The navigator who discovered America. Discovery of America. Who discovered America? History of the discovery of South America

Columbus discovered America

The year when this Spanish navigator discovered a new land is indicated in history as 1492. And by the beginning of the eighteenth century, all other regions of North America, for example, Alaska and the Pacific coast regions, had already been discovered and explored. It must be said that travelers from Russia also made an important contribution to the study of the continent.

Mastering

The history of the discovery of North America is quite interesting: it can even be called accidental. At the end of the fifteenth century, a Spanish navigator with his expedition reached the shores of North America. However, he mistakenly believed that he was in India. From this moment the countdown of the era begins when America was discovered and its development and exploration began. But some researchers consider this date inaccurate, claiming that the discovery of the new continent happened much earlier.

The year Columbus discovered America - 1492 - is not an exact date. It turns out that the Spanish navigator had predecessors, and more than one. In the middle of the tenth century, the Normans got here after they discovered Greenland. True, they did not succeed in colonizing these new lands, since they were repelled by the harsh weather conditions of the north of this continent. In addition, the Normans were also intimidated by the remoteness of the new mainland from Europe.

According to other sources, this continent was discovered by ancient seafarers - the Phoenicians. Some sources call the middle of the first millennium AD the time when America was discovered, and the Chinese are the pioneers. However, this version also lacks clear evidence.

The most reliable information is considered to be about the time when the Vikings discovered America. At the end of the tenth century, the Normans Bjarni Herjulfson and Leif Eriksson found Helluland - "stone", Markland - "forest" and Vinland - "vineyards" land, which contemporaries identify with the Labrador Peninsula.

There is evidence that even before Columbus in the fifteenth century, the Bristol and Biscay fishers reached the northern continent, who called it the island of Brazil. However, the time periods of these expeditions cannot be called that milestone in history when America was truly discovered, that is, they identified it as a new continent.

Columbus is a true discoverer

And yet, when answering the question of what year America was discovered, experts most often name the fifteenth century, or rather its end. And the first to do this is believed to be Columbus. The time when America was discovered coincided in history with the period when Europeans began to spread ideas about the round shape of the Earth and about the possibility of reaching India or China along the western route, that is, across the Atlantic Ocean. At the same time, it was believed that this path is much shorter than the eastern one. Therefore, taking into account the Portuguese monopoly on control over the South Atlantic obtained by the Alcazovas Agreement of 1479, Spain, always striving to obtain direct contacts with the eastern countries, warmly supported the expedition of the Genoese navigator Columbus in the western direction.

The honor of discovery

Christopher Columbus was interested in geography, geometry and astronomy from an early age. From a young age, he participated in sea expeditions, visited almost all the oceans known then. Columbus was married to the daughter of a Portuguese sailor, from whom he inherited many maps and notes from the time of Henry the Navigator. The future discoverer studied them carefully. His plans were to find a sea route to India, but not bypassing Africa, but directly across the Atlantic. Like some scholars - his contemporaries, Columbus believed that, having gone west from Europe, it would be possible to reach the Asian eastern shores - the places where India and China are located. At the same time, he did not even suspect that on the way he would meet a whole continent, hitherto unknown to Europeans. But it happened. And from that time the history of the discovery of America began.

First expedition

For the first time, Columbus's ships sailed from Palos harbor on August 3, 1492. There were three of them. Until the Canary Islands, the expedition proceeded quite calmly: this segment of the route was already known to the sailors. But very soon they found themselves in the endless ocean. Gradually the sailors began to become discouraged and murmured. But Columbus managed to pacify the rebellious, keeping them hopeful. Soon, signs began to come across - the harbingers of the proximity of land: unknown birds flew in, tree branches sailed. Finally, after six weeks of sailing, lights appeared at night, and when dawn broke, a green, picturesque island, all covered with vegetation, opened up in front of the sailors. Columbus, having landed on the coast, declared this land the possession of the Spanish crown. The island was named San Salvador, that is, the Savior. It was one of the smaller pieces of land found in the Bahamas or Lucayan archipelago.

The land where there is gold

The natives are peaceful and good-natured savages. Noticing the greed of those who sailed to the gold jewelry that hung in the nose and ears of the aborigines, they told by signs that there is a land in the south that is literally teeming with gold. And Columbus went on. In the same year, he discovered Cuba, which, although he took it for the mainland, more precisely, for the eastern coast of Asia, he also declared it a Spanish colony. From here the expedition, turning east, landed in Haiti. At the same time, all the way the Spaniards met savages who not only willingly changed their gold jewelry for simple glass beads and other trinkets, but also constantly pointed to the south when asked about this precious metal. On which Columbus called Hispaniola, or Little Spain, he built a small fortress.

Return

When the ships docked in Palos harbor, all the inhabitants went ashore to greet them with honors. Columbus and Ferdinand and Isabella were very kindly received. The news of the discovery of the New World spread very quickly, just as quickly those wishing to go there together with the discoverer gathered. Then the Europeans had no idea what America Christopher Columbus discovered.

Second journey

The history of the discovery of North America, which was launched in 1492, continued. From September 1493 to June 1496, the second expedition of the Genoese navigator took place. As a result, the Virgin and Windward Islands were discovered, including Antigua, Dominica, Nevis, Montserrat, St. Christopher, as well as Puerto Rico and Jamaica. The Spaniards firmly settled on the lands of Haiti, making them their base and building the fortress of San Domingo in the southeastern part of it. In 1497, the British entered into a rivalry with them, who were also trying to find the northwestern routes to Asia. For example, the Genoese Cabot discovered the island of Newfoundland under the English flag and, according to some reports, came very close to the North American coast: to the Labrador and Nova Scotia peninsulas. So the British began to lay the foundation for their dominance in the North American region.

Third and fourth expeditions

It began in May 1498 and ended in November 1500. As a result, the mouth of the Orinoco was also discovered. In August 1498, Columbus landed on the coast already on the Paria Peninsula, and in 1499 the Spaniards reached the shores of Guiana and Venezuela, after which - Brazil and the mouth of the Amazon. And during the last - fourth - travel from May 1502 to November 1504, Columbus discovered Central America. His ships sailed along the coast of Honduras and Nicaragua, reached from Costa Rica and Panama up to the Darien Bay.

New mainland

In the same year, another navigator - whose expeditions were under the Portuguese flag, also explored the Brazilian coast. Having reached Cape Cananea, he hypothesized that the lands discovered by Columbus were not China, and not even India, but a completely new continent. This idea was confirmed after the first trip around the world by F. Magellan. However, contrary to logic, the name America was assigned to the new mainland - on behalf of Vespucci.

True, there is some reason to believe that the new continent was named after the Bristol philanthropist Richard of America from England, who financed the second transatlantic voyage in 1497, and Amerigo Vespucci after that took the nickname in honor of the continent named so. In support of this theory, the researchers cite the facts that Cabot reached the coast of Labrador two years earlier, and therefore became the officially registered first European to set foot on American soil.

In the middle of the sixteenth century, Jacques Cartier, a French navigator, reached the shores of Canada, giving this territory its present name.

Other applicants

The exploration of the continent of North America was continued by such navigators as John Davis, Alexander Mackenzie, Henry Hudson and William Baffin. It was thanks to their research that the continent was studied up to the Pacific coast.

However, history knows many other names of seafarers who moored on American soil even before Columbus. These are Hui Shen - a Thai monk who visited this region in the fifth century, Abubakar - the Sultan of Mali, who sailed to the American coast in the fourteenth century, Count of Orkney de Saint-Clair, Chinese explorer Zhee He, Portuguese Juan Corterial, etc.

But, in spite of everything, it is Christopher Columbus who is the person whose discoveries had an unconditional impact on the entire history of mankind.

Fifteen years after the time when the ships of this navigator discovered America, the very first geographical map of the continent was compiled. Its author was Martin Waldseemüller. Today, it is the property of the United States and is kept in Washington, DC.

The history of the discovery of America is quite amazing. These events took place at the end of the 15th century due to the rapid development of navigation and shipping in Europe. In many ways, we can say that the discovery of the American continent happened quite by accident and the motives were very commonplace - the search for gold, wealth, large trading cities.

In the 15th century, ancient tribes lived on the territory of modern America, who were very good-natured and hospitable. In Europe, in those days, the states were already quite developed and modern. Each country tried to expand its sphere of influence, to find new sources of replenishment of the state treasury. At the end of the 15th century, trade flourished, the development of new colonies.

Who discovered America?

In the 15th century, ancient tribes lived on the territory of modern America, who were very good-natured and hospitable. In Europe, even then, the states were quite developed and modern. Each country tried to expand its sphere of influence, to find new sources of replenishment of the state treasury.

When you ask any adult and child who discovered America, we will hear about Columbus. It was Christopher Columbus who gave impetus to the active search and development of new lands.

Christopher Columbus is the great Spanish navigator. There is little information about where he was born and spent his childhood and they are contradictory. It is known that being young, Christopher was fond of cartography. He was married to the daughter of a navigator. In 1470, the geographer and astronomer Toscanelli informed Columbus of his suggestions that the journey to India was shorter if you sail west. Apparently then Columbus began to nurture his idea of a short route to India, while according to his calculations, it was necessary to sail through the Canary Islands, and there already Japan would be close.
Since 1475, Columbus has been making attempts to implement the idea and make an expedition. The goal of the expedition is to find a new trade route to India across the Atlantic Ocean. To do this, he turned to the government and merchants of Genoa, but he was not supported. The second attempt to find funding for the expedition was the Portuguese king João II, but even here, after a long study of the project, he was refused.

The last time with his project, he came to the Spanish king. At the beginning, his project was considered for a long time, even several meetings, commissions were held, this lasted for several years. His idea was supported by bishops and Catholic kings. But Columbus received the final support for his project after the victory of Spain in the city of Granada, which was freed from the Arab presence.

The expedition was organized on the condition that Columbus, if successful, will receive not only the gifts and riches of the new lands, but will also receive, in addition to the status of a nobleman, the title: Admiral of the Sea-Ocean and Viceroy of all lands, which he will discover. For Spain, a successful expedition promised not only the development of new lands, but also the opportunity to trade with India directly, since according to the agreement concluded with Portugal, Spanish ships were prohibited from entering the waters of the west coast of Africa.

When and how did Columbus discover America?

Historians consider the year 1942 to be the year of America's discovery, although this is a rather rough estimate. While discovering new lands and islands, Columbus did not even imagine that this was another continent, which would later be called the "New World". The traveler undertook 4 expeditions. He came to new and new lands, believing that these are the lands of "Western India". For a long time, everyone in Europe thought so. However, another traveler Vasco da Gama declared Columbus a deceiver, since it was Gamma who found the direct path to India and brought gifts and spices from there.

What kind of America did Christopher Columbus discover? We can say that thanks to his expeditions since 1492, Columbus discovered both North and South America. To be more precise, the islands were discovered, which are now considered either South or North America.

Who Discovered America First?

Although historically it is believed that it was Columbus who discovered America, in fact this is not entirely true.

There is evidence that the "New World" was previously visited by the Scandinavians (Leif Eriksson in 1000, Thorfinn Karlsefni in 1008), this journey became known from the manuscripts "The Saga of Eric the Red" and "The Saga of the Greenlanders". There are other "discoverers of America", but the scientific community does not take them seriously, as there is no reliable data. For example, the African traveler from Mali Abu Bakr II, the Scottish nobleman Henry Sinclair, and the Chinese traveler Zheng He previously visited America.

Why was America called America?

The first widely known and recorded fact is the visit of the traveler and navigator Amerigo Vespucci to this part of the "New World". It is noteworthy that it was he who put forward the assumption that this is not India or China, but a completely new, previously unknown continent. It is believed that this is why the name America was assigned to the new land, and not its discoverer, Columbus.

Columbus discovered America

Mastering

Columbus is a true discoverer

The honor of discovery

First expedition

The land where there is gold

Return

Second journey

Third and fourth expeditions

It began in May 1498 and ended in November 1500. As a result, the island of Trinidad and the Orinoco estuary were discovered. In August 1498, Columbus landed on the coast already on the Paria Peninsula, and in 1499 the Spaniards reached the shores of Guiana and Venezuela, after which - Brazil and the mouth of the Amazon. And during the last - fourth - travel from May 1502 to November 1504, Columbus discovered Central America. His ships sailed along the coast of Honduras and Nicaragua, reached from Costa Rica and Panama up to the Darien Bay.

New mainland

In the middle of the sixteenth century, Jacques Cartier, a French navigator, reached the shores of Canada, giving this territory its present name.

Other applicants

But, in spite of everything, it is Christopher Columbus who is the person whose discoveries had an unconditional impact on the entire history of mankind.

The lands were the most common: the founding of cities, the discovery of deposits of gold and wealth. In the 15th century, navigation was actively developing, and expeditions were equipped in search of an unknown continent. What happened on the mainland before the arrival of the Europeans, when Columbus discovered America, and under what circumstances did this happen?

History of the great discovery

By the 15th century, European states were distinguished by a high level of development. Each country tried to expand its sphere of influence, looking for additional sources of profit to replenish the treasury. New colonies were formed.

Before the discovery, tribes lived on the continent. The natives were distinguished by their friendly character, which favored the rapid development of the territory.

Christopher Columbus, while still a teenager, discovered such a hobby as cartography. A Spanish navigator once learned from the astronomer and geographer Toscanelli that if you sail westward, you can reach India much faster. It was 1470. And the idea came just in time, as Columbus was looking for another route that would allow him to get to India in a short time. He assumed that it was necessary to make a route through the Canary Islands.

In 1475, the Spaniard organizes an expedition, the purpose of which is to find a fast route by sea to India across the Atlantic Ocean. He reported this to the government asking for support for his idea, but received no help. The second time Columbus wrote to King João II of Portugal, however, he was refused. Then he again turned to the Spanish government. On this occasion, several meetings of the commission were held, which lasted for a year. The final positive decision on funding was made after the victory of the Spanish troops in the city of Granada, liberated from the Arab occupation.

If a new path to India was discovered, Columbus was promised not only wealth, but also a noble title: Admiral of the Ocean-Sea and Viceroy of the lands that he would open. Since the ships of Spain were forbidden to enter the waters on the west coast of Africa, then the government such a step was beneficial in order to conclude a direct trade agreement with India.

What year did Columbus discover America?

1942 is officially recognized as the year of America's discovery in history. Having discovered undeveloped lands, Columbus did not assume that he had discovered a continent that would be called the "New World". In what year the Spaniards discovered America, we can say conditionally, since a total of four campaigns were undertaken. Each time, the navigator found new lands, believing that this is the territory of Western India.

Columbus thought that he was following the wrong route after the Vasco de Gama expedition. The traveler arrived in India and returned at short notice with rich goods, accusing Christopher of deception.

It was later revealed that Columbus discovered the islands and the continental part of North and South America.

Which traveler discovered America earlier?

It is not entirely true to say that Columbus became the discoverer of America. Before that, the Scandinavians landed on the land: in 1000 - Leif Eriksson and in 1008 - Torfinn Karlsefni. This is evidenced by the historical records "The Greenlandic Saga" and "The Erik the Red Saga". There is also other information about travel to the "New World". The traveler Abu Bakr II, a resident of the Celestial Empire Zheng He and a nobleman from Scotland Henry Sinclair arrived from Mali to America.

There is historical evidence that the Normans visited the New World in the 10th century after the discovery of Greenland. However, they failed to master the territory due to severe weather conditions unsuitable for agriculture. In addition, the journey from Europe was very long.

Visits to the mainland by the navigator Amerigo Vespucci, after whom the continent was named.

In 1492, Columbus crossed the Atlantic under sail, and for a long time was considered the first European to set foot in the New World. Then came evidence of the Vikings, led by Leif Ericson, five centuries ahead of Columbus. Early archaeological uncertainty sparked controversy over the primacy of America's discovery. There were authors who claimed that the Chinese general Zheng He was ahead of Columbus by only a few years. Not a European, but since he arrived in the New World by water, and not by the bridge over the Bering Strait, let him take part in the competition. Then, someone discovered petroglyphs in West Virginia pointing to the sixth century Irish navigator, St. Brendan. Perhaps St. Brendan bypassed everyone in the discovery of America? Eventually, Muslims joined the competition between the Spaniards, Vikings, Irish and Chinese when researchers found evidence that Muslims from West Africa had discovered the New World even earlier.

Some other people declare their primacy for the discovery of America (as, incidentally, for other discoveries too). Today we will consider only the listed five. They cannot all be the first. Which of them was the first to discover America? And among those who lost the championship, did everyone go there?

Now no one doubts the veracity of the story of Columbus. He landed in the Bahamas in 1492 and, although he believed he had reached India, he saw a large continent blocking progress. During his three expeditions over a period of 12 years, Columbus explored the Caribbean, parts of South America and the shores of Central America. Columbus followed in the footsteps of colonists and other explorers. It was after the discovery of Columbus that America's connection with Europe was established. Let us now consider the other contenders for the championship in chronological order from the date of the landing of Columbus.

Muslims do not announce a specific date for the discovery of America. They express an opinion about the likelihood of Europeans visiting the continent long before Columbus. Piri Reis was an Ottoman navigator and cartographer who died in 1553. His name means Captain Piri and is best known in connection with a map drawn in 1513. Alternative historians refer to the Piri Reis map as an incredibly accurate depiction of the Earth's surface, exceeding the knowledge of Columbus. Consequently, the Turks traveled all over the world, including America, Brazil and even Antarctica. All modern claims about the primacy of Muslim sailors in the discovery of America are based on the Piri Reis map.

There is no doubt about the historical significance of the Piri Reis map, but most of the sensational claims based on it are incorrect. The map does not turn the story upside down, it fits with what we know. Piri Reis's own notes in the margins of the map say that this is a generalized edition, which he made on the basis of two dozen existing maps compiled by the nautical nations of Europe and Asia. Including ancient Greek maps of the Mediterranean and Indian Ocean, Arabic maps of India, Portuguese maps of Pakistan and China, maps of Columbus describing the Caribbean and the eastern coast of America. Piri Reis's map is far from the accuracy and completeness of the content on which they are trying to rely. Significant discrepancies are obvious at first glance. The lack of comments on the source material led Piri Reis to errors. Peary annexed Brazil to Antarctica. Perhaps it was an attempt to show the "Undiscovered Lands", or perhaps an attempt to squeeze the unfolded South America into one sheet. The Portuguese navigators who followed Henry the Navigator carefully explored the western shores of Africa and crossed the Atlantic to Columbus. Columbus studied navigation in Portugal. Portuguese sailors followed on the heels of Columbus as he reached the New World. Information on the western shores of the Americas, from Newfoundland to Argentina, was gathered fairly quickly. In the first decade of the 16th century, there were enough resources to map Piri Reis.

In short, there is no need to talk about the travel of the Muslims to the shores of America to explain the origin of the Peri Reis map. In addition, there is no documentary or archaeological evidence of such an event. We give the version of the Muslim discovery of America 0.5 out of 5 confidence points.

Zheng He was a prominent Chinese Admiral of the 15th century and died 18 years before Columbus was born. Many legends are associated with this name and his travels. It is well known and documented that he traveled south and west from China, reaching the shores of Africa. But there is no evidence that Zheng dared to cross the Atlantic and reach the shores of America. New information came in 2006 when Chinese lawyer Liu Gang discovered a map from 1763, copied from the original dated 1418, called the Overall Map of the Geography of all Under Heaven. The map, representing America in all its glory, confirmed that Zheng He's cartographers were ahead of Columbus in discovering the New World, coming from the other side.

Unfortunately, the card didn't turn out to be very significant. Nobody takes it seriously, as it is a copy of a well-known French map from the 1600s. On the map, California represents an island and contains description errors. The title is a common mistake from modern simplified language, but not a mistake for a user of Qing Dynasty Traditional Chinese.

Louis Ganges turned out to be his own enemy in this venture. In 2009 he published the book "Ancient Map Code" to popularize the map itself. In the book, he goes back 400 years, announcing the discovery of another Chinese map of the world, dated 1093. This "map" is even sadder. Louis shows photographs of Zhang Kuangzheng's tomb from 1093, showing peeling paint and plaster. He changed his interpretation of the map, due to damage to the drawing, to a pathetic version. Discoverer Zheng He gets one trust point out of five, while Louis has a deficit of 15.

Leif Eriksson was the son of Erik the Red, a Viking who landed in Greenland. Leif followed in the footsteps of a powerful father and founded the colony of Vinland. Most of Leif's deeds are known from two sagas: The Greenlander Saga and The Eric the Red Saga. The protagonist of the saga is a person, not historical facts. The manner of presenting the sagas is narrative in the "I came and I say" style. The main scene in the sagas is the settlement of Winland, the story is about 1000 years.

Fortunately, the legend of Leif Eriksson has received more weighty confirmation. In 1960, archaeologists discovered ruins at the northern tip of Newfoundland. "Jellyfish Grotto" (L'Anse aux Meadows or Jellyfish Cove) and several other Norwegian settlements have been discovered. These are more than excellent historical finds. The way of construction, construction, materials undoubtedly confirm the everyday traditions of the Norwegians. We do not know a reliable connection between Winland and L'Anse aux Meadows, or whether Leif Eriksson was here. But there is confidence in the coincidence of the flourishing of the Norwegian settlement and the period of the appearance of the saga.

Since we have in our hands a Norwegian settlement, which supports the long sea passages of the Vikings and corresponds to a period of about 1000 years, Leif Eriksson receives 4.5 points of trust, and the Vikings in general 5 out of 5 possible.

St. Brendan the Mariner was a legendary 6th century monk who sailed around the British Isles in leather boats. He is mentioned in only two sources: "The Journey of Saint Brendan" and "Brendan's Life". The story tells about the Blessed Island or St. Brendan. Presumably this is off the coast of Africa, but both Brendan and his island live only in legends.

Unfortunately, there is a long list of problems behind this statement. Serious archaeologists do not undertake to decipher rock paintings. They are too far from the texts. The prevailing opinion is that these are scratches from the sharpening of tools by the ancient aborigines. The footprints in the stone were discovered by hobbyists, filled with ash for contrast, and photographed. Barry Fell, a retired marine biologist, only saw the lines in the photo and never looked at the original. Ogam's transcript experts disagreed with Barry Fell's findings and refused to inspect the markings. It is not known what finds await us, but today no one is seriously considering West Virginia petroglyphs. St. Brendan receives 0 trust points out of 5 possible and petroglyphs 0.5 points until new information becomes available.

Summing up, we have a winner. The Vikings, under the auspices of Leif Eriksson, or perhaps in his presence, discovered America earlier than other Europeans. The Portuguese, Spanish, Irish and Turks appeared on these shores much later. Zheng He would not have won the championship even if he had arrived before the Vikings. Since the New World is sufficiently populated by immigrants from Asia through the Bering Strait, it would still be several tens of thousands of years late for the holiday.

Translated by Vladimir Maksimenko 2013

Everyone from school knows the story of how in 1492 the Italian navigator Christopher Columbus reached the shores of America, mistaking it for India. Many believe that this historical moment is the discovery of America, however, everything was much more confusing.

First Europeans in North America

Modern archaeological evidence suggests that the Scandinavian Vikings were the real discoverers of America. Written sources describing these travels were:

The Saga of the Greenlanders;
"The Saga of Eric the Red".

Both works described the events of the late 10th - early 11th centuries. They told about the sea expeditions of the Icelanders and Norwegians to the west. The first person who decided on a long journey among the polar ice was the adventurer and navigator Eric the Red. Eric committed several murders for which he was expelled first from Norway, then from Iceland. After the second exile, Eric gathered a whole flotilla of 30 ships and headed west. There he discovered a huge island, which he called Greenland. The first Viking settlements appeared here, gradually turning into full-fledged colonies that existed for several centuries.

However, the Vikings did not stop there and continued their advance westward. According to medieval evidence, at the end of the 10th century, the Vikings knew about the existence of a certain land called Vinland. The inhabitants of Vinland, according to the descriptions of the Scandinavians, were small, dark-skinned, with wide cheekbones and dressed in animal skins.

Similar legends existed among the indigenous people of North America. Among the Indians living in Canada, there was a legend about the mythical kingdom of tall white-skinned and fair-haired people who have a lot of gold and furs.

For a long time, the fact that the Vikings were in North America remained unconfirmed. But in the 1960s, a real Scandinavian settlement was discovered on the island of Newfoundland. Presumably, it was founded by Eric the Red, and then led by his followers, including the sailor's daughter and daughter-in-law. However, this Scandinavian colony did not last long. Due to conflicts with the Indians, the Vikings had to leave Vinland.

Another indisputable fact in favor of the presence of the Vikings in North America was put forward by genetics. Scientists who have studied the origins of the modern inhabitants of Iceland have discovered the presence of Indian blood in their genes. And in 2010, anthropologists were able to study the remains of an Americanoid woman, who influenced the genetic makeup of the Icelanders. Apparently, she was taken as a slave from North America to Iceland at the beginning of the 11th century.

Thus, the Vikings were undoubtedly the first people who discovered America for Europeans.

Activities of Amerigo Vespucci

Due to the fact that the Vinland colony existed for only a few years, specific information about it was gradually erased from human memory. Once opened, America again ceased to exist for Europeans. When Christopher Columbus set off on his journey, only two continents were depicted on the maps of the world - Eurasia and Africa. In 1498, the Portuguese Vasco da Gamma crossed the Pacific Ocean to India. His journey ended successfully, and then it became known in Europe that the lands that Columbus had reached were not India at all. All this negatively affected the authority of the Italian navigator. Columbus was denounced as a fraud and stripped of all his pioneering privileges.

The man who made the maps of the new lands and, as a result, gave them his name, was the Florentine Amerigo Vespucci. Vespucci was originally a financier. In 1493, he was approached by Christopher Columbus, who had recently returned from his first expedition and wanted to continue exploring the open lands. Columbus decided that the land he discovered was some kind of island in Asia that required closer study. Vespucci agreed to fund Columbus's subsequent travels. And in 1499 Vespucci decided to leave the banker's chair for the sake of sea adventures and he himself went on an expedition to unknown lands.

The path of Vespucci lay to the shores of South America, while the traveler used the maps that Columbus gave him. Vespucci carefully studied the coast and came to the conclusion that these are not separate Asian islands, but a whole continent. These lands Vespucci decided to call the New World.

The expeditions of the former banker became known to many European monarchs. In the early 16th century, Vespucci served as a cartographer, cosmographer and navigator to the Spanish and Portuguese monarchs.

In total, Vespucci participated in three voyages. In their course, he:

explored the coasts of Brazil and Venezuela;
explored the mouth of the Amazon;
managed to climb the Brazilian Highlands.

From his travels Vespucci brought slaves, sandalwood and travel notes to Europe, which were later published and sold in large numbers. In addition to his geographical discoveries, Vespucci described in his diaries the customs of local residents, the flora and fauna of the new lands.

Already in 1507, the first maps appeared, on which the new continent was plotted. According to the tradition that developed during this period, the lands of the New World began to be called America - in honor of Amerigo Vespucci.

For the first time, the idea of crossing the Atlantic Ocean to find a direct and fast route to India, presumably visited Columbus as early as 1474 as a result of correspondence with the Italian geographer Toscanelli. The navigator made the necessary calculations and decided that the easiest way would be to sail through the Canary Islands. He believed that there were only about five thousand kilometers from them to Japan, and from the Land of the Rising Sun it would not be difficult to find a way to India.

But Columbus was able to fulfill his dream only after a few years, he more than once tried to interest the Spanish monarchs in this event, but his demands were recognized as excessive and costly. And only in 1492, Queen Isabella gave a trip and promised to make Columbus admiral and viceroy of all open lands, although she did not donate money. The navigator himself was poor, but his colleague, the ship owner Pinson, gave his ships to Christopher.

Discovery of America

The first expedition, which began in August 1492, involved three ships - the famous Niña, Santa Maria and Pinta. In October, Columbus reached land and ashore, it was the island he named San Salvador. Confident that this is a poor part of China or some other undeveloped land, Columbus, nevertheless, was surprised by many unknown things - he first saw tobacco, cotton clothes, hammocks.

Local Indians told about the existence of the island of Cuba in the south, and Columbus went in search of him. During the expedition, Haiti and Tortuga were discovered. These lands were declared the property of the Spanish monarchs, and the fort of La Navidad was created in Haiti. The navigator set off back together with plants and animals, gold and a group of natives, whom the Europeans called the Indians, since no one had yet suspected the discovery of the New World. All the lands found were considered part of Asia.

During the second expedition, Haiti, the Jardines de la Reina archipelago, the island of Pinos, Cuba were surveyed. For the third time, Columbus discovered the island of Trinidad, found the mouth of the Orinoco River and the island of Margarita. The fourth voyage made it possible to explore the shores of Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama, Nicaragua. The path to India was never found, but South America was discovered. Columbus finally realized that there was an entire continent to the south of Cuba - a barrier to wealthy Asia. The Spanish navigator initiated the exploration of the New World.