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Amazing story when you think of it – Columbus decides to sail west, beyond the vast ocean with just three ships. Obviously it's a story we hear from childhood, but today I thought about it and realized how daring it was. What inspired him? What caused him to do it? It must have been a strange feeling to live in Portugal or parts of Spain facing west and to look out over the ocean and wonder if there really was anything out there. They probably did in fact know that the Orient was out there somewhere, but how far away? Taking that first step forward would have involved much courage. Perhaps Columbus had a kind of "throw caution to the wind" psychological profile (at least to a degree).
I think Columbus was a brick shy of a full load myself, but sometimes that is what it takes to make the history books. 🙂
I think Columbus was a brick shy of a full load myself, but sometimes that is what it takes to make the history books. 🙂
History does seem to frequently remember the radicals, eccentrics, and maniacs, doesn't it? 😀
I think Columbus was a brick shy of a full load myself, but sometimes that is what it takes to make the history books. 🙂
History does seem to frequently remember the radicals, eccentrics, and maniacs, doesn't it? 😀
Because they stand out from the mass of sheeple.
Same as inspires lots of folks today… money, fame, power (or at least hanging with the powerful).The overland trade route connections were controlled by several Italian city states and were becoming more expensive and dangerous by the late 1400's. The improvements in technology and science were making the idea of sailing to the far east more attractive.The Portuguese had gotten around the African continent (largely w/o getting out of sight of land) and know about as much as there was to know about sailing and the globe. The sailing west had been tried before, in fact about 1295 the Vivaldi Bros. tried it... not sure the result, no on ever heard from them again.Columbus, according to some sources, was a seasoned salt and had a command of his own by his early 20's. He tried to sell the plan to his hometown Genoa... was turned down, as they were in control of some of the o'land trade and getting along nicely, thank you... might try the Potuguese.The Portuguese were impressed with Columbus except he seemed to think the earth was significantly smaller than it actually was. In fact, the stores he took on the actual trip wouldn't have gotten him anywhere if the Americas hadn't gotten in his way. His assumptions were based on a globe significantly smaller... his projected trip to the Far East was to be the 3 months (Aug-Oct) that it took to get to the NW! They thought he might interest the Spanish in the venture.The rest is, as we say, history. Unless you subscribe to Mendez theory about the Chinese maps and that much more was known than we've been taught all these years. 😮
What about religious motivation? Columbus was a devout, some say militant, Catholic. He wanted to find new people to convert to Christianity so that they can recruit more people to defeat the Muslims. In this time period, the Ottoman Empire was extremely powerful. They just (1453) closed a major trade route to the east when taking Constantinople. Also, didn't the Spaniards expel the Mulsims from Iberia at this time as well? This HAD to be a motivating factor for westward exploration/expansion/colonialism/imperialism. So while the eastern Mediterranean was now closed to European trade, the western Mediterranean opened, which also created access for Italian merchants and mariners.
I have always thought Columbus's main motivation was the hope of profit if he managed to find a shorter and faster way to the orient. The prospect of money to be made is a strong motivator.
I would have to disagree with “religious motivation” being a predominant factor along the lines that Ski mentioned. It sounds odd that someone would want to travel around the globe in order to potentially find a flock to convert and then ship them back to Europe, train them and have them fight against the Muslims. I think that the warring with the Ottomans would have led to other pressing needs, such as the need to find resources to finance and create weapons and ships. Those are reasons why I would think people would want to sail off to faraway lands.It's an interesting theory, even if I don't buy it. Where did you hear it?
I would have to disagree with "religious motivation" ... along the lines that Ski mentioned.....
More likely just the idea of the Catholic Counter-reformantion; the Church made sure missionaries went on all the exploratory voyages to get more souls since many in Europe were converting to the new Protestant brands. Disturbing but organized religion works like a tobacco company, hooking them young (to stay) as the old ones are dying off. 😮
More likely just the idea of the Catholic Counter-reformantion; the Church made sure missionaries went on all the exploratory voyages to get more souls since many in Europe were converting to the new Protestant brands. Disturbing but organized religion works like a tobacco company, hooking them young (to stay) as the old ones are dying off. 😮
The thing was that the Protestant Reformation didn't occur until around the 1520s-1530s, and I believe the Counter Reformation was in swing closer to the 1550s or 1570s. I can see how Catholic-Protestant political rivalries could have figured into exploration efforts after the mid-16th century....but obviously they couldn't have when Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492.
Well both Christianity and Islam are expansionist religions. Since the Europeans were basically prevented by Islam from expanding further east to gain converts, they had to expand westward. This may not have been Columbus's motivation, but perhaps it was one of Europe's many reasons. This is from my textbook.
The thing was that the Protestant Reformation didn't occur until around the 1520s-1530s, and I believe the Counter Reformation was in swing closer to the 1550s or 1570s. I can see how Catholic-Protestant political rivalries could have figured into exploration efforts after the mid-16th century....but obviously they couldn't have when Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492.
Indeed, and I stand corrected... the mind is one of the first things togo... I forget the others.The logic in ski's text position is easy to see and seems to sum it up.
Yes, now I do see how Ski's explanation makes sense. Though that makes it seem like Spain wanted to keep the power balance in its favor, which is at least as much a political reason as a religious reason. Also, were there any thoughts by Spain early on about actually recruiting "troops" from any discovered lands to fight against the Muslims? Or was it more about the opportunity to trade with foreign nations who were allies?
My own opinion (not textbook), I'm not so sure it was recruiting troops so much as recruiting numbers to increase the population. (kinda like a “we have more new Christians than you have new Muslims, Nyah Nyah Nyah” thing) They could no longer expand east or into Africa without logistic difficulties, so they decided to expand west. I don't think the intention was to bring newly trained troops back to Europe because that doesn't make sense to me. If they wanted to increase troop strength to fight Muslims, why approve of investing millions in money and manpower going to the New World? (well, they did make quite a bit from that investment as far as money goes)Politics and religion was so intertwined it's difficult to tell what is the motivator. It seems fairly clear the desire to go west was more about competition between the European powers more than anything else.
At that time, in some respects politics and religion were inseparable. People still defined themselves by their faith. Do not forget that 1492 is the year the Spanish finally completed the reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula by taking Granada. Faith can be a powerful motivator. I am prepared to believe that faith had something to do with it. But didn't Columbus himself say that the stated goal of the expedition was to open up newer, shorter trade routes to the orient. Can we not take the man at his word that his primary goal was profit. I know that profit is a base motive but it is also one that is easily understandable to people throughout recorded history. Everyone has wanted to be rich at some point in their life.
