Columbus Sails Across The
Atlantic
S.W.B.A.T.
Explain how Christopher
Columbus’s voyages led
to new exchanges
between Europe, Africa,
and the Americas
Initial Activity
1. Where did
2.
Columbus
first land?
Why do you
think
Columbus
saw only the
coastal area
of Mesoamerica?
Word of the Day
uncharted: not previously
mapped
Columbus Sails Across The
Atlantic
Stories of fabulous kingdoms and
wealth in Asia captured the
imagination of Christopher
Columbus, a sailor from Italy.
Columbus was convinced that
he could reach Asia by sailing
west across the Atlantic Ocean.
The Journey Begins
• Columbus asked King
Ferdinand and Queen
Isabella of Spain to pay for
an expedition across the
Atlantic Ocean.
• He promised them great
riches, new territory, and
Catholic converts.
• Ferdinand and Isabella
agreed and ordered
Columbus to:
– Bring back any items of value
– To claim for Spain any lands
he explored
The Journey Begins
• On August 3, 1492,
Columbus’s three
ships set sail.
– The Nina and Pinta
were caravels.
– Columbus sailed in the
larger Santa Maria.
• Soon, they passed the
limits of Columbus’s
maps and sailed into
uncharted seas.
Columbus Reaches Land
• On October 12, 1492 the
ships landed on an island
in the Bahamas.
• Columbus thought he had
found a new route to
Asia.
• Instead, he reached
another continent that
was unknown to him.
• He called this island San
Salvador, which means
“Holy Savior.”
Predicting the Results of Exploration
Based on what we have
learned in this class,
what do you think
Christopher Columbus
found when he landed?
Columbus Meets The Native Americans
• Columbus also visited
•
•
another island called
Hispaniola, where he
met Native Americans.
At that time Europeans
called Asia the Indies.
Since Columbus
thought he was in Asia,
he called these Native
American people
Indians.
Columbus’s Results
• After three months
•
•
•
of exploring, looking
for gold, and
collecting exotic
plants and animals,
Columbus returned
to Spain.
Columbus made
three more journeys
to the Americas
during his lifetime.
In 1504, Columbus
returned to Spain.
He died two years
later, still believing
he had reached
Asia.
Impact of Columbus’s Voyages
• Columbus’s
discovery
created conflict
between
European
countries.
– Both Spain and
Portugal
wanted to add
these lands to
their growing
empires.
Line of Demarcation
• As a solution, Pope
•
Alexander VI,
originally from Spain,
drew a boundary for
Portugal and Spain in
1493.
This line, known as
the Line of
Demarcation divided
the Atlantic Ocean.
– Portugal could claim
lands East of the line.
– Spain could claim all
lands West of the line.
Treaty of Tordesillas
• The Portuguese king
•
believed that the Line
of Demarcation was
better for Spain.
To prevent war, both
countries signed the
Treaty of Tordesillas.
– Moved the Line of
Demarcation 800
miles further west.
– Gave Portugal more
opportunity to claim
lands unexplored by
other Europeans.
Summary
• Answer the following question in your
notebook and be ready to share your
conclusions with the class:
How did Columbus’s voyage lead to a
dispute between Spain and Portugal?