Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus (1451-1506) was a merchant, part-time weaver, and accomplished sailor from Genoa, Italy. Columbus is credited with discovering America. In actuality, Columbus had been assigned to travel to Asia to find gold and spices. Columbus worked hard to get financing for the trip and finally succeeded after striking a deal with the King and Queen of Spain. In return for funding the trip Columbus would bring back spices and gold and receive a 10% profit on goods sold.

Columbus landed first in the Canary Islands before going to the Bahamas and then on to Cuba and Hispaniola. Columbus built the first European military base in Cuba where he left men to search for gold. Columbus took natives as slaves from several locations with the intention of forcing them to give up their gold. Columbus felt quite superior to the natives who were naïve, trusting, and uneducated...