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The Explorers. Christopher Columbus. Born in Genoa, Italy in 1451; first job was a helper with his father’s cheese stand Worked as a business agent after 1473 & sailed much of the Mediterranean Married Filipa Perestrelo in 1479, but she either died or CC left her in 1485
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Christopher Columbus • Born in Genoa, Italy in 1451; first job was a helper with his father’s cheese stand • Worked as a business agent after 1473 & sailed much of the Mediterranean • Married FilipaPerestrelo in 1479, but she either died or CC left her in 1485 • Very interested in the Bible & Christianity; came to see his voyages in apocalyptic terms • Columbus was mostly wrong in his ideas: believed Japan was 2300 miles from Europe (actually 12,200) • Knowledge of the trade winds was CC’s big advantage
In 1485, CC proposes western voyage to King John II of Portugal, but is rejected; eastern route to Asia soon discovered • Italians reject CC in 1488, as does Henry VII of England; Ferdinand & Isabella of Spain agree to finance in 1492 • CC will be made Viceroy of all lands he discovers; very generous terms bc monarchs doubt he’ll return • Landed in Bahamas on first voyage; became governor of Hispaniola in 1490s • Arrested for atrocities in 1499, dies in 1506
Prince Henry the Navigator • 3rd child of the King of Portugal, born in 1394 • Fascinated by Africa after capturing a Muslim port in Morocco • Hopes to find source of the African gold trade, starts exploring west coast in 1420s • Helps develop the caravel, a lighter ship that could sail further & faster • Henry was NOT a sailor, but financed many expeditions • Died in 1460
Vasco da Gama • Born in Portugal in 1460 or 1469 • Sailed to India, arriving on May 20, 1498; first European to reach India by sea • Helped shape the extensive Portuguese Empire, which would cover large parts of 4 different continents
Ferdinand Magellan • Born in northern Portugal in 1480, but served the King of Spain Charles I • Searching for a westward route to the Indies, discovered the Pacific Ocean & completed first circumnavigation of the world • Land in the Philippines in 1521, killed at the Battle of Mactan by a poisoned arrow shot by followers of Lapu-Lapu
Francisco Pizarro • Born in Spain in 1471 or 1476 • Mostly illiterate, he was a distant cousin of Hernan Cortes • Sailed to the New World in 1519 and made several expeditions into South America • Obsessed with finding riches, esp in Peru • Battle of Cajamarca: Pizarro & his force of 168 men defeats last Incan emperor Atahualpa who commands a force of 80,000 • Assassinated by political enemies in 1541