Christopher Columbus Facts For Kids | The Explorer Of USA

Everybody loves reading Christopher Columbus facts for kids primarily because his journeys led him to discover Americas. He was a voyager and an expert direction finder who can easily navigate his way through the hostile trade winds of the Atlantic Ocean. He was an Italian discoverer and a pioneer in paving the way for the Spanish people to the New World. His most famous four voyages were the hallmark journeys that ended up in discovering United States of America. Though there had been other European sailors apart from him that had visited America before him but his journeys were most influential in terms of Spanish colonization in America. Unfortunately, the rapport between Columbus and the Crown of Spain was always on edge due to which Columbus was later apprehended and had to surrender his Governorship too. Now let’s discover some of the amazing Christopher Columbus facts for kids in more detail.

Some Of The Amazing Christopher Columbus Facts For Kids

• With the financial support of both Queen Isabella I (Castile) and King Ferdinand II (Argon), jointly known as ‘Catholic Monarchs’, Columbus manages to carry out 4 expeditions at the Atlantic Ocean. These journeys are very important to make Europeans realize about the lands located in the Western Hemisphere (Americas).
• Columbus is not the first explorer from Europe to land on Americas. Isn’t it one of the interesting Christopher Columbus facts for kids?
• According to his own writings, Columbus says that he heads off to the sea when he is just 10 years old.
• Columbus embarks on his internship as a corporate agent in 1473.

• Columbus measured the distance between Canary Islands and Japan to be 3,700 kilometers whereas the precise distance is 19,600 kilometers.
• His maiden journey to The Bahamas from Canary Islands was undertaken in 1492. Columbus’s estimation about the trade winds flowing from the east (also known as ‘easterlies’) was good enough as these winds carried the marine of Columbus for almost 5 weeks.
• It is still a mystery as to how did Columbus get the know-how of trade winds and whether he studied them on his own or experienced them while traveling?
• During his maiden journey at the Atlantic Ocean, the estimation of Columbus for the trade winds is not correct.
• He seeks to get support from King of Portugal, John II in 1485 by suggesting to him that he should give Columbus 3 solid vessels and the time period of one year to travel by water.
• Columbus also seeks to the King that he should award him with ‘Great Admiral of the Ocean’. Besides, Columbus thinks he must be made Governor of the entire properties that he came across and out of the proceeds from these estates, give Columbus 1/10^th of the share of income. The experts for the King turns down these suggestions.
• In order to steer Columbus clear of his traveling proposals and enable him to go in a different place, Catholic Monarchs grants him with 12,000 Spanish maravedis on yearly basis.
• Columbus takes his proposals to the court and after several refusals, he finally succeeds.
• In the year 1500, Columbus is apprehended and all his official posts are taken off.
• Columbus along with his two sons fights a long session of court cases against the Crown.
• During an era of 1492 to 1503, Columbus manages to finish his 4 tours linking Americas and Spain.
• Columbus also discovers the Cuban northeast shoreline. Did you know these Christopher Columbus facts for kids before?
• As he reaches toward the New World (Americas) during his maiden journey on January 13, 1493, he meets fierce challenge from the unwelcoming indigenous people (Ciguayos). He takes ten to twenty-five hostages from these locals and carries them with him.
• During his journey to the island of Guadeloupe, Columbus is tied in with the priest’s father, Pedro de las Casas.
• At the northern shoreline of Haiti, there is a castle of La Navidad (Columbus saw this fort in his maiden journey) which Columbus comes across for the second time on his reappearance to Hispaniola. But by this time, the castle is turned to rubbles and he sees eleven carcasses along with thirty nine Spaniards.
• Just when Columbus is very weak, he comes back to Hispaniola where he finds that the Spanish colonists have turned against him. They think Columbus and his siblings are rip-off and therefore take them to the court of Spain. Afterwards, Columbus has to make reconciliation with those revolts on conditions that are embarrassing. One of the gloomy Christopher Columbus facts for kids!
• During his 4^th journey, Columbus takes along his kid named Fernando (who was just 13 years old) and his brother, Bartolomeo.
• When Columbus docks on the Martinique Island, he forecasts the arrival of storm. So he seeks to find a safe haven in Hispaniola, Santa Domingo, but the then Governor turns down his request for landing and does not allow him to dock. Besides, he also turns down his forecast for the storm. As a result, out of the fleet of thirty vessels of Governor, twenty nine of them disappear on account of the storm of July 01, 1502. But Columbus’s vessel suffers just slight damages. Besides, the Governor Francisco de Bobadilla along with five hundred people perishes in that storm. Do you know such Christopher Columbus facts for kids?
• After the third journey, Columbus is apprehended with his brothers and spends 6 weeks in prison.
• Santa Maria is the name of the flagship in which Colombus completes his maiden journey.

A Quick Guide To Christopher Columbus Facts For Kids

Other Names: Cristoforo Colombo (Italian), Cristóbal Colón (Spanish), Christophorus Columbus (Latin)

Names of Children: Diego, Fernando

Names of Siblings: Bartholomew Columbus, Giacomo, Giovanni Pellegrino,

Name of Wife: Filipa Moniz Perestrelo

Date and Place of Birth: He was born prior to October 31, 1451 in Genoa (now known as Italy)

Date and Place of Death: May 20, 1506 in Spain