The continents known today as North and South America were discovered in prehistory. Before European explorers arrived in the Americas, tens of millions of indigenous people lived here. The lands of the Americas have been repeatedly "discovered" by peoples coming from different parts of the world over many generations, dating back to the Stone Age when a group of hunters first visited a land that was truly the unexplored New World.

It becomes curious why it is then believed that America was discovered by Christopher Columbus. In addition, other theories are widespread regarding who first discovered America: Irish monks (6th century), Vikings (10th century), sailors from China (15th century), etc.

The first settlers in America

Tribal Migration Route from Asia to North America

The first people to settle in America came there from Asia, probably about 15 thousand years ago. During the Pleistocene era, the melting ice sheets of the Laurentian and Cordilleran glaciers formed a narrow corridor and land bridge between Russia and Alaska. Land bridge between west coast Alaska and Siberia, known as the Bering Isthmus, opened due to falling ocean levels and connected the continents of Asia and North America.

Interesting fact: In place of the Bering Isthmus, the current Bering Strait was formed, separating Asia and North America. The strait was named after the Russian naval officer Vitus Bering, who crossed it in 1728.

The settlement of America by indigenous peoples

The ancient settlers of America - the Paleo-Indians - passed through the Bering Isthmus from Asia to America following the movement of large animals. These migrations occurred before the Laurentian and Cordilleran glaciers closed and closed the corridor. The settlement of America continued further by sea or by ice. After the ice plates melted and the Ice Age ended, the settlers who came to the Americas became isolated from other continents. Thus, the American continents were first discovered by nomadic Asian tribes about 15 thousand years ago, who initially populated North America, then spread to Central and South America and subsequently became Native American peoples.

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6th century - Irish monks

According to legend, Irish monks reached North America in the 6th century

According to popular Irish legend, a group of Irish monks led by Saint Brendan sailed a shelter boat to the west in the 6th century in search of new lands. Seven years later, the monks returned home and reported that they had discovered a land covered with lush vegetation, which was modern Newfoundland.

There is no exact evidence confirming that Irish monks landed on the coast of North America. However, in 1976, British traveler Tim Severin tried to prove that such a journey was possible. Severinus built an exact replica of the monks' ship from the 6th century and set sail from Ireland to North America along the route described by the traveling monks. The explorer reached Canada.

10th century - Vikings

The Scandinavian navigator Leif Eriksson reached the shores of North America in the year 1000.

Around 984 Scandinavian navigator Eric Krasus explored ancient sea routes and discovered Greenland. Leif Eriksson, son of Erik Kras, in 999, with a crew of 35 people on one ship, set off from Greenland to Norway. Soon Leif Eriksson is traveling through Atlantic Ocean reached North America, where around 1000 he founded a Norwegian settlement on the territory of the modern Canadian island of Newfoundland. The Vikings named the settlement "Vinland" (English: Vineland - "Grape Land") due to the abundance of grapes growing on this land. However, Erickson and his team did not stay long - only a few years - before returning to Greenland. Relations with native North Americans were hostile.

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Archaeological site “L'Anse aux Meadows” in Newfoundland (Canada): Viking settlement at the end of the 11th century

In the sagas, the Vikings who settled in America are referred to as the Native Americans "Skrelings". Most sagas come from Scandinavian folklore, but in 1960, the first European Viking settlement of the late 11th century, identical to settlements in the Scandinavian countries, was found in the northern tip of Newfoundland (Canada) by the Norwegian archaeologist Helge Ingstad. This historical and archaeological site is called "L'Anse aux Meadows" and is recognized by scientists as evidence of pre-Columbian transoceanic contacts.

15th century – sailors from China

Chinese explorer Zheng He's fleet included no less than 250 ships

British naval officer Gavin Menzies put forward the theory that the Chinese colonized South America. He claimed that Chinese explorer Zheng He, who commanded an armada of wooden sailing ships in the early 15th century, discovered America in 1421. Zheng He researched Southeast Asia, India and the east coast of Africa using advanced navigation techniques.
Gavin Menzies, in his book 1421, the Year China Discovered the World, wrote that Zheng He sailed to east coast USA and may have established settlements in South America. Menzies based the theory on evidence from ancient shipwrecks, Chinese and European maps, and reports compiled by navigators of the time. However, this theory has been questioned.

Discovery of America by Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus

On August 3, 1492, the Spanish navigator Christopher Columbus, originally from Italian city Genoa, with the support of the Spanish rulers - King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella - with a fleet of 3 caravels (Nina, Pinta, Santa Maria) and 90 crew members sailed from the port of Palos (Spain). Sailors set off in search of a western route to Asia in order to acquire precious metals, pearls, silk, and spices. October 12, 1492 Christopher Columbus's team saw land and discovered the New World (America). In his personal notes, Columbus noted that he had found the “New World,” unknown to Europeans. The crew went ashore on the island of San Salvador in the Bahamas. Columbus assumed that the sailors reached the islands located near India. This is where the name of the islands comes from Caribbean Sea- "West Indies". Columbus called the local natives “Indians,” a name for the indigenous people of America that still survives today.

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Christopher Columbus' flagship "Santa Maria"

Christopher Columbus established a colony in America, which became the first European settlement in the New World. The Spanish navigator also opened southern trade, with the help of which they supplied sailing ships, transporting goods to the New World. After the first successful voyage (1492-1493), the Spanish monarchs awarded Columbus the rank of admiral.

The voyages of Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus led four expeditions to America during 1492-1504 Columbus died on May 20, 1506, still believing he had found new route to Asia and that the islands he explored were part of the Asian continent. By then, other explorers were following the sea route first discovered by the admiral, and Europeans were already talking about Columbus's discoveries as the "New World."

What Christopher Columbus did, you will learn from this article.

What did Christopher Columbus discover? Discoveries of Christopher Columbus

The navigator is the most mysterious personality of the era of the Great Geographical Discoveries and travel. His life is full of mysteries, dark spots, inexplicable coincidences and actions. And all because humanity became interested in the navigator 150 years after his death - important documents had already been lost, and Columbus’s life remained shrouded in speculation and gossip. Plus, Columbus himself hid his origin (for unknown reasons), the motives of his actions and thoughts. The only thing that is known is the year 1451 - the year of his birth and the place of birth - the Genoese Republic.

He made 4 expeditions, which were supplied by the Spanish king:

• The first expedition - 1492-1493.
• Second expedition - 1493-1496.
• Third expedition - 1498 - 1500.
• The fourth expedition - 1502 - 1504.

During four expeditions, the navigator discovered many new territories and two seas - Sargasso and Caribbean.

Lands discovered by Christopher Columbus

It is interesting that all the time the navigator thought that he had discovered India, and beyond it he would find rich Japan and China. But that was not the case. He is responsible for the discovery and exploration of the New World. The islands discovered by Christopher Columbus are the Bahamas and Antilles, Saman, Haiti and Dominica, the Lesser Antilles, Cuba and Trinidad, Jamaica and Puerto Rico, Guadeloupe and Margarita. He is the discoverer of the lands of Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, as well as the northern coast of South America and the Caribbean part Central America.

Discovery of America by Christopher Columbus

But the most important thing is that during his expedition, Christopher Columbus discovered America. This happened on October 12, 1492, when he landed on the island of San Salvador.

And it all started like this: on August 3, 1492, the expedition of a European navigator consisting of the ships “Santa Maria”, “Nina” and “Pinta” set out on a long journey. In September the Sargasso Sea was discovered. They walked through Germany for three weeks. On October 7, 1492, Columbus's team changed its course to the southwest, believing that they had missed Japan, which they so wanted to discover. After 5 days, the expedition came across an island named San Salvador by Christopher Columbus in honor of the savior Christ. This date, October 12, 1492, is considered the official day of the discovery of America.

A day later, Columbus landed and planted the Castilian banner. Thus, he formally became the owner of the island. Having explored the nearby islands, the navigator sincerely believed that these were the environs of Japan, India and China. First time open lands called the West Indies. Christopher Columbus returned to Spain on March 15, 1493 on the ship Niña. As a gift to King Ferdinand II of Aragon, he brought gold, natives, plants unknown to Europeans - potatoes, corn, tobacco, as well as bird feathers and fruits.

We hope that from this article you learned how the discoveries of Christopher Columbus became famous throughout the world.

Expeditions of Christopher Columbus

1st expedition

The first expedition of Christopher Columbus (1492-1493), consisting of 91 people on the ships "Santa Maria", "Pinta", "Nina", left Palos on August 3, 1492, turned west from the Canary Islands (September 9), crossed the Atlantic Ocean to subtropical zone and reached the island of San Salvador in the Bahamas archipelago, where Christopher Columbus landed on October 12, 1492 (the official date of the discovery of America). On October 14-24, Christopher Columbus visited a number of other Bahamas, and on October 28-December 5 he opened and examined the site northeast coast Cubes. On December 6, Columbus reached Fr. Haiti and moved along its northern coast. On the night of December 25, the flagship Santa Maria landed on a reef, but the people escaped. Columbus on the ship "Nina" on January 4-16, 1493 completed the survey of the northern coast of Haiti and on March 15 returned to Castile.

2nd expedition

The 2nd expedition (1493-1496), which Christopher Columbus led already with the rank of admiral and as viceroy of the newly discovered lands, consisted of 17 ships with a crew of over 1.5 thousand people. November 3, 1493 Columbus discovered the islands of Dominica and Guadeloupe, turning to the North-West - about 20 more Small Antilles, including Antigua and the Virgin Islands, and on November 19 - the island of Puerto Rico and approached the northern coast of Haiti. On March 12-29, 1494, Columbus, in search of gold, made an aggressive campaign into Haiti, and crossed the Cordillera Central ridge. April 29-May 3 Columbus with 3 ships sailed along the south eastern shore Cuba, turned from Cape Cruz to the South and on May 5 discovered Fr. Jamaica. Returning to Cape Cruz on May 15, Columbus passed along south coast Cuba to 84° west longitude, discovered the Jardines de la Reina archipelago, the Zapata Peninsula and the island of Pinos. On June 24, Christopher Columbus turned east and explored the entire South coast Haiti. In 1495, Christopher Columbus continued his conquest of Haiti; On March 10, 1496 he left the island and returned to Castile on June 11.

3rd expedition

The 3rd expedition (1498-1500) consisted of 6 ships, 3 of which Christopher Columbus himself led across the Atlantic Ocean near 10° north latitude. On July 31, 1498, he discovered the island of Trinidad, entered the Gulf of Paria from the south, discovered the mouth of the western branch of the Orinoco River delta and the Paria Peninsula, marking the beginning of the discovery of South America. Having then entered the Caribbean Sea, Christopher Columbus approached the Araya Peninsula, discovered Margarita Island on August 15, and arrived in the city of Santo Domingo (on the island of Haiti) on August 31. In 1500, Christopher Columbus was arrested following a denunciation and sent to Castile, where he was released.

4th expedition

4th expedition (1502-1504). Having obtained permission to continue the search for the western route to India, Columbus with 4 ships reached the island of Martinique on June 15, 1502, the Gulf of Honduras on July 30, and opened the Caribbean coast of Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama to the Gulf of Uraba from August 1, 1502 to May 1, 1503. Turning then to the North, on June 25, 1503 he was wrecked off the island of Jamaica; help from Santo Domingo came only a year later. Christopher Columbus returned to Castile on November 7, 1504.

Data

Hypotheses

In addition, hypotheses were put forward about the visit to America and contact with its civilization by sailors before Columbus, representing various civilizations of the Old World (for more details, see Contacts with America before Columbus). Here are just a few of these hypothetical contacts:

• in the 5th century - Hui Shen (Taiwanese monk)
• in the 6th century - St. Brendan (Irish monk)
• there are versions according to which, at least from the 13th century, America was known to the Templar Order
• OK. g. - Henry Sinclair (de St. Clair), Earl of Orkney (c. 1345 - c. 1400)
• in the city - Zheng He (Chinese researcher)
• in the city - João Corterial (Portuguese)

Notes

Literature

• Magidovich I. P. History of the discovery and exploration of North America. - M.: Geographgiz, 1962.
• Magidovich I. P. History of the discovery and exploration of Central and South America. - M.: Mysl, 1963.
• John Lloyd and John Mitchinson. The Book of General Delusions. - Phantom Press, 2009.

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See what “Discovery of America” is in other dictionaries:

Discovery of America by the expedition of Christopher Columbus- Columbus's expedition began on August 3, 1492, when the ships Santa Maria, Pinta and Niña left the bay of the Spanish city of Palos de la Frontera. On September 16, 1492, tufts of green ones began to appear along the expedition’s path... ... Encyclopedia of Newsmakers

Salvador Dali Discovery of America through the efforts of Christopher Columbus's sleep, 1958 1959 Oil on canvas. 410×284 cm Muz... Wikipedia

Discovery of America and Spanish conquests- In the spring of 1492, the Spaniards took Granada, the last stronghold of the Moors on the Iberian Peninsula, and on August 3 of the same year, three caravels of Christopher Columbus set off from the Spanish port of Paloe on a long voyage across the Atlantic Ocean with the goal of discovering... ... The World History. Encyclopedia

Christopher Columbus. Discovery of America Christopher Columbus. The Discovery Genre drama Director John Glen Starring Marlon Brando Tom Selleck Duration 122 min ... Wikipedia

Christopher Columbus. The Discovery Genre drama Director John Glen Starring Marlon Brando Tom Selleck Duration 122 min ... Wikipedia

Invention, find. Discovery of America, invention of gunpowder. Finding... Dictionary of Russian synonyms and similar expressions. under. ed. N. Abramova, M.: Russian Dictionaries, 1999. discovery, invention, discovery, know-how, patent; acquisition; Start … Synonym dictionary

Opening- Discovery ♦ Découverte To make a discovery is to make manifest something that already existed (as opposed to an invention) but was unknown. Such are the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus and the discovery of the law of universal gravitation by Newton. Concept... ... Sponville's Philosophical Dictionary

OPENING- - identification of natural things, phenomena, patterns, etc., that actually exist in nature, but were not known before (the discovery of America, the periodicity of elements, mineral deposits, etc.), which is based on the dominant internal... ... Philosophy of Science and Technology: Thematic Dictionary

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This term has other meanings, see Discovery (meanings). Opening of Mass Effect: Revelation Cover of the Russian-language edition of the book Author ... Wikipedia

Books

• Christopher Columbus and the Discovery of America, D. Winsor. Illustrated historical-critical study, translation from English by F. I. Bulgakov. The book contains information about the sources, about the ancestors and homeland of Columbus, his life in Portugal and...

For the first time, the idea of ​​​​crossing the Atlantic Ocean to find a direct and quick route to India allegedly came to Columbus back in 1474 as a result of correspondence with the Italian geographer Toscanelli. The navigator made the necessary calculations and decided that the easiest way would be to sail through Canary Islands. He believed that Japan was only about five thousand kilometers from them, and from the Land of the Rising Sun it would not be difficult to find a way to India.

But Columbus was able to fulfill his dream only a few years later; he repeatedly tried to interest the Spanish monarchs in this event, but his demands were recognized as excessive and expensive. And only in 1492, Queen Isabella gave for the trip and promised to make Columbus admiral and viceroy of all discovered lands, although she did not donate money for it. The navigator himself was poor, but his comrade-in-arms, the shipowner Pinson, gave his ships to Christopher.

Discovery of America

The first expedition, which began in August 1492, involved three ships - the famous Niña, Santa Maria and Pinta. In October, Columbus reached land and ashore on an island he named San Salvador. Confident that this was a poor part of China or some other undeveloped land, Columbus, however, was surprised by many things unknown to him - he saw tobacco, cotton clothing, and hammocks for the first time.

Local Indians told about the existence of the island of Cuba in the south, and Columbus went in search of it. During the expedition, Haiti and Tortuga were discovered. These lands were declared the property of the Spanish monarchs, and Fort La Navidad was created in Haiti. The navigator went back with plants and animals, gold and a group of natives, whom the Europeans called Indians, since no one had yet suspected the discovery of the New World. All lands found were considered part of Asia.

During the second expedition, Haiti, the Jardines de la Reina archipelago, Pinos Island, and Cuba were explored. For the third time, Columbus discovered the island of Trinidad, found the mouth of the Orinoco River and Margarita Island. The fourth voyage made it possible to explore the shores of Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama, and Nicaragua. The route to India was never found, but South America was discovered. Columbus finally realized that a whole continent lay south of Cuba - a barrier to rich Asia. The Spanish navigator laid the foundation for exploration of the New World.

In 1492, Columbus sailed across the Atlantic and was long considered the first European to set foot in the New World. Then came evidence of the Vikings, led by Leif Ericson, who preceded Columbus by five centuries. Early archaeological uncertainty gave rise to controversy over the primacy of the discovery of America. Authors appeared who claimed that the Chinese general Zheng He was only a few years ahead of Columbus. Not a European, but since he arrived in the New World by water, and not by bridge over the Bering Strait, we will allow him to take part in the competition. Then, someone discovered petroglyphs in West Virginia that pointed to the sixth century Irish navigator, St. Brendan (St. Brendan). Perhaps St. Did Brendan beat everyone else in discovering America? Eventually, Muslims joined the competition between the Spanish, Vikings, Irish and Chinese when explorers found evidence that Muslims from West Africa discovered the New World even earlier.

Someone else is declaring their primacy in the discovery of America (as, indeed, in other discoveries too). Today we will consider only the five listed above. They can't all be first. Which of them discovered America first? And among those who lost the championship, were all of them there?

Now no one doubts the veracity of Columbus's story. He landed in the Bahamas in 1492 and, although he believed he had reached India, he saw a large continent blocking progress. During his three expeditions over 12 years, Columbus explored the Caribbean, part of South America and the shores of Central America. Following in Columbus' footsteps, colonists and other explorers arrived. It was after the discovery of Columbus that the connection between America and Europe was established. Let us now consider other contenders for primacy in chronological order from the date of Columbus's landing.

Muslims do not claim a specific date for the discovery of America. They express an opinion about the likelihood of Europeans visiting the continent long before Columbus. Piri Reis was an Ottoman navigator and cartographer who died in 1553. His name means Captain Pirie and is best known in connection with a map drawn in 1513. Alternative historians cite the Piri Reis map as an incredibly accurate depiction of the Earth's surface, exceeding the knowledge of Columbus. Consequently, the Turks traveled all over the world, including America, Brazil and even Antarctica. All modern claims about the primacy of Muslim sailors in the discovery of America are based on the Piri Reis map.

There is no doubt about the historical significance of the Piri Reis map, but most of the sensational claims based on it are incorrect. The map doesn't change history, it matches what we know. Piri Reis's notes in the margins of the map say that this is a generalized edition that he completed based on two dozen existing maps compiled by the seafaring nations of Europe and Asia. Including ancient Greek maps of the Mediterranean and Indian Ocean, Arabic maps of India, Portuguese maps of Pakistan and China, Columbus maps describing the Caribbean and the eastern coast of America. The Piri Reis map is far from the accuracy and completeness of the content that they are trying to rely on. Significant discrepancies are obvious at first glance. The lack of commentary on the source materials led Piri Reis to make mistakes. Peary annexed Brazil to Antarctica. Perhaps this was an attempt to show “Undiscovered Lands”, or perhaps an attempt to squeeze a detailed South America into one sheet. Portuguese navigators, who followed Henry the Navigator, carefully explored the western shores of Africa and crossed the Atlantic before Columbus. Columbus studied navigation in Portugal. Portuguese sailors followed on the heels of Columbus when he reached the New World. Information about the western shores of the Americas, from Newfoundland to Argentina, was collected quite quickly. In the first decade of the 16th century there were enough resources to compile a map of Piri Reis.

In short, it is not necessary to talk about the Muslim journey to the shores of America to explain the origin of the Peri Reis map. Moreover, there is no documentary or archaeological evidence of such an event. We give the version of the Muslim Discovery of America 0.5 trust points out of a possible 5.

Zheng He was a prominent Chinese Admiral of the 15th century and died 18 years before the birth of Columbus. Many legends are associated with this name and his travels. It is well known and documented that he traveled south and west from China, reaching the coast of Africa. But there is no evidence that Zheng decided to cross the Atlantic and reach the shores of America. New information came to light in 2006, when Chinese lawyer Liu Gang discovered a 1763 map copied from an original dated 1418, entitled “Overall Map of the Geography of all Under Heaven.” The map, representing America in all its glory, confirmed that Zheng He's cartographers were ahead of Columbus in discovering the New World, coming from the other direction.

Unfortunately, the card didn't turn out to be very significant. Nobody takes it seriously, since it is a copy of a well-known French map 1600s. On the map, California appears as an island and is subject to description errors. The title is a common error from modern simplified language, but is not an error for a user of Traditional Chinese from the Qing Dynasty.

Louis Gang turned out to be his own enemy in this venture. In 2009 he published the book “Code ancient map", to popularize the map itself. In the book, he goes back 400 years, announcing the discovery of another Chinese map of the world, dated 1093. This “map” is even sadder. Louis presents photographs of Zhang Kuangzheng's tomb from 1093, which show peeling paint and plaster. He changed his interpretation of the map, due to damage to the drawing, to a pathetic version. Opener Zheng He receives one trust point out of five, while Louis has a deficit of 15.

Leif Eriksson was the son of Erik the Red, a Viking who landed in Greenland. Leif followed in the footsteps of his powerful father and founded the colony of Vinland. Most of Leif's deeds are known from two sagas: the Greenlander Saga and the Saga of Erik the Red. The main character of the saga is a person, not historical facts. The manner of presentation of the sagas is narrative in the style of “I came and I speak.” The main place of action in the sagas is the settlement of Vinland, the narrative time is approximately 1000.

Fortunately, the legend about Leif Eriksson received more significant confirmation. In 1960, archaeologists discovered ruins in the northern tip of Newfoundland. "Jellyfish Grotto" (L'Anse aux Meadows or Jellyfish Cove) and some other Norwegian settlements have been discovered. These are more than excellent historical finds. The method of construction, design, and materials undoubtedly confirm the everyday traditions of the Norwegians. We do not know for sure the connection between Vinland and L'Anse aux Meadows, nor whether Leif Eriksson was here. But there is confidence in the coincidence of the heyday of the Norwegian settlement and the period of the appearance of the saga.

Since we have a Norse settlement on our hands that underpins the long sea crossings of the Vikings and corresponds to a period around the year 1000, Leif Eriksson gets a 4.5 trust point, and the Vikings as a whole 5 out of 5 possible.

St. Brendan the Sailor was a legendary 6th century monk who sailed around the British Isles in leather boats. He is mentioned in only two sources: The Travels of St. Brendan and The Life of Brendan. The story tells about the Island of the Blessed or St. Brendan. Supposedly this is off the coast of Africa, but both Brendan and his island live only in legends.

Unfortunately, this statement comes with a long list of problems. Serious archaeologists do not undertake to decipher rock paintings. They are too far from the texts. The prevailing opinion is that these are scratches from sharpening tools by ancient aborigines. The marks on the stone were discovered by amateurs, filled with ash for contrast, and photographed. Barry Fell, a retired marine biologist, only saw the dashes in the photo and never examined the original. Ogham transcript experts disagreed with Barry Fell's conclusions and refused to examine the writing. We don't know what discoveries await us, but no one takes West Virginia petroglyphs seriously these days. St. Brendan receives 0 trust points out of a possible 5 and petroglyphs 0.5 points until new information becomes available.

Summing up, we have a winner. The Vikings, under the auspices of Leif Eriksson, or perhaps in his presence, discovered America earlier than other Europeans. The Portuguese, Spaniards, Irish and Turks appeared on these shores much later. Zheng He would not have received primacy even if he arrived earlier than the Vikings. Since the New World is sufficiently populated by immigrants from Asia through the Bering Strait, it would still be several tens of thousands of years late for the holiday.

Translation by Vladimir Maksimenko 2013