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Later Life of Christopher Columbus

Throughout his life, Christopher Columbus was attracted by the mysterious sea. Since an early age he had sailed at sea and his urge to explore new sea route to the New World only grew over the period of time. The later life of Christopher Columbus essentially covers the four voyages that he undertook in an attempt to look for gold, new colonies, and sea routes.

Christopher went for his first voyage in 1492. He took three ships with him- Santa Maria, Nina and Pinta. These ships were owned by Juan de la Cosa, Martín Alonso Pinzón and Vicente Yáñez Pinzón. On this expedition, Columbus and his men discovered a new island. Columbus named this unfamiliar island as San Salvador.

As a result of a massive failure in the ship’s engine, Santa Maria was left behind at Hispaniola and the crew was asked to take refuge at a settlement in La Navidad. After his first voyage, Christopher was looked upon as a hero in Spain.

Later Life of Christopher Columbus

In 1493, Columbus set out to undertake his second expedition. He took with him several ships and more than 1000 crew members. Columbus and his crew discovered new islands like Guadeloupe, Jamaica and Dominica. Columbus made Hispaniola a Spanish colony after winning a battle in 1496. During his second voyage, Columbus took back with him natives belonging to the Arawak tribe. These people were taken as slaves.

The third voyage of Columbus was in 1498. The purpose of carrying out this voyage was to find China. During this expedition, Columbus discovered the mainland of South America. He however, never set his foot on the American soil. Another important which took place during this period was that Columbus was arrested and brought back to Spain on the ground of treating the crew men and native Hispanics badly.

Life of Christopher Columbus

However, Columbus was successful in convincing the court that he had done no wrong and that the allegations were false. The last voyage was carried out in 1502. This time, the aim was to find the Indian Ocean. During his fourth expedition, Columbus unknowingly discovered Central America. However Columbus and his men were forced to live in Jamaica for more than a year as the governor of Hispaniola did not sanction to send for the rescue of these people.

Ultimately, in 1504, the governor agreed to help Columbus and his men and they reached Spain in the same year. By the time Columbus reached Spain, he was completely dejected and disappointed. Moreover, his health had started deteriorating during the last voyage.

Last Years and Death of Christopher Columbus

Prior to his death, Columbus had attempted to revive his governorship of Hispaniola, but he did not get it. Christopher Columbus died in 1506 in Valladolid, Spain as an ill man. At the time of his death he was around 54 years old. However, the exact place where his remains have been buried is not known.

After their father’s death, both Diego and Ferdinand seeked legal help to clear the allegations levied against Columbus. Although they achieved some success in the initial phases of the litigation, the matter was dragged until as late as 1790 by the descendants of Columbus.

More Info On- Christopher Columbus Voyage, Childhood, Columbus Life

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