Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus


Article abstract: Columbus’ discovery of America was the first recorded transatlantic voyage. It led directly to Europe’s colonial settlement and exploitation of the New World, and it altered the course of history.

Early Life

Christopher Columbus’ father, Domenico, was a wool weaver and gatekeeper in Genoa. In 1470, he moved his family to nearby Savona, where he worked as an innkeeper. Christopher Columbus (in Spanish, Cristóbal Colón) was the eldest of five children, of whom Bartolomé and Diego played a large part in his life. Christopher had...

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