Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus was an explorer who sought royal support in Spain for a westward voyage across the Atlantic. Manipulated by the treacherous Don Rodrigo, he demanded titles, land, and riches and nearly lost the approval of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. Columbus later rescued royal messenger Lawrence Hodges from slavery, helping expose Rodrigo's service to Portugal. Once the voyage was funded, he commanded the Santa Maria through weeks of empty horizons and growing threats of mutiny. He promised to turn back if land did not appear within one final day. A cannon soon announced the sighting, and Columbus named the island San Salvador. Ambitious and persistent, he pressed forward when fear and political schemes threatened to stop the expedition.