Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer and navigator who completed four Spanish-based voyages across the Atlantic Ocean sponsored by the Catholic Monarchs, opening the way for the widespread European exploration and colonization of the Americas. Columbus proposed a three-ship voyage of discovery across the Atlantic to the Portuguese king, then to Genoa, and finally to Venice, but he was rejected each time. In 1486, he went to the Spanish monarchy of Queen Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon, and after convincing King Ferdinand that one more voyage would bring the abundant riches promised, Columbus went on his fourth and final voyage across the Atlantic Ocean in 1502.

Columbus is known for his 1492 discovery of the new world of the Americas on board his ship Santa Maria. He embarked on a historic voyage across the Atlantic in 1492 and opened up new horizons. Columbus and his men enslaved many of the native people they encountered during their voyages through the Caribbean islands and the Central and South American coasts, treating them with extreme violence and brutality. Columbuss participation in such brutality eventually led to his being labeled as a “tyrant” rather than the hero we were taught to believe.