Christopher Columbus: From Merchant's Son to Obsessed Explorer

Christopher Columbus spent decades in agonizing pain that ultimately led to his death. Doctors at the time attributed it to gout, but modern historians suggest a more disturbing cause. This is the first part of a deeper look at Columbus's life, covering his origins, his ambitions, and the miscalculations that almost ended his career before it started.

Early Life and Ambition

Born in 1451 to a Genoese wool-weaver named Dominico Colombo, Columbus had what historians describe as a standard upbringing for a merchant's son in the Republic of Genoa. But he always had his eye on the next rung. By his late twenties, he was traveling around Europe trading for the wealthiest families in the Republic.

In 1479, Columbus married Filippa Moniz Perestrello, the daughter of a Portuguese Knight of the Order of Santiago. Through her father, Filippa had connections to Prince John of Portugal and Prince Henry the Navigator. It was a significant step up for a merchant's son.

Columbus was aware of her social standing, but he was also aware that she was past what was then considered her prime at around 25, and that her widowed mother had little money. Filippa gave him a son, Diego, soon after their marriage, but Columbus was rarely home to watch the boy grow up. He pushed his trading to the west coast of Africa, traveling as far as present-day Ghana. When he returned, he learned Filippa had died from an unknown cause before reaching 30. He settled her affairs, collected his money, and took his young son.

The Westward Plan

Columbus was convinced that sailing west by sea was the best route to reach Asia, an alternative to the overland Silk Road that had enriched Europeans for centuries. He had other motives beyond trade. He was obsessed with gold and viewed the pursuit as a holy mission, writing that he dreamed of acquiring gold "in such quantity that the sovereigns will undertake and prepare to go conquer the holy sepulchre."

This is where Columbus made his biggest mistake. Contrary to the popular myth, people of his era knew the Earth was round. Several accurate calculations of its circumference had existed since antiquity. But Columbus favored the wrong theories and underestimated the Earth's size by a third. When he presented his plan to King John II of Portugal, the king's advisers rejected it immediately because his math was clearly wrong. They understood that the true distance to the Far East via a western route would be far too long for any 15th-century ship.

No one wanted to fund him, but his persistence eventually paid off. Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile also had their committee dismiss the idea, but they kept Columbus on a small retainer to prevent another kingdom from getting lucky on his long-shot bet. During this period, while lobbying in Cordoba, Columbus met 20-year-old Beatriz Enriquez de Arana and took her as his mistress. She gave birth to his illegitimate son shortly after.

Key Takeaways

• Columbus was an ambitious social climber who married strategically and treated personal relationships as professional opportunities
• His plan to sail west was based on faulty math that underestimated the Earth's circumference by a third
• Ferdinand and Isabella funded him not out of belief, but as a hedge against another kingdom benefiting from his gamble