Celebrating Christopher Columbus

1. Celebrating Christopher Columbus 1492 - 1592 - 1692 1792 - 1892 - 1992 2010

2. On Nov. 17, 1990, 20 years ago, I spoke to the Mayflower Descendants as Christopher Columbus. Déjà vu – January, 1992 – 18+ years ago

6. America Before Columbus Discovery? Encounter? Conquest? The Taino (Arawak) Indians of the Bahamas were here long before Columbus arrived, and while apprehensive about the invasion of Europeans, initially welcomed them in peace.

7. The estimated native population of the Americas in 1492 was approximately 30 million people (including 15 million in the Aztec Empire and 6 million in the Inca Empire)

8. …and Columbus was not the first! Leif Ericsson, continuing his father's explorations sailed southwest from Greenland in the year 1000 or 1001 to the islands off the coast of northern Canada and finally to the shores of Newfoundland. Monument to St. Brendan (c. 484 – c. 570) and his monks on the Ring of Kerry, Ireland. Some have alleged that Christopher Columbus relied on the manuscript "Navigatio sancti Brendani abbatis" that told of St. Brendan's travels across the Atlantic (sometime between 512 and 530).

10. Columbus’ birthplace in Genoa

12. “The First Inspiration of the Boy Columbus” Castello d’Alberto, Genoa Giulio Monteverde - 1870 The boy Columbus is looking out to sea towards San Salvador from this balcony in Genoa. On the base of the statue, sculpted in Rome, is the coat-of-arms of Genoa, the caravel and the date "MCCCCLX" (1460).Columbus was 9 years old in 1460.

13. Library: Christopher Columbus High School 925 Astor Avenue, Bronx, New York Marble statue of "The Boy Columbus", done by Giulio Monteverdi in 1910. The statue is 4 feet high and has Columbus holding a map with the words "España and Atlantic Ocean". Next to his right hip lies a book entitled "Marco Polo" In 1870, Monteverdi had done the other statue in Genoa, Italy named "The First Inspiration of the Boy Columbus", Joe Laufer appeared as Columbus at CCHS on March 19, 1990

14. Monument to 33 Portuguese Discoverers in Lisbon Once Columbus formulated his theory and plan, he approached the most logical government for an endorsement and support: Portugal, the land of Prince Henry the Navigator – whose school at Sagres was world renowned. When Columbus approached King John II, he was summarily denied.

15. Shipwrecked off the Portuguese coast in 1476 at age 25, Columbus came ashore in Portugal. near the town of Lagos, but quickly made his way to Lisbon. Columbus courted Felipa Moniz Perestrello, whose father had been an Atlantic island colonizer before his death. When they married in 1478, commoner Columbus moved up into a noble family with access to the Portuguese court. Columbus was sent by the Centurione and Di Negro families to Madeira as factor to handle their affairs. He was on Madeira in 1478, when the sugar transaction occurred that required his return to Genoa to testify. In the lawsuit he declared that he had a personal fortune of "more than 100 florins". The young factor had married well and risen in the world of trade. By 1480 the couple had returned to Lisbon. There, Columbus acquired from his father-in-law's widow the charts and documents describing the Atlantic voyages. These excited him, stirring his developing interest in ocean exploration. He discovered a copy of a letter by Paolo dal Pozzo Toscanelli, respected Florentine geographer and mathematician, dated June 25, 1474. The letter displays Toscanelli's knowledge of travels to the Orient by Marco Polo and others and describes how one might travel to the East by sailing west from Europe. With the letter was a map incorporating Toscanelli's theories. In late 1483 or early 1484, he approached John II, the Portuguese king, for ships and men to undertake the Atlantic voyage, offering to find Cipangu and India. The king called in experts, including astronomers and mathematicians, to judge the proposal. They turned Columbus down, believing that the Atlantic distances involved were far greater than Columbus had estimated. Nevertheless, John II secretly sent a vessel to test Columbus's theory; it returned without reaching any shore. With his wife's death in the early 1480's and the rejection of his proposal, he abandoned his career in Portugal. He would seek support from the rulers of Castile and Aragon.

16. Dona Felipa Perestrello e Moniz of Portugal Married to Christopher Columbus in 1479 Mother of Diego (1480-1526) who was born in Porto Santo, Madeira Is. Felipa Died sometime between 1481 and 1485 Their son, Diego, was the 2nd Viceroy of the Indies, 2nd Admiral of the Indies and 3rd Governor of the Indies At the age of 33, Columbus was a widower and single parent.

17. Columbus, age 26-29 - c. 1477-1480

18. Paolo dal Pozzo Toscanelli was born in Florence (1397 – May 10, 1482) In 1474 Toscanelli sent a letter and a map to his Portuguese correspondent Fernão Martins, priest at the Lisbon Cathedral, detailing a scheme for sailing westwards to reach the Spice Islands and Asia. Fernão Martins delivered his letter to the KingAlfonso V of Portugal, in his court of Lisbon. The original of this letter was lost, but its existence is known through Toscanelli himself, who later transcribed it along with the map and sent it to Christopher Columbus, who carried them with him during his first voyage to the new world. Toscanelli had miscalculated the size of the earth which resulted in Columbus never realizing he had found a new continent.

19. The Monastery of La Rabida Palos, Spain In spring 1485 with his son Diego, Christopher Columbus arrived by ship in Andalusia. He is 34 years old.

20. Franciscan Friars, Fathers Juan Perez and Antonio Marchena befriended Columbus and assisted in the care of his son, Diego at La Rabida.

21. Master Networker Columbus befriends Franciscans at the Monastery of La Rabida From Columbus statue in Vallodolid, Spain. Columbus explaining his ideas to Fr. Juan Perez Fr. Anthony Marchena (Introduced Columbus to Queen Isabella)

22. Beatrice de Harana (Columbus’ consort) Mother of Columbus’ second son, Ferdinand. Born in 1466, Beatrice was 15 years younger than Columbus. They met in Cordoba late in 1485, after Columbus’ wife, Felipa had died. Columbus was 34 and she was 19. Columbus had gone to Spain from Portugal and during the courtship was attempting to convince the monarchs of the viability of his plan. Beatrice was a second cousin of one of Columbus’ sailors, Rodrigo de Harana. Columbus and Beatrice never married. Their son, Ferdinand (1488-1539), wrote the biography of Columbus. Between the ages of 13 and 15, Fernando was a crew member on Columbus' fourth voyage to the New World.He spent a short time in Hispaniola after Columbus’s death assisting his brother, Diego, the governor.Ferdinand accumulated one of Europe’s largest personal collections of books. Tomb of Ferdinand Columbus in Seville Cathedral

23. Columbus’ theories were subjected to scrutiny by a council set up by the court. He spent several years trying to convince the Royals of the viability of his plan.

24. The world as Columbus percieved it Columbus believed that the “Cipangu” of Marco Polo was about 30 days by sea away from The Canary Islands The world as it was

27. Columbus’ Demands if successful: • The Title “Admiral of the Ocean Sea” • The power of Viceroy of all new lands discovered • One-tenth of the revenue generated by the new lands • He would be the sole judge in disputes • He would invest 1/8 and receive 1/8 in profits

28. After first sending Columbus away without approval, an advisor of the King convinced him to call Columbus back. Here, King Ferdinand presents Christopher Columbus with the Captulations of Santa Fe, April 17, 1492, approving the Voyage and conditionally offering certain privileges requested by Columbus pending the success of the enterprise.

30. Santa Maria (la Gallega) On May 22, 1492, Columbus arrived in Palos and at La Rabida, with the royal decree ordering the citizens to fit out two caravels. Here he met Martin Alonso Pinzon and his brother Vincent. With their help, he was able to recruit sailors from Palos and neighboring Moguer for his enterprise. Final preparations were made, and Columbus chose as his flagship, the Santa Maria, owned by Juan de la Cosa. 40 men, including Columbus, sailed on the Santa Maria. It would never return, because on Christmas morning, 1492, it went aground and had to be dismantled to construct the Fort at La navidad (in present-day Haiti), the first – and ill-fated - European settlement in the New World.

31. The Pinta The Pinta was captained by Martin Alonso Pinzon, a native of Palos and an influential seaman. Including Pinzon, there were 26 crewmen on the Pinta. Pinzon and Columbus would have their differences during the famous ocean crossing. At one point, Pinzon left Columbus to search for gold on his own. On the return voyage the ships were separated again, and Columbus reached Spain on the Nina only hours before Pinzon arrived. Tragically, Pinzon would die within days of the return to Spain. Martin Alonso Pinzon is honored in Palos, his home town, with this statue. Without his help, Columbus would probably not have been able to recruit his sailors. That’s Joe Laufer with Professor Foster Provost, Author and Columbus scholar, in Palos in October, 1987.

32. Nina It has been speculated that the Nina was Columbus’ favorite ship. He returned to Spain on it after the Santa Maria was lost. It is shown here with lateen sails – inappropriate for the ocean crossing charted by Columbus. While the ships were at the Canary Islands Columbus had it re-fitted with square sails. There were 24 men aboard the Nina under Captain Vicente Yanez Pinzon.

33. 90 Students from Columbus Elementary School, Columbus, NJ portray the 90 seamen on “to scale” outlines of the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria.

34. Columbus statue erected in 1929 at time of the Ibero-American Expo in Seville, a gift to Spain from the USA “as an expression of friendship to the nation whose generosity and clear vision made possible the discovery of Columbus.“ Privately funded through the efforts of the sculptor, Gertrude V. Whitney. Statue is at the point where the Tinto and Odiel rivers meet and empty into the Atlantic Ocean in the bay of Huelva, down river from Palos, Columbus’ departure-point (8/3/92) for the Canary Islands, from which he embarked on 9/9/92. The crossing took 33 days.

36. Church of St. George Palos, Spain Columbus and his crew attended Mass here on the morning of August 3, 1492, then boarded their ships for the journey down the Tinto to the Odiel, past the monastery of La Rabida, then out to sea for the 10 day trip to the Canaries.

37. October, 1987 – Navigator Doug Peck sets out from Huelva to re-create Columbus’ first voyage across the Atlantic. Joe Laufer, navigator Doug Peck and Columbus Scholar Consuelo Varela attend symposium in Palos, Spain in October, 1987 on Columbus’ navigation tactics on his first voyage. Doug would embark on a solo re-enactment of the voyagelater that week. His research and voyage is chronicled in Peck’s “Cristoforo Colombo, God’s Navigator” Above, Peck begins his solo cross-Atlantic voyage from the base of the Columbus Statue in Heulva bay in October, 1986. Colonel Peck proved conclusively that Columbus was an exceedingly accurate navigator, his navigation log was accurate and easily followed, and his true landfall in the New World was on San Salvador Island in the Bahamas rather than on the several other proposed landfall islands.

40. Painting by Antonio Gisbert The Departure of Columbus from Palos by Emanuel Leutze - 1853

41. Columbus Landfall Theories Most commonly accepted landfall, San Salvador (San Salvador)

42. Landfall on Guanahani (as the Natives called it), now called San Salvador

43. First Voyage (7.5 mo. or 224 days) Departure from Spain 8/3/92 Departure from Canary Is. 9/9/92 Arrival at San Salvador 10/12/92 Departure for Spain 1/16/93 Arrival in Lisbon, Portugal 3/4/93 Arrival in Palos, Spain 3/15/93 On the first voyage, Columbus discovered San Salvador in the Bahamas, Cuba, Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

44. Joe Laufer makes landfall at site of the Columbus landing on San Salvador. Members of the Bahamian Government and representatives of the Nassau Flying Club present Joe Laufer with an original painting depicting the arrival of Columbus at Long Bay, San Salvador.

45. Columbus and his crew spent 96 days in the new world, 42 of them at Hispaniola. Pinzon and the crew of the Pinta went off on their own half way through the exploration, not to be seen again until the return to Spain.

46. With Pinzon off on his own, the expedition was further reduced in size when the Santa Maria was shipwrecked on Christmas Day on the north shore of Hispaniola, forcing Columbus to board the Nina. La Navidad Believed to be by Columbus's own hand, this map sketched the island of Hispaniola, with Navidad marked on the north shore.

47. Columbus left thirty-nine of his crew behind after foundering off Hispaniola on Christmas Day, 1492. He was forced to return to Spain on the Nina. When he returned a year later, the fort and settlement of Navidad those sailors built had been burned to the ground and all thirty-nine were dead. The massacre of the garrison at Navidad was in some respects the critical fact in the history of the West Indies. Queen Isabella had insisted that the Indians were to be treated kindly and converted for Christianity, but after the massacre the Spaniards oppressed them mercilessly. Within a generation, 300,000 Indians of Hispaniola had been enslaved or had died in terrible conditions, and had almost been wiped out.

48. On the return trip to Spain, Columbus and his crew, aboard the Nina, experienced a hurricane. He made a promise that if he survived, he and his crew would make a pilgrimage to the first church he saw. They did so at the Azores before arriving in Portugal, and then Spain. The trip home from Hispaniola to the Azores took 32 days, then 8 days to Portugal, followed by 11 more days to Spain. The Nina beat the Pinta to Palos by hours, arriving first in Portugal, and then proceeding to Spain.

50. Various artistic interpretations of the reception of Columbus in Barcelona in April, 1493 upon his return.