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Christopher Columbus

WORKSHEET

A

Early Years
Born in Genoa in 1451, Christopher Columbus became a sailor when he was 21. In 1476, his
ship was destroyed in the Atlantic by pirates, forcing him to swim ten km back to the coast of
Portugal. Columbus stayed in Lisbon, living with his brother Bartholomew. He found work as
a sugar buyer in the Azores, Cape Verde and Madeira, and married Portuguese noblewoman
Filipa Perestrello e Moniz in 1479. A year later their son, Diego Colón, was born.
Columbus believed one could reach East Asia, which he called ‘the Indies’, by sailing west
and tried for a long time to get funding for an expedition. Finally, after eight years of trying,
he convinced Spanish monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella to back him.

Voyages to the New World
First Expedition
In 1492, Columbus sailed from Spain with three ships, the Santa María, the Pinta and the
Niña. After sailing due west for 30 days, his crew were ready to turn round and go home
when, on October 12

th

, they spotted land (which turned out to be the Bahamas). On December

5

th

they reached Hispaniola, where Columbus left men to develop a colony while he hurried

back to Spain to a hero’s welcome. He was given the title Admiral of the Ocean Sea and was
made governor-general of all new lands he had discovered or would discover.

Second Expedition
Columbus sailed from Cádiz on September 24

th

, 1493 with 17 ships and 1200 new colonists.

He arrived at Hispaniola where he found his original colonists had all been killed. He set up a
new colony nearby then set off to explore the coast of Cuba. After discovering Jamaica he
returned to Hispaniola to discover his new colony in disarray; his attempts to impose
discipline on the colonists led some to return to Spain to complain about his administration.
Leaving his brother Bartholomew in charge, Columbus himself returned to Spain in 1496.

Third Expedition
On his third expedition, in 1498, Columbus sailed farther south to Trinidad. He sailed across
the mouth of the Orinoco River (in present Venezuela) and realized that he saw a continent,
but without further exploration he hurried back to Hispaniola to administer his colony. In
1500 an independent governor arrived, sent by Isabella and Ferdinand as the result of reports
on conditions in the colony, and he sent Columbus back to Spain in chains.

Fourth Expedition
It was 1502 before Columbus finally gathered together four ships for a fourth expedition. He
had hoped to re-establish his damaged reputation, but his ship was wrecked and he was
marooned on Jamaica for a year. He was forced to abandon his dreams and return to Spain.

Columbus died in 1506, still believing that he had discovered the coast of East Asia. Opinion
remains divided about his contribution to history. Some accuse him of being a murderer who
lined his pockets with stolen gold. Others praise him as visionary whose persistence resulted
in the discovery of the New World. What is certain is that he wasn’t the first European to
discover the New World - the Vikings had colonized Newfoundland 500 years earlier. But his
voyages marked the beginning of continuous European efforts to explore and colonize the
Americas, which was a turning point in history.

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Inside

Out

Christopher Columbus

WORKSHEET

B

Team A

Here are the answers to some questions. Read the text on Worksheet A and prepare questions
for the answers below. Team B will then have to answer your questions as part of a quiz.

1. Genoa

Where was Christopher Columbus born?

3. 10

km

5. Diego

Colón

7. Ferdinand and Isabella
9. the

Bahamas

11. 17
13. Jamaica
15. in Venezuela
17. 1506



Team B

Here are the answers to some questions. Read the text on Worksheet A and prepare questions
for the answers below. Team A will then have to answer your questions as part of a quiz.

2. pirates

Who destroyed Columbus’s ship in 1476?

4. Bartholomew
6. the

Indies

8. three
10. Admiral of the Ocean Sea
12. 1200
14. 1496
16. one year
18. the Vikings

This page has been downloaded from

www.insideout.net

.

It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages. Copyright © Macmillan Publishers Limited 2005.