The actual date which Christopher Columbus found land was October 12, 1492. The exact location is often debated but most likely one of the Plana Cays in the Bahamas.
Columbus, an Italian, received funding for his voyage from the Spanish monarchy. Columbus believed that sailing west would allow him to reach India and China more quickly than the traditional route of sailing around the Horn of Africa. At that time, those who believed the world was round (1) did not believe it was as large as it was and (2) had no idea of the large land mass between Europe and Asia.
Columbus left Spain in August 1492 with three ships, the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria. A little over two months later, land was sighted.
After thirty-six days of sailing, Columbus and several crewmen set foot on an island in the present day Bahamas, claiming it for Spain. There he encountered a timid but friendly group of natives who were open to trade with the sailors exchanging glass beads, cotton balls, parrots, and spears. The Europeans also noticed bits of gold the natives wore for adornment.
Columbus and his men continued their journey, visiting the islands of Cuba and Hispaniola (now Haiti and the Dominican Republic) and meeting with the leaders of the native population. During this time, the Santa Maria was wrecked on a reef off the coast of Hispaniola. With the help of some islanders, Columbus’ men salvaged what they could and built the settlement Villa de la Navidad (“Christmas Town”) with lumber from the ship. Thirty-nine men stayed behind to occupy the settlement. Convinced his exploration had reached Asia, he set sail for home with the two remaining ships.
Here is a map depiction of Columbus’s first voyage:
Was Columbus the person who actually discovered America? Of course not. We know, for example, that the Vikings reached North America in the 10th century A.D. The Vikings continued to travel across the Atlantic from Europe to what is now Greenland and Newfoundland but made no permanent settlements and eventually stopped making trips.
Columbus is most noteworthy for making four voyages of exploration to the New World, never actually reaching North America but exploring the northeastern coast of South America on his third voyage and opening the way for permanent European settlement of North and South America.
Happy Columbus Day! Grazie!
