What Did Columbus Expect to Find When He Sailed West Instead of East?
When Christopher Columbus set sail west from Spain in 1492, he believed he would reach the edge of the world and find the East Indies, a region famous for its spices and gold. Columbus had studied ancient maps and the writings of Aristotle and Ptolemy, which depicted the world as a sphere with Europe and Asia on opposite sides.
Columbus's expedition was financed by the Spanish crown, which hoped to find a new route to Asia. Columbus's ships sailed across the Atlantic Ocean, and after weeks at sea, they sighted land. This land turned out to be the Bahamas, which Columbus named San Salvador.
Columbus initially believed that he had reached the East Indies. However, subsequent expeditions found that the new land was not the East Indies but a new continent, which was eventually named America.
Related Questions and Brief Answers
- What was Columbus's original goal when he sailed west? To find a new route to the East Indies.
- Why did Columbus believe the world was a sphere? He studied ancient maps and the writings of Aristotle and Ptolemy.
- What was the name of the first land that Columbus sighted? San Salvador.
- Did Columbus ever reach the East Indies? No.
- What was the name of the new continent that Columbus discovered? America.
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