Monday, November 2, 2009

What are two features of Columbus' proposal to the King and Queen of Spain?

1.  Christopher Columbus proposed that it would be possible to reach Asia by sailing across the Atlantic Ocean.  At that time, there were two ways that traders could reach Asia.  One way was by land, which was a long and difficult journey over many different terrains.  The other way was to sail south from Europe and along the western coast of Africa.  Then the ships would sail around the Cape of Good Hope at the south of Africa.  They would continue on to Asia.  Christopher Columbus proposed the idea of a possibly shorter route by sailing west instead.


2.  Columbus also believed that the journey across the ocean to Asia would be "comparatively easy."  He did not realize how far Asia was from Europe.  He did not realize that two separate oceans and two massive continents stood between Europe and Asia.  Columbus also believed "that the circumference of the Earth was much smaller than his contemporaries believed it was."

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