Christopher Columbus and Discovery of the New World
QUESTION: Christopher Columbus and Discovery of the New World
ANSWER:
In 1492, at Saint George the Martyr church in Pola, Spain, Christopher Columbus finally got the green light from Ferdinand and Isabella for his famous voyage. This is where the royal Spanish decree was read that provided the ships and a crew for Columbus' journey.
The rest is history. Columbus had a fairly easy journey, good weather, and fair winds. He boldly proclaimed discovery of the New World. Well, okay, he initially thought that he had found China, but it was actually the Bahamas. But that's another story!
Christopher Columbus – A Naïve Hero Word traveled fast. News of Columbus' fantastic exploits had exploded across the European continent. And even before he made it back to be greeted once again by his royal sponsors, the story of his first voyage was already in its third printing. Columbus was received and regarded as a hero in his adopted home of Spain and in his native Italy.
Despite the fact that Christopher Columbus was not the first European to set foot in America, and he had no idea about his true discovery, his expeditions were nevertheless monumentally influential because they helped flame passions for expansion and settlement of the New World.
