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In 1451, Christopher Columbus was born in Genoa, Italy. His true Italian name is Christoforo Colombo. Columbus father was a weaver, and it was expected that Columbus would become one also. Instead, Columbus dreamed of becoming a sailor and so he talked with sailors and studied maps and charts. When Columbus was fourteen, he was hired as a cabin boy. His main voyages were short trips to the Mediterranean Sea. By the time Columbus turned thirty he became a captain. In 1476, Columbus became a Portuguese citizen and married Felipa. This is where his thoughts of traveling west to reach the Indies started to grow. He knew a voyage would be expensive, so in 1482, he asked King John II of Portugal for money and ships to sail west to the Indies. When the King refused, he went to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain. At first, he was rejected but when Columbus asked Spain the second time, Queen Isabella decided to fund the expedition. Columbus was given three ships: the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. He also received eightyeight men to serve as crew members. On August 3, 1492, Columbus and his ships headed westward. Along the journey, the sailors began to be frightened. On October 10, they demanded that Columbus go back to Spain. To stop the tyranny, Columbus said that if they didnt sight land within two days, they would turn around.

 

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