Christopher Columbus was credited with discovering America in 1492 when he sailed west from Spain hoping to find a route to Asia. It took him 6 years to convince the Spanish royals to fund his journey. Upon landing in the Americas, Columbus referred to the native people as "Indians" believing he had reached Asia. However, later navigators like Vespucci demonstrated that the Americas were in fact a separate continent from Asia. While Columbus opened the door for exploration, historians now recognize that he never acknowledged having discovered a new continent.