On the 3rd of August in the year 1492, the Italian navigator Christopher Columbus began his journey across the Atlantic Ocean. He departed from Palos de la Frontera, Spain, accompanied by a team of 90 sailors and three vessels—the Niña, Pinta, and Santa Maria. Columbus believed that the Earth was spherical, which led him to think he could head westward to find “the east” (the rich territories of India and China). While this logic was indeed sensible, the planet was far bigger than Columbus anticipated—large enough for him to discover two vast continents (the “New World” of the Americas), which were largely unfamiliar to Europeans.
Columbus arrived at what is now known as the Bahamas after 61 days. Queen Isabella of Spain financed Columbus’s initial expedition, and the document stated, “Through these letters, we send forth the noble individual Christoforus Colón with three equipped caravels across the Ocean Seas towards the regions of India for specific reasons and objectives. ”
Christopher Columbus touched down on an island in the Bahamas that he named San Salvador, although the native inhabitants referred to it as Guanahani. Following that, Columbus and his crew explored the Caribbean for five months, showing a particular interest in the islands of Juana (currently Cuba) and Hispaniola (the Dominican Republic and Haiti).
If you are off, have a wonderful day!
