia and the riches it promised. 

In what is known as the Columbian Exchange, Columbus’ expeditions set in motion the widespread transfer of people, plants, animals, diseases and cultures that greatly affected nearly every society on the planet. 

The horse from Europe allowed Native American tribes in the Great Plains of North America to shift from a nomadic to a hunting lifestyle. Wheat from the Old World fast became a main food source for people in the Americas. Coffee from Africa and sugar cane from Asia became major cash crops for Latin American countries. And foods from the Americas, such as potatoes, tomatoes and corn, became staples for Europeans and helped increase their populations. 

The Columbian Exchange also brought new diseases to both hemispheres, though the effects were greatest in the Americas. Smallpox from the Old World decimated millions of the Native American population to mere fractions of their original numbers. This more than any other factor allowed for European domination of the Americas. 

The overwhelming benefits of the Columbian Exchange went to the Europeans initially and eventually to the rest of the world. The Americas were forever altered and the once vibrant cultures of the Native American civilizations were changed and lost, denying the world any complete understanding of their existence.

Santa Maria Discovery Claim

In May 2014, Columbus made headlines as news broke that a team of archaeologists may have found the Santa Maria off the north coast of Haiti. Barry Clifford, the leader of this expedition, told the Independent newspaper that "all geographical, underwater topography and archaeological evidence strongly suggests this wreck is Columbus' famous flagship the Santa Maria." 

After a thorough investigation by the U.N. agency UNESCO, it was determined the wreck dates from a later period and was located too far from shore to be the Santa Maria.

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Christopher Columbus dalam sejarah dikenal dunia sebagai penemu dari benua Amerika. Namun sebetulnya ada banyak fakta yang membuktikan bahwa ia bukanlah orang pertama yang menemukan Benua Amerika tersebut. Namun kisah petualangan Christopher Colombus sangat menarik untuk disimak.

 

https://www.biografiku.com/biografi-cristopher-colombus/

Biodata Christopher Columbus

Nama Lengkap : Christopher Columbus
Lahir : Genova, Italia, 1451
Meninggal : Valladolid, Spanyol, 20 Mei 1506
Orang Tua : Domenico Colombo (Ayah), Susanna Fontanarossa (ibu)
Saudara : Giovanni Pellegrino Giacomo, Bartholomew, Bianchinetta Columbus
Istri : Filipa Moniz Perestrelo (1479)
Anak : Diego Columbus, Ferdinand Columbus
Agama : Katolik Roma

Biografi Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus lahir pada tanggal 30 Oktober 1451 dan wafat pada tanggal 20 Mei 1506. Christopher Columbus adalah seorang penjelajah dan pedagang yang menyeberangi Samudra Atlantik dan sampai ke benua Amerika pada tanggal 12 Oktober 1492 di bawah bendera Castilian Spanyol.

Ia percaya bahwa Bumi berbentuk bola kecil, dan beranggap sebuah kapal dapat sampai ke Timur Jauh melalui jalur barat. Oleh karena ia ia mencoba untuk mengarungi dunia untuk melihat apa yang belum dilihatnya dan kemudian menulisnya dalam sebuah catatan perjalanan.

Columbus bukanlah orang pertama yang tiba di Amerika, yang ia dapati sudah diduduki. Ia juga bukan orang Eropa pertama yang sampai ke benua itu karena sekarang telah diakui secara meluas bahwa orang-orang Viking dari Eropa Utara telah berkunjung ke Amerika Utara pada abad ke 11 dan mendirikan koloni L’Anse aux Meadows untuk jangka waktu singkat.

Terdapat perkiraan bahwa pelayar yang tidak dikenali pernah melawat ke Amerika sebelum Columbus dan membekalkannya dengan sumber untuk kejayaannya. Terdapat juga banyak teori mengenai ekspedisi ke Amerika oleh berbagai orang sepanjang masa itu.

Cristopher Colombus dan Penemuan Benua Amerika

Christopher Columbus, dalam upaya mencari jalan dari Eropa ke Timur, tak sengaja menemui benua Amerika yang membuatnya lebih berpengaruh dalam sejarah dunia, di luar dugaannya sendiri.

Jalur Pelayaran Christopher Columbus

Penemuannya sekaligus merupakan mahkota eksplorasi dan kolonisasi Dunia Baru dan sekaligus pula merupakan tonggak penting dalam sejarah.

Colombus bagaikan membuka pintu bagi bangsa Eropa dua benua untuk pemukiman baru, menyebar penduduk dan menyediakan sumber kekayaan mineral dan isi bumi yang pada gilirannya mengubah wajah Eropa. Berbarengan dengan itu, penemuannya juga mengakibatkan hancurnya kebudayaan bangsa Indian.

Dalam jangka panjang, penemuan itu melahirkan satu bangsa baru di benua belahan Barat, yang dengan amat cepatnya membedakan diri dengan bangsa Indian selaku penduduk asli. Walhasil, Colombus membawa perubahan besar bagi bangsa-bangsa di Dunia Lama.

Kisah Perjalanan Cristopher Colombus

Garis besar kisah Colombus bukan masalah baru. Tatkala berangkat dewasa, dia menjadi nakhoda kapal dan seorang navigator yang cekatan.

Akhirnya Colombus yakin bukan mustahil menemukan jalan lebih praktis ke daerah Asia di timur dengan cara berlayar ke arah barat melintasi Samudra Atlantik dan dia dengan tekun merintis tekadnya.

Tentu saja niat besar ini tidak bakal terlaksana tanpa biaya cukup. Karena itulah Colombus membujuk Ratu Isabella I menyediakan anggaran untuk ekspedisi percobaannya.

Kapalnya melepas sauh pelabuhan Spanyol tanggal 3 Agustus 1492. Melabuh pertama di Kepulauan Canary di lepas pantai Afrika. Membongkar sauh di Kepulauan Canary tanggal 6 September dan berlayar laju arah ke barat.

Pendaratan Columbus di Amerika

Sebuah pelayaran yang bukan main panjang, sehingga tidak aneh jika para awak kapal merasa ngeri dan kepingin balik saja. Colombus? Tidak! Perjalanan mesti diteruskan, sekali layar terkembang pantang digulung.

Dan tanggal 2 Oktober 1492 bagaikan seutas sutera hijau daratan tampak di haluan. Colombus kembali ke Spanyol bulan Maret berikutnya dari penjelajahan yang dahsyat itu disambut orang dengan penuh penghormatan.

Sesudah itu dia melakukan serentetan pelayaran melintas Atlantik dengan harapan menjejakkan kaki di Cina dan Jepang. Tetapi sia-sia! Colombus tetap bersiteguh pada pikirannya bahwa dia sudah menemukan jalur perjalanan ke Asia Timur jauh sebelum orang lain sadar.

Ratu Isabella menjanjikan Colombus jadi gubernur di pulau mana pun yang ditemuinya. Tetapi, selaku administrator dia betul-betul tidak becus sehingga dipecat dari jabatannya dan dikirim pulang ke Spanyol dengan tangan terbelenggu.

Tetapi, sesampainya di Spanyol dia dibebaskan hanya saja tak pernah diberi jabatan lagi. Kabar angin mengatakan Colombus mati dalam kemiskinan tanpa ada dana apa pun. Tatkala kematiannya di tahun 1506 –kabar lain lagi– ada jugalah sedikit harta kekayaannya.

Kapal Cristopher Colombus Menuju Dunia Baru

Jelas, pelayaran pertama Colombus merupakan perubahan revolusioner bagi sejarah Eropa, dan malahan punya pengaruh lebih besar bagi Benua Eropa. Anak-anak sekolah semua menghafal tahun 1492 merupakan tahun penting.

Salah satu keberatan adalah karena bukannya Colombus orang Eropa pertama yang menemukan Dunia Baru. Leif Ericson, pelaut Viking, berabad-abad sebelum Colombus sudah menjejakkan kaki di Benua Amerika dan bolehlah dipercaya beberapa orang Eropa lain juga sudah menyeberangi Samudera Atlantik di masa-masa antara Leif Ericson dan Colombus.

Dari sudut sejarah, Leif Ericson bukanlah tokoh penting. Hal-hal menyangkut penemuannya belum pernah tersebar luas, begitu pula tidak meninggalkan perubahan apa pun baik di Amerika maupun Eropa.

Sebaliknya, berita penemuan Amerika oleh Colombus menyebar bagai kilat ke seluruh Eropa. Hanya beberapa tahun sekembalinya Colombus, dan sebagai akibat langsung dari penemuannya, banyak ekspedisi tambahan berdatangan di Dunia Baru dan penaklukan serta kolonisasi pun mulailah.

Seperti halnya tokoh-tokoh lain di dalam buku ini, Colombus mudah terkena gangguan pelbagai komentar seakan-akan apa yang ia lakukan orang lain juga lakukan andaikata Colombus tidak pernah hidup di dunia.

Eropa abad ke-15 M berada dalam keadaan risau dan berkemelut: dunia perdagangan berkembang, penjelajahan daerah baru tak terelakkan. Bangsa Portugis nyatanya memang aktif amat mencari arus jalan baru ke Timur, pada saat-saat menentukan sebelum Colombus.

“Pendaratan Columbus”oleh John Vanderlyn

Adalah mungkin sekali Amerika cepat atau lambat ditemukan oleh orang Eropa; bahkan mungkin sekali kalaulah ada penundaan, saatnya tidak begitu lama

.

Tetapi perkembangan berikutnya akan sangat jauh berbeda apabila Amerika ditemukan –katakanlah tahun 1510– oleh ekspedisi orang Perancis atau Inggris dan bukannya tahun 1492 oleh Colombus. Dengan dalih apa pun memang nyatanya Colombuslah orang yang menemukan benua Amerika.

Kemungkinan keberatan ketiga adalah, bahkan sebelum perjalanan Colombus banyak orang-orang Eropa abad ke-15 yang sudah maklum bahwa sesungguhnya bumi ini bulat bentuknya.

Teori ini sudah diungkapkan oleh filosof Yunani berabad-abad sebelumnya, dan pembenaran yang tak tergoyahkan dari hipotesa Aristoteles sudah cukup untuk meyakinkan kaum terpelajar Eropa di tahun 1400-an.

Sementara itu, Colombus sendiri tidak terkenal orang yang menunjukkan bahwa bumi ini bulat. (Paling tidak, dia tidak berhasil melakukannya). Dia masyhur dalam hal penemuan Dunia Baru, yang baik orang Eropa abad ke-15 atau Aristoteles tak tahu menahu adanya benua Amerika.