Author Topic: 519 years since the start of the first voyage of Christopher Columbus (Read 2016 times)

adash · « **on:** August 02, 2011, 11:26:53 PM »

On the evening of August 3, 1492, Christopher Columbus departed from Castilian Palos de la Frontera with three ships. Columbus first sailed to the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa, which were ruled by the Crown of Castile, where he restocked provisions and made repairs. On September 6, he departed San Sebastián de la Gomera for what turned out to be a five-week voyage across the ocean.

After 29 days out of sight of land, on October 7, 1492, the crew spotted "immense flocks of birds", some of which his sailors trapped and determined to be "field" birds (probably Eskimo curlews and American golden plovers). Columbus changed course to follow their flight.[24]

Land was sighted at 2 a.m. on October 12, by a sailor named Rodrigo de Triana (also known as Juan Rodriguez Bermejo) aboard La Pinta.[25] Columbus would later assert that he had first seen the land and, thus, earned the reward of 10,000 maravedís.[26][27] Columbus called the island San Salvador, in present day the Bahamas or the Turks and Caicos, although the indigenous residents had already named it Guanahani.

Columbus also explored the northeast coast of Cuba, landing on October 28, 1492, and the northern coast of Hispaniola, present day Haiti and Dominican Republic, by December 5.

On January 15, 1493, he set sail for home by way of the Azores. To achieve that goal, "He wrestled his ship against the wind and ran into a fierce storm."[citation needed] In his first journey, Columbus visited San Salvador in the Bahamas (which he was convinced was Japan), Cuba (which he thought was China) and Hispaniola (where he found gold).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voyages_of_Christopher_Columbus#First_voyage

rogerml · « **Reply #1 on:** August 03, 2011, 12:14:30 AM »

. . . and as Christofero and his men rowed ashore, they were met of some 'white' (however, somewhat sun burned) men (and women), who told them (in English, I guess?) that they were 'vikings' that had 'run away from their group of countrymen up in the northeastern part of 'Vinland' ('Vin' meaning 'green, - hence also the confusion about the name of Eskimo-land, now Greenland, where also the vikings 'came first'),
but enjoyed the warmer climate of the Caribbean area, - as well as the abundance of nice ladies, - in other words: not very different from nowadays 'runaways', - or emigrants, if you like). Case in point: Vikings settled on the American continent almost 500 years prior to the Spanish (Castill), - and data shows that they navigated the seas all the way to at least what is to day Florida.

I'm not sure what 'all this' has to on a photo-gear forum, - but fully agree that the history of humans and their endeavours is fun read, - and nice as a 'coffee-talk subject.

lisandra · « **Reply #2 on:** August 03, 2011, 01:13:47 AM »

And not one of them brought a camera along...
That's the year my island was discovered! If they hadn't, I would probably look a lot different.

voyager · « **Reply #3 on:** August 03, 2011, 03:18:08 AM »

Cameras didn't exist then!

adash · « **Reply #4 on:** August 03, 2011, 04:43:57 AM »

They did:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camera_obscura#History

Em5 Pete · « **Reply #5 on:** August 03, 2011, 06:09:40 AM »

Coffee take is for "Non-Photographic" discussions....

Back then, that was a total high risk in travel. The thinking was the earth was flat, and very few believed other wise..Also, CC was a "Pain in the Ass" to the Queen with his constant requests for government supported travel expeditions. She was looking to get rid of him. Hoping he would die on journey or fall off the earth.

rogerml · « **Reply #6 on:** August 03, 2011, 09:33:19 AM »

This being, in my humble opinion, a very interesting thread that adash here brings about. However, not having much time to spend for the moment, I cannot contribute as much as I, otherwise, would have been inclined to. Columbus's expeditions was, and still is, of huge importance to the western world as we today know it. (The Vikings settlements on the continent, was of far lesser importance, - as their 'business' by settling [there] were for quite different reasons and ideas].

Partially, I disagree with Peter's statement, that CC (Cristobal Colon in the Latino world) were "a Pain in the Ass" of the Castil monarchs. Clearly he made several attempts to have the monarch (Isabel, later Isabel and Ferdinand of Castil) support him with ships, funds and others), but mind you, they were (and not only these monarchs, also others) vastly interested in what might be the outcome, as the were half-broke from spending in wars on many fronts, - e.g. just getting rid of the last enclave of muslims on the Iberian peninsula (Grenada, if I remember correctly here). Finally, CC could get what he wanted, even if Queen Isabel of Castil was advised against it by her counsellors, but Ferdinand gave in, and the Castil monarchs signed contracts with CC, and funded him what he needed for his expeditions towards (what CC himself thought to be India, - thus the name 'Indians' of the people he approached there. Until his death, CC never admitted that the continent he had reached was any other than 'India').

CC made three more expeditions, after the first one. The map adash encl. is his s e c o n d expedition. Even if it is from wikipedia, - and "stamped 'first expedition'", - I'm quite 100% sure this map shows his second vpoyage. (Go check Wikipedia or other, better (?) sources. Being a navigator with 20+ years of navigating the oceans, I wouldn't dare say this, if not sure. If someone says: 'not important, first or second', - they have a point, - in this forum).

Finally: The CC family spent time, energy, prestige and funds, in the court room(s), adversing (going against, - not sure of the term here) the Spanish crown over contactual (contracts betw. Castil Crown and CC) matters.

Em5 Pete · « **Reply #7 on:** August 03, 2011, 10:48:04 AM »

lol, some time ago, I was at a museum in Florida, (The queens Throne Room was duplacated) where the guide was suggesting that CC was a little over bearing when asking for funds, and although funds where available for shorter exploration, his was the riskiest, .. So, that's how I took it. Not a problem if I got it wrong.. sounds like a little private interpretation on her part.

tamoio · « **Reply #8 on:** August 03, 2011, 12:39:54 PM »

CC is a very peculiar guy, more questions than answers about his background and motivations. I seem to recall he was soliciting support from Portugal, and was in court when the success of Dias (rounding Africa) was announced in 1487. CC's principle error, which ironically led to the "discoveries", was his miscalculation of the true diameter of the world, many scholars believe that the Portuguese and perhaps others had a more accurate solution and yet he persisted in the face of significant evidence contrary to his theories. And of course he was wrong. Nobody could measure Longitude with any accuracy in the 15th century (pre-Galileo) so when the Portuguese reached true India via sailing around Africa 5 years after CC's first "discovery" it took quite a while to sort things out cartographically.

I don't believe that anyone has been able to establish where exactly CC made first land fall in the "new world", unlike the location where Cabral "discovered" Brasil which is quite close to modern Porto Seguro.

adash · « **Reply #9 on:** August 03, 2011, 10:43:49 PM »

Rogermil, sorry for the mistake, I have included the wrong picture. Here is what I hope to be the correct one:

It is me who included the wrong picture, not Wikipedia.

BTW, there is a great movie "1492: Conquest of Paradise" starring Sigourney Weaver as Queen Isabella I, Gérard Depardieu as Christopher Columbus, which portraits CC as a cartographer and a close friend of the Queen, whose hunger for knowledge drove him to organize the voyages, rather than his hunger for power or wealth.
Later on the conquest of the new world continued, but driven by greed, with consequences that we all know from history.

BTW, I do recommend this movie, except being a great movie, it has an astonishing soundtrack by Vangelis.

rogerml · « **Reply #10 on:** August 04, 2011, 01:03:22 AM »

@adash: Yes, the map in your post above here, shows CC's first expedition/voyage. Your first post in this thread showed his second expedition/voyage. Don't want to be a pedant, - and as said: Not of importance in this thread. Much more of importance to understand and acknowledge the huge shift in the human history as a consequence of these few first expeditions of CC. Very much so for the South American continent. (Continent model: seven, - as opposed to four). Just try to imagine, for a moment, that a couple of hundred man, with a few horses and swords in hand, in a decade or two, conquered a whole civilization and a whole continent!
Haven't seen "1492:Conquest of Paradise", - I'll follow your recommend, and get myself a copy from Amazon if my local shop here hasn't got it. Thanks for the tip, adash.

@PeterA: Again, no big deal. The Queen was eager to help, - if not, she would not accepted to see CC several times, - we all understand that. Her power and will in these times are unlimited, - without her approval CC wouldn't even come half-close to her quarters. Just as 'tamoio' here points to: CC got his math's all wrong, (by telling the Crown that the distance was half of what scholars could advise her, - and for that reason the same advisors and scholars had little or no thrust in CC's abilities (to reach 'India'), - which they, with success, brought onto the Castil Queen. After several years, and many more meetings between CC and the Queen, CC was 'sent away' with no fundings for his voyage plan(s). It was actually Ferdinand II (of Aragon) that sent some staff to bring CC to his courts for a final 'go through'. They (the two Monarchs and CC) agreed, and several contracts were made out, securing the Crown what they wanted, and (the now 'Commander of the Seas') what he (CC) wanted (from a successful expedition, one need to assume).

@tomoio: He even tried his luck with Henry VII, King of England, to no avail.

Em5 Pete · « **Reply #11 on:** August 04, 2011, 05:38:19 AM »

I do agree also, That CC landings in the Bahama's was a turning point for the Western World being occupied and advancing Eurpean land ownership.

The USA/Canada as we know it today, would be totally different.

519 years since the start of the first voyage of Christopher Columbus