They Didn't Laugh at Columbus Trivia Quiz

Answer: Genoa

Columbus himself claimed to be from Genoa, and in his own time nobody doubted his claims. Many historians still believe this, but others, noting that almost nothing else of his life before 1476 is known, think that he made this up, to hide his true identity. According to these historians, either Columbus's real descent or some event from the earlier years of his life, had to be kept secret from the Spanish king and queen.

Answer: They believed that the westward route to the Indies was much longer than Columbus thought, making the route around Africa the more interesting option.

The Portuguese experts were later ridiculed based on false claims that they thought the Earth was flat. As I wrote in my introduction, that the Earth was round was well known at the time; in fact, no serious scientist is known to have disputed this after the 8th century. The irony in this is even bigger because not only were the experts not wrong, it was Columbus who was: The distance from Portugal westward to Asia is in fact quite a bit larger than the Portuguese experts thought, not smaller.

There were other reasons to reject Columbus's proposal: He wanted a high reward in case he would find the route to the Indies (viceroyalty and 10% of all profits made on the route), and several Portuguese subjects in the late 15th century explored the Atlantic for a much lower price. The reason that not they, but Columbus was the one to find the Americas, is probably that Columbus felt more certain: He took a westward course from the Canaries, bringing him across the Atlantic as fast as possible, whereas the Portuguese would go northwest from the Azores, in regions of strong west winds, ensuring that they would be able to return, but also diminishing the westward direction they could cover. These expeditions probably came near to Newfoundland, but only actually reached it after Columbus and Cabot had met with the Americas before.

Answer: Granada, the last Islamic stronghold on the Iberian peninsula, had been conquered.

Although in the treaty of surrender it was stated that the existing Islamic and Jewish population would not be harmed, in that same year the Spanish Jews were forced to either convert or leave the country. A few years later the Muslims were treated the same.

Answer: 3

The ships were called Pinta, Niña and Santa María. The carrack Santa Maria was the largest ship and flagship, 24 meters in length and weighing 102 tons, the other two ships were caravels of 15 meters and 59 tons.

Answer: San Salvador

It is not certain which island is the one that Columbus first saw. For a long time it had been assumed that it was the former Watlings Island, which was consequently renamed San Salvador in 1925. Recently Samana Cay and Plana Cay have been considered more likely. If you are interested in knowing more about the various theories regarding the landfall, you can visit http://www.columbusnavigation.com/cclandfl.shtml.

Answer: Hispaniola

Hispaniola is the island that now consists of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Columbus found the colony destroyed when he returned in 1493, but he established a new colony, La Isabela, in its place. A short time later it was moved to Santo Domingo. Santo Domingo was the beginning of the Spanish colonial empire in the Americas, and is currently the capital of the Dominican Republic.

Answer: Trinidad

Trinidad is farther south than any area visited on this second voyage, and was discovered on Columbus's third voyage in 1498. From Dominica Columbus followed a not fully determined course through the Antilles to Hispaniola, where he found La Navidad destroyed and established Santo Domingo. Before returning to Spain in 1496, he explored westward to the south coast of Cuba, which he believed to be part of the mainland. During this expedition, Jamaica was discovered.

Answer: He saw the mouth of the large Orinoco River.

Columbus did not further explore the continent he had discovered, eager to go to Hispaniola quickly. There he had to subdue a revolt, and complaints against him and his brothers reached Spain. Francisco de Bobadilla was sent out to investigate these complaints, and when Columbus returned to Spain in 1500, it was as a prisoner. Bobadilla himself was deposed in 1502 and replaced by Nicolas de Ovando.

He was lost at sea on the voyage back to Spain.

Answer: Central America

Columbus, still convinced that what he discovered was East Asia, wanted to find a strait between China and India that Marco Polo had described, the sea lane we now know as the Strait of Malacca. He followed the coast of Mesoamerica from Honduras to Panama, where the Natives told him there was another ocean to the south - convincing him he was in the region he had been looking for.

He also found that the area was rich in gold, and built a fortress there. The fortress however was attacked by Natives and had to be abandoned.

As a consequence Columbus's ships were no longer seaworthy, and he had to disembark them on Jamaica, remaining marooned there for a full year before being able to return to Spain.

Answer: Amerigo Vespucci

To be honest, Vespucci was a bit of a fraud. Although he claimed to have made a minimum of four voyages, at least one of them is now believed to have been invented.

Vespucci's claimed first voyage was in 1497-1498, to the north coast of South America, or maybe the Gulf of Mexico. It is now believed to be a fabrication, based on his second voyage, possibly created in order to claim the honor of being the discoverer of the American mainland.

In 1499-1500 Vespucci travelled to South America with Juan de la Cosa and Alonso de Ojeda, one of the first Spanish voyages to America that was not by Columbus. After reaching South America, he separated from the other two, and followed the coast further west. On this voyage he discovered a bay which is now believed to have been the mouth of the Amazon River.

In 1501-1502 he made a voyage with a Portuguese fleet, southward along the coast of South America. He claimed to have reached Patagonia, 52 degrees south, but current experts believe his farthest point was more likely 23 degrees south on the coast of Brazil. In 1503-1504 he travelled again to the same region, with Duarte Coelho. There are also claims that he made a voyage to the Gulf of Mexico.

Martin Waldseemüller was a German cartographer. He gave America its name, after Amerigo Vespucci who had popularised the New World in Europe with his letters. John Cabot discovered Newfoundland in English service, but disappeared on his second voyage. Diego Colón is the (Spanish) name of Columbus's son, who was also involved in Columbus's dealings on Hispaniola.