Columbus - First Voyage - Essay Example

COLUMBUS: FIRST VOYAGE Christopher Columbus First Voyage led to contacts with the Europeans and Americans through his accidental landing in the "New World. Columbus set out to Asia looking for a shorter route to enhance trade and creation of colonies.1 Once he received the support of the Spanish Crown, he embarked on a westward route with the aim of reaching Japan and other Asian countries. Columbus was not the first person to reach to America since Leif Ericson ad gone there in the eleventh century.

His First Voyage to America does not show that he was a heroic explorer, an advocate for the Spanish Conquest, and empire but his interests were for personal gains such as riches, fame, and spread of Christianity in the Asian world. 1 One of the Columbus mission was Christian interest as manifested in his first voyage o the Indies since he possessed deep religious beliefs. He was a reflective man and had strong support from Spanish nationals. His first Voyage describes his career as a seaman, which began in the Portuguese marine.

Columbus liked trade and seagoing as indicated by his sugar trading activities in Madeira when he served as an agent for Genoese firm. He also traded along the coast of Guinea between 1482 and 1485 before sailing to Spain to seek royal support from King Ferdinand.2 Another interest for Columbus was to gain power and riches by finding the route to China, which was known to be a rich continent. He desired to rise from his humble state, accumulate wealth for his family and join the Nobel class in Spain.

His sailing to India and Fable Island of gold and spice was not for an exploration purpose by the main mission was to gain fame. Apart from his love for adventure and hope of conquest, Columbus feared that Portugal may discover the route to India and Cathay first, and, therefore, the First Voyage was necessary. Columbus was determined to get human cargo and material goods to his country and for himself thus he had an interest in slavery.3 Columbus was sailing both for adventure and getting a share of the big profits, which were to be made once, they reached the Indies.

The purpose of the First Voyage of Columbus was finding a shorter route to Asia but instead of finding Asia, he landed in the “New World”. Since the trade between Asia and Europe was quite lucrative as it was full of spices.2 Columbus wanted to control the trade between Europe and Asia to make huge riches and fame. Muslims and Italians dominated most of trade with Asians, and since Spain had not established any trade ties, Columbus was interested and determined to do it. The Spain rulers are simply funded Columbus hoping to enter into the spice trade through Columbus.

His three missions were achieving glory, finding Gold, and spreading Christianity Gospel to the people of Asia.4 Columbus was not exploring the world when he landed in America but trying to find a shorter route to Asia for trading purposes. He rose to fame because he accidentally found the new world when he was trying to enrich himself by finding a shorter route to the spice land. Christopher Columbus came to be recognized as the discovery of America but according to historians, others had landed there first.

More so, his aim of the First Voyage was not meant for discovery, exploration, or scientific research but to find fame by connecting Spain and Asia through a shorter route. He accidentally landed in America while looking for fame and riches, which he finally acquired as he was greatly cerebrated later on. Finding the New World was considered a big achievement and facilitated colonization of America by the Europeans. Bibliography Columbus, Christopher. "Journal of the First Voyage to America, 1492-1493.

" The Heath Anthology of American Literature 1 (1994): 72. Columbus, Christopher. "Columbus, Christopher." The Peoples of the Caribbean 1451 (2013): 67. Columbus, Christopher. Four voyages to the New World: letters and selected documents. Peter Smith Pub Inc, 1961. McElroy, John W. The ocean navigation of Columbus on his first voyage. American neptune, Incorporated, 1941.