How Did Christopher Columbus Discover America

We all learned at school that Christopher Columbus discovered America in 1492. Columbus takes a glorious position in America history; we’ve named places after him, made countless movies and books of him, and even have statues of him. But there’s a slight problem here: Columbus did not actually discover America. That’s right. He never set foot in North America. What's more, he insisted until the day he died that he had found his way to Asia (his original destination), not found a place unknown to Europeans. That's just one issue with the story of America's origins. In 1492, Christopher Columbus departed from Spain, intending to a shorter route to Asia, legendary for their precious spices and gold. Instead, he would disembark in the Bahamas, and breathe his last breath oblivious of his mistake. Growing up among merchants that traded throughout the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts of Africa and Europe, Columbus believed that there might be an easier and more profitable route to Japan, China, and the East Indies by sailing

Columbus’s conquest gave rise to years of exploration and exploitation in the Americas. The results of his explorations were unfortunate for the original population of the regions he and his conquistadors subjugated. Europeans persisted in seizing natural resources from these territories. Disease brought by the Europeans diminished the population of natives. The Americas were eternally transformed and the once rich cultures of the Native American people were altered and forgotten, hindering the world from completely understanding even their existence. Today, Columbus has a controversial legacy—he is remembered as a daring explorer who supposedly discover North America (which he didn't set foot in), yet his exploits also let loose changes that would ultimately demolish the native populations he and his conquistadors