Christopher Columbus was a famous explorer His father

Christopher Columbus was a famous explorer. His father was a wool weaver and he also owned a cheese stand. When Columbus was a young boy he used to help him in the cheese stand. Columbus was born in Italy in 1451. Italy is in Europe. Ireland is in Europe too.

People from Europe loved things like silks and spices from India and China. They used to travel on land to get these things and import them into Europe. But this was difficult and dangerous. They could also get there by boat, but it took a very long time to go around Africa! Columbus knew that the world was round and wanted to find a different way to sail to Asia. India and China are in Asia.

Columbus spent a few years planning his trip and looking for people to give him money for it. Finally King Ferdinand Queen Isabella of Spain decided to sponsor him. He was given three ships; the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria.

Columbus and his crew set sail on August 3 rd 1492 from Palos in Spain. They stopped in the Canary Islands to pick up supplies and make repairs to the ships and then they set sail again. They were on the sea for 5 whole weeks when a lookout on the Pinta finally spotted land!

Columbus named the land San Salvador. He thought he was in India but he was actually on an island in The Bahamas. Columbus had discovered America, but he called the people there Indians. Why do you think he did that?