Who Was Christopher Columbus

Learn all about Christopher Columbus' early life at sea, which led him to seek fortune by sailing west in hopes of creating new trade routes with the Indies. Kids will read about why he called himself the "Great Admirald of the Seas" and learn of all his struggles to find finacial support for his voyage.

Uses primary source documents to follow Christopher Columbus on his journeys to the New World.

No gamble in history has been more momentous than the landfall of Columbus's ship the Santa Maria in the Americas in 1492 - an event that paved the way for the conquest of a 'New World'. The accounts collected here provide a vivid narrative of his voyages throughout the Caribbean and finally to the mainland of Central America, although he still believed he had reached Asia. Columbus himself is revealed as a fascinating and contradictory figure, fluctuating from awed enthusiasm to paranoia and eccentric geographical speculation. Prey to petty quarrels with his officers, his pious desire to bring Christian civilization to 'savages' matched by his rapacity for gold, Columbus was nonetheless an explorer and seaman of staggering vision and achievement.

"Well-produced and appealing readalong...expressive narration and appropriate music and sound effects...Sure bet for story time or home." - Booklist

Some myths don't die, and lies are still being told about Christopher Columbus: that he 'discovered' the Americas, that the land was sparsely populated by native people, that those people were primitive and that they submitted to Columbus's 'God-like' authority. Loewen disproves the myths about Columbus still enshrined in American textbooks with quotations from primary source material that sets the record straight. The poster and accompanying 48-page paperback book sum up the mistellings - and reveal the real story - in a graphically appealing and accessible format.

Why did Columbus want to reach the New World--and was he the first to cross the Atlantic Ocean? What was life like on one of his ships? What did America look like before Columbus arrived? How did Columbus treat the native people? The engaging story of Columbus's voyage and the effect his arrival had on the native people will fascinate kids.