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America In 1492

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The discovery of America in 1492 by Christopher Columbus was one of the most significant events in European history and shaped the political, social and economic developments of the following centuries. At the end of the XV century it seemed clear that the Portuguese had been advanced to the Spaniards in the conquest of the path of the spices and precious metals, thanks to the already exerted on the African west coast. At this time, Christopher Columbus, who had been in the orders of the king of Portugal, offered to the Catholic Kings the project to reach the Indies by following a path toward the west instead of skirting around the African continent. To implement its project, Columbus was premised on the idea of the sphericity of the Earth. …show more content…
On 3 August 1492 Columbus began his trip departing from the port of Palos.

The issuance of three ships came to a small island in the Antilles on October 12. For a long time Colon continued to believe that he had come to Asia by the western route, but in reality had been found with the existence of an unknown continent in Europe: America. In the early morning of 12 October 1492, Rodrigo de Triana sighted land. This was a small island in the archipelago of the Bahamas, which the Indians called Guanahani and that Columbus baptized with the name of “San Salvador”. That October 12, 1492 Christopher Columbus became known to the natives of the island Guanahani or "San Salvador". They belonged to the group of the Taínos that extended by the Bahamas Islands, Cuba and Santo Domingo. Many of them came up with gifts to Christopher Columbus, who seeing such peaceful thought in how easy it would be convert them to Christianity. The Spaniards responded with friendly gestures and gave them things and the Spaniards explored the island trying to find out if she had what most sought: gold and spices. Columbus ordered search other richest land that "San Salvador". Columbus knew that the southwest of the Bahamas was the large island of Cuba, …show more content…
Disappointed, Columbus left Cuba on November 13 heading north-east, toward an island that the Taínos called Babeque (Great Inagua in the Bahamas), and that they said had abundant gold and pearls. The Spaniards only found islets and reefs. The Caravel "Pinta" disappeared in the middle of a storm. Christopher Columbus was directed to the southeast, heading to a large island that the indigenous called “Bohio”. The "Santa Maria" and the "Niña" arrived on the island “Bohio” on 6 December 1492. Christopher Columbus baptized it with the name of "Española" and started to explore the western end of the current Republic of Haiti. The day 16th sighted an island where appointed "Turtle" because of its similarity to the shell. He continued to sail toward looking at the greenness of the landscape and waving to the natives who was on the shores. The 19th they arrived to a bay which he called "Santo Thomas”, he was received amicably by the natives. Here they told them that the cacique Guanacagari lived near there and that the interior had a rich place called “Cibao region”. The Admiral was very pleased about believing that “Cibao” was a

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