Damian Harvey - History Heroes: Christopher Columbus

www.franklinwatts.co.uk

Christopher Columbus was born in 1451 in the busy Italian port of Genoa. His father was a wool merchant but Christopher didnt want to spend his life weaving wool. He wanted a life of adventure and excitement. And he wanted to be rich and famous. As soon as he was old enough, Columbus went to sea. He learned to sail and how to navigate by looking at the stars.

He travelled to Iceland, Ireland and England. But the seas were a dangerous place to be. There were terrible storms and fierce pirates. When he was 25, the ship Columbus was sailing on was sunk in battle. He held onto an oar and swam all the way back to shore. Columbus went to work in his brothers map shop and spent his time studying.

He heard how some people thought the world was flat, like a pancake. But Columbus knew this wasnt true. He was sure the world was shaped like a pear. He also knew lots of money could be made by importing fine silk and rare spices from Eastern countries like India and China. Columbus felt certain it would be quicker to sail West to India. Columbus married a rich Portuguese noblewoman and they had a son called Diego. Things didnt always go well for Columbus. Things didnt always go well for Columbus.

He went to ask King John II of Portugal for money for his expedition. You must be mad, said the King. Then, not long after Diego was born, Columbuss wife died. But he still didnt give up on his dreams of discovery He told King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain about his plans. I will make you rich, and Spain will be even more powerful than before, he promised. Columbus still didnt give up I will bring you gold and jewels, if you make me Admiral of all the Oceans and the Governor of all the New Lands, he declared. Columbus still didnt give up I will bring you gold and jewels, if you make me Admiral of all the Oceans and the Governor of all the New Lands, he declared.

The King and Queen didnt think they would ever see Columbus again, but they eventually agreed to give him money for his voyage to the New World.

Columbus didnt get as much money as hed wanted. He only had enough to pay for three small ships. It wasnt easy finding a crew to sail on this dangerous voyage either. Luckily, his friend Martin Alonso Pinzon knew just where to look. There were lots of sailors in prison whose only crime was to have a different religion.

He set them free. At 8 oclock, Columbus set sail in the Santa Maria from Palos in Spain. Martin Alonso followed in the Pinta, and his brother, Vincete, was captain of the Nina. Columbus knew it was going to be a difficult journey across the ocean. But he had no idea just how long it was going to take them. Life on board the ships was hard.

Columbus had a cabin but the rest of his crew had to sleep on the deck. All they had to eat was dried meat and fish, beans and ships biscuit (mixed corn made of barley, rye and bean flour). The crews worked hard to steer the ships and stop them from leaking. To stop the crews worrying, Columbus pretended they hadnt sailed as far as they really had. But they sailed for days and the crews became frightened. They thought they would never find land.

They even thought they might sail over the edge of the world. The crews got angry and threatened to throw Columbus overboard. Luckily, Martin Alonso persuaded them not to. Then someone spotted something in the sea. Columbus knew that land must be near.

Then, at 2 oclock on the 12th October 1492, Rodrigo shouted: Land ahoy! Columbus thought he had discovered a new land to the west of India. Next page