Christopher Columbus Timeline
1451–76
Christopher ColumbusChristopher Columbus, oil painting, said to be the most accurate likeness of the explorer, attributed to Ridolfo del Ghirlandaio, c. 1525.
The Granger Collection, New York1482–92
Christopher Columbus seeks supportChristopher Columbus requests support for his explorations in the New World from King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain.
Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (LC-DIG-pga-03133)1492–93: First Voyage
Christopher Columbus's fleetChristopher Columbus's fleet of three ships sets sail from Spain in 1492.
Kean Collection/Hulton Archive/Getty ImagesChristopher Columbus at courtKing Ferdinand and Queen Isabella greet Italian explorer Christopher Columbus on his return from the New World in 1493. Behind Columbus are six Indians he captured and took to Spain to display to the monarchs.
© Everett Historical/Shutterstock.com1493–96: Second Voyage
Departing Spain in September 1493, Columbus leads at least 17 ships back to the Americas. He returns to Hispaniola, explores other Caribbean islands, and founds several cities. In 1494 Spain and Portugal sign the Treaty of Tordesillas, dividing the Western Hemisphere between them. Columbus leaves his two brothers in charge of the settlements on Hispaniola and returns to Spain in 1496, still convinced he has reached the Far East.
1498–1500: Third Voyage
Wars with France reduce Spain’s support for Columbus, and he sets sail with only six ships for his third voyage. He stops at Trinidad and later explores some of northern South America. However, in Hispaniola he and his brothers antagonize indigenous chiefs and Spanish settlers. Allegations of poor administration lead to Columbus and his brothers being returned to Spain in chains.
1502–04: Fourth Voyage
Columbus, though ill, embarks from Spain on May 9, 1502, for his final voyage. Forbidden to enter Hispaniola, he sails southward to Jamaica, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama. He fails to find either a strait to India or treasures he has promised Ferdinand and Isabella. Rescued from shipwreck, the navigator returns to Spain in 1504, embittered by his many disappointments.
May 20, 1506
Columbus dies in Valladolid, Spain.
Christopher Columbus summary
Early career and voyages of Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus’s Achievements
Christopher Columbus | Achievements
Western colonialism Summary
Western colonialism, a political-economic phenomenon whereby various European nations explored, conquered, settled, and exploited large areas of the world. The age of modern colonialism began about 1500, following the European discoveries of a sea route around Africa’s southern coast (1488) and of