Lesson 1 Commentary: The Europeans—Christopher Columbus's Venture

Christopher Columbus's Venture

Marco Polo's book about his travels to the East circulated throughout Europe, and when Christopher Columbus read it, it sparked his interest in finding a better route to Asia. Columbus first approached Portugal for support in his venture to reach Asia by sailing west. However, Portugal had already begun sailing to Africa, claiming trade posts along the east and west coasts (Columbus had been involved in these explorations) and, because it had already established this trade route, it was not interested in supporting Columbus's venture.

Figure 1.3. A map drawn by Christopher Columbus and his brother, Bartolomeo, around 1490

Meanwhile, in Spain, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella had joined forces to drive out the Moors and consolidate the country. It took them a long time, and while they were working at it, Columbus arrived to ask for their support. At first Spain was not interested, but once it was free and united and had the money to support exploration, the Spanish knew there was only one direction to go without having a war with another country. The idea of sailing west was not new—it was just that no one knew how far it was or how long it would take to get to Asia that way.

The Spanish rulers financed Columbus, but they kept control of the voyage. They provided the ships and named the captains. They agreed to grant Columbus some rights in discovered areas, but they retained control of the products and colonies established. Four trips and many years later, Columbus had seen most of the Caribbean and some of Central and South America. He had not found the passage through to the Pacific, nor established the great trade in silk and spices he had hoped for. He had, however, laid a basis for Spanish claims to many lands and the wealth that would come from them in the future.

Figure 1.4. Landing of Columbus, by John Vanderlyn (1836–1837)