October 16th, 1492 – Christopher Columbus’ Fleet Anchors at “Fernandina”
On this date, October 16th, 1492, Christopher Columbus and his small fleet of three ships, Niña, Pinta, and Santa María, dropped anchor near an island he named “Fernandina.” In actual fact, he hadn’t reached the continent of America he had actually landed at what we now know as Long Island, it was in the Bahamas.
However, would you believe, he was convinced he had reached a part of Asia, possibly the East Indies. He hadn’t.
Yet despite this, for some strange reason Columbus has gone down in history as the man who “discovered” America. But he didn’t!
On this trip he never actually set foot on the mainland that would become the United States of America. However, this 1492 voyage was an event that started many years of European exploration and eventual colonisation of the Americas, it was a turning point in world history.
What is interesting is that Columbus was an Italian, born in the seaport city of Genoa around 1451, but the claimed the island on which he landed for on behalf of Spain.
His story is fascinating, as a young man, he worked on merchant ships and learned about navigating the Mediterranean and at a later date the Atlantic. It appears that his interesting man was mostly self-educated who developed a keen interest in geography and cartography. It was despite of his lack of formal academic training, that he came up with his bold and what was seen by many as a controversial plan: to sail west from Europe in order to reach the rich spice markets of the East Indies.
Before this several navigators and scholars had reasoned that the world was round, going back to Egyptian times and, therefore, that Asia could be reached by heading west across the Atlantic. However, Columbus had underestimated the size of the Earth and, as well, overestimated the size of Asia, this meant that he thought his voyage was going to be much shorter than it actually was.
He had problems trying to persuade people of his plan, especially those who he was trying to convince to fund his trip. He met with cynicism from many quarters, unfortunately from the Portuguese court, this was because they had already begun exploring the African coast looking for a sea route to Asia. Portugal decided not to fund the expedition.
However, Columbus was convinced that he was right and wasn’t going to give up his idea, so he then decided to start lobbying, Queen Isabella I and King Ferdinand II of Spain. Eventually after several years they agreed to sponsor him, and this is where they were clever, as they only did it under one clever condition: that any new lands he reached were to become Spanish territory.
Finally, on August 3rd, 1492, Columbus set sail from Palos de la Frontera with his three ships. The fleet made a brief stop in the Canary Islands for supplies and repairs, from which they sailed westward into the unknown. It was two months later on October 12th, that land was sighted. It was an island, called Guanahani by its indigenous inhabitants, which was claimed by Columbus for Spain who renamed it “San Salvador.” Then a few days later, on October 16th, he reached another island he named “Fernandina,” he was now convinced that he was sailing among the outer islands of Asia.
He wasn’t.
In fact he was sailing around those islands that are part of the Bahamas, inhabited by the Taíno people, they had lived there for centuries. Columbus described them as friendly and generous saw them as potential converts to Christianity, and yes, even potential slaves!
Columbus then crossed the Atlantic three more times, exploring parts of the Caribbean, Central America, and northern South America. Interestingly, he never admitted that he had discovered a new continent, he was each time convinced that he had reached Asia.
The interesting thing is that despite this his journeys started a colossal flood of European settlers, soldiers, missionaries, and fortune seekers who eventually lead to the many nations of the Americas, that changed the Western Hemisphere in the centuries that followed.
While Columbus did not “discover” America in the sense often claimed, his 1492 expedition was undoubtedly a world-altering event.
Which makes October 16th as one small but significant date in the history of the Americas and the world.
Our our sister site Educational Musicals has published a musical Christopher Columbus- The World is Round written for 7 to 14 year old children, simply click on Christopher Columbus- The World is Round
It tells about Christina and Pablo, so desperate to see the world, that they volunteer for the next ship to leave town. Unfortunately, they find themselves on a ship captained by a madman called Christopher Columbus, who claims that the world is round and if they sail far enough West, then they will eventually arrive in the East.
Isn’t History Fun?
10 Questions to be asked on this subject:
- Where did Christopher Columbus actually anchor on October 16th, 1492, and what did he name the island?
- Why did Columbus believe he had reached Asia, and what mistake had he made in his calculations?
- What nationality was Columbus, and for which country did he claim the lands he discovered?
- Why did Portugal refuse to fund Columbus’ expedition, and who eventually agreed to support him?
- What was the condition imposed by Queen Isabella I and King Ferdinand II in exchange for funding Columbus’ voyage?
- Why is Columbus often wrongly credited with “discovering” America, and what is the truth about where he actually landed?
- What evidence is there that Columbus was largely self-educated, and how did that influence his interest in exploration?
- Who were the indigenous people Columbus encountered in the Bahamas, and how did he describe them?
- How many times did Columbus cross the Atlantic in total, and what areas did he explore beyond his first voyage?
- Why is Columbus’ 1492 voyage considered a turning point in world history, even though he never reached mainland North America?
For more on Columbus’s travels click on:
https://www.history.com/topics/exploration/christopher-columbus
https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/christopher-columbus
©Tony Dalton