Vasco Da Gama and Christopher Columbus


 
 
Concept Explanation
 

Vasco Da Gama and Christopher Columbus

Vasco Da Gama and Christopher Columbus: in the fifteenth century European sailors undertook unprecedented explorations of sea routes. They were driven by the desire to find ways of reaching the Indian subcontinent and obtaining spices.

Vasco da Gama, a Portuguese sailor, sailed down the African coast, went round the cape of good hope and crossed over to the Indian coast, went round the cape of good hope and crossed over to the Indian ocean. His first journey took more than a year; he reached Calicut in 1498, and returned to Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, the following year. He lost two of his four ships, and of the 170 men at the start of the journey, only 54 survived. In spites of the obvious hazards, the routes that are opened up proved to be extremely profitable- and he was followed by English, dutch and French sailors.

The search for sea routes to India had unexpected fallout. On the assumption that the earth was round, Christopher Columbus, an italialn, decided to sail westwards across the Atlantic Ocean to find a route to India. He landed in the West Indies (which got their name because of this confusion) in 1492. He was followed by sailors and conquerors from Spain and Portugal, who occupied large parts of central and south America, often destroying earlier settlements in the area.

In sailing to India five years after Columbus sailed to America, Vasco da Gama found what Columbus had sought in vain a new route to an old world. Columbus and da Gama might best be thought of as complementing each other. Between the two of them they united the continents.

 
 


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