![]() ![]() Columbus believed that the world was much smaller than even the most conservative estimates of his peers suggested. But confusion had arisen over the ancient units of measurement, so there was some dispute over the exact circumference. True, Eratosthenes had estimated the circumference all the way back in the third century B.C. Aristotle had known that the world was round, and most moderately educated Europeans in the 1400s took the fact for granted.Ĭolumbus, however, had recalculated the circumference of the globe. What set Columbus’s plan apart was not that it presumed that the world was round. ![]() He was an avid reader, and had worked out a new route based on conclusions he had drawn from the many sources he had read. But what route would they take?Įnter Christopher Columbus. This meant that merchants would have to travel by sea. Spices, gold, silver, and precious stones were the goal, and each of the nations of Europe wanted the lion’s share of the prize.īut there was one major problem that baffled all of the contestants: how would they get to Asia? The land route was long and perilous, plagued by hostile armies and other potential disasters. Nearly all of them were racing to establish trade routes to Asia, that mysterious land of wealth described so vividly by Marco Polo. In Columbus’s time, the kingdoms of Europe were locked in an unofficial, but grueling, contest. But what exactly was Christopher Columbus hoping to accomplish, what did he actually achieve, and how did Columbus Day come about? Columbus’s Idea Most Americans know that, of course, and they celebrate the event every Columbus Day. Things to Do: Learning Ideas for Each Month.Free Unit Studies in Chronological Order.
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