Christopher Columbus is a historical figure who has a very famous base and his journey to the Americas in 1492 is very much reflected in Brazilian basic education. However, this does not mean that we have learned everything about the life of the renowned Genoese explorer.
While it's undeniable that his arrival in the New World is symbolic of world history, his legacy has always been relatively controversial and his name isn't exactly the most beloved everywhere. For that reason, we've put together a list of six unknown facts about Columbus' life.
1 - Lack of International Support
Christopher Columbus pressured various monarchs from all corners of Europe in a desperate attempt to get someone to finance his journey in search of a western sea route to Asia. However, he did not hear from three countries, namely: Portugal, France and England.
In addition, several experts said that the explorer's calculations were wrong and that the trip would be much longer than he thought. In the end, they were all right and Columbus had underestimated the circumference of the Earth. Lucky for him, the Americas were on the way.
2 – Journey to the Atlantic
There is also a great popular belief that Christopher Columbus was the first European to cross the Atlantic Ocean, but this information may not be so true. It is more plausible that this title is given to the Norse Viking Leif Eriksson, who would have traveled to the New World in the year 1000 AD, almost five centuries before the Genoese.
And while Christopher Columbus never actually set foot from North America, the United States of America has a national holiday and parades to celebrate his arrival on the continent. Meanwhile, Leif Eriksson's Day on October 9 is all but forgotten by many.
3 - Chained Return
Another aspect also quite unknown is the fact that by dominating the region of Hispaniola, Christopher Columbus established a tyrannical and brutal government. The problems were diverse and the settlers had to complain to the Spanish monarchy about the mismanagement that was happening in the region.
In August 1500, a royal commissioner was sent to the new lands to arrest the explorer. For this reason, Christopher Columbus had to return to Spain in chains. Despite being removed from office, however, Christopher Columbus was granted freedom by King Ferdinand some time later, a character who would finance a fourth expedition.
What did you find most exotic about Christopher Columbus? 🙂
