8 Facts About Christopher Columbus You Didn't Know

Himanshi singh       May 19, 2020

#8 Facts About Christopher Columbus You Didn't Know

          The man we know in English-speaking countries as Christopher Columbus is known by different names in his country of origin and in the country in which he died. In Italy, he is known as Cristoforo Colombo. 

#He Wasn't The First European To Cross The Atlantic.

         Though he made four voyages to the Americas during his life (and his remains made many trips also, as we'll learn later on), the first European to have crossed the Atlantic Ocean is actually credited to have been Leif Eriksson, who was a Norse Viking.  

#He Didn't Discover America.

         One popular myth is that Christopher Columbus discovered the Americas. This is untrue, as the United States was populated by millions of Indigenous Peoples at the time of Columbus' voyage, but a lesser known fact is that Columbus never actually stood on United States soil. 

#He Didn't Prove The Earth Was Round.

         Not only had the Ancient Greeks already established that the world was round in the fifth century Before Current Era (BCE), Columbus never set out to prove that the earth was round. He made a deal with the Spanish monarchy of King Ferdinand and his Queen,  

#He Is Responsible For The Genocide Of Millions Of Indigenous Peoples.

        The Taino people originally inhabited the parts of the world now known as Cuba, The Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Haiti, Puerto Rico, and the Bahamas. They were also the first unfortunate people whom Columbus encountered when he "discovered" the "New World". 

#He Was Arrested, Stripped Of His Governor Title, And Returned To Spain In Chains.

      As violent as he was to the Taino, Columbus was an equally brutal tyrant to the citizens of the colony over which he was governor.The first Spanish colony in Central America was located in what is now known as Dominican Republic and his deal with Spain made Columbus admiral, viceroy, and governor of the land he conquered.  

#He Died At Home In Spain.

      Though many of Christopher Columbus' voyages were harrowing (he traversed the Atlantic in vessels not intended for such journeys and several of them sank in the processes) he died after returning from his final trip. Upon his return, he waited at home for a call from King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella that never came. .  

#He Travelled A Lot, Even After His Death.

     Columbus died in 1506 and was buried in Valladolid, Spain, though his desire was to be buried in the New World. Three years after his death, his remains were moved to Seville, Spain. In 1537, his daughter-in-law requested that his remains and those of his son, Diego be sent to the Spanish colony of Santo Domingo.   

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