Early Life
In what city and country was Columbus born?
Genoa, Italy
How was Columbus's plan different than other explorers?
Columbus planned to sail west to reach Asia.
What country was willing to sponsor Columbus's first expedition?
Spain
On August 3 of what year, did Columbus set out from Spain?
1492
How was Columbus welcomed when he returned from his first voyage?
In what year was Columbus born?
1451
What three continents were on the world map that Columbus used to plan his expedition?
Europe, Africa, and Asia
What person agreed to pay for Columbus's first expedition?
Queen Isabella of Spain
What were the names of his three ships?
Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria
What do we call the islands that include Haiti, Dominican Republic, Cuba, and Jamaica?
The Carribean Islands
He was a sailor in Portugal.
What ancient Greek astronomer did Columbus study?
Ptolemy (Tahl-uh-mee)
What was one reason why Isabella was willing to sponsor Columbus's expedition?
Columbus promised to bring Christianity to any people he discovered.
Columbus promised a sea route to Asia would make Spain wealthy.
San Salvador
Columbus sailed along the coast of Central America. What did he do as he sailed?
Columbus made maps of the coastline.
What did Columbus and his brother do in Portugal?
They were mapmakers.
Because Ptolemy was wrong about his calculations, what did Columbus believe about the size of Earth?
Columbus believed Earth is much smaller than it really is.
What nation did Columbus first ask to sponsor his expedition west?
Portugal
Why did Columbus call the people he met "Indians"?
Columbus wrongly thought he was near India.
Besides the first voyage in 1492, can you name the other three years of his voyages to the New World?
1493
1498
1502