Russian Odyssey of Columbus. Christopher Columbus: “The Greatest of the Losers Under the flag of which state did Columbus’s ships sail?”

Biography of the navigator Christopher Columbus

The Lord has made me a messenger of the new heavens and the new earth,
created by him, the very ones that St. wrote about in the Apocalypse.
John... and the Lord showed me the way there.

Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus (born approximately August 26 and October 31, 1451, died May 20, 1506) - Italian navigator who discovered America in 1492.

Columbus is an eternal figure. Even schoolchildren nowadays, who find it difficult to answer who Stalin is and why Lenin lies on Red Square, can connect such concepts as Columbus and America. And some, perhaps, will be able to tell the sad story of his life - the life of a discoverer without discoveries, great, fearless, deluded... For, as Jules Verne argued, if Columbus had not had these three qualities, he might not have dared to overcome the endless expanse of the sea and go in search of lands previously mentioned only in myths and sagas.

The story of Columbus is an ongoing story of mystery. Absolutely everything is in doubt - the date of his birth, his origin and the city where he was born. 7 Greek cities argued for the right to consider themselves the birthplace of Homer. Columbus was luckier. At various times and in various places, 26 claimants (14 Italian cities and 12 nations) made such claims, entering into litigation with Genoa.

More than 40 years ago, Genoa seemed to finally win this centuries-old process. But to this day, the voices of lawyers for false versions about the homeland and nationality of Columbus do not cease. Until 1571, no one doubted the origins of Columbus. He himself more than once called himself a Genoese. Ferdinando Colon was the first to question the Genoese origin of Columbus. He was guided by “noble” intentions to introduce noble ancestors into the genealogy of the great navigator. Genoa was not suitable for such experiments: this surname was not included in the lists of even plebeian families. Therefore, the author took Columbus’s grandfathers to the Italian city of Piacenza, where noble people from the local Columbus family lived in the 14th and 15th centuries. The example of Ferdinand Colon inspired historians of subsequent centuries to undertake similar searches.

Childhood. Adolescence. Youth

Christopher Columbus was born into the family of a weaver who also sold cheese and wine. The embarrassment that occurred at the wedding of Cristoforo’s sister Bianchinetta speaks about the financial situation of the family and the not entirely honest father of the navigator Domenico Colombo. The son-in-law, a cheese merchant, accused Domenico of not paying the dowry promised for his daughter. Notarial acts of those times confirm that the family's situation was actually depressing. In particular, major disagreements with creditors arose over the house where they settled 4 years after the birth of Cristoforo.

Although Cristoforo spent his childhood at his father's loom, the boy's interests were directed in a different direction. The greatest impression on the child was made by the harbor, where people with different skin colors, in burnouses, caftans, and European dress, crowded and called to each other. Cristoforo did not remain an outside observer for long. Already at the age of 14 he sailed as a cabin boy to Portofino, and later to Corsica. In those days, on the Ligurian coast, the most common form of trade was barter in kind. Domenico Colombo also took part in it, and his son helped: he accompanied a small Latin-rigged ship loaded with fabrics to nearby shopping centers, and from there delivered cheese and wine.

In Lisbon, he met the girl Felipa Moniz da Perestrello and soon married her. For Christopher Columbus, this marriage was a happy lot. He entered a noble Portuguese house and became related to people who took a direct part in the overseas campaigns organized by Prince Henry the Navigator and his successors.

In his youth, Felipa's father was included in the retinue of Henry the Navigator. Columbus gained access to various documents that recorded the history of Portuguese voyages in the Atlantic. In the winter of 1476–1477, Columbus left his wife and went to England and Ireland; in 1478 he ended up in Madeira. Columbus completed his elementary school of practical navigation in Porto Santo and Madeira, traveling to the Azores, and then completed a course in marine science on Guinean expeditions. In his leisure hours, he studied geography, mathematics, and Latin, but only to the extent that it was necessary for his purely practical purposes. And more than once Columbus admitted that he was not very sophisticated in science.

But what especially struck the imagination of the young sailor was Marco Polo’s book, which spoke about the gold-roofed palaces of Sipangu (Japan), the pomp and splendor of the Great Khan’s court, and the homeland of spices - India. Columbus had no doubt that the Earth was spherical, but it seemed to him that this ball was much smaller than in reality. This is why he believed that Japan was relatively close to the Azores.

Stay in Portugal

Columbus's landing in America

Columbus decided to get to India by the western route and in 1484 outlined his plan to the king of Portugal. Columbus's idea was simple. It was based on two premises: one completely true and one false. The first (true) one is that the Earth is a ball; and the second (false) - that most of the earth's surface is occupied by land - a single massif of three continents, Asia, Europe and Africa; the smaller one is by sea, because of this the distance between the western shores of Europe and the eastern tip of Asia is small, and in a short period of time it is possible, following the western route, to reach India, Japan and China - this corresponded to the geographical ideas of the era of Columbus.

The idea of ​​the possibility of such a voyage was expressed by Aristotle and Seneca, Pliny the Elder, Strabo and Plutarch, and in the Middle Ages the theory of the One Ocean was consecrated by the church. It was recognized by the Arab world and its great geographers: Masudi, al-Biruni, Idrisi.

While living in Portugal, Columbus proposed his project to King João II. This happened at the end of 1483 or at the beginning of 1484. The timing for presenting the project was not chosen very well. In 1483–1484, John II thought least of all about long-distance expeditions. The king extinguished the rebellions of the Portuguese magnates and dealt with the conspirators. He attached greater importance to further discoveries in Africa, but was much less interested in Atlantic voyages in a western direction.

The history of the negotiations between Columbus and King John II is not entirely clear. It is known that Columbus asked for a lot in recompense for his services. It's obscenely much. As much as no mortal had ever asked from the crowned kings before. He demanded the title of Chief Admiral of the Ocean and a noble rank, the position of viceroy of the newly discovered lands, a tenth of the income from these territories, an eighth of the profits from future trade with new countries and golden spurs.

He subsequently included all these conditions, except for the golden spurs, in his agreement. King Juan never made rash decisions. He conveyed Columbus's proposal to the "Mathematical Junta" - a small Lisbon academy in which outstanding scientists and mathematicians sat. It is not known exactly what decision the council made. At least, it was unfavorable - it happened in 1485. That same year, Columbus's wife died, and his financial situation sharply worsened.

Stay in Spain

1485, summer - he decided to leave Portugal for Castile. Columbus took his seven-year-old son Diego with him and sent his brother Bartolomeo to England in the hope that he would be interested in the project of the western route of Henry VII. From Lisbon, Christopher Columbus headed to Paloia to join Diego's wife's relatives in the neighboring city of Huelva. Exhausted by long wanderings, with a small child in his arms, Columbus decided to seek refuge in a monastery, near which his strength finally abandoned him.

So Columbus ended up in the Rabidou monastery and, in a fit of revelation, poured out his soul to the abbot Antonio de Marchena, a powerful man at the Spanish court. Columbus's project delighted Antonio. He gave Columbus letters of recommendation to those close to the royal family - he had connections at court.

Inspired by the warm reception at the monastery, Columbus went to Cordoba. There temporarily resided the court of their Highnesses (the Castilian and Aragonese kings bore the title of Highnesses until 1519) - Queen Isabella of Castile and King Ferdinand of Aragon.

However, in Spain, Cristobal Colon (as Columbus was called in Spain) faced many years of need, humiliation and disappointment. Royal advisers believed that Columbus's project was impossible.

In addition, all the forces and attention of the Spanish rulers were absorbed in the fight against the remnant of Moorish rule in Spain - the small Moorish state in Grenada. Columbus was refused. Then he proposed his plan to England, and then again to Portugal, but nowhere was it taken seriously.

Only after the Spaniards took Grenada was Columba, after much trouble, able to obtain three small ships from Spain for his voyage.

First expedition (1492 - 1493)

With incredible difficulty, he managed to assemble a team, and, in the end, on August 3, 1492, a small squadron left the Spanish port of Paloe and went west to look for India.

The sea was calm and deserted, the wind was blowing fair. The ships sailed like this for more than a month. On September 15, Columbus and his companions saw a green stripe in the distance. However, their joy soon gave way to grief. This was not the long-awaited land, this is how the Sargasso Sea began - a giant accumulation of algae. On September 18–20, the sailors saw flocks of birds flying to the west. “Finally,” the sailors thought, “the land is close!” But this time, too, the travelers were disappointed. The crew began to worry. In order not to frighten people with the distance traveled, Columbus began to downplay the distance traveled in the ship's log.

On October 11, at 10 o’clock in the evening, Columbus, eagerly peering into the darkness of the night, saw a light flickering in the distance, and on the morning of October 12, 1492, sailor Rodrigo de Triana shouted: “Earth!” The sails on the ships were removed.

In front of the travelers was a small island overgrown with palm trees. Naked people were running along the sand along the shore. Columbus put on a scarlet dress over his armor and, with the royal flag in his hands, went ashore to the New World. This was Watling Island from the Bahamas group of islands. The natives called it Guanagani, and Columbus called it San Salvador. This is how America was discovered.

Expedition routes of Christopher Columbus

True, Columbus was sure until the end of his days that he had not discovered any “New World”, but had only found a way to India. And with his light hand, the natives of the New World began to be called Indians. The natives of the newly discovered island were tall, handsome people. They did not wear clothes, their bodies were colorfully painted. Some of the natives had shiny sticks stuck through their noses, which delighted Columbus: it was gold! This means that not far away was the country of golden palaces - Sipangu.

In search of the golden Sipangu, Columbus left Guanagani and went further, discovering island after island. Everywhere, the Spaniards were amazed by the lush tropical vegetation, the beauty of the islands scattered in the blue ocean, the friendliness and meekness of the natives, who, in exchange for trinkets, molasses and beautiful rags, gave the Spaniards gold, colorful birds and hammocks that the Spaniards had never seen before. On October 20, Columbus reached Cuba.

The Cuban population was more cultured than the inhabitants of the Bahamas. In Cuba, Columbus found statues, large buildings, bales of cotton, and for the first time saw cultivated plants - tobacco and potatoes, products of the New World, which later conquered the whole world. All this further strengthened Columbus's confidence that Sipangu and India were somewhere nearby.

1492, December 4 - Columbus discovered the island of Haiti (the Spaniards then called it Hispaniola). On this island, Columbus built the fort of La Navidad (“Christmas”), left a 40-man garrison there, and on January 16, 1493, headed for Europe on two ships: his largest ship, the Santa Maria, was wrecked on December 24.

On the way back, a terrible storm broke out, and the ships lost sight of each other. Only on February 18, 1493 did the exhausted sailors see the Azores, and on February 25 they reached Lisbon. On March 15, Columbus returned to the port of Paloe after an 8-month absence. Thus ended the first expedition of Christopher Columbus.

The traveler was received with delight in Spain. He was granted a coat of arms depicting a map of the newly discovered islands and with the motto:
“For Castile and Leon, the New World was discovered by Colon.”

Second expedition (1493 - 1496)

A new expedition was quickly organized, and already on September 25, 1493, Christopher Columbus set off on a second expedition. This time he led 17 ships. 1,500 people went with him, lured by stories of easy money in the newly discovered lands.

On the morning of November 2, after a rather tiring voyage, the sailors saw a high mountain in the distance. This was the island of Dominica. It was covered with forest, the wind brought spicy aromas from the shore. The next day, another mountainous island, Guadeloupe, was discovered. There, the Spaniards, instead of the peaceful and gentle inhabitants of the Bahamas, met warlike and cruel cannibals, Indians from the Carib tribe. A battle took place between the Spaniards and the Caribs.

Having discovered the island of Puerto Rico, Columbus sailed to Hispaniola on November 22, 1493. At night, the ships approached the place where the fort they founded on their first voyage stood.

Everything was quiet. There was not a single light on the shore. The arrivals fired a volley from bombards, but only the echo rolled in the distance. In the morning, Columbus learned that the Spaniards, with their cruelty and greed, had so antagonized the Indians that one night they suddenly attacked the fortress and burned it, killing the rapists. This is how America met Columbus on his second voyage!

Columbus's second expedition was unsuccessful: the discoveries were insignificant; despite a thorough search, little gold was found; Diseases were rampant in the newly built colony of Isabella.

When Columbus set out in search of new lands (during this voyage he discovered the island of Jamaica), the Indians on Hispaniola, outraged by the oppression of the Spaniards, rebelled again. The Spaniards were able to suppress the uprising and brutally dealt with the rebels. Hundreds of them were enslaved, sent to Spain, or forced to do backbreaking work on plantations and mines.

1496, March 10 - Columbus set off on his return journey, and on June 11, 1496, his ships entered the harbor of Cadiz.

American writer Washington Irving spoke about Columbus's return from the second expedition:

“These unfortunates crawled out, exhausted by illness in the colony and the severe hardships of the journey. Their yellow faces, as one ancient writer put it, were a parody of the gold that was the object of their aspirations, and all their stories about the New World were reduced to complaints of illness, poverty and disappointment.

Third expedition (1498 - 1500)

Return of Christopher Columbus from his voyage

In Spain, Columbus was not only received very coldly, but also deprived of many privileges. Only after lengthy and humiliating efforts was he able to equip ships for the third expedition in the summer of 1498.

This time, Columbus and his crew had to endure prolonged calm and terrible heat. On July 31, the ships approached the large island of Trinidad, and soon a grass-covered shore appeared in front of Columbus.

Christopher Columbus mistook it for an island, but in reality it was the mainland of South America. Even when Columbus arrived at the mouth of the Orinoco, he did not understand that there was a huge continent in front of him.

At that time, the situation in Hispaniola was tense: the colonists quarreled among themselves; relations with the natives were damaged; The Indians responded to the oppression with uprisings, and the Spaniards sent one punitive expedition after another to them.

The intrigues that had long been waged against Columbus at the Spanish court finally had their effect: in August 1500, a new government commissioner, Babadilla, arrived on the island of Hispaniola. He demoted Columbus and, shackling him and his brother Bartolomeo, sent him to Spain.

The appearance of the famous traveler in shackles caused such indignation among the Spaniards that the government was forced to immediately release him. The shackles were removed, but the mortally insulted admiral did not part with them until the end of his days and ordered them to be placed in his coffin.

Almost all privileges were taken away from Columbus, and expeditions began to be equipped to America without his participation.

Fourth Expedition (1502 - 1504)

Only in 1502 was Columbus able to set off on four ships on his fourth and final expedition. This time he passed along the coast of Central America, from Honduras to Panama. This was his most unsuccessful journey. The travelers endured all sorts of hardships, and in 1504 the admiral returned to Spain on one ship.

The end of Columbus's life was spent in struggle. The admiral began to dream about the liberation of Jerusalem and Mount Zion. At the end of November 1504, he sent a lengthy letter to the royal couple, in which he outlined his “crusader” creed.

Death of Columbus and posthumous voyage

Columbus was often sick.

“Exhausted by gout, grieving over the death of his property, tormented by other sorrows, he gave his soul with the king for the rights and privileges promised to him. Before his death, he still considered himself the king of India and advised the king on how best to rule overseas lands. He gave his soul to God on the day of the Ascension, May 20, 1506 in Valladolid, accepting the holy gifts with great humility.”

The admiral was buried in the church of the Valladolid Franciscan monastery. And in 1507 or 1509, the admiral set off on his longest journey. It lasted 390 years. Initially, his ashes were transported to Seville. In the middle of the 16th century, his remains were brought from Seville to Santo Domingo (Haiti). Columbus's brother Bartolomeo, his son Diego and grandson Luis were also buried there.

1792 - Spain ceded the eastern half of the island of Hispaniola to France. The commander of the Spanish flotilla ordered the admiral's ashes to be delivered to Havana. The fourth funeral took place there. 1898 - Spain lost Cuba. The Spanish government decided to transfer the admiral's ashes to Seville again. Now he rests in the Seville Cathedral.

What was Christopher Columbus looking for? What hopes drew him to the West? The treaty concluded by Columbus with Ferdinand and Isabella does not make this clear.

“Since you, Christopher Columbus, are setting out at our command on our ships and with our subjects to discover and conquer certain islands and a continent in the ocean... it is fair and reasonable... that you should be rewarded for this.”

What islands? What continent? Columbus took his secret with him to the grave.

Oldest coat of arms of the Western Hemisphere

The island of Puerto Rico, washed by the Caribbean Sea on the south and the Atlantic Ocean on the north, has been a possession of the United States since 1898. In 1952, it achieved self-government, becoming a "freely affiliated" state of the United States under the name "Commonwealth of Puerto Rico."

The island was discovered by Christopher Columbus on November 19, 1493, the day of St. John the Baptist, in Spanish San Juan Bautista. This is exactly what Columbus called the spicy one, and this name remained until 1521. All subsequent Puerto Rican heraldic symbolism is associated specifically with John the Baptist, considered the patron saint of the island.

The Spanish conquest and colonization began in 1508, when a member of the Columbus expedition, Juan Ponce de Leon, arrived with a small detachment on the island and founded the first Spanish settlement on the shore of a convenient and picturesque bay, which was called “Puerto Rico” (“Rich Harbor”). Already in 1511, the settlement received the status of a city, and the Spanish crown immediately granted it a coat of arms. This was the first coat of arms in the New World received by a colonial possession from the mother country. Eight years later, the island's capital was moved to the newly created settlement of San Juan, and a few years later not only the name Puerto Rico, but also its coat of arms were extended to the entire island. This coat of arms, with minor changes made in 1898, 1905 and 1958, survives to this day and is the oldest active coat of arms in the Western Hemisphere.

In its modern form it looks like this. On the central green field of the shield there is a white lamb (“lamb of God”) sitting on a church book with a halo above its head and a church cross banner. This image is an attribute of John the Baptist. The border of the shield is composed of emblems reminiscent of three hundred years of Spanish rule - four Castilian castles, four lions of Leon, four flags of the Aragonese-Sicily kingdom (four red stripes on a yellow field - Aragon, and a combination of triangles of Aragonese colors with two black eagles on white - Sicily) . In addition, the border depicts four Jerusalem crosses - symbols of the dominant Catholic religion on the island.

As a result of the Spanish-American War, Puerto Rico was captured by the United States, and American authorities introduced a new colonial coat of arms in 1901. In the lower part of his shield there is an island in the sea, above which the sun rises, and the upper part repeated the design of the American flag, against which the rod of Mercury was drawn surrounded by branches. The shield was topped by Columbus's caravel and accompanied by the Latin motto "The flower of prosperity rises."

But already in 1905 the previous, more popular coat of arms was restored. It was somewhat different from the original and current coats of arms. The lamb was without a halo and looked straight ahead, the cover of the book became red, and on the border of the shield, instead of the Aragonese-Sicilian flags, the four-part Castilian-Leonese flags were depicted, instead of the yellow Jerusalem crosses - the crosses of the Catholic monastic order of Saints John and Thomas. The coat of arms was topped by a crown, accompanied by the Latin motto “His name is John” and framed by the crowned Latin initials of the Spanish royal couple of the late 15th and early 16th centuries, Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile (under whom the island was discovered and conquered by the Spaniards) and their personal emblems - a yoke and a bunch of arrows .

Since that time, the official seal of Puerto Rico has also existed. It basically repeats the design of the shield of the 1905 coat of arms, but has a round shape. Until 1958, the seal was sometimes used as a variant of the coat of arms.

In 1958, the coat of arms of Puerto Rico acquired a modern look, closer to the original version of 1511.
Puerto Rico's first flag was created in 1546 by its then Spanish governor, Diego Ramos, based on the colonial coat of arms and was used for some time in the 16th century. Against the background of green and red horizontal stripes surrounded by a yellow border, the same lamb with a banner (but without a book) and a Castilian castle.

Since 1845, when all Spanish provinces and colonies received special port flags, the local port flag of red and white horizontal stripes has been unofficially used as the flag of Puerto Rico.

In 1868, Puerto Rican patriots raised an anti-Spanish uprising and proclaimed a republic in the city of Lares. Its flag of blue and carmine-red horizontal stripes, crossed by a white cross with a yellow star in the top, became widely known. The uprising was suppressed. But the flag, called the Lares Call and inspired by the flag of the anti-Spanish uprising in Cuba and the flag of the Dominican Republic, has long been a symbol of the Puerto Rican liberation movement. In 1897, Spain granted autonomy to Puerto Rico, and the red and white port flag became the official flag of the autonomous government. However, a few months later the Americans took over the country, abolishing local emblems.

The modern flag of Puerto Rico originated in 1895 as the flag of the Puerto Rican section of the Cuban Revolutionary Party, which fought for the liberation of both Cuba and Puerto Rico from Spanish rule, and quickly gained popularity. It follows the design of the Cuban flag, but has a reverse triangle and colored stripes. The flag is unique in that its colors and elements do not have independent symbolism and therefore, as a national symbol, the flag is acceptable for almost all segments of the population, parties and movements. After the island became an American possession, the flag was banned by the colonialists, but its popularity was so great that since 1916 its unofficial use was allowed. The only official flag in 1898-1952 was the US flag, and in the role of a distinctive colonial flag in 1905-1948 the flag of the governor, on a white cloth of which was depicted the seal of the island, acted. In 1952, the flag of 1895 was officially proclaimed the state and national flag of the Commonwealth Puerto Rico. But the country’s dependent position manifested itself here too: the flag can only be flown at the same time as the US flag. Its symbolism is still not developed, but official propaganda emphasizes the coincidence of its colors with the colors of the US flag.

There is an ongoing struggle over the status of Puerto Rico. A certain part of the islanders strives to transform the country into a US state. Their interests are expressed by the state Republican Party under a flag of blue, white and red horizontal stripes. The pro-independence camp is small and fragmented. Among them is the Communist Party, whose flag repeats the design of the national flag, but, paradoxically, the red color has been removed from it. This is the only Communist Party flag in the world that does not have a front color. The majority of Puerto Ricans, participating in periodically held referendums, support the idea of ​​maintaining the current status of the country.

Three arrows instead of thirteen

A group of islands in the West Indies, officially called the United States Virgin Islands, have the status of an “unincorporated U.S. territory,” meaning they are an American possession under the control of the U.S. Department of the Interior. Since the 17th-18th centuries, these islands have belonged to Denmark. At first the Danish national flag was used here, and in 1798 and 1842 a special colonial flag of the Danish West Indies was used: dark blue with a Danish flag in the roof. The islands then came under the control and flag of the Danish West India Company. The company flag differed from the Danish one by the addition of a white square in the middle with the image of two crowned lions, two more crowns, the monogram of the then reigning Danish king and the initials of the company name. At the beginning of the 20th century, the company returned its rights to the Danish government, which sold the islands to the United States in 1917.

In 1921, the modern colonial flag was introduced, used only in conjunction with the US flag. On its white cloth is an eagle, a modified and stylized version of the bald eagle from the American state emblem. The bird here is not a natural color, but yellow, its wings are more widely spread, the shield on its chest is of a different configuration, the olive branch is stylized and without berries, and the number of arrows is reduced from 13 to three. The letters on the sides of the eagle are the first letters of the English name of the islands. An eagle with an American shield symbolizes the ownership of the islands by the United States, an olive branch peace and tranquility reigning on these tropical islands, and the desire for good neighborliness with other countries, and three arrows are intended not only to designate the three main islands St. Croix, St. Thomas, Saint John, but also the determination of local residents to defend their rights to freedom, well-being and... independence (which they never had). They never had an island or their own coat of arms. The only attempt to create it dates back to the end of Dutch rule, when a coat of arms appeared depicting three islands in the sea, each of which had a palm tree and a Dutch flag, but it was not officially approved. Since 1917, the islands' only emblem has been a colonial seal featuring the full United States coat of arms surrounded by a gold ring and the English inscription "Government of the United States Virgin Islands." Thus, this American possession does not have its own original emblems.

Five Antillean stars

Located in the Caribbean Sea, the islands of Curacao, Bonaire, Saba, St. Eustatius and the southern part of the island of Saint Martin (the northern part belongs to France) have been a Dutch possession since the 17th century. Since 1954, they have received the status of an autonomous part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and are the colonial federation of the Netherlands Antilles. Until 1986, the federation also included the island of Aruba, which then received the status of a separate self-governing territory.

The modern flag of the Netherlands Antilles was adopted in 1986 and is used only in conjunction with the Dutch flag. The blue stripe represents the Caribbean Sea, and the white stars on it are the five islands that make up the country, the top stars being Saba, St. Maarten and St. Eustatius, the bottom ones being Curacao and Bonaire. The red stripe symbolizes the unity of all the islands. The coincidence of the colors of the flag with the colors of the flag of the Netherlands is intended to emphasize the country’s connection with the metropolis. In 1959 and 1985, the flag also included a sixth star, representing Aruba.

The first coat of arms of the Netherlands Antilles was adopted in 1964, and since 1986, the sixth star has been removed from it, as well as from the flag. The stars, like those on the flag, symbolize the islands of the federation. The royal crown means that the Antilles remain an integral part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The Latin motto “United in Freedom” expresses the idea of ​​​​the unity of the constituent parts of the country and their independence in internal affairs.
Each of the federation's islands has broad self-government, and each of them, except St. Eustatius, has its own territorial flag and coat of arms.

The flag of Curacao was adopted in 1984. Its upper blue stripe symbolizes the sky, its lower blue stripe the Caribbean Sea. The color blue also means the people's loyalty to their native land. The lemon yellow stripe represents the glow of the tropical sun over the island, its picturesque nature and the cheerful character of the islanders. Two white stars symbols of peace and happiness. Sometimes the stars are unofficially considered to represent the island of Curacao and the small, uninhabited Little Curacao located nearby.

The coat of arms of Curaçao is topped with a crown, a symbol of belonging to the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The central shield is a slightly modified coat of arms of the Dutch city of Amsterdam, on which the white color of St. Andrew's crosses is replaced by blue. It commemorates that the island was colonized by the Netherlands West India Company, established in Amsterdam, and symbolizes the island's historical ties to the Netherlands. A sailing ship sailing on the waves of the sea represents the importance of the sea and navigation to Curaçao in the past, present and future. The blue color of the lower left half of the shield not only represents the Caribbean Sea, but also symbolizes the island's inhabitants' loyalty to the traditions of honesty, accuracy, hard work, ingenuity and love for their native land. The tree with fruits depicted on the right side of the shield is a laraha, a local representative of citrus fruits grown here for export. The famous liqueur Curacao is also made from their peel. This tree and its golden fruits symbolize the fertile soils and natural resources of the island. The green color of the lower part of this half of the shield has the same symbolism.

The island of Bonaire has had its own flag since 1981. It was created on a competitive basis. The blue part of its cloth means the Caribbean Sea, the yellow triangle the sun, vitality, development and prosperity of the island, the white stripe freedom and peace. The compass-like wind rose indicates that its inhabitants have long had a reputation as the most skilled navigators in the southern Caribbean and have excellent navigation in the sea. It also symbolizes the unity of purpose of the islanders. The star signifies the militancy and resilience of the local people, and its red color symbolizes the blood shed in the struggle for survival and the determination of the islanders to withstand the harsh struggle with nature. The six points of the star are reminiscent of the six villages - the first settlements on the island.

The coat of arms of Bonaire was created based on the flag in 1986. The symbolism of its colors and elements coincides with the flag. The helm emphasizes the important role of the sea and navigation in the life of the island, and the royal crown recalls the sovereignty of the Netherlands.

Saba Island adopted a flag and coat of arms in 1985, also as a result of a competition held among the population. The combination of red, white and blue colors on the flag recalls the historical and political ties with the Netherlands and the federation of the Netherlands Antilles. In addition, the red color symbolizes the unity, courage and determination of the local people, and the blue Caribbean Sea. The star represents the island of Saba, and its yellow color represents the natural beauty and wealth of the island, as well as how dear and dear it is to the heart of every islander.

The coat of arms depicts a mountainous silhouette of the island, against which a cloud floats in the background, as well as a sailing ship and a fish - symbols of the significance of the Caribbean Sea in the life of the islanders. At the bottom of the shield there is a potato tuber, leaves of another important food crop, sabka cabbage, famous throughout the West Indies, frame the coat of arms. The coat of arms is surmounted by the head of Audubon's petrel. This local bird is considered the personification of mystery, loneliness and an unpredictable future, characteristic, according to the authors of the coat of arms, of the fate of the island of Saba itself, and also symbolizes the role of the sea in the life of the islanders, bringing them prosperity (fishing) and misfortune (devastating typhoons). On the ribbon under the shield is the Latin motto “By oars and sails,” recalling that the island was discovered in calm weather, and sailing ships had to approach it with oars. Allegorically, it expresses the will of the islanders to achieve progress by any means necessary.

The Dutch part of the island of Saint Martin has its own coat of arms and flag since 1982 and 1985, respectively. The blue color of the coat of arms symbolizes the Caribbean Sea, and its orange border symbolizes the royal Orange dynasty ruling in the Netherlands. The shield depicts the local courthouse - a symbol of power and justice, a bouquet of branches of flowering sage grown here for export, and a monument to Dutch-French friendship, erected on the border between the two parts of the island, signifying connections and cooperation between them. Crowning the coat of arms, the silhouette of a brown pelican, characteristic of the local fauna, flying against the backdrop of the rising sun, personifies the nature of the island and the hope for its bright future. The Latin motto means "Always moving forward." The coat of arms of Saint Maarten is also featured on its flag, which has a design similar to the Philippine flag and colors that highlight its historical and political ties to the Netherlands.

Another semi-official coat of arms is also popular on the island, symbolizing the unity of Saint-Martin, despite its belonging to two colonial powers. Its black shield features the crossed flags of the Netherlands Antilles and France, above which the Dutch name of the island is written in red letters.

Each of the island flags is used only in conjunction with the flags of the Netherlands and the Netherlands Antilles.

Although the islands enjoy broad autonomy, there are also separatist movements seeking either full independence for their island or separate status.

The separatists of Saint Martin have used a flag of blue, white and blue horizontal stripes since 1974, with seventeen red four-pointed stars arranged in three rows (5, 7 and 5) on the white stripe. The symbolism of the flag is unknown, and its colors correspond to the colors of the flags of the Netherlands and France.

Flag Day Aruba holiday

The island of Aruba in the southern Caribbean has been a possession of the Netherlands since the 17th century. Since 1954, it has been part of the colonial federation of the Netherlands Antilles, and in 1986 it achieved separate status as a self-governing territory of the Netherlands. The coat of arms of Aruba was adopted in 1955. Its shield is divided into 4 parts by a cross, signifying the Christian religion of its inhabitants. The white color of the cross is a symbol of piety. The first field of the shield shows the native aloe plant on a blue field. The blue color is intended to symbolize justice, strength, resilience and love for the homeland of the islanders and their long path to independence.

The aloe depicted on the coat of arms is not the tree familiar to our apartments, but the herbaceous perennial Aloe Barbados, a plant almost a meter tall. Introduced by the Spaniards back in the 16th century from the Mediterranean to the West Indies, this type of aloe became widespread in the Caribbean islands, including Aruba. Its beautiful yellow flowers decorate Aruba all year round. Poor soils and a lack of fresh water limit local agriculture, and the hardy aloe has become its main export crop. The juice and pulp of aloe leaves are used in the manufacture of pharmaceutical and cosmetic products, and the plant itself is considered the national symbol of Aruba.

In the second field of the shield, a green, mountainous silhouette of an island rises above the blue and white waves on a yellow field. The yellow color of the field symbolizes the sunny tropical climate of Aruba, and the image itself represents the island of Aruba, rising above the waters of the Caribbean Sea. At the same time, the coat of arms depicts a very specific silhouette of the most popular mountain in Aruba, Hooiberg. The lonely island symbolizes both the geographical location of Aruba, distant from the other islands of the Netherlands Antilles by large sea expanses, and the identity of Aruba, and the long-standing desire of its inhabitants for a separate status. The green color of the island is considered a symbol of the Arubans' joy at their achievement of autonomy.

On the yellow background of the third field there are two red hands connected in a handshake. They symbolize the unity and cooperation of all national and linguistic groups living in Aruba, their friendliness and affability, considered the defining features of the national character, and their peaceful attitude towards the rest of the world. The hands also signify Aruba's constitutional ties with the Netherlands and economic ties with neighboring countries. They are also believed to symbolize the name of the island: the most popular version explaining the origin of the name connects it with the Indian word “airubae”, which means “comrade, friend” in the language of the original inhabitants of Aruba, the Arawaks. The red color of the hands signifies the generosity, modesty, courage and hard work of the islanders.

In the fourth field of the shield there is a white gear on a red background, symbolizing the industry and mining of Aruba. White is considered a symbol of skill, constancy and justice, and red is considered a symbol of diligence and courage. In the past, gold mining was developed here, of which only depleted and abandoned mines remained, and in the 20th century the basis of the economy was the processing of Venezuelan and American oil. However, with the closure of the American oil refinery in 1985, Aruba's industry and finances were crippled. Small food and ship repair enterprises do not play a significant role in the economy. Therefore, in recent years, the emblem in the fourth field has increasingly been interpreted as a marine helm and is interpreted as a symbol of maritime transport and foreign tourism, which plays an increasingly important role in the economy of Aruba.

The lion above the shield, the national symbol of the Netherlands, represents Aruba's historical and modern ties with the mother country, and its red color symbolizes strength and generosity. The laurel branches framing the shield are a symbol of peace, friendship and success.

The flag of Aruba was adopted much later, in 1976, two years after the victory in elections to the then island council of the separatist People's Suffrage Movement party, which later led Aruba to independent status. The light blue color of the cloth signifies the sky, as well as hope and faith. The four-pointed star is an island in the middle of the sea, inhabited by people from all four corners of the world, who form a single whole and are friendly to the entire outside world. The four points of the star are the four main languages ​​spoken on the island: Papiamento Creole, Dutch, Spanish and English. The red color of the star symbolizes the past of Aruba - the Arawak Indians who once lived here and the previously developed pottery and production of purple paint. White border around the star sandy beaches surrounding the island. The yellow stripes crossing the flag signify the economic and natural wealth of the island and symbolize: the upper one - the sun and tourism, and the lower one - the cultivation of aloe and the mining of gold and phosphates developed in the past. The stripes also symbolize the separation of Aruba from the rest of the islands of the Netherlands Antilles, its special status (and previously indicated the desire for it). It is emphasized that this does not mean isolation of the island from other countries and peoples.

The choice of colors for the territorial flag was also influenced by the colors of the flags of Aruban political parties. The yellow color in combination with red is taken from the flag of the ruling party People's Electoral Movement, where a red map of the island is depicted on a yellow cloth with a red bird of freedom flying from it. Red is also the party color of the Patriotic Party of Aruba, which ruled the island until 1974. At the same time, the combination of blue, white and red colors, characteristic of the Dutch flag, emphasizes Aruba's belonging to the Kingdom of the Netherlands and its close ties with the mother country.

Interestingly, the main national holiday of Aruba is March 18 Flag Day. It was on this day in 1976 that it was first solemnly raised in the presence of thousands of islanders at the Queen Wilhelmina Stadium in the capital of Aruba, Oranjestad.

Coats of arms and seals:

1. Coat of arms of Puerto Rico 1901-1905
2. State emblem of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
3. Puerto Rico stamp.

4. Coat of arms of the Federation of the Netherlands Antilles.
5. Coat of arms of the island of Curacao.
6. Coat of arms of the island of Bonaire.

7. Coat of arms of the island of Saba.
8. Coat of arms of the island of Saint Martin.
9. Coat of arms of the self-governing territory of Aruba.

Flags:

1. Flag of Puerto Rico from 1546.
2. Flag of the Republic of Puerto Rico 1868.
3. State and national flag of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

4. Colonial flag of the Danish West Indies.
5. Flag of the Danish West India Company 1848 - 1863 (under King Frederick VII).
6. Flag of the Federation of the Netherlands Antilles.

7. Colonial flag of the territory of the United States Virgin Islands.
8. Flag of the island of Curacao.
9. Flag of the island of Bonaire.

10. Flag of Saba Island.
11. Flag of the island of Saint Martin.
12. Flag of the self-governing territory of Aruba.

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The Middle Ages are rich in biographies of people with amazing destinies. At that harsh time, everything was possible: beggars became dukes and kings, apprentices created masterpieces of art, and dreamers discovered new worlds. For some, everything was easy and playful, while others, on the way to the top, were forced to overcome all imaginable and inconceivable obstacles...

Few people today know that the greatest of the medieval navigators, the legendary Christopher Columbus can quite deservedly and justifiably be called one of the biggest losers of the Age of Great Discoveries and the Middle Ages in general.

Why is that? It is enough to read at least a little into his biography to understand everything.

The most interesting thing for you!

An Italian in the service of the Spanish Crown

To begin with, Columbus is not a Spaniard or even a Portuguese, as many believe. He is an ardent son of Italy, from Genoa. It was there that he was born somewhere between August 26 and October 31, 1451 (and 29 years later another famous navigator Ferdinand Magellan was born in Portugal). It is generally accepted that Christopher Columbus grew up in a poor family. But in general, not much is known about his childhood and youth. In general, it is amazing that in the biography of a person so famous even in his era, there are a lot of “blank spots”.

Since the future discoverer grew up near the sea, from childhood he raved about the profession of a sailor. By the way, Admiral Nelson, one of the most famous personalities in England, dreamed of the sea since childhood. This did not stop Columbus from studying briefly at the University of Pavia, after which he entered service in the Genoese fleet around 1465. It is known that some time after this he was seriously wounded and temporarily left the sea. By the way, Columbus then sailed exclusively under the Spanish and Portuguese flags, and found himself unclaimed in his homeland.

In 1470, Christopher married Doña Felipe Moniz de Palestrello, who was the daughter of a prominent navigator of those times. He managed to live quietly, almost without the sea, until 1472 in Genoa. In 1472 he showed up in Savona, lived there for a while and moved to Portugal in 1476, and again began to actively participate in maritime trade expeditions.

Until 1485, Columbus sailed on Portuguese ships, living in Lisbon, Madeira, and Porto Santo. During this time, he was mainly engaged in trading, improving his educational level and drawing maps. In 1483, he already had a ready-made project for a new sea trade route to India and Japan, with which the navigator went to the Portuguese king.

But Columbus’s time had not yet come, or he could not properly argue for the need to equip the expedition, or for some other reasons, but the monarch, after two years of deliberation, rejected this enterprise, and even brought disgrace to the daring sailor.

Columbus left him, going into Spanish service, where a few years later, through a series of complex and subtle intrigues, he managed to persuade the king to finance the expedition.

The birth of a great project

No one can say exactly when exactly the project for the western sea route to India was drawn up. Scientists have proven that in his calculations Columbus was based on ancient knowledge about the sphericity of the Earth, and also studied the calculations and maps of scientists of the 15th century. Presumably, the very idea of ​​sphericity and the possibility of such navigation was suggested to him in 1474 by the geographer Paolo Toscanelli, which is confirmed by his letter to Columbus. The navigator began to make his own calculations and decided that if he sailed through the Canary Islands, then Japan should not be more than five thousand kilometers from them.

The improvement of Columbus's project was also facilitated by his visit to England, Ireland and Iceland in 1477, where he collected rumors and information from the Icelanders that there were vast lands in the west. He honed his long-distance sailing skills in 1481, when he sailed to Guinea, being the captain of one of the ships as part of the Diogo de Azambuja expedition sent to build the fortress of São Jorge da Mina. Apparently, it was after this voyage that Columbus not only had a firm conviction about the possibility of success of his project, but also collected a good evidence base in its favor. All that remained was to learn how to persuade the powers that be for funding...

It should be noted that he made the first proposal to organize an expedition to the authorities and merchants of his native Genoa around 1476, but then he was still too young and could provide very little evidence for his thoughts to be taken seriously. But Genoa, modest at all times, overshadowed by Venice and Rome, could have become the center of the world for several centuries instead of Spain, which at the time of Columbus’s expedition was a weak and rather poor country.

In 1485, the project of sailing to India was rejected by the Portuguese King João II, so categorically that Columbus and his family were forced to urgently flee to Spain. Oddly enough, it was this flight that became fateful for Columbus, because he found his first refuge in the monastery of Santa Maria da Rabida, whose abbot, Juan Perez de Marchena, was a close acquaintance of Hernando de Talavera, the queen’s confessor. It was through him that it was possible to convey to the reigning person a letter with Columbus’s ideas. The royal couple lived in Cordoba at that time, preparing the country and army for war with Granada, but the seed had been sown.

Already in 1486, Columbus managed to ignite with his project the imagination of the rich and influential Duke of Medina Seli, who also introduced the essentially poor navigator into the circle of royal financial advisers, bankers and merchants. But the most useful thing was meeting his uncle, the Spanish Cardinal Mendoza. This one has already taken up the project with all seriousness, having assembled with his authority a commission of theologians, lawyers and courtiers. The commission worked for four whole years and did not produce anything, since here Columbus was let down by his character - secretive and distrustful.

In any case, from 1487 to 1492, Columbus did not so much sail as travel around Spain following the Royal couple. In 1488, he received an invitation from the Portuguese king to return to Portugal, but it was too late - Columbus felt that here in Spain he would definitely achieve something. However, he sent letters with his proposals to all the influential courts of Europe, but received a response only from the English king Henry VII, who in 1488 expressed his support for the navigator, but did not offer anything concrete. Who knows, perhaps if Henry VIII, the son of Henry VII, had been on the throne at that time, Christopher Columbus would have gone on an expedition under the flag of England. Henry VIII loved the fleet very much, what did it cost him to create huge ships by those standards Great Harry and Mary Rose!

The Spaniards wanted to organize an expedition, but the country was in a protracted war and they could not allocate funds for the voyage. In 1491, Columbus in Seville again personally met with Ferdinand and Isabella, but to no avail - they did not give money or help. In January 1492, Granada fell, Spain ended the war, and Columbus had the opportunity to almost immediately organize an expedition, but his character failed him again! The sailor’s demands were exorbitant: appointment as viceroy of all new lands, the title of “chief admiral of the sea-ocean” and a lot of money. The king refused.

Queen Isabella saved the situation by dissuading Columbus from emigrating to France and threatening to pawn her family jewels to organize the expedition. As a result, an enterprise was drawn up in which one ship was provided by the state, one by Columbus himself, and one by Martin Alonso Pinzon, who equipped the Pinta. In addition, this tycoon lent money to Columbus, who, according to the agreement, was supposed to bear an eighth of the expenses of the expedition.

On April 30, 1492, the king officially granted Christopher Columbus the title of “don,” making him a nobleman, and also confirmed all the demands of the daring sailor, including the title of viceroy of all newly discovered lands and its transfer by inheritance.

Expeditions of Christopher Columbus

Columbus's first expedition took place on August 3, 1492 and was small - about 90 people on three ships - "Santa Maria", "Pinte" and "Ninya", set off from Palos. Having reached the Canary Islands, she turned west and crossed the Atlantic along a slight diagonal, opening the Sargasso Sea along the way. The first land seen was one of the islands of the Bahamas archipelago, named San Salvador. Columbus landed on it October 12, 1492 and this day became the official date of the discovery of America.

It is noteworthy that until 1986, geographers and historians did not know exactly which island Columbus was the first to discover, until the geographer J. Judge proved that it was the island of Samana. In the following days, Columbus discovered a number of other Bahamian islands, and on October 28 he landed on the coast of Cuba. Already on December 6, he saw Haiti and moved along the northern coast. There, on December 25, the Santa Maria ran aground on a reef, although the crew was rescued.

It was after the crash of the Santa Maria, when the sailors had to make room on the remaining ships, that Columbus ordered hammocks to be installed for the sailors instead of bunks, having picked up this idea from the natives. In this way, it was possible to compactly accommodate more people, and the method itself took root so much that it went into oblivion only a century ago.

In March 1493, the remaining ships returned to Castile. They brought back some gold, a few natives, strange plants and bird feathers. Columbus claimed to have discovered western India. After reading about Cook's first expedition, the curious can compare the successes of Columbus and James Cook at the stages of their early careers. The difference between these expeditions is 275 years!

The second expedition set off in the same 1493. Columbus led it already with the rank of admiral and viceroy of all open lands. It was a huge undertaking, involving 17 large ships and more than 2,000 people, including priests and officials, as well as lawyers, artisans and soldiers. In November 1493, Dominica, Guadeloupe and the Antilles were discovered. In 1494, an expedition explored the islands of Haiti, Cuba, Juventud and Jamaica, but very little gold was found there.

In the spring of 1496, Columbus went home, completing the journey on June 11. This expedition opened the way to colonization, after which settlers, priests and criminals began to be sent to new lands, which turned out to be the cheapest way to populate new colonies.

Columbus's third expedition began in 1498. It consisted of only six ships and was exclusively research. On July 31, he discovered Trinidad, found the Gulf of Paria, discovered the mouth of the Orinoco and the Paria Peninsula, finally reaching the continent. Having climbed a little further than Columbus, the conquerors of Hernan Cortes and Claudio Pizarro invaded the rich lands of South America. On August 15, Margarita Island was discovered, after which the navigator arrived in Haiti, where a Spanish colony was already operating.

In 1500, Columbus was arrested following a denunciation and sent to Castile. However, he didn’t stay there for very long, but he kept his shackles for the rest of his life. Having gained freedom, Columbus was still deprived of most of his privileges and most of his wealth. So, he no longer became vice-emperor, and this was the main disappointment of the final part of the navigator’s life. Columbus was disappointed by the third expedition, but remained alive, but Cook’s third expedition was the last for the traveler.

The fourth expedition began in 1502 and was carried out on only four ships. On June 15, he went abeam Martinique, and on July 30, he entered the Gulf of Honduras, where he first came into contact with representatives of the Mayan state. In 1502-1503, Columbus carefully explored the shores of Central America in search of the coveted passage to the west, because the fabulous riches of America had not yet been discovered and everyone was eager to get to India. On June 25, 1503, Columbus was shipwrecked near Jamaica and was rescued only a year later. The navigator arrived in Castile on November 7, 1504, seriously ill and upset by his failures. This is where his epic ended. Not finding the coveted passage to India, left without rights and money, Christopher Columbus died in Valladolid on May 20, 1506. His merits were appreciated much later, centuries later, but for his era he remained just one of the sailors setting off to distant lands.

Character of Christopher Columbus

Great people do not have simple characters. The same can be said about Columbus, and this was largely the reason for his collapse at the end of his life. Christopher Columbus was a passionate dreamer, a fan of his idea and goal, which he served throughout his life. At the same time, historians and contemporaries characterize him as a greedy, immoderately powerful person who all his life dreamed of being above others. His immoderate desires did not allow him to remain at the pinnacle of wealth and nobility, but still he lived an outstanding life, performing outstanding deeds!

The tragedy of Christopher Columbus

If you look deeper, you can understand that Columbus died an unhappy man. He did not reach the fabulously rich India, but this, and not the discovery of a new continent, was his goal and dream. He didn’t even understand what he had discovered, and for the first time the continents he saw received the name of a completely different person - Amerigo Vespucci, who simply slightly extended the paths trodden by Columbus. In fact, America was discovered by the Normans several centuries before him, so the navigator was not the first here either. He achieved a lot, and at the same time achieved nothing. And this is his tragedy.

The world after Columbus entered the Age of Great Discovery, and before him Europe was poor, hungry and constantly at war for small resources, not thinking about world domination. Suffice it to remember how difficult it was for Columbus to organize his first expedition, and with what ease all countries rushed to send ships to distant lands after him. This is the main historical merit of a man who was personally unhappy, but who gave impetus to change the whole world!

The project for the western sea route from Europe to India was developed by Christopher Columbus in the 1480s.

Europeans were interested in finding a sea route to Asia, since at the end of the 15th century they still could not penetrate Asian countries by land - it was blocked by the Ottoman Empire. Merchants from Europe had to buy spices, silk and other oriental goods from Arab merchants. In the 1480s, the Portuguese tried to circumnavigate Africa in order to penetrate the Indian Ocean to India. Columbus suggested that one could get to Asia by moving west.

His theory was based on the ancient doctrine of the sphericity of the Earth and the incorrect calculations of scientists of the 15th century.

The monarch created a council of scientists that reviewed and rejected Columbus's proposal.

Having received no support, Columbus set off for Spain in 1485. There, at the beginning of 1486, he was presented to the royal court and received an audience with the king and queen of Spain - Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella of Castile.

The royal couple became interested in the project of the Western route to Asia. A special commission was created to consider it, which in the summer of 1487 issued an unfavorable conclusion. The Spanish monarchs postponed the decision to organize an expedition until the end of the war with the Emirate of Granada (the last Muslim state on the Iberian Peninsula).

In 1492, after a long siege, Granada fell and the southern territories of the Iberian Peninsula were annexed to the Kingdom of Spain.

After long negotiations, the Spanish monarchs agreed to subsidize Columbus's expedition.

On April 17, 1492, the royal couple entered into a treaty (“capitulation”) with Columbus in Santa Fe, granting him the title of nobility, the titles of Admiral of the Sea-Ocean, Viceroy and Governor General of all the islands and continents that he would discover. The position of admiral gave Columbus the right to rule in disputes arising in matters of trade, the position of viceroy made him the personal representative of the monarch, and the position of governor general provided the highest civil and military authority. Columbus was given the right to receive a tenth of everything found in the new lands and an eighth of the profits from trading operations with foreign goods.

On August 9, she approached the Canary Islands. After repairing the Pinta, which had leaked, on the island of La Gomera, on September 6, 1492, the ships, heading west, began crossing the Atlantic Ocean.

On September 16, 1492, bunches of green algae began to appear along the expedition’s path, which became more and more numerous. The ships traveled through this unusual body of water for three weeks. This is how the Sargasso Sea was discovered.

On October 12, 1492, land was discovered from the Pinta. The Spaniards reached the islands of the Bahamas archipelago - the first land they encountered in the Western Hemisphere. This day is considered the official date of the discovery of America.

On October 13, 1492, Columbus landed on the shore, hoisted the banner of Castile on it and, having drawn up a notarial deed, formally took possession of the island. The island was named San Salvador. It was inhabited by the Arawaks, a people who were completely destroyed 20-30 years later. The natives gave Columbus "dry leaves" (tobacco).

On October 14-24, 1492, Columbus approached several more Bahamas islands. Europeans first saw hammocks in the homes of local residents.

Having learned from the natives about the existence of a rich island in the south, Columbus left the Bahamas archipelago on October 24 and sailed further to the southwest. On October 28, the flotilla approached the shores of Cuba, which Columbus named Juana. Communicating with local residents, Columbus decided that he was on one of the peninsulas of East Asia. The Spaniards found neither gold, nor spices, nor large cities. Columbus, believing that he had reached the poorest part of China, decided to turn east, where he believed the richer Japan lay. The expedition moved east on November 13, 1492.

On November 21, 1492, the captain of the Pinta, Pinson, took his ship away, deciding to search for rich islands on his own. The two remaining ships continued east until they reached Cape Maysi on the eastern tip of Cuba.

On December 6, 1492, Columbus discovered the island of Haiti, named Hispaniola because of the similarity of its valleys with the lands of Castile. Further, moving along the northern coast, the Spaniards discovered the island of Tortuga.

Moving along the northern coast of Hispaniola, on December 25, 1492, the expedition approached the Holy Cape (now Cap-Haïtien), where the Santa Maria landed on the reefs. With the help of local residents, they managed to remove guns, supplies and valuable cargo from the ship. A fort was built from the wreckage of the ship, called Navidad ("Christmas"). Columbus left 39 sailors as the personnel of the fort, and on January 4, 1493, he went to sea on the Niña.

On January 16, 1493, both ships headed northeast, taking advantage of the favorable current - the Gulf Stream.

On February 12, 1493, a storm arose, and on the night of February 14, the ships lost sight of each other.

On February 15, 1493, the Niña reached land. But only on February 18 did she manage to land on the shore. It was decided to name the discovered island in honor of the lost expedition ship Santa Maria (island of the Azores archipelago).

On February 24, 1493, the Niña left the Azores. On February 26, she was again caught in a storm, which washed her ashore on the coast of Portugal on March 4. On March 9, 1493, the Niña dropped anchor in the port of Lisbon. João II gave Columbus an audience, at which the navigator informed the king about his discovery of the western route to India.

On March 13, "Nina" was able to sail to Spain. On March 15, on the 225th day of the voyage, she returned to the port of Palos. On the same day, “Pinta” arrived there. Columbus brought with him the natives (who were called Indians in Europe), some gold, as well as plants previously unknown in Europe (corn, potatoes, tobacco) and bird feathers.

Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella of Castile gave Columbus a grand reception and gave permission for a new expedition.

The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources

One day, Christopher Columbus uttered the sacramental phrase: “It’s a small world,” which, in fact, became the leitmotif of his entire life. In just over 50 years of his life, this greatest navigator managed to make as many discoveries and bring untold riches for all of Europe, which would have been impossible to do in just a few centuries. The navigator did everything he could and begged the Catholic kings to achieve his main life goal - to make an expedition to the shores of the New World. In total, Columbus managed to make four voyages to the shores of America during his life.

Columbus made his first sea voyage in 1492-1493. Thus, three ships called “Santa Maria”, “Nina” and “Pinta”, with a total crew of 90 people, set sail in 1492, on August 3, from the port of Palos. The route was laid out as follows: after the Canary Islands, the expedition went west across the Atlantic Ocean, as a result of which the Sargasso Sea was discovered, and then landed on one of the islands belonging to the Bahamas archipelago. Columbus christened it San Salvador, and this happened on October 12, 1492, which is considered the official date of the discovery of America. What is noteworthy is that for a long time there was an opinion that San Salvador is the current Watling. However, in 1986, the geographer J. Judge, an American, made a computer model of the expedition, which showed that Columbus was the first to see the island of Samana, located 120 km southeast of the Watling Island.

From October 14 to October 24 of the same year, Columbus explored other Bahamian islands, but from October 28 to December 5, he discovered the territories of the northeast of the Cuban coast. December 6 was marked by the landing on the island of Haiti, after which the expedition proceeded along the northern coast. However, on the night of December 24-25, the Santa Maria vessel collided with a reef, but the flagship’s crew managed to escape, and the expedition was forced to turn to the shores of Spain.

On March 15, 1493, the Niña, whose crew was led by Columbus, and the Pinta return to Castile. The navigator brings with him trophies, including the natives, whom the Europeans called Indians, gold, unfamiliar vegetation, vegetables and fruits, and the plumage of some birds. Remarkably, Columbus was the first to use Indian hammocks instead of sailor berths. The first expedition caused such a powerful resonance that the so-called “Papal Meridian” was laid, which determined in which direction Spain would discover new lands, and in which direction Portugal would.

The second expedition took longer than the first - from September 25, 1493 to June 11, 1496, and it started from Cadiz. This time the flotilla included 17 ships, and their crew, according to various sources, numbered from 1.5 to 2.5 thousand people, which included colonists who decided to try their luck on open lands. In addition to the people themselves, the ships were loaded with livestock, seeds and seedlings, tools - everything that was necessary to create a public settlement. During this expedition, the colonists conquered Hispaniola and founded the city of Santo Domingo. The journey was marked by the discovery of the Virgin and Lesser Antilles Islands, Puerto Rico and Jamaica, in addition, the expedition continued to explore Cuba. What is noteworthy is that Columbus continued to be confident that he was exploring western India, but not the territories of the new continent.

The third expedition started on May 30, 1498. This time it consisted of 6 ships with 300 crew members. It was marked by the discovery of the island of Trinidad, the exploration of the Orinoco Delta and several other lands. On August 20, 1499, Christopher Columbus returned to Hispaniola, where things were going from bad to worse. What is noteworthy is that in 1498, real India was discovered by Vasco de Gama, from where he returned with irrefutable evidence - spices, and Columbus was declared a deceiver. So, in 1499, Columbus was deprived of his monopoly right to discover new territories, he himself was arrested and taken to Castile. He was saved from imprisonment only by the patronage of large financiers who had influence on the royal couple.

Columbus's fourth and final voyage

The last expedition was undertaken on May 9, 1502. This time the traveler was exploring the mainland of Central America, namely: Honduras, Panama, Costa Rica and Nicaragua. By the way, this expedition was marked by the first acquaintance with the Mayan tribe. The purpose of this voyage was to search for the South Sea, that is, the Pacific Ocean, but the attempts were unsuccessful, and Columbus had to return to Castile in October 1504.

In general, the importance of Columbus’s expeditions cannot be overestimated, but his contemporaries treated them very negligently, realizing their value only half a century after his death, when the ships began to bring huge amounts of gold and silver from Peru and Mexico. For reference, when recalculated, the royal treasury spent only 10 kg of gold on equipment for the first voyage, but it received many times more - 3 million kilograms of the treasured yellow metal.