ChristopherColumbus (1)
                     Christopher Columbus
1451 - 1506
Who Was Christopher 
Columbus?
Christopher Columbus is famous for 
being an explorer in the 15th century. 
He was born in 1451 in Genoa in 
Italy. 
The Young Christopher
As a young man Christopher enjoyed 
the sea. He went to sea when he was 
still a boy and found the life of a 
sailor to be very exciting.
Travel  & Exploration
At the time when Columbus lived 
people travelled by horse when 
journeying across land and by ship 
for journeys at sea. The journey from 
Portugal to Asia to trade for silks and 
spices was a long and often 
dangerous one. 
Quick Quiz
1. Where was Columbus born?
2. What colours are in the Italian flag.
3. What adjective is used to describe 
how Columbus viewed life at sea?
4. Name 2 methods of travel used in 
the 15th century.
5. Why was trade with the East so 
important?
A New Direction
Columbus wanted to find a quicker 
route to reach the countries in the 
East that provided the goods desired 
in Europe. It was for this reason that 
he decided to sail west hoping to 
reach Asia from a new direction.
Financing the Journey
Columbus found it difficult to get the 
money for his journey but eventually 
King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of 
Spain financed his expedition. 
The Ships
Columbus set sail with three ships, the 
Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria. 
A Long Journey
After a long journey across the Atlantic 
Ocean, Columbus and his crew came 
to the islands of the east coast of 
America which we now call the West 
Indies. 
Hispaniola 
Columbus landed on the island of 
Hispaniola, which we now call Haiti and 
the Dominican Republic. From here he 
went on to explore other islands in the 
region. Having discovered the mouth of 
the Orinoco River, Columbus thought 
he’d found the Garden of Eden, a 
common belief at the time was that all 
great rivers flowed from the Garden.
Quick Quiz 2
1. Where did Columbus get the money for his 
expeditions.
2. Name three of his ships.
3. Which ocean did Columbus sail across to 
find the New World?
4. What name did he give to the island we 
now know as Haiti and the Dominican 
Republic?
5. What biblical destination did Columbus 
think he had discovered?
Advantages to Columbus’ 
Discovery
Thanks to the voyages made by Columbus 
important crops were introduced to Europe.  
Crops such as corn, potatoes, tomatoes, lima 
beans, squash, peanuts, cacao, and 
pineapple.
While the new lands were introduced to 
European crops, such as wheat, rice, coffee, 
bananas, and olives. Animals were also 
brought to the Americas: horses, cows, pigs, 
and chickens were all introduced. 
Disadvantages to Columbus’ 
Explorations
• The native people of the new lands to which 
Columbus and his crew travelled had not previously 
been exposed to European diseases and many died 
as a result.
Diseases such as diphtheria, measles, smallpox, and 
malaria devastated the indigenous American 
population. 
• The Europeans did not think highly of the natives 
and didn’t value the culture of the area. They often 
viewed the local population as slave labour. 
Complete the table in your 
book:
Advantages of Disadvantages of 
Columbus’ Columbus’ 
Voyages Voyages
Click below to return to our 
school website:
http://www.killeanps.com/explorers2.ht
ml