The Ocean Blue Christopher Columbus
Not the First to Sail the Ocean Blue In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue. Although most students are taught this phrase, little else is taught or learned about Columbus. The history and background on Columbus and his voyage is typically unverifiable and often controversial. His need for wealth and power is not deserving of a national holiday. Students should know Columbus sailed the ocean blue on the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria, in 1492, but there is much more unknown and untold about his story. Little is actually known about Columbus. Most of what is found in history books or other reliable sources is often wrong or unverifiable. Books tell “Christopher Columbus grew up to become an experience seafarer. He sailed the Atlantic as far
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To quote Columbus, “Gold is most excellent, go constitutes treasure, and he who has it does all he wants in the world, and can even lift souls up to Paradise.” Columbus’ men even wrote about his want for gold, in which he got by making his men and the native people of Haiti find it. The need for wealth is not always brought up in textbooks, although this is was usually the goal of these explorations. By not including the desire of wealth and the way that was achieved, Columbus looks like he was a nobleman, who was doing something to help his country. Columbus was given three ships to endure the long journey to “the New World” — the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria. Many sources claim that the three were “storm-battered” by the end of the voyage. The story contradicts itself when Columbus, in his own journal, states, “the three ships enjoyed lovely sailing. Seas were so calm that for days at a time sailors were able to converse from one ship to another” (Loewen 52). The Pinzon brothers were the captains of the Nina and Pinta. Columbus, sailing the Santa Maria, was the least experienced of the three. Although he claimed he wanted to keep the route taken a secret by writing it down wrong, many believe Columbus truly did not know his way. Another possibility was his lack of navigation skills lead him in the wrong
To quote Columbus, “Gold is most excellent, go constitutes treasure, and he who has it does all he wants in the world, and can even lift souls up to Paradise.” Columbus’ men even wrote about his want for gold, in which he got by making his men and the native people of Haiti find it. The need for wealth is not always brought up in textbooks, although this is was usually the goal of these explorations. By not including the desire of wealth and the way that was achieved, Columbus looks like he was a nobleman, who was doing something to help his country. Columbus was given three ships to endure the long journey to “the New World” — the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria. Many sources claim that the three were “storm-battered” by the end of the voyage. The story contradicts itself when Columbus, in his own journal, states, “the three ships enjoyed lovely sailing. Seas were so calm that for days at a time sailors were able to converse from one ship to another” (Loewen 52). The Pinzon brothers were the captains of the Nina and Pinta. Columbus, sailing the Santa Maria, was the least experienced of the three. Although he claimed he wanted to keep the route taken a secret by writing it down wrong, many believe Columbus truly did not know his way. Another possibility was his lack of navigation skills lead him in the wrong