Biography

Christopher Colombus was born in 1451 in Genoa, a busy seaport on the coast of Italy. As a child, Colombus had read about the travels of Marco Polo. In the late 1200s, Polo journeyed to Asia and brought back gold, jewels, and spices from China. Colombus was also interested in exploring these faraway lands.
So, around the age of 15, Colombus became a sailor. He sailed on ships that went south along the coast of Africa and north to Ireland. They may have gone to Iceland. Vikings sailors from Norway had already explored as far as Greenland and the eastern Canadian shores. But Colombus and others did not know about these voyages.
The Portuguese were trying to get to Asia by sailing south around the southern tip of Africa. In the 1400s, people knew much less about the world than is now today. Colombus thought the Earth was much smaller than it is. He also believed it had just one ocean. He thought that he could reach Asia faster by sailing west across the Atlantic.
Colombus tried to find someone to pay for his voyage.
In 1476, when Columbus was traveling to England, his ship sank. He was saved by swimming, and reached the shores of the Algarve. From there he went to Lisbon in search of help from his brother Bartholomew and other people.
Until 1485 he lived in Portugal and made numerous trips to various destinations including Genoa, England and Ireland.
Between 1479 and 1480 he married Dona Felipa Moniz, daughter of the colonizer of the Madeira Islands, Bartolome de Perestrello. Once married he lived in Porto Santo and Madeira. His relationship with Philippa, who was from the upper class Portuguese, would give the opportunity for the preparation of his project.
In 1480 they had their only son, Diego Columbus.
Between 1483 and 1485 first offered its proposal to the king of Portugal, who commissioned it as analyzed by a board of experts.
In 1485, the death of his wife Philippa and lack of support for his project, he left Portugal and went to Castilla in search of sponsorship. Columbus arrived with his son Diego Columbus, entering "el Puerto de Palos".
Columbus made friends in the first instance with Fray Antonio de Marchena and years later with Juan Perez, to whom he confided his plans. The friars supported him and advised Fray Hernando de Talavera, confessor to Queen Isabella I. In the nearby village of Moguer also found support from the abbess of the convent of Santa Clara Inés Enríquez, aunt of King Ferdinand. Columbus went to court, established by then in Cordoba, and established relations with leading figures in the real environment.
The Royal Council rejected the project, managed to be received by Queen Isabella, who showed interest in his plans. While waiting to start the trip, he began to sell maps and books to support himselve.
In December 1491, Columbus reached the royal camp of Santa Fe de Granada. His project was submitted to a new board, convened by the queen, but again rejected.When Portugal, France, England and Spain had already rejected his project he decided to submit his idea again to the queen of Spain. Finally after almost 13 years, Colombus convinced Queen Isabella and King Fernando of Spain. They gave him two ships, a vessel and 90 men of the jail. Colombus promised to return with gold and spices to make Spain rich.
On August 3, 1492, Colombus left Spain with his ships, the Niña, The Pinta and the Santa María.
Early on the morning of October 12, a sailor spotted an island with white beaches and dense green forests.
Colombus named the island San Salvador because this island saved him the same day he was going to be killed. He claim it for Spain. Friendly people greeted him. Colombus called them Indians, because he thought that he had reached the East Indies. Colombus captured some of them as prisioners and made them take him to the island of Cuba, where he found people wearing gold ornaments and pearls.
For three months, Colombus searched for gold and spices. In 1493 he sailed back to Spain, carrying a few ornaments and Indian captives. Queen Isabella and King Fernando rewarded Colombus and agreed to pay for more voyages. Colombus promised to bring them "as much gold as they need and many slaves as they ask."
Colombus made three more voyages, exploring more islands around Cuba and the coasts of South and Central America. He found very little gold. In fact, when he died in 1506, he didn´t know that he had discovered a new continent.