Download Chapter 5 European Exploration

Chapter 5
European Exploration
Section 1
Christopher Columbus
In the late 1400’s,
Columbus , an explorer
born in Genoa, Italy,
persuaded Queen
Isabella and King
Ferdinand of Spain to pay
for his expedition.
Columbus told the queen
he would find a new route
across the Atlantic Ocean
to Cathay, the European
name for China.
Columbus had taught
himself Spanish,
Portuguese, and
geography. Like
other educated
Europeans of his
time, he know that the
earth was round.
Because of this, he
believed that he could
sail westward to
reach Asia faster and
easier than traveling
eastward.
The king and queen
did agree to support
his expedition, so
Columbus set sail
with his three ships,
the Nina, Pinta, and
the Santa Maria for
Asia on August 3,
1492.
Landed was sited on Oct. 12, 1492
Columbus's explorers set foot on an island they
believed to be in the Indies, in Southeast Asia.
They named the new land San Salvador,
meaning Holy Savior. Columbus named the
helpful and friendly native people indios.
Columbus did not realize that his ships had
landed among the islands we know today as the
Bahamas.
Columbus continued
with his expedition
and visited many
islands including
Cuba and Hispaniola.
Hispaniola was the
sight of the first
Spanish colony in
the Americas.
COLUMBUS’S FOUR VOYAGES
Columbus joined his brother, Bartholomew to
colonize new lands for Spain. Bartholomew
established the first permanent colony on
Hispaniola and named it Santo Domingo.
Columbus made a total of 4 voyages to the
Americas for Spain. Columbus failed to find
a new trade route to Asia or to bring back
riches to Spain. Finally, Spain withdrew her
support, but this only opened the door for
other European explorers.