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Christopher Columbus

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The Fearless Admiral

(1451-1506)

Long ago, in the small town of Genoa, there lived a young boy named, Christopher. Genoa was a seaport located near the Tyrrannean Sea in the country of Italy. During this time people were afraid of what the unknown seas were like. Many people believed the world was flat, and that ships fell off, if they sailed too close to the edge. Others believed, there were sea monsters, but not Christopher. Although Christopher was young, he dreamed of sailing to far away places, but Christopher’s father had different plans for him. You see, his father was a weaver, and the tradition of families during that time was for the son to take over his father’s business. As time past, Christopher’s family allowed him to travel to other cities and ports in order to sell the goods, which his father had made. This was the first step towards Christopher’s dreams of sailing.

Christopher ColumbusAs Christopher’s family became more understanding of his dream, he began to take small trips to other cities along the coast. He went to cities in Spain, France, and Portugal. Time past and Christopher began to study sailing. He studied maps, ships, and other significant facts about the ocean. Now that he was ready to sail, he needed a ship and some money. It was very hard for Christopher to convince other people to believe in his dream.

No one believed that there were other lands beyond Europe, or that there were riches in those lands. First, he took his offer to Portugal, but after many obstacles and disappointments, he headed for Spain. It was not easy, but Christopher finally convinced Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand to fund this voyage of discovery. Their hope was that Christopher would bring back riches for their country.

Ships

Christopher’s dream was about to come true. The King and Queen of France supplied Christopher with three ships, the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. It was quite difficult to find crew to run these ships because men feared the dark unknown seas.

Once the crew was chosen, Christopher was ready to sail. The route that Christopher had mapped out was not exactly the route, which they ended up taking. First, they sailed to the Canary Islands, then to San Salvador, then to Cuba, Haiti, and Azores. Christopher encountered many trials along the way. There were storms and food was running out. His crew was planning to end his life, but Christopher never lost hope. For the sake of the men, Christopher was ready to head back to Spain, but land was finally in sight. Although it was not exactly what they were searching for, Christopher was living his dream. He didn’t return to Spain with treasure, but with the knowledge that there were other worlds to be discovered. He was a hero. Christopher did not find the Americas or the Indies on his first voyage, but he had led the way for other brave explores to follow in his footsteps.

map

Many voyages followed, but none would ever be so well remembered, as the first voyage of Christopher Columbus.

Story Questions

  1. What are some things that people believed about the sea?
  2. In the story, what were some obstacles, which kept Christopher from sailing?
  3. Compare and contrast Christopher’s attitude toward the sea with that of other people.
  4. What were the names of the three ships on Christopher’s first voyage?
  5. Create a list of places you would go along with a sketch of the route you would travel. Make a list of things that you will need for your voyage.

Christopher Columbus-The Fearless Admiral

Written by Michelle Chiarelli

Story Outline

  1. Love of the Sea
    1. Dreams of Sailing
    2. Fears of the Sea
    3. Selling father’s goods
  2. Following his dreams
    1. Studying the Sea
    2. Funding for his voyage
    3. Spain funds first voyage
  3. Christopher’s First Voyage
    1. King and Queen of France provided supplies
    2. Crew encounters trials
    3. Christopher’s Endurance

Closure

Props:

Compass
Diary
Maps

Answers to questions:

  1. That you could fall off the edge.
    There were monsters in the sea.
  2. His parents
    He had no money.
    He had no ships.
    No one believed in his ideas.
  3. Answers will vary.
  4. The Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria.
  5. Sketches and lists will vary.