Columbus Day
Christopher Columbus “discovered” America when he sighted the Bahamas on October 12, 1492. He had sailed west from the Canary Islands, financed by Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand, searching for a new trade route to Asia. His three ships were the Santa Maria, Nina, and Pinta. His journal entry on October 12th notes: I believe that people from the mainland come here to take them as slaves. They ought to make good and skilled servants, for they repeat very quickly whatever we say to them. I think they can very easily be made Christians, for they seem to have no religion. Another entry during this voyage: …these people are very simple in war-like matters … I could conquer the whole of them with 50 men, and govern them as I pleased. He made a total of four voyages to the Americas. On the first, he encountered Cuba and Hispanola. He founded a small settlement in Haiti and took some natives captive. On the secon d journey, he sailed with 17 ships. He noted Guadeloupe, Montserrat, Antig...