Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer who sailed across the Atlantic Ocean in 1492, hoping to find a western route to Asia. He landed in the Bahamas, believing he had reached Asia, and proceeded to explore other islands in the Caribbean. Upon returning to Spain, he received a hero's welcome, having brought knowledge of a "New World" across the ocean. However, conflicts arose regarding his treatment of the native populations and he faced accusations of mismanagement, eventually losing favor with the Spanish monarchs.

1. Christopher Columbus
(1451 – 1506)

2.  Name: Christoforo Colombo (engl.: Christopher Columbus)
 Date of birth: He was born between August & October 1451
in Genoa (Italy)
 Date of death: He died on 20 May 1506
in Valladolid (Spain)
 Nationality: Italian
 Profession: explorer, navigator & colonizer
Personal Data
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3. 
Christoforo Colombo (ital.)
Christóbal Colón (span.)
Christopher Columbus (engl.)
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4. 
 Who was Columbus?
Columbus was an explorer.
 In 1492, he sailed from Europe to America.
He and his sailors crossed the Atlantic Ocean,
not knowing where they would land.
 It was a voyage into the unknown.
After Columbus, other Europeans began to explore
and settle in America.
Who was Columbus?
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5. 
 Christopher Columbus was born in 1451.
 What times was he born into?
It was a time of new ideas and discoveries in Europe.
We call this time the Renaissance - a word that means
'rebirth'.
 People were making maps of new lands. They were
building ships to explore places they had never visited
before.
When did he live?
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6. 
Looking for new Lands…
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7. 
 What did Columbus do?
Columbus actually did not 'discover' America.
 There were many people already living there. Vikings
from Europe had landed in America 500 years before.
But Columbus did not know that.
 His voyage started regular contact between America and
Europe.
Why is he famous?
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8. 
Columbus – the Explorer
A map of the world from
the late 1400s.
This map was used by
Columbus to plan his trip to
India…
… but he ended up
discovering America!
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9. 
Columbus – the Explorer
A replica of
Columbus' ship:
The Santa Maria.
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10. 
 Childhood
Christopher Columbus was born in Genoa in Italy.
Genoa was a busy port in the 15th Century.
 His father was a small-time wool merchant and weaver.
 We don't know if Columbus went to school much. He
may have had lessons from monks.
Early Days
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11. 
The young Columbus
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12. 
 Going to sea
The Columbus family hoped to get rich by trade.
Columbus went to sea for the first time at the age of 13.
 Life at sea was exciting, but dangerous. He hoped to come
home as a rich man.
 Columbus learned how to sail a wooden ship with sails. He
learned about the winds and tides. He learned to navigate
(find the way), by looking at the sun & the stars.
Teenage years: going to Sea
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13. 
Navigation Instruments of
15th Century
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14. 
 Travelling & Trading
As a teenager, Christopher went to sea, travelled
extensively and eventually made Portugal his base.
 One story says he swam ashore after his ship was
attacked by pirates!
 He and his brother Bartholomew made and sold maps.
Making & selling Maps
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15. 
World Map drawn by Columbus
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16. 
 Columbus finally went to live in Portugal.
 It was here that he initially attempted to gain royal
patronage for…
 … a westward voyage to the Orient - his 'enterprise of
the Indies'.
 But in Portugal no-one wanted to finance his idea.
Young Columbus in Portugal
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17. 
How the World was seen in 1470
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18. 
 Finding the sea route to India
People in Europe wanted to find a new sea route EAST, to
trade with Asia.
They wanted to send ships to India, China and the
East Indies.
 The Portuguese tried sailing South, around Africa.
It was a long way to Asia at that time!
 Columbus wanted to sail WEST to find a shorter way.
Columbus Dream
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19. 
 Sailing WEST
Columbus wanted to find a better and shorter way to
travel to Asia. He wanted to find a sea route west.
 Because maps of the time made the oceans look smaller
than they are…
 … Columbus hoped to reach China in a few days.
Why all this? Columbus Idea
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20. 
Well-known Atlantic in 1474
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21. 
 Columbus needed money to make his dream come true.
 Help from Spain
Columbus tried to persuade rich people to help him. Most
laughed at him.
 At last, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain
gave him money for ships.
 In return he promised them new lands, spices, gold and
new people to rule.
Finding Donators in Spain
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22. 
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Money for the Expedition:
King Ferdinand & Queen Isabella of Spain

23. 
 Columbus set sail on 3rd August 1492.
 He had three ships: the Niña, the Pinta and the Santa Maria.
 They were wooden ships with sails. There were about 90
men in the ships.
 Food for the voyage was kept in the ship's hold.
 The men took salted fish in barrels, cheese, wine, water, live
pigs and chickens.
Setting Sails in 1492
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24. 
A fleet of three Ships
 The Niña, the Pinta and the Santa Maria set sail
across the Atlantic Ocean on 3rd August 1492.
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25. 
 Life on the ships was hard.
The sailors worked shifts. The time for each shift was
measured using a half-hour glass.
 The men had no cabins, but slept on deck.
 Every morning, they said prayers.
 The ships let in water all the time.
The men had to work pumps, to keep the ships afloat.
Sailing in 15th Century
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26. 
A „Caravelle“ of the 15th Cent.
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27. 
 Finding the way
Columbus used a compass to help him navigate.
He used a traverse board to plot (mark) the direction they
wanted to sail in.
 The voyage took longer than Columbus expected.
There was no land, just ocean. The men got scared.
 They were running out of food and water.
 Many men were sick. They suffered from scurvy.
The first Voyage 1492
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28. 
 Ten weeks after their departure, land was sighted.
 After 36 days a sailor on the Pinta spotted an island.
 On 12th October 1492 the explorers went ashore.
Columbus called the island San Salvador.
The first Voyage 1492
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29. 
Columbus first Voyage
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30. 
 A New World
On 12th October 1492, Columbus and a group of his men
set foot on the island San Salvador in what later became
known as the Bahamas.
 Columbus sailed on to a number of other islands in the
Caribbean, including Cuba and Hispaniola.
 He explored a world new to Europeans. People later called
it the New World.
What was dicovered?
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31. 
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Landing of Columbus
(San Salvador 12th October 1492)

32. 
 Native Americans
Native American people lived on the islands.
 Columbus called these natives 'Indians', because he thought
that they had landed in 'the Indies' (Asia).
 At first the Native Americans were pleased to see the visitors.
Columbus gave them cheap presents and bells. But he also
claimed their islands for Spain!
The „wrong“ Indians
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33. 
Columbus meeting the Indians
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34. 
 The initial encounters were friendly, but indigenous
populations all over the New World were soon to be
devastated by their contact with Europeans.
 Columbus returned to Spain in triumph. He was made
'admiral of the Seven Seas' and viceroy of the Indies.
 Within a few months he set off on a second and larger
voyage. This time, he took 17 ships.
 More territory was covered. Conflicts with the Indians grew.
Conquering Indian Territory
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35. 
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Coming home after the 1st Trip
(received by king & queen of Spain)

36. 
 Native Americans made slaves
People from Europe sailed to America to start colonies.
Some wanted to make the Native Americans become
Christians.
 The Europeans began treating the
Native Americans badly.
They made many of them work as slaves.
 Many of the Indians died or were killed.
Christianisation & Slavery
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37. 
The native Americans
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38. 
 Columbus in disgrace
More and more territory was covered, but the Asian lands
that Columbus was aiming for remained elusive.
 On his third voyage, Columbus saw South America for the
first time. But he came home in disgrace.
 Spain ruled the lands Columbus had found.
What happened to Columbus?
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39. 
 Columbus was a great navigator, but he was less successful
as an administrator and was accused of mismanagement.
 His enemies said, he had ruled Hispaniola to make
himself rich. He was sent back to Spain in chains.
But the king and queen set him free.
 Others began to dispute whether the “new land” was in fact
the Orient or a completely 'new' world.
Jealous Enemies
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40. 
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Defending himself in front of
the queen of Spain

41. 
 Although he was already old, Columbus made two
further voyages to the newfound territories, but suffered
defeat and humiliation along the way.
 He sailed to America for a third time in 1498-1500 and a
fourth time in 1500. He was still hoping to land in China.
 This time he explored Central America.
His ships were too leaky to sail home, so he had to wait a
year before being rescued.
The last Years
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42. 
The 4 Voyages of Columbus
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43. 
 Other explorers followed Columbus.
In 1497-1498, John Cabot sailed from England to North America.
 In 1501 Amerigo Vespucci from Italy sailed to South America.
'America' was named after him…
People knew that the New World was not Asia, but a new
continent.
 When Columbus got back to Spain, he was sick and sad.
 Columbus died on 20th May 1506 – as a wealthy but deeply
disappointed man.
Sad End of a great Man
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44. 
The 2 Tombs of Columbus
The tomb of Christopher
Columbus inside
the Cathedral of Sevilla
in Spain
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45. 
The 2 Tombs of Columbus
The tomb of Christopher
Columbus
inside the Cathedral of
Santa Maria La Menor
in the Dominican
Republic.
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46. 
 Columbus and his sailors sailed bravely into the unknown.
He did not give up, even when people laughed at his ideas.
 Explorers brought home gold, new foods and new
knowledge.
 However, they brought misery to many Native Americans:
The Europeans took their land.
Many Native Americans were killed in wars with the
Europeans, or died from European diseases.
How Columbus changed history
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