Exploring Christopher Columbus' Bolivian Connection

Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer and navigator who completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean, sponsored by the Catholic Monarchs of Spain. He was born in Genoa and went to sea at a young age, travelling as far north as the British Isles and as far south as Ghana. He was knowledgeable in geography, astronomy, and history, and developed a plan to seek a western sea passage to the East Indies.

Columbus's first voyage began in 1492, when he set sail from Palos in Spain with three ships: the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. After ten weeks at sea, land was sighted by a sailor called Rodrigo Bernajo, and Columbus named the island San Salvador, which is presumed to be in the Bahamas. He claimed the island for the King and Queen of Spain, although it was already populated, and called the inhabitants 'Indians' as he believed he had reached the Indies.

Columbus made three more voyages to the Americas, exploring Trinidad and the northern coast of South America in 1498, and the east coast of Central America in 1502. He never set foot in North America.

Christopher Columbus's first voyage

Columbus made it to what is now the Bahamas in 61 days. He initially thought his plan was successful and that he had reached India, and so he called the indigenous people "Indians", an inaccurate name that unfortunately stuck. Columbus then visited the islands now known as Cuba and Hispaniola, establishing a colony in what is now Haiti. He returned to Castile in early 1493, with captured natives.

Columbus's first voyage inaugurated a period of exploration, conquest, and colonization that lasted for centuries, thus bringing the Americas into the European sphere of influence.

The 'discovery' of the New World

Christopher Columbus is often credited with discovering the New World, but this is not strictly true. While he did not set foot in North America, he was the first European to sight the Bahamas archipelago and the island later named Hispaniola (modern-day Haiti and the Dominican Republic).

Columbus was born in Genoa, Italy, in 1451 and became a sailor at a young age. He moved to Lisbon, Portugal, in 1476, where he spent several years trying to gain support for a journey to find new trade routes to the Far East. He eventually secured funding from King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain.

On August 3, 1492, Columbus set sail from Palos, Spain, with three ships: the Santa Maria, the Pinta, and the Nina. After sailing across the Atlantic Ocean for ten weeks, he sighted land—an island in the Bahamas—on October 12, 1492. He named the island San Salvador and claimed it for Spain, even though it was already populated. Columbus called the inhabitants 'Indians' because he believed he had reached the Indies.

Columbus made three more voyages across the Atlantic to the Caribbean. He explored various Caribbean islands, as well as the Gulf of Mexico and the coasts of Central and South America. However, he never accomplished his original goal of finding a western ocean route to Asia.

Columbus died in 1506, still believing he had found a new route to the East Indies. His voyages sparked centuries of European exploration and colonisation of the American continents, as well as the exploitation of Indigenous Peoples.

The term 'New World' gained prominence in the early 16th century during Europe's Age of Discovery. It was popularised by Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci, who concluded that the lands explored by Europeans constituted a new continent. Vespucci's term was used to refer specifically to the Americas, which became known as 'America' after him.

The beginning of European colonisation

Christopher Columbus, an Italian explorer and navigator, made four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean between 1492 and 1504. These voyages, sponsored by the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, opened the way for the widespread European exploration and colonisation of the Americas.

In 1492, Columbus set sail from Spain in search of a western sea passage to the East Indies, hoping to profit from the lucrative spice trade. Instead, he landed in the Bahamas, kicking off the Spanish Empire. Columbus went on to explore the Caribbean, as well as the coasts of Central and South America.

Columbus's expeditions inaugurated a period of exploration, conquest, and colonisation that lasted for centuries, thus bringing the Americas into the European sphere of influence. The transfer of plants, animals, precious metals, culture, human populations, technology, diseases, and ideas between the Old World and New World is known as the Columbian exchange. These events and their lasting effects are often cited as the beginning of the modern era.

The Columbian exchange

In addition, the New World produced over 80% of the world's silver in the 16th and 17th centuries, with most of it coming from Potosí in Bolivia. This led to the founding of the city of Manila in the Philippines to facilitate trade between New World silver and Chinese silk, porcelain, and other luxury goods. The enormous quantities of silver imported into Spain and China caused inflation and a decline in the value of silver.

The Age of Discovery

Exploration and Colonization

Trade and Globalization

The exploration of the world by sea led to the expansion of trade networks, with the Portuguese and Spanish establishing trade routes in the Indian Ocean and the Caribbean. This spurred international global trade and laid the groundwork for globalization.

Impact on Europe

Impact on Indigenous Populations

The exploration and colonization of the Americas by Europeans had a devastating impact on the indigenous populations. The transfer of plants, animals, and diseases between the Old World and the New World led to a rapid population decline among the American Indians. The era also saw the widespread enslavement, exploitation, and military conquest of native populations, along with the spread of Western and European culture, science, and technology.

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