Was Christopher Columbus Selfish

Christopher Columbus determination to find a water route west from Europe to Asia influenced the Age of Exploration greatly. Especially King Henry VII who was eager to increase wealth for Europe.

Christopher Columbus is a man who is commonly depicted as a hero and great explorer who discovered our modern day America, but many of the so called “facts” are not all completely true as people would like to believe. Columbus was undoubtedly a courageous explorer who brought many new ideas, cultures, and resources to be exchanged between the New World and Europe. While this is true, it is not uncommon for people to forget the harmful effects brought along with the voyages made by Columbus and the darker details of his times in America.

An Italian explorer responsible for the European discovery of America in 1492. Columbus wanted to sail across the ocean to find Asia and all the riches they had. Columbus never reached Asia because he sailed west across the Atlantic instead of sailing south around Africa and then east. Although Columbus did not ever reach Asia he landed on a small island in the Caribbean. Columbus named that island San Salvador.

Along with the West Indies he explored North America. There were two reasons he traveled to North America. The first was for riches such as gold which was believed to be there. His big goal was to conquer Florida for the Spanish Crown and for his country of Spain. He was also the first European to discover the Mississippi River.

Christopher Columbus as we know is the historical person credited for the discovery of the New World. Zheng He was a Hui-Chinese mariner, explorer, diplomat and fleet admiral, who commanded voyages to Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and East Africa. Each men and their fleets had two completely different reason for their travel. Christopher Columbus purpose was to find a new trade way to the Asian countries. Zheng He's purpose was to enlarge empires control of seaway trade.

His motivations were like those of most men in that time: God, Gold, and Glory. Columbus wanted to become rich by finding the spices that were in Asia and he also wanted to prove that Asia wasn’t really that far from Europe. He also wanted to spread Christianity through his journey. As well as his theory being proven correct, he also had many things to gain. In his journal it states, “[Your Highness] ordered me to proceed with a sufficient armament to the said regions of India, and for that purpose granted me great favors, and ennobled me that thenceforth I might call myself Don, and be High Admiral of the Sea, and perpetual Viceroy and Governor in all the islands and continents which I might discover and acquire, or which may hereafter he discovered and acquired in the ocean; and that this dignity should be inherited by my eldest son, and thus descend from degree to degree forever.”

How was the journey to America and the first flight across the Atlantic significant to the world? These two journeys have shown the determination in mankind. There are similarities and differences in the two men’s reasons on why they set these goals for themselves. Both of their journeys affected how travel would be later on in time. Everything behind these two journeys set some of the building blocks for the future. Four hundred years helped mankind prepare for the next big steps to the next floor of the building of travel.

Christopher Columbus, a Spanish captain who sailed to find new found land for the King and Queen of Spain. Columbus was a unique person in the middle Ages. Columbus was not born into the richest family but he was able to teach himself on how to sail and navigate the sea just by working on boats at a very young age. He was a man that worked very hard to earn the rank of captain of the seas, with this rank he became famous in European and American history and change the meaning of sailing. Christopher was born in the republic of Genoa, Italy on May 20, 1451.

Although Christopher Columbus marked a turning point in history, he was not the hero he’s said to be. For one, he enslaved countless amounts of natives after his arrival in the “New World”. He believed they’d make good servants and put them to work finding gold for him. He also mutilated these enslaved people if they did not find enough gold for him. They were usually punished by the loss of a limb and, on occasion, by death. As if that was not enough, Christopher Columbus did all of this out of greed. Spain had agreed to let him keep 10 percent of what he found there--including precious items and materials (which must have seemed like a very good deal). While Christopher Columbus did connect the two hemispheres of our world, he left a line

Columbus, who was brave and admiring, had a different route to Asia led the journey west came upon the new yet to be explored American continents. According to Document E, it states, “His conquest of Atlantic the outer space of the fifteenth century - is as meaningful to the Americans of the space age as it was to our forefathers who pushed across the vast expenses of this continent.” This quote shows how Columbus’s conquest was an important milestone in the achievements of people of his time and even today. Despite his famous discovery, one of the main reason to set sail for this conquest was Columbus’s greed for riches and fame. In Document A, it states, “I was very attentive to them, and strove to learn if they had any gold.”

One of the earlier motives that caused Columbus to oppress the indigenous people were the tiny gold ornaments some of the Arawak’s wore. This made Columbus to take some of the natives as prisoners and insist them to inform where gold was. Later, he got eventually coarser in treating the Indians, due to the gold mask presented to Columbus by al local chief in Hispaniola and the innocent, trusting characteristics of the natives that shared anything they could possibly share. 6. Both Cortes and Pizarro had few similar reasons that lead them to exploration, including gold, the most important, slaves, new agricultures, and establishing capital for the early capitalist states of Europe.

Christopher Columbus sailed to the New World in search of a new trade route to India. But instead he came to the New World, thinking he landed in India. Not knowing where he was, Columbus called the natives 'Indians’. Columbus began colonizing the New World for his country, Spain. He brought back precious metals, animals, and disease back and forth between continents.

Columbus had to ask for money for his voyage, he asked lots of people who had extra cash and finally someone agreed. Queen Isabella, she gave him three ships which were the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria as well as ninety sailors. He later wrote a letter to the King of Spain on his voyage back from America about his “discoveries” surprisingly, not asking for money. “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.”

Instead of finding the Indies he finds the “New World” and creates a settlement of his own and starts to do terrible things. This can be taken as Christopher Columbus being greedy and self righteous than being an explorer for Spain. Christopher Columbus should be considered as a pirate instead of an explorer. Christopher is more of a pirate than explorer is that he became the ruler of the new land he found and was very unfair to the natives and his people.

Many people when they were younger, including myself, were taught that Columbus is a hero and an amazing person who discover the New World. We were all told that Columbus’s purpose for sailing thousands of miles across the Atlantic was to come here in search of undiscovered land. Columbus DID want land but he was expecting to get that land from