1492

Christophorus Columbus (1451-1502) was a Genovese explorer and expert navigator who proposed a new westward route from Europe to South East Asia.  The monarchs of Spain supported his expedition, as they were interested in establishing new routes and dominate the spice trade.

During his first voyage to the Americas in 1492, he landed on an island in the Bahamas that he named San Salvador.  Columbus was a learned man who knew Latin, Portuguese and the Castilian languages.   He had read the works of Ptolemy, Pliny’s Naturalis Historia, and Marco Polo’s travels among others.  Columbus became an accomplished mariner as between 1473 and 1485 had travelled extensible to the Greek island of Chios, Bristol in England, Galway in Ireland and also Iceland. Those who have crossed oceans on sailboats know the multitude of difficulties mariners face in long distance passages.  Columbus’ voyage was no exception and it was his knowledge of the “trade winds” that propelled him to the Americas and also helped his return trip to the Iberian Peninsula.  

When Columbus made his landing on Oct 12, 1492 he encountered the gentle Arawak Indians, but this lush green utopia was not a paradise. Other tribes such as the Carib Indians were warlike and carried raids across the Caribbean. They were known to eat human flesh.

Today, Americans are being encouraged to judge the past based on modern enlightenment and condemn people such as Columbus for failing to live up to our standards.  Six out of ten Americans agree though that his accomplishments were pivotal for bringing together the Old and the New World and honored him by giving his name in many towns like Columbus, Ohio.

The anniversary of Columbus's 1492 landing in the Americas is usually observed on October 12th in Spain and throughout the Americas, except Canada. In Spain it is called the Fiesta Nacional de España y Día de la Hispanidad, while a number of countries in Latin America celebrate it as Día de la Raza. In the United States it is called Columbus Day and is observed annually on the second Monday in October.