Book Description

What's so special about Christopher Columbus?In this new, compelling book from author Janie Suarez, find out more about Christopher Columbus ...Christopher Columbus was an explorer, colonizer, and navigator, born in the Republic of Genoa, in what is today northwestern Italy. Under the auspices of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, he completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean that led to general European awareness of the American continents in the Western Hemisphere. Those voyages, and his efforts to establish permanent settlements in the island of Hispaniola, initiated the process of Spanish colonization, which foreshadowed the general European colonization of what became known as the "New World".In the context of emerging western imperialism and economic competition between European kingdoms seeking wealth through the establishment of trade routes and colonies, Columbus's speculative proposal to reach the East Indies by sailing westward received the support of the Spanish crown, which saw in it a promise, however remote, of gaining the upper hand over rival powers in the contest for the lucrative spice trade with Asia. During his first voyage in 1492, instead of reaching Japan as he had intended, Columbus landed in the Bahamas archipelago, at a locale he named San Salvador. Over the course of three more voyages, Columbus visited the Greater and Lesser Antilles, as well as the Caribbean coast of Venezuela and Central America, claiming them for the Spanish Empire.Though Columbus was not the first European explorer to reach the Americas, Columbus's voyages led to the first lasting European contact with America, inaugurating a period of European exploration and colonization of foreign lands that lasted for several centuries. They had, therefore, an enormous impact in the historical development of the modern Western world. Columbus himself saw his accomplishments primarily in the light of the spreading of the Christian religion.Never admitting that he had reached a continent previously unknown to Europeans, rather than the East Indies he had set out for, Columbus called the inhabitants of the lands he visited indios. Columbus's strained relationship with the Spanish crown and its appointed colonial administrators in America led to his arrest and dismissal as governor of the settlements in Hispaniola in 1500, and later to protracted litigation over the benefits which Columbus and his heirs claimed were owed to them by the crown.So, what seperates this book from the rest?A comprehensive narrative of Christopher Columbus, this book gives a full understanding of the subject.A brief guide of subject areas covered in "15th-century Explorers - Christopher Columbus" include -- Christopher Columbus- Origin theories of Christopher Columbus- Voyages of Christopher ColumbusFind out more of this subject, it's intricacies and it's nuances. Discover more about it's importance. Develop a level of understanding required to comprehend this fascinating concept.Author Janie Suarez has worked hard researching and compiling this fundamental work, and is proud to bring you "15th-century Explorers - Christopher Columbus" ...Read this book today ...