Early explorers like Christopher Columbus used map skills to explore new lands. In 1492, Columbus set sail from Spain across the Atlantic Ocean hoping to find a western route to Asia, but instead became the first European to discover the Americas. He convinced the King and Queen of Spain to fund his expedition and they provided three ships. After a difficult voyage, Columbus landed on an island in the Caribbean that he mistakenly believed was India, naming the native people "Indians" though he had actually reached a new continent.