columbus second trip to america

• History Classics
• Your Profile
• Find History on Facebook (Opens in a new window)
• Find History on Twitter (Opens in a new window)
• Find History on YouTube (Opens in a new window)
• Find History on Instagram (Opens in a new window)
• Find History on TikTok (Opens in a new window)
• This Day In History
• History Podcasts
• History Vault

Christopher Columbus

By: History.com Editors

Updated: August 11, 2023 | Original: November 9, 2009

The explorer Christopher Columbus made four trips across the Atlantic Ocean from Spain: in 1492, 1493, 1498 and 1502. He was determined to find a direct water route west from Europe to Asia, but he never did. Instead, he stumbled upon the Americas. Though he did not “discover” the so-called New World—millions of people already lived there—his journeys marked the beginning of centuries of exploration and colonization of North and South America.

Christopher Columbus and the Age of Discovery

During the 15th and 16th centuries, leaders of several European nations sponsored expeditions abroad in the hope that explorers would find great wealth and vast undiscovered lands. The Portuguese were the earliest participants in this “ Age of Discovery ,” also known as “ Age of Exploration .”

Starting in about 1420, small Portuguese ships known as caravels zipped along the African coast, carrying spices, gold and other goods as well as enslaved people from Asia and Africa to Europe.

Did you know? Christopher Columbus was not the first person to propose that a person could reach Asia by sailing west from Europe. In fact, scholars argue that the idea is almost as old as the idea that the Earth is round. (That is, it dates back to early Rome.)

Other European nations, particularly Spain, were eager to share in the seemingly limitless riches of the “Far East.” By the end of the 15th century, Spain’s “ Reconquista ”—the expulsion of Jews and Muslims out of the kingdom after centuries of war—was complete, and the nation turned its attention to exploration and conquest in other areas of the world.

Early Life and Nationality 

Christopher Columbus, the son of a wool merchant, is believed to have been born in Genoa, Italy, in 1451. When he was still a teenager, he got a job on a merchant ship. He remained at sea until 1476, when pirates attacked his ship as it sailed north along the Portuguese coast.

The boat sank, but the young Columbus floated to shore on a scrap of wood and made his way to Lisbon, where he eventually studied mathematics, astronomy, cartography and navigation. He also began to hatch the plan that would change the world forever.

Christopher Columbus' First Voyage

At the end of the 15th century, it was nearly impossible to reach Asia from Europe by land. The route was long and arduous, and encounters with hostile armies were difficult to avoid. Portuguese explorers solved this problem by taking to the sea: They sailed south along the West African coast and around the Cape of Good Hope.

But Columbus had a different idea: Why not sail west across the Atlantic instead of around the massive African continent? The young navigator’s logic was sound, but his math was faulty. He argued (incorrectly) that the circumference of the Earth was much smaller than his contemporaries believed it was; accordingly, he believed that the journey by boat from Europe to Asia should be not only possible, but comparatively easy via an as-yet undiscovered Northwest Passage . 

He presented his plan to officials in Portugal and England, but it was not until 1492 that he found a sympathetic audience: the Spanish monarchs Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile .

Columbus wanted fame and fortune. Ferdinand and Isabella wanted the same, along with the opportunity to export Catholicism to lands across the globe. (Columbus, a devout Catholic, was equally enthusiastic about this possibility.)

Columbus’ contract with the Spanish rulers promised that he could keep 10 percent of whatever riches he found, along with a noble title and the governorship of any lands he should encounter.

Where Did Columbus' Ships, Niña, Pinta and Santa Maria, Land?

On August 3, 1492, Columbus and his crew set sail from Spain in three ships: the Niña , the Pinta and the Santa Maria . On October 12, the ships made landfall—not in the East Indies, as Columbus assumed, but on one of the Bahamian islands, likely San Salvador.

For months, Columbus sailed from island to island in what we now know as the Caribbean, looking for the “pearls, precious stones, gold, silver, spices, and other objects and merchandise whatsoever” that he had promised to his Spanish patrons, but he did not find much. In January 1493, leaving several dozen men behind in a makeshift settlement on Hispaniola (present-day Haiti and the Dominican Republic), he left for Spain.

He kept a detailed diary during his first voyage. Christopher Columbus’s journal was written between August 3, 1492, and November 6, 1492 and mentions everything from the wildlife he encountered, like dolphins and birds, to the weather to the moods of his crew. More troublingly, it also recorded his initial impressions of the local people and his argument for why they should be enslaved.

“They… brought us parrots and balls of cotton and spears and many other things, which they exchanged for the glass beads and hawks’ bells," he wrote. "They willingly traded everything they owned… They were well-built, with good bodies and handsome features… They do not bear arms, and do not know them, for I showed them a sword, they took it by the edge and cut themselves out of ignorance. They have no iron… They would make fine servants… With fifty men we could subjugate them all and make them do whatever we want.”

Columbus gifted the journal to Isabella upon his return.

Christopher Columbus's Later Voyages

About six months later, in September 1493, Columbus returned to the Americas. He found the Hispaniola settlement destroyed and left his brothers Bartolomeo and Diego Columbus behind to rebuild, along with part of his ships’ crew and hundreds of enslaved indigenous people.

Then he headed west to continue his mostly fruitless search for gold and other goods. His group now included a large number of indigenous people the Europeans had enslaved. In lieu of the material riches he had promised the Spanish monarchs, he sent some 500 enslaved people to Queen Isabella. The queen was horrified—she believed that any people Columbus “discovered” were Spanish subjects who could not be enslaved—and she promptly and sternly returned the explorer’s gift.

In May 1498, Columbus sailed west across the Atlantic for the third time. He visited Trinidad and the South American mainland before returning to the ill-fated Hispaniola settlement, where the colonists had staged a bloody revolt against the Columbus brothers’ mismanagement and brutality. Conditions were so bad that Spanish authorities had to send a new governor to take over.

Meanwhile, the native Taino population, forced to search for gold and to work on plantations, was decimated (within 60 years after Columbus landed, only a few hundred of what may have been 250,000 Taino were left on their island). Christopher Columbus was arrested and returned to Spain in chains.

In 1502, cleared of the most serious charges but stripped of his noble titles, the aging Columbus persuaded the Spanish crown to pay for one last trip across the Atlantic. This time, Columbus made it all the way to Panama—just miles from the Pacific Ocean—where he had to abandon two of his four ships after damage from storms and hostile natives. Empty-handed, the explorer returned to Spain, where he died in 1506.

Legacy of Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus did not “discover” the Americas, nor was he even the first European to visit the “New World.” (Viking explorer Leif Erikson had sailed to Greenland and Newfoundland in the 11th century.)

However, his journey kicked off centuries of exploration and exploitation on the American continents. The Columbian Exchange transferred people, animals, food and disease across cultures. Old World wheat became an American food staple. African coffee and Asian sugar cane became cash crops for Latin America, while American foods like corn, tomatoes and potatoes were introduced into European diets. 

Today, Columbus has a controversial legacy —he is remembered as a daring and path-breaking explorer who transformed the New World, yet his actions also unleashed changes that would eventually devastate the native populations he and his fellow explorers encountered.

HISTORY Vault: Columbus the Lost Voyage

Ten years after his 1492 voyage, Columbus, awaiting the gallows on criminal charges in a Caribbean prison, plotted a treacherous final voyage to restore his reputation.

Sign up for Inside History

Get HISTORY’s most fascinating stories delivered to your inbox three times a week.

By submitting your information, you agree to receive emails from HISTORY and A+E Networks. You can opt out at any time. You must be 16 years or older and a resident of the United States.

More details : Privacy Notice | Terms of Use | Contact Us

Christopher Columbus - 2nd Voyage

Columbus left from Cádiz in Spain for his second voyage (1493-1496) on September 24, 1493, with 17 ships and about 1200 men. His aim was to conquer the Taíno tribe and colonise the region. On October 13, the ships left the Canary Islands, following a more southerly course than on his first voyage. The actual course between Hierro and his landfall point is 252° true. Since the fleet was sailing WSW (258°.8 magnetic), we know that the average magnetic variation during the voyage was about 7° west.

Unlike the low key first voyage, the second voyage was a massive logistic effort. The second voyage brought European livestock (horses, sheep, and cattle) and settlers to America for the first time.

Although Columbus kept a log of his second voyage, only very small fragments survive. Most of what we know comes from indirect references or from accounts of others on the voyage.

Columbus hoped to make landfall at Hispaniola (where he had left 40 men the previous January). He sighted land in the West Indies at dawn on Sunday, November 3. The transatlantic passage of only 21 days was remarkably fast.

He named the island he saw Dominica. On the same day, he landed at Marie-Galante. After sailing past Les Saintes (Todos los Santos), he arrived at Guadaloupe, which he explored between November 4 and November 10, 1493. He then ran north namimg several islands - Montserrat (Santa Maria de Monstserrate), Antigua (Santa Maria la Antigua), Redonda (Santa Maria la Redonda), Nevis (Santa María de las Nieves), Saint Kitts (San Jorge), Sint Eustatius (Santa Anastasia), Saba (San Cristobal), Saint Martin (San Martin), and Saint Croix (Santa Cruz). He also sighted the Virgin Islands, which he named Santa Ursula y las Once Mil Virgines, and the islands of Virgin Gorda, Tortola, and Peter Island (San Pedro).

He landed at Puerto Rico (San Juan Bautista) on November 19, 1493. On November 22, he reached Hispaniola, where he found his colonists had fought with natives and had been killed. He established a new settlement at Isabella, on the north coast of Hispaniola where gold had first been found, but it was a poor location, and the settlement was short-lived. He explored the interior of the island for gold, and established a small fort in the interior. Columbus then set off from Isabela with three ships, in an effort to find the mainland of China, which he was still convinced must be nearby. He reached Cuba on April 30 and sailed along its southern coast. Columbus left Cuba on May 3rd, and anchored at Jamaica two days later. The Indians here were hostile, and since he had still not found the mainland, he left Jamaica on May 13, returning to Cuba the following day. He explored the south coast of Cuba and several nearby islands, including the Isle of Youth (La Evangelista), before returning to Hispaniola on August 20.

But by the end of September, Columbus was seriously ill. His crew abandoned further explorations and returned to the colony at La Isabela. He sent a letter to the monarchs in Spain proposing to enslave some of the native peoples, specifically the Caribs. Although his petition was refused by the Crown, in February 1495 Columbus took 1600 Arawak as slaves. 560 slaves were shipped to Spain; 200 died en route, probably of disease. After legal proceedings, the survivors were released and ordered to be shipped home. Others of the 1600 were kept as slaves for the settlers in the Americas.

Soon after the settlement was made at Isabella the colonists began to complain that the amount of gold had been vastly exaggerated. Further the Spanish suffered from the unhealthiness of the climate. Columbus himself suffered considerably from ill-health. Isabella with its fifteen hundred Spanish immigrants was the most populous settlement. And for the protection of the colonists Columbus built in the interior a little fort called Santo Tomas.

At Isabella there was grumbling against the admiral, in which the Benedictine Father Buil (Boil) and the other priests joined. In the interior there was trouble with the natives. The commander at Santo Tomas, Pedro Margarite, was accused of cruelty to the Indians, but Columbus himself in his Memorial of 30 January, 1494, commends the conduct of that officer. He had to send him reinforcements, which were commanded by Alonzo de Ojeda.

Unable to ascertain the true state of affairs in the Indies, the sovereigns decided to send a special commissioner to investigate and report. They chose Juan de Aguado who had gone with Columbus on his first voyage and with whom he had always been on friendly terms. Aguado arrived at Isabella in October, 1495, while Columbus was absent on a journey of exploration across the island.

As supplies brought from Spain dwindled, Columbus decided to return to Spain to ask for more help in establishing the colony. So he fitted out two ships, one for himself and one for Aguado, placing in them two hundred dissatisfied colonists, a captive Indian chief (who died on the voyage), and thirty Indian prisoners, and set sail for Spain on 10 March, 1496, leaving his brother Bartholomew at Isabella as temporary governor. Columbus reached Cadiz 11 June, 1496.

Translated original Log of Voyage 2

Christopher Columbus 1492 till his death

The Second Voyage of Columbus

After the success of Columbus's first voyage, he had little trouble convincing the Spanish Sovereigns, Ferdinand and Isabela, to follow up immediately with a second voyage. Unlike the exploratory first voyage, the second voyage was a massive colonization effort, comprising seventeen ships and over a thousand men. The second voyage brought European livestock (horses, sheep, and cattle) to America for the first time.

Although Columbus kept a log of his second voyage, only very small fragments survive. Most of what we know comes from indirect references or from accounts of others on the voyage.

The fleet left Hierro in the Canary Islands on October 13, 1493. Hoping to make a landfall at Hispaniola (where Columbus had left 40 men the previous January), the fleet kept a constant course of west-southwest from Hierro and sighted Dominica in the West Indies at dawn on Sunday, November 3. The transatlantic passage of only 21 days was remarkably fast, covering 850 leagues according to Columbus's reckoning (or somewhat less according to others).

Shortly after sighting Dominica, another island to the north came into view; this must have been Guadeloupe, although some on the voyage later misattributed it as Maria Galante. This order of sighting shows that the fleet must have been very near to 16� north latitude, 60� west longitude at dawn on November 3. A little farther north, and Guadeloupe would have been sighted first; a little farther south, and Martinique would have been sighted second; a little farther west, and all these islands would have been seen simultaneously.

The actual rhumbline course (rhumbline: a course of constant bearing between two points) between Hierro and this point is 252� true. Since the fleet was sailing WSW (258�.8 magnetic), we know that the average magnetic variation during the voyage was about 7� west.

During the next two weeks, the fleet moved north from Dominica, discovering the Leeward Islands, Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico before arriving at Hispaniola on November 22.

Returning to his fortress at Navidad on November 28, Columbus found that the fort had been burned and that the men he had left there on the first voyage were dead. According to the account of Guacanagari, the local chief who had befriended Columbus on the first voyage, the men at Navidad had fallen to arguing among themselves over women and gold. Some of the men had abandonded the fort in the intervening months, and some of the rest had raided an inland tribe and kidnapped their women. The men of that tribe retaliated by destroying Navidad and killing the few remaining Spaniards.

Columbus then sailed eastward along the coast of Hispaniola, looking for a place to found a new colony. On December 8, he anchored at a good spot and founded a new town he named La Isabela, after the Spanish queen. The next several months were spent in establishing the colony and exploring the interior of Hispaniola.

On April 24, 1494, Columbus set sail from Isabela with three ships, in an effort to find the mainland of China, which he was still convinced must be nearby. He reached Cuba on April 30 and cruised along its southern coast. But soon he learned of an island to the south that was rumored to be rich with gold. Columbus left Cuba on May 3rd, and anchored at Jamaica two days later. But the reception he recieved from the Indians was mostly hostile, and since he had still not found the mainland, he left Jamaica on May 13, returning to Cuba the following day.

But the Admiral quickly found that the southern coast of Cuba is dotted with shoals and small islands, making exploration treacherous. Making slow progress in difficult conditions, Columbus press westward for several weeks until finally giving up the quest on June 13. But not wanting to admit that his search for the mainland was a failure, Columbus ordered each man in his crews to sign a document and swear that Cuba was so large that it really must be the mainland.

The voyage back to Hispaniola was even worse, since they now had to rethread the shoals and islands they had come through before, and now they had a headwind to work against. After four weeks, tired of the incessant headwinds, Columbus again turned south for Jamaica and confirmed that it was indeed an island. Columbus finally returned to Hispaniola on August 20, 1494, and proceeded eastward along the unknown southern coast. But by the end of September, Columbus was seriously ill. His crew abandoned further explorations and returned to the colony at La Isabela.

Over the next eighteen months Columbus worked, mostly without success, at his job of colonial governor. His relations with the Spanish colonists were poor. Columbus took his title of Viceroy -- titular King -- seriously, and governed with an arrogance that the colonists did not appreciate. Many of these colonists were younger sons of the Spanish nobility who were trying to carve out their own fiefdoms in the New World, and they viewed Columbus as a foreigner and an impediment to their plans. The large amounts of gold they had been promised turned out to be more of a trickle, and Columbus, acting under royal decree, appropriated a large fraction of that for himself. Further, La Isabela turned out to have been a bad location, in a swampy area with few resources and a poor harbor.

Meanwhile, relations with many of the Indian tribes had soured too, and war soon broke out between the Spaniards and some of the tribes. But the Spanish had a huge technological edge, and the warfare was grossly one-sided. Many Indians were killed, and even more were captured and forced to work at the thankless job of finding gold.

As supplies brought from Spain dwindled, Columbus decided to return to Spain to ask for more help in establishing the colony. He set sail from Isabela on March 10, 1496, with two ships. They sighted the coast of Portugal on June 8, his second voyage complete.

Christopher Columbus

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

c. 1451-1506

Quick Facts

Where was columbus born, first voyages, columbus’ 1492 route and ships, where did columbus land in 1492, later voyages across the atlantic, how did columbus die, santa maria discovery claim, columbian exchange: a complex legacy, columbus day: an evolving holiday, 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 Asia. Instead, he and his crew landed on an island in present-day Bahamas—claiming it for Spain and mistakenly “discovering” the Americas. Between 1493 and 1504, he made three more voyages to the Caribbean and South America, believing until his death that he had found a shorter route to Asia. Columbus has been credited—and blamed—for opening up the Americas to European colonization.

FULL NAME: Cristoforo Colombo BORN: c. 1451 DIED: May 20, 1506 BIRTHPLACE: Genoa, Italy SPOUSE: Filipa Perestrelo (c. 1479-1484) CHILDREN: Diego and Fernando

Christopher Columbus, whose real name was Cristoforo Colombo, was born in 1451 in the Republic of Genoa, part of what is now Italy. He is believed to have been the son of Dominico Colombo and Susanna Fontanarossa and had four siblings: brothers Bartholomew, Giovanni, and Giacomo, and a sister named Bianchinetta. He was an apprentice in his father’s wool weaving business and studied sailing and mapmaking.

In his 20s, Columbus 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, where he eventually settled and married Filipa Perestrelo. The couple had one son, Diego, around 1480. His wife died when Diego was a young boy, 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 learned about the Atlantic currents that flow east and west from the Canary Islands.

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 BCE 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, because 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 1492. Shortly thereafter, the monarchs agreed to finance his expedition.

In late August 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.

On October 12, 1492, after 36 days of sailing westward across the Atlantic, Columbus and several crewmen set foot on an island in 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. They exchanged 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 but somewhat exaggerated report and was warmly received by the royal court.

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, Columbus established a forced labor policy upon the native population to rebuild the settlement and explore for gold, believing it would 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 Giacomo 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 South American mainland, exploring the Orinoco River in present-day Venezuela. By this time, 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.

After convincing King Ferdinand that one more voyage would bring the abundant riches promised, Columbus went on his fourth and final voyage across the Atlantic Ocean in 1502. This time he traveled 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 1504.

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

Columbus probably died of severe arthritis following an infection on May 20, 1506, in Valladolid, Spain. At the time of his death, he still believed he had discovered a shorter route to Asia.

There are questions about the location of his burial site. According to the BBC , Columbus’ remains moved at least three or four times over the course of 400 years—including from Valladolid to Seville, Spain, in 1509; then to Santo Domingo, in what is now the Dominican Republic, in 1537; then to Havana, Cuba, in 1795; and back to Seville in 1898. As a result, Seville and Santo Domingo have both laid claim to being Columbus’ true burial site. It is also possible his bones were mixed up with another person’s amid all of their travels.

In May 2014, Columbus made headlines as news broke that a team of archaeologists might 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 famed ship.

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 killed millions, decimating the Native American populations 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 Indigenous civilizations were changed and lost, denying the world any complete understanding of their existence.

As more Italians began to immigrate to the United States and settle in major cities during the 19 th century, they were subject to religious and ethnic discrimination. This included a mass lynching of 11 Sicilian immigrants in 1891 in New Orleans.

Just one year after this horrific event, President Benjamin Harrison called for the first national observance of Columbus Day on October 12, 1892, to mark the 400 th anniversary of his arrival in the Americas. Italian-Americans saw this honorary act for Columbus as a way of gaining acceptance.

Colorado became the first state to officially observe Columbus Day in 1906 and, within five years, 14 other states followed. Thanks to a joint resolution of Congress, the day officially became a federal holiday in 1934 during the administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt . In 1970, Congress declared the holiday would fall on the second Monday in October each year.

But as Columbus’ legacy—specifically, his exploration’s impacts on Indigenous civilizations—began to draw more criticism, more people chose not to take part. As of 2023, approximately 29 states no longer celebrate Columbus Day , and around 195 cities have renamed it or replaced with the alternative Indigenous Peoples Day. The latter isn’t an official holiday, but the federal government recognized its observance in 2022 and 2023. President Joe Biden called it “a day in honor of our diverse history and the Indigenous peoples who contribute to shaping this nation.”

One of the most notable cities to move away from celebrating Columbus Day in recent years is the state capital of Columbus, Ohio, which is named after the explorer. In 2018, Mayor Andrew Ginther announced the city would remain open on Columbus Day and instead celebrate a holiday on Veterans Day. In July 2020, the city also removed a 20-plus-foot metal statue of Columbus from the front of City Hall.

• I went to sea from the most tender age and have continued in a sea life to this day. Whoever gives himself up to this art wants to know the secrets of Nature here below. It is more than forty years that I have been thus engaged. Wherever any one has sailed, there I have sailed.
• Speaking of myself, little profit had I won from twenty years of service, during which I have served with so great labors and perils, for today I have no roof over my head in Castile; if I wish to sleep or eat, I have no place to which to go, save an inn or tavern, and most often, I lack the wherewithal to pay the score.
• They say that there is in that land an infinite amount of gold; and that the people wear corals on their heads and very large bracelets of coral on their feet and arms; and that with coral they adorn and inlay chairs and chests and tables.
• This island and all the others are very fertile to a limitless degree, and this island is extremely so. In it there are many harbors on the coast of the sea, beyond comparison with others that I know in Christendom, and many rivers, good and large, which is marvelous.
• Our Almighty God has shown me the highest favor, which, since David, he has not shown to anybody.
• Already the road is opened to gold and pearls, and it may surely be hoped that precious stones, spices, and a thousand other things, will also be found.
• I have now seen so much irregularity, that I have come to another conclusion respecting the earth, namely, that it is not round as they describe, but of the form of a pear.
• In all the countries visited by your Highnesses’ ships, I have caused a high cross to be fixed upon every headland and have proclaimed, to every nation that I have discovered, the lofty estate of your Highnesses and of your court in Spain.
• I ought to be judged as a captain sent from Spain to the Indies, to conquer a nation numerous and warlike, with customs and religions altogether different to ours.

Fact Check: We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn’t look right, contact us !

The Biography.com staff is a team of people-obsessed and news-hungry editors with decades of collective experience. We have worked as daily newspaper reporters, major national magazine editors, and as editors-in-chief of regional media publications. Among our ranks are book authors and award-winning journalists. Our staff also works with freelance writers, researchers, and other contributors to produce the smart, compelling profiles and articles you see on our site. To meet the team, visit our About Us page: https://www.biography.com/about/a43602329/about-us

Tyler Piccotti first joined the Biography.com staff as an Associate News Editor in February 2023, and before that worked almost eight years as a newspaper reporter and copy editor. He is a graduate of Syracuse University. When he's not writing and researching his next story, you can find him at the nearest amusement park, catching the latest movie, or cheering on his favorite sports teams.

Watch Next .css-16toot1:after{background-color:#262626;color:#fff;margin-left:1.8rem;margin-top:1.25rem;width:1.5rem;height:0.063rem;content:'';display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;}

Possible Evidence of Amelia Earhart’s Plane

Charles Lindbergh

Was Christopher Columbus a Hero or Villain?

History & Culture

8 Famous Survivors of the Holocaust

What Doomed JFK Jr.’s Final Flight?

27 Essential Memoirs That Will Leave You Inspired

Who Designed the American Flag?

Hunter Biden

Karl Lagerfeld

Plane Flown by ‘Ace of Aces’ Pilot Finally Found

Barron Trump

The Voyages of Christopher Columbus

Did you know....

The exploration process was too slow for Christopher Columbus, who was born in the Italian seaside city of Genoa in 1451 to a family of weavers.  Learning to sail from Portuguese seamen, Columbus sailed for many years before moving to Lisbon, Portugal, to try to gain support for a voyage to find a route to India, China, and Japan by sailing west across the Atlantic.  Unsuccessful finding funding in Portugal, Columbus moved to Spain. In 1492, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabell, the joint monarchs of Spain, agreed to finance Columbus’s voyage in return for the gold, spices, and riches that he might find. 

The Voyage of 1492

While historians disagree about Columbus’s intended destination, most assume he was seeking Japan and the East Indies. While his destination is disputed, his goals were apparent.  He intended to explore and trade, as well as conquer and exploit.

Columbus left Spain with ninety men aboard three vessels:  the Niña, Pinta, and Santa Maria. Both the Niña and the Pinta were caravels.  The Santa Maria was a larger, slower rig. After several weeks at sea, the expedition finally landed in October of 1492 on an island off the Bahamas, and named it San Salvador, meaning “blessed savior.” Columbus’s next stop was Cuba. The expedition then continued to present-day Haiti, a part of an island that Columbus called Hispaniola. Columbus promptly claimed the area for the Spanish crown. The expedition was met with friendly natives bearing gifts for the newcomers. Columbus’ group immediately began interacting with los indios , as he called them, claiming in his journal that they were friendly people and willing allies.

Finding the land beautiful and the people agreeable, Columbus left about forty men behind and sailed home with news of success. Believing that he had reached Asia, Columbus was eager to return to Europe with samples of the people and treasure to be had. On this first voyage, Columbus seized about twenty natives and took them back to Spain. Only seven or eight survived the trip. Click on the following map to see the route Christopher Columbus traveled. 

Amerigo Vespucci

The Americas are named quite accidentally not for Columbus but for another early Italian explorer, Amerigo Vespucci , who first sailed near the mainland of America in 1497. Vespucci’s accounts of his explorations were widely distributed, including his acknowledgement that an unknown continent had been discovered.

Columbus’s Return Trip to Americañ

Columbus reached Spain in March 1493, immediately receiving titles and riches. The published report of his successful voyage made him a hero throughout Europe. He was made Admiral of the Ocean Sea and Governor of the Indies. The success of the voyage was immediately recognized, and Columbus was quickly outfitted for a second voyage with seventeen ships, more than 1,200 men, and instructions from the King and Queen to treat the natives well.  While Columbus had been gone, the forty men he had left on Hispaniola had raped and murdered the natives and pillaged their villages.  The natives struck back, killing ten Spaniards.  Columbus counterattacked with crossbows, guns, and ferocious dogs and loaded five hundred natives on a ship bound for the slave market in Spain. These events set a trend of savage exploitation for the rest of Columbus’s explorations in the Americas.

Conjecture of Columbus’s image by Sebastiano del Piombo in the Gallery of Illustrious Men, Uffizi, Florence

Columbus made two more trips to the Americas (four total), each time becoming more greedy for gold and treating the natives more savagely. To the end, he refused to believe that he had discovered anything other than the outlying lands of Asia.  Eventually he was charged with mismanagement of lands in the New World, arrested, and taken back to Spain in chains.

Columbus is celebrated yearly in the United States as the man who “discovered America,” but he never actually set foot on the mainland of North America. Columbus’ “discovery” of the Americas is significant because it initiated the trans-Atlantic exchange of slaves, diseases, goods, crops, and immigrants that characterized the future relationship between the Old and New Worlds.

Search Omniatlas

Navigate between maps, north america 1494: columbus’ second voyage.

May 1493 Pope grants Spain discoveries in west

Sep 1493–Jun 1496 Columbus returns to Americas, exploring Antilles

Dec 1493 Spanish found town of La Isabela on Hispaniola

6 January 1494

Age of columbus, north america, columbus’ second voyage.

Impressed by his reports , Ferdinand and Isabella sent Columbus back to the New World in September 1493, this time with a much larger fleet of 17 ships. Arriving back on Hispaniola only to discover La Navidad had been destroyed in a clash with the Taíno , Columbus founded the town of La Isabela nearby, hoping to profit from goldfields he believed lay inland. Columbus then explored the Caribbean, unsuccessfully trying to find access to China—which he remained convinced was nearby .

Main Events

4 may 1493 inter caetera ▲.

When Columbus returned from his first voyage to the Americas in March 1493, a furor broke out between his Spanish backers and King John II of Portugal, who held that the voyage was in violation of previous treaties. In response to Spanish requests, Pope Alexander VI—himself a Spaniard—issued a bull (the Inter caetera ) recognizing Spanish claims to discoveries beyond a line one hundred leagues to the west and south of the Azores. A final edict, Dudum siquidem , supplemented the Inter caetera on 26 September 1493, although both would soon be superseded by the Treaty of Tordesillas (1494). in wikipedia

24 Sep 1493–11 Jun 1496 Columbus’ second voyage ▲

Following Columbus’ embellished descriptions of the New World—which he still believed to be Asia—the Spanish monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella agreed to fund a second voyage, this time with a much larger fleet of 17 ships. Departing from Spain in September 1493, Columbus reached and named the island of Dominiga (Dominica) in November, exploring and naming a number of islands, including San Juan Bautista (Puerto Rico), as he made his way back to Hispaniola. There he established the new settlement of La Isabela in 1494, before traveling west to explore Juana (Cuba)—which he claimed was part of China—and Santiago (Jamaica). After initiating a campaign of enslavement and conquest in Hispaniola, Columbus returned to Spain in 1496. in wikipedia

Dec 1493 La Isabela ▲

In late December 1493, on his second voyage, Christopher Columbus established the Spanish town of La Isabela on the north coast of Hispaniola, in what is now the Dominican Republic, to search for gold. Initially housing over a thousand people, the settlement had a troublesome start when expeditions found little gold and the town was hit by hurricanes in 1494 and 1495. Columbus quickly turned to enslaving and extorting the local Taíno people to raise money but failed to save the colony, which was by now wracked by hunger and disease. In 1496 he moved most of the colonists to the new settlement of Santo Domingo. in wikipedia

Pre-Revolution Timeline - The 1400s

A decade when the men who discovered the New World began the exploration and colonization of the Americas, even if they weren't the firsts they thought they were.

More Pre-Revolution

• To the 1400s
• To the 1500s
• To the 1600s
• To the 1700s
• To the 1770s

Columbus Expeditions

• First Voyage 1492
• Arrival 1492
• Second Voyage 1493
• Third Voyage 1498
• Fourth Voyage 1502

Above: Explorer John Cabot. Image courtesy Wikipedia Commons. Right: Painting Christopher Columbus taking possession of San Salvador, Watling Island by L Prang and Co., 1893. Images courtesy Library of Congress.

Columbus and Cabot

1493 Detail

Sponsor this page for $75 per year. Your banner or text ad can fill the space above. Click here to Sponsor the page and how to reserve your ad.

1493 - Detail

September 24, 1493 - columbus began his second trip to the american colonies with seventeen ships and 1,200 men. these men were meant to colonize the land found and claimed during the journey beyond the few left in the americas after the first voyage. he would arrive in the new world again on november 3, 1493 and explore more of the islands in the caribbean, including the lands of puerto rico and today's dominican republic..

Upon his return from the first voyage and Columbus' explanation of his findings to the King and Queen of Spain in Barcelona in April of 1493, preparations began quickly for a return to the found lands and more exploration. Columbus was feted with praise, and even got to ride about the city with King Ferdinand, the first such honor for someone outside the King's family. Admiral Columbus would return to Espaniola to relieve the settlers that remained, augment their number, and conquer the island with a corresponding mandate from King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella to maintain friendly relations with the natives. A new privelege was granted for the second voyage on May 28, 1493. They got permission from Pope Alexander VI as well. Christopher Columbus returned to Seville to make preparations for the journey with ample provisions secured on seventeen ships of various size and one thousand two hundred men, including Ponce de Leon , founder of the first permanent settlement in what is now United States territory, and the father of the eventual Bishop de Chiapas , the first protector of the indigenous tribes. By September 25, 1493, they left Cadiz, where the ships had been gathered, for the Americas with men, horses, sheep, and cattle. Their goal, conquer the Taino tribe and settle the islands oF Espaniola (Hispaniola) discovered. On November 2, they sighted land, Dominica, before anchoring in Mariagalante, named after his flagship. On November 4, 1493, he discovered the island of Guadalupe and searched through a small town, abandoned by the adults upon their arrival. Letter of The Journey Itself Letter of Dr. Chanca, of Sevilla, Physician on the Second Voyage. Journey from Spain to Indies (Caribbean) - "Since the occurrences which I relate in private letters to other persons are not of such general interest as those which are contained in this epistle, I have resolved to give you a distinct narrative of the events of our voyage, as well as to treat of the other matters which form the subject of my petition to your Lordship. The news I have to communicate are as follows: The expedition which their Catholic Majesties sent, by Divine permission, from Spain to the Indies, under the command of Christopher Columbus, Admiral of the Ocean, left Cadiz on the twenty-fifty of September, of the year [1493, with seventeen ships well equipped and with 1200 fighting men or a little less,] with wind and weather favorable for the voyage. This weather lasted two days, during which time we managed to make nearly fifty leagues; the weather then changing, we made little or no progress for the next two days; it pleased God, however, after this, to restore us fine weather, so that in two days more we reached the Great Canary. Here we put into harbor, which we were obliged to do, to repair one of the ships which made a great deal of water; we remained all that day, and on the following we set sail again, but were several times becalmed, so that we were four or five days before we reached Gomera. We had to remain at Gomera some days to lay in our stores of meat, wood, and as much water as we could stow, preparatory to the long voyage which we were expected to make without seeing land: thus through the delay at these two ports, and being calmed one day after leaving Gomera, we were nineteen or twenty days before we arrived at the island of Ferro. After this we had, by the goodness of God, a return of fine weather, more continuous than any fleet ever enjoyed during so long a voyage, so that leaving Ferro on the thirteenth of October, within twenty days we came in sight of land; and we should have seen it in fourteen or fifteen days, if the ship Capitana had been as good a sailor as the other vessels; for many times the others had to shorten sail, because they were leaving us much behind. During all this time we had great good fortune, for throughout the voyage we encountered no storm, with the exception of one on St. Simon's eve, which for four hours put us in considerable jeapardy. On the first Sunday after All Saints, named the third of November, about Dawn, a pilot of the flagship cried out, "The reward, I see the land!" What They Found Upon Sighting a Town (Guadalupe) - "As soon as we approached the island, the admiral ordered a light caravel - to run along the coast to search for a harbor. The captain of this small vessel put into land in a boat, and seeing some houses leapt on shore and went up to them, the inhabitants fleeing at sight of our men. He then entered the houses and found therein various household articles that had been left unremoved, from among which he took two parrots, very large and quite different from the parrots we had before seen. He found also a great quantity of cotton, both spun and already prepared for spinning, and provisions of food, of all of which he brought along with him a portion. Besides those articles of food he likewise brought away with him four or five bones of human arms and legs. When we saw those bones we immediately suspected that we were then among the Caribbee islands, whose inhabitants eat human flesh, because the admiral, guided by the information respecting their situation he had received from the Indians of the islands he had discovered during his former voyage, had directed the course of our ships with a view to find them, both on account of these Caribbee islands being nearest to Spain and also in the direct track to the island of Hispaniola, where he had left some of his men when he returned to Spain. Thither, by the goodness of God and the wise management of the admiral, we came in as straight a channel as if we had sailed by a well known and much-frequented route. This island of Guadeloupe is very large, and on the side where we arrived it seemed to us to be about twenty-five leagues in length. We sailed more than two leagues along the coast in search of a harbor. On the part towards which we moved it appeared all made up of very high mountains, and on the part we left there were extensive plains;- on the shore were a few small villages whose inhabitants fled as soon as they saw the sails of our ships. At last, after having gone about two leagues' distance, we found a port late in the evening."

Second voyage reaches la navidad, november 27, 1493, harbor of first voyage where settlers, 39 in number, were left - this harbor is twelve leagues from the place where the christians had been left by the admiral on his return to spain from the first voyage, and under the protection of guacamari, a king of these indians who i suppose is one of the principal sovereigns of this island. after we anchored at said spot, the admiral ordered two lombards to be fired in order to see if there was any response from the christians, who would fire in return, as a salute, for they also had lombards with them; but we received no reply, nor did we see on the sea-shore any body, or any sign of houses whatever. our people then became very much chagrined, and began to realize what the circumstances naturally suggested. while all of us were in this depressed state of mind, the same canoe with several indians on board which we had seen that afternoon, came up to where we were anchored, and the indians with a loud voice inquired for the admiral. they were conducted to the admiral's vessel, and remained there on board for three hours talking with the admiral in the presence of us all. they said that some of the christians left on the island had died of disease, others had been killed in quarrels amongst themselves, and that those who remained were all well. they also said that that province had been invaded by two kings named caonabo and mayreni, who burned all the houses, and that king guacamari was at another place, some distance away, lying ill of a wound in his leg, which was the reason why he had not come himself in person. next morning some of our men landed by order of the admiral, and went to the spot where the christians had been housed. they found the building, which had been fortified to a certain degree by a palisade surrounding it, all burned up and levelled with the ground. ... we had already been told by one of the indians who, as interpreters, were carried to spain and brought back with us, and who had conversed on board with the natives that came in their canoe to talk to the admiral, that all the christians left on that island had been killed, but we did not believe it. caonabo and mayreni with their warriors had made an attack upon them, and burnt down the buildings.", outcome of the second voyage, on his second voyage, columbus had discovered and named, from the european perspective, a variety of caribbean islands prior to landing in hispaniola, including montserrat, antigua, redonda, nevis, saint kitts, saint eustatius, saba, saint martin, saint croix, the virgin islands, and puerto rico. once finding the settlement constructed during the first voyage destroyed and the thirty-nine crew members of the initial expedition who had remained killed, columbus ordered another settlement built, named isabella, short-lived, and established a fort in the interior. still convinced that china was around the corner, columbus took three ships and sailed west, finding cuba and jamaica instead. he returned to hispaniola on august 20, 1493. a petition was sent back to the spanish monarch, seeking permission to enslave the natives, in part to replace the lack of gold to repay investors in the journey. it was denied. columbus did it anyway, enslaving one thousand six hundred arawak, of which five hundred and sixty were sent back to spain. once back in spain, legal proceedings released those that survived. back in hispaniola, many of the original sixteen hundred were still held as slaves. with the gold less than reported and disease within the colony, columbus returned to spain on march 10, 1496 with two ships, arriving on june 11 with two hundred dissatisfied colonists, and thirty native prisoners. he wanted more assistance and supplies for establishing the colony. one of the crew members of the second voyage was the father of the man who would become the bishop of chiapas , bartolome' de las casas, and begin the conversation about the cruelty of treatment of the amerindians. bartolome and his father had seen the sevilla parade upon columbus' return from his first voyage . the third voyage of the columbus expeditions to the new world would begin on may 30, 1498. image above: christopher columbus greeted upon his return to spain by king ferdinand and queen isabella in 1493, 1850/1900, vve turgis editor. courtesy library of congress. image below: landing of columbus in san salvador, 1876, currier and ives. courtesy library of congress. info source: "the life and times of christopher columbus by his son," ferdinand columbus. courtesy archive.org; "letter of dr. chanca on the second voyage of columbus," american journeys collection, wisconsin historical society; christopher-columbus.eu; wikipedia commons..

History Photo Bomb

Columbus meeting with the Spanish Queen. Courtesy Wikipedia Commons.

Christopher Columbus, by Ridalfo Ghirlandaio, 1520. Courtesy Wikipedia Commons.

Replica of the ship Matthew of Bristol of John Cabot. Courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

America's Best History where we take a look at the timeline of American History and the historic sites and national parks that hold that history within their lands. Photos courtesy of the Library of Congress, National Archives, National Park Service, americasbesthistory.com and its licensors.

If you like us, share this page on Twitter, Facebook, or any of your other favorite social media sites.

• © 2021 Americasbesthistory.com.

Template by w3layouts .

The First New World Voyage of Christopher Columbus (1492)

European Exploration of the Americas

Spencer Arnold/Getty Images

• Ph.D., Spanish, Ohio State University
• M.A., Spanish, University of Montana
• B.A., Spanish, Penn State University

How was the first voyage of Columbus to the New World undertaken, and what was its legacy? Having convinced the King and Queen of Spain to finance his voyage, Christopher Columbus departed mainland Spain on August 3, 1492. He quickly made port in the Canary Islands for a final restocking and left there on September 6. He was in command of three ships: the Pinta, the Niña, and the Santa María. Although Columbus was in overall command, the Pinta was captained by Martín Alonso Pinzón and the Niña by Vicente Yañez Pinzón.

First Landfall: San Salvador

On October 12, Rodrigo de Triana, a sailor aboard the Pinta, first sighted land. Columbus himself later claimed that he had seen a sort of light or aura before Triana did, allowing him to keep the reward he had promised to give to whoever spotted land first. The land turned out to be a small island in the present-day Bahamas. Columbus named the island San Salvador, although he remarked in his journal that the natives referred to it as Guanahani. There is some debate over which island was Columbus’ first stop; most experts believe it to be San Salvador, Samana Cay, Plana Cays or Grand Turk Island.

Second Landfall: Cuba

Columbus explored five islands in the modern-day Bahamas before he made it to Cuba. He reached Cuba on October 28, making landfall at Bariay, a harbor near the eastern tip of the island. Thinking he had found China, he sent two men to investigate. They were Rodrigo de Jerez and Luis de Torres, a converted Jew who spoke Hebrew, Aramaic, and Arabic in addition to Spanish. Columbus had brought him as an interpreter. The two men failed in their mission to find the Emperor of China but did visit a native Taíno village. There they were the first to observe the smoking of tobacco, a habit which they promptly picked up.

Third Landfall: Hispaniola

Leaving Cuba, Columbus made landfall on the Island of Hispaniola on December 5. Indigenous people called it Haití but Columbus referred to it as La Española, a name which was later changed to Hispaniola when Latin texts were written about the discovery. On December 25, the Santa María ran aground and had to be abandoned. Columbus himself took over as captain of the Niña, as the Pinta had become separated from the other two ships. Negotiating with the local chieftain Guacanagari, Columbus arranged to leave 39 of his men behind in a small settlement, named La Navidad .

Return to Spain

On January 6, the Pinta arrived, and the ships were reunited: they set out for Spain on January 16. The ships arrived in Lisbon, Portugal, on March 4, returning to Spain shortly after that.

Historical Importance of Columbus' First Voyage

In retrospect, it is somewhat surprising that what is today considered one of the most important voyages in history was something of a failure at the time. Columbus had promised to find a new, quicker route to the lucrative Chinese trade markets and he failed miserably. Instead of holds full of Chinese silks and spices, he returned with some trinkets and a few bedraggled Indigenous people from Hispaniola. Some 10 more had perished on the voyage. Also, he had lost the largest of the three ships entrusted to him.

Columbus actually considered the Indigenous people his greatest find. He thought that a new trade of enslaved people could make his discoveries lucrative. Columbus was hugely disappointed a few years later when Queen Isabela, after careful thought, decided not to open the New World to the trading of enslaved people.

Columbus never believed that he had found something new. He maintained, to his dying day, that the lands he discovered were indeed part of the known Far East. In spite of the failure of the first expedition to find spices or gold, a much larger second expedition was approved, perhaps in part due to Columbus’ skills as a salesman.

Herring, Hubert. A History of Latin America From the Beginnings to the Present. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1962

Thomas, Hugh. "Rivers of Gold: The Rise of the Spanish Empire, from Columbus to Magellan." 1st edition, Random House, June 1, 2004.

• La Navidad: First European Settlement in the Americas
• What Was the Age of Exploration?
• Biography of Christopher Columbus
• Biography of Christopher Columbus, Italian Explorer
• The Second Voyage of Christopher Columbus
• 10 Facts About Christopher Columbus
• The Third Voyage of Christopher Columbus
• Biography of Vasco Núñez de Balboa, Conquistador and Explorer
• The Truth About Christopher Columbus
• Ponce de Leon and the Fountain of Youth
• The History of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
• The Road to the American Revolution
• Biography of Antonio de Montesinos, Defender of Indigenous Rights
• Biography of Juan Ponce de León, Conquistador
• Biography of Isabella I, Queen of Spain

The Ages of Exploration

Christopher columbus interactive map, age of discovery.

Quick Facts:

Christopher Columbus sailed west across the Atlantic Ocean searching for a new sea route to the spices in India. He never made it to Asia, but instead discovered a “New World” to Europeans.

Click on the world map to view an example of the explorer’s voyage.

How to Use the Map

• Click on either the map icons or on the location name in the expanded column to view more information about that place or event

• Original "EXPLORATION through the AGES" site
• The Mariners' Educational Programs

The Gettysburg College–Gilder Lehrman MA in American History : Apply now and join us for Fall 2024 courses

• AP US History Study Guide
• History U: Courses for High School Students
• History School: Summer Enrichment
• Lesson Plans
• Classroom Resources
• Spotlights on Primary Sources
• Professional Development (Academic Year)
• Professional Development (Summer)
• Book Breaks
• Inside the Vault
• Self-Paced Courses
• Browse All Resources
• Search by Issue
• Search by Essay
• Become a Member (Free)
• Monthly Offer (Free for Members)
• Program Information
• Scholarships and Financial Aid
• Applying and Enrolling
• Eligibility (In-Person)
• EduHam Online
• Hamilton Cast Read Alongs
• Official Website
• Press Coverage
• Veterans Legacy Program
• The Declaration at 250
• Black Lives in the Founding Era
• Celebrating American Historical Holidays
• Browse All Programs
• Donate Items to the Collection
• Search Our Catalog
• Research Guides
• Rights and Reproductions
• See Our Documents on Display
• Bring an Exhibition to Your Organization
• Interactive Exhibitions Online
• About the Transcription Program
• Civil War Letters
• Founding Era Newspapers
• College Fellowships in American History
• Scholarly Fellowship Program
• Richard Gilder History Prize
• David McCullough Essay Prize
• Affiliate School Scholarships
• Nominate a Teacher
• Eligibility
• State Winners
• National Winners
• Gilder Lehrman Lincoln Prize
• Gilder Lehrman Military History Prize
• George Washington Prize
• Frederick Douglass Book Prize
• Our Mission and History
• Annual Report
• Contact Information
• Student Advisory Council
• Teacher Advisory Council
• Board of Trustees
• Remembering Richard Gilder
• President's Council
• Scholarly Advisory Board
• Internships
• Our Partners
• Press Releases

History Resources

Columbus reports on his first voyage, 1493

A spotlight on a primary source by christopher columbus.

On August 3, 1492, Columbus set sail from Spain to find an all-water route to Asia. On October 12, more than two months later, Columbus landed on an island in the Bahamas that he called San Salvador; the natives called it Guanahani.

For nearly five months, Columbus explored the Caribbean, particularly the islands of Juana (Cuba) and Hispaniola (Santo Domingo), before returning to Spain. He left thirty-nine men to build a settlement called La Navidad in present-day Haiti. He also kidnapped several Native Americans (between ten and twenty-five) to take back to Spain—only eight survived. Columbus brought back small amounts of gold as well as native birds and plants to show the richness of the continent he believed to be Asia.

When Columbus arrived back in Spain on March 15, 1493, he immediately wrote a letter announcing his discoveries to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, who had helped finance his trip. The letter was written in Spanish and sent to Rome, where it was printed in Latin by Stephan Plannck. Plannck mistakenly left Queen Isabella’s name out of the pamphlet’s introduction but quickly realized his error and reprinted the pamphlet a few days later. The copy shown here is the second, corrected edition of the pamphlet.

The Latin printing of this letter announced the existence of the American continent throughout Europe. “I discovered many islands inhabited by numerous people. I took possession of all of them for our most fortunate King by making public proclamation and unfurling his standard, no one making any resistance,” Columbus wrote.

In addition to announcing his momentous discovery, Columbus’s letter also provides observations of the native people’s culture and lack of weapons, noting that “they are destitute of arms, which are entirely unknown to them, and for which they are not adapted; not on account of any bodily deformity, for they are well made, but because they are timid and full of terror.” Writing that the natives are “fearful and timid . . . guileless and honest,” Columbus declares that the land could easily be conquered by Spain, and the natives “might become Christians and inclined to love our King and Queen and Princes and all the people of Spain.”

An English translation of this document is available.

I have determined to write you this letter to inform you of everything that has been done and discovered in this voyage of mine.

On the thirty-third day after leaving Cadiz I came into the Indian Sea, where I discovered many islands inhabited by numerous people. I took possession of all of them for our most fortunate King by making public proclamation and unfurling his standard, no one making any resistance. The island called Juana, as well as the others in its neighborhood, is exceedingly fertile. It has numerous harbors on all sides, very safe and wide, above comparison with any I have ever seen. Through it flow many very broad and health-giving rivers; and there are in it numerous very lofty mountains. All these island are very beautiful, and of quite different shapes; easy to be traversed, and full of the greatest variety of trees reaching to the stars. . . .

In the island, which I have said before was called Hispana , there are very lofty and beautiful mountains, great farms, groves and fields, most fertile both for cultivation and for pasturage, and well adapted for constructing buildings. The convenience of the harbors in this island, and the excellence of the rivers, in volume and salubrity, surpass human belief, unless on should see them. In it the trees, pasture-lands and fruits different much from those of Juana. Besides, this Hispana abounds in various kinds of species, gold and metals. The inhabitants . . . are all, as I said before, unprovided with any sort of iron, and they are destitute of arms, which are entirely unknown to them, and for which they are not adapted; not on account of any bodily deformity, for they are well made, but because they are timid and full of terror. . . . But when they see that they are safe, and all fear is banished, they are very guileless and honest, and very liberal of all they have. No one refuses the asker anything that he possesses; on the contrary they themselves invite us to ask for it. They manifest the greatest affection towards all of us, exchanging valuable things for trifles, content with the very least thing or nothing at all. . . . I gave them many beautiful and pleasing things, which I had brought with me, for no return whatever, in order to win their affection, and that they might become Christians and inclined to love our King and Queen and Princes and all the people of Spain; and that they might be eager to search for and gather and give to us what they abound in and we greatly need.

Questions for Discussion

Read the document introduction and transcript in order to answer these questions.

• Columbus described the Natives he first encountered as “timid and full of fear.” Why did he then capture some Natives and bring them aboard his ships?
• Imagine the thoughts of the Europeans as they first saw land in the “New World.” What do you think would have been their most immediate impression? Explain your answer.
• Which of the items Columbus described would have been of most interest to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella? Why?
• Why did Columbus describe the islands and their inhabitants in great detail?
• It is said that this voyage opened the period of the “Columbian Exchange.” Why do you think that term has been attached to this period of time?

A printer-friendly version is available  here .

Stay up to date, and subscribe to our quarterly newsletter..

Learn how the Institute impacts history education through our work guiding teachers, energizing students, and supporting research.

Cyclists, community come together for Columbus’ Pelotonia, North America’s 2nd largest ride supporting cancer research

• Updated: Jul. 23, 2024, 12:03 p.m.
• | Published: Jul. 23, 2024, 11:53 a.m.

Riders begin a Pelotonia route in 2023. The Columbus ride in the second largest in North America in raising money for cancer research. (Contributed by Pelotonia)

• Laura Hancock, cleveland.com

COLUMBUS, Ohio -Two years after his cancer diagnosis, Joe Apgar had graduated from college in Pennsylvania and was living in Columbus, working his first professional job, when he learned from his oncologist about the Pelotonia bike ride that raised money for cancer research.

“I had moved to this new city and I was kind of this young, sick kid for a while so I wanted to prove to myself that I was healthy again, and like normal,” he said. “So I just wanted to do some big physical challenge. I was never a runner. My oncologist rode.”

Stories by Laura Hancock

• By coalescing around Kamala Harris, Democrats won’t get a contested party convention: Capitol Letter Jul. 24, 2024, 8:00a.m.
• Recreational marijuana: Businesses can’t be near churches, libraries, parks, schools. A new map shows what’s off limits Jul. 23, 2024, 1:19p.m.
• Ohio grants first recreational marijuana licenses. See which 10 were approved for operations Jul. 22, 2024, 11:48a.m.
• Ohio issues a consumer alert on delta-8 THC products designed to attract children Jul. 19, 2024, 12:43p.m.

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

Who is JD Vance? Ohioans have not-so-pretty things to say about Trump's VP pick.

Trump announced Sen. J.D. Vance as his running mate today.

The nation will soon know the Middletown native far better than it does now. He is already very well known to Ohioans and is a frequent subject of guest columns and letters to the editor submitted to this publication.

Most submissions have been critical. Vance has also penned several guest columns.

Scroll below for selection of letters and columns about J.D. Vance.

MORE: From 'America's Hitler' to a 'great president': JD Vance VP nomination in 5 cartoons

"Vance will hurt Trump's reelection chances. Ohio junior senator isn't ready to be VP."

July 15, 2024

Written by University of Dayton Professor Christopher Devine, Co-Author of "Do Running Mates Matter? The Influence of Vice Presidential Candidates in Presidential Elections."

First, Vance will have limited appeal to voters outside the Republican Party base. This is partly because Vance often conducts himself as a hysterical partisan – for example, by  claiming that the Biden campaign was “directly” to blame  for Saturday’s assassination attempt against Trump before any facts about the shooter were known..."

"Second, Vance probably will not help Trump win—and might cost him votes."

Link: Vance will hurt Trump's reelection chances. Ohio junior senator isn't ready to be VP.

"Ex-Portman director: Elect Tim Ryan. Deceitful Vance follows Trump's hate-mongering steps"

Aug. 16, 2022

Written by Jonathan Petuchowski , principal of First Majestic Asset Management and former legislative director to U.S. Senator Rob Portman.

"J.D. Vance, on the other hand, has made clear that he is all about division, and following in the hate-mongering steps of Donald Trump."

"These flip-flops and contortions aren’t just embarrassing. They show exactly the kind of person J.D. Vance is—a craven shapeshifter who will say whatever he needs to say to get elected."

Link: Ex-Portman director: Elect Tim Ryan. Deceitful Vance follows Trump's hate-mongering steps

"J.D. Vance wrote about being poor in Ohio now he's pulling ladder from poor Ohioans"

Written by Jeanna Kenney, advocacy chair member for Building Freedom Ohio.

Jan. 18, 2024

"Many Americans are too familiar with the struggle to feed their family —including our  U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance  — but instead of supporting benefits that families like his relied on, he supports enormous budget cuts to them.

While I’m struggling to pay rent on time and afford groceries, Congress is running out of time to make sure SNAP benefits are covered."

Link: J.D. Vance wrote about being poor in Ohio now he's pulling ladder from poor Ohioans

Letters to the editor about J.D. Vance:

J.d. vance's views on divorce, same-sex marriage send 'dangerous' message.

Sept. 8. 2022

Written by Margo Bartlett of Delaware

"In the Sept. 5 article, " Vance pushes back on divorce, porn, " Republican Senate candidate J.D. Vance tells his campaign audiences he's anti-divorce, even in the case of unhappy or violent marriages, "because if you actually raise kids in stable families, they're much more likely to be prosperous, and I think that's what we all want, is kids to grow up in healthy, happy situations.

First, we all know that kids need and deserve to grow up in happy, stable homes. It's Vance’s definition of “stable families” that's ominous.

Vance appears to believe  unhappy, violent marriages  are preferable to divorce. I have my doubts.  Many divorced couples successfully collaborate  to give their children love, support and security. Children in unhappy, violent homes surely don’t feel loved, supported and secure in those homes. "

LINK: J.D. Vance's views on divorce, same-sex marriage send 'dangerous' message

"Trump should do Ohio a favor and take 'bootlicking' J.D. Vance off our hands"

May 22, 2024

Written by Joe R. Tilley of Columbus.

"I am hoping that Trump picks Sen. J.D. Vance for his running mate. Then Ohio could get rid of the lying, bootlicking, butt kissing, weak-willed, integrity lacking, sickening obsequious sycophant."

Letter: Trump should do Ohio a favor and take 'bootlicking' J.D. Vance off our hands

"Surely J.D. Vance took good notes"

May 16, 2024

Written by William Cotton of Blacklick

"Mr. Vance pulled a 180 from being a 'never Trump guy' who said Trump was 'noxious' . . . 'reprehensible' . . . and 'an idiot.' He now sucks up to Trump trying to be the No. 1 saprophyte vying for the vice presidential ticket spot."

Link: J.D. Vance, fellow Republicans mastering art of intimidation at Trump’s hush money trial

J.D. Vance's behavior disgraceful

Written by Toba Feldman of Columbus

"After the unanimous jury verdict, he called the verdict a disgrace and an absolute miscarriage of justice. If the verdict had been not guilty, he probably would have said the proceedings were fair and a shining example of American justice, even though the several weeks of trial would not differ except in the result.

What I find disgraceful is Vance’s, a former lawyer, behavior."

Link: J.D. Vance's behavior disgraceful

Who is J.D. Vance?

Vance was raised in a poverty and abuse-stricken household, chronicled in his bestselling "Hillbilly Elegy," which delved into his criticism of politics and the effectiveness of their policies on the working class. His resulting fame from the novel catapulted him into celebrity status.

Back in 2016, Vance was cynical of Trump .

"I go back and forth between thinking Trump is a cynical asshole like Nixon who wouldn't be that bad (and might even prove useful) or that he's America's Hitler," Vance wrote. "How's that for discouraging?"

When he decided to run for Senate in 2022, Vance started to support the presumptive GOP nominee for president. Vance enlisted his own connections to Silicon Valley to garner campaign backing, connections he now extends to Trump.

Vance has even built a strong relationship with Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr., who supports Vance as his pick for vice president.

Vance will hurt Trump's chances. Ohio junior senator isn't ready to be VP.

Trump gave Vance his endorsement in the 2022 Senate race, which helped Vance ultimately win the seat.

Two years later, Vance stands strong as a Trump supporter, supporting him through his recent trial in Manhattan , his immunity case with the Supreme Court and even helping the former president to fundraise in the state.