The First Voyage of Christopher Columbus (1492–1493)
On 12 October 1492, an expedition commanded by Christopher Columbus reached an island in the Caribbean after an extraordinary voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. Columbus believed that he had reached islands lying off the coast of Asia, but he had in fact opened a new and unexpected chapter in the history of relations between Europe and the Americas. The voyage was one of the great navigational achievements of the fifteenth century. It demonstrated that European sailors could cross the open Atlantic with the ships, instruments, knowledge, and seamanship then available to them and return safely to Europe. The expedition was followed by further voyages, permanent settlements, and eventually the creation of an Atlantic world linking Europe, Africa, and the Americas. ...