Voyages of Christopher Columbus

In the early modern period, the voyages of Christopher Columbus initiated European exploration and colonization of the American continents and are thus of great significance in world history. Christopher Columbus was an Italian navigator from the Republic of Genoa that became an admiral for Spain. He made four voyages to the Americas, the first being in 1492.

Asians who crossed the Bering Strait to North America in prehistoric times (between 12,000 and 42,000 years ago) were the first to discover America. Vikings established a short-lived settlement in Newfoundland circa 1000. While Columbus was not the first European to voyage to the New World and did not reach the mainland until his third voyage in 1498, his voyage led to the widespread knowledge of the existence of a new continent. The breakthrough in geographical science led to the colonization of the New World by major European sea powers and is sometimes cited as the start of the Modern Era.^[1]

Spain, Portugal and other European kingdoms sent expeditions and established colonies throughout the New World, converted the native inhabitants to Christianity and built large trade networks across the Atlantic which introduced new plants, animals, and food crops in both continents. The search for a westward route to Asia continued in 1513 when Nuñez de Balboacrossed Central America and became the first European to sight the Pacific Ocean. The search was completed in 1521, when the Spanish Magellan-Elcano expedition sailed across the Pacific and reached Southeast Asia.