Voyages of Christopher Columbus
Okay kiddo, let's talk about Christopher Columbus and his voyages. Columbus was a man who lived a very long time ago, before our grandparents or even their grandparents were born. He was born in Italy in 1451 and when he was grown-up, he wanted to find a new route to travel to get to Asia.
Now, why did Columbus want to go to Asia? Well, back in those days, things like spices, silk, and tea were very valuable and people wanted to trade them. But the only way to get them was to travel a really long way by land which was very difficult and expensive. So Columbus thought he could find a new route to travel by sea which would be easier and faster.
So Columbus asked some Kings and Queens of Europe to give him some ships and money to go on the journey. Finally, in 1492, Queen Isabella of Spain gave Columbus three ships: the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. Columbus and his crew set sail across the Atlantic Ocean towards Asia, which they thought was west of Spain.
After more than a month on the sea, they reached land which they thought was Asia but was actually an island in the Caribbean. Columbus thought he had reached his destination, so he named the people living there "Indians" because he thought he was in the Indies, which were islands in Asia. But in reality, Columbus had found a whole new world that nobody knew about before!
Columbus made four voyages in total, and he explored many islands in the Caribbean and South America. Although he didn't find a direct route to Asia, his voyages led to the discovery of the New World and opened up trade and travel between Europe, the Americas, and eventually, the rest of the world.
Now, why did Columbus want to go to Asia? Well, back in those days, things like spices, silk, and tea were very valuable and people wanted to trade them. But the only way to get them was to travel a really long way by land which was very difficult and expensive. So Columbus thought he could find a new route to travel by sea which would be easier and faster.
So Columbus asked some Kings and Queens of Europe to give him some ships and money to go on the journey. Finally, in 1492, Queen Isabella of Spain gave Columbus three ships: the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. Columbus and his crew set sail across the Atlantic Ocean towards Asia, which they thought was west of Spain.
After more than a month on the sea, they reached land which they thought was Asia but was actually an island in the Caribbean. Columbus thought he had reached his destination, so he named the people living there "Indians" because he thought he was in the Indies, which were islands in Asia. But in reality, Columbus had found a whole new world that nobody knew about before!
Columbus made four voyages in total, and he explored many islands in the Caribbean and South America. Although he didn't find a direct route to Asia, his voyages led to the discovery of the New World and opened up trade and travel between Europe, the Americas, and eventually, the rest of the world.