Christopher Columbus (c. 1451–1506) led four transatlantic expeditions between 1492 and 1504 under the patronage of Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile. His goal was to find a westward maritime route to Asia’s trade centers: India, China, Japan, and the Spice Islands, but instead, he reached the Caribbean archipelago, landing on islands such as Hispaniola and Cuba. Columbus only set foot on the American mainland during his fourth and final voyage (1502–1504), exploring parts of the Central American coast.
Although he never accepted that he had encountered a previously unknown continent, Columbus’s expeditions had a transformative global impact. They initiated the Age of Discovery, launching an era of European maritime expansion, conquest, and colonization. His voyages linked the Old and New Worlds for the first time, unleashing profound cultural encounters, demographic changes, and economic exchanges across the Atlantic. These developments marked the beginning of European imperial expansion in the Americas, reshaping global history through both innovation and exploitation.
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APA Style
Netchev, S. (2021, September 24). Map of the Voyages of Christopher Columbus 1492-1504. World History Encyclopedia. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/14653/map-of-the-voyages-of-christopher-columbus-1492-15/
Chicago Style
Netchev, Simeon. "Map of the Voyages of Christopher Columbus 1492-1504." World History Encyclopedia, September 24, 2021. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/14653/map-of-the-voyages-of-christopher-columbus-1492-15/.
MLA Style
Netchev, Simeon. "Map of the Voyages of Christopher Columbus 1492-1504." World History Encyclopedia, 24 Sep 2021, https://www.worldhistory.org/image/14653/map-of-the-voyages-of-christopher-columbus-1492-15/.
