3-21 Christopher Columbus

As a child, Christopher Columbus lived in Italy near the sea.  He watched as ships sailed off and, one day, he wanted to sail his own ship.   When he grew up, Columbus wanted to find a short way to sail to the "Indies".  He wanted to bring back spices, silks, and gold.  Columbus went to the King and Queen of Spain and asked for ships and sailors to make his journey.  At first, the king and queen did not give him permission but later they said yes.

On August 3, 1492, Columbus sailed west from Spain in hopes of finding riches in China and India.  He sailed with 90 sailors and three small ships that were called the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria.  Columbus and his crew spent many long, hard days at sea.  Finally, on October 12, 1492 land was spotted.  Columbus landed and met the people who lived there and called them "Indians" because he thought that he had landed in the East Indies.  Columbus did not land in the Indies.  He had landed in the New World called the Americas.  The people Columbus met were Native Americans.

Some people say that Columbus discovered America.  That isn't entirely true because Native Americans had been living in the Americas long before Columbus ever arrived.  The voyage of Columbus was important, however, because people now knew that the Americas existed, or were real.  The voyages of Columbus led the way for many other explorers to visit the Americas and other lands.  For this, we remember Christopher Columbus every year on October 12th.

Use the above information to complete the following statements.

1.  Christopher Columbus always wanted to his own ship.

2.  Columbus wanted to sail to the Indies and bring back spices, silks, and .

3.  The King and Queen of gave Columbus permission to set sail.

4.  "In fourteen hundred and ninety Columbus sailed the ocean blue."

5.  In what direction did Columbus sail?

  north

  south

  east

  west

6.  Columbus sailed with three ships called the Nina, the , and the Santa Maria.

7.  On October 12, 1492 Columbus landed where?

  India

  The Indies

  The Americas

  Spain

8.  After landing, Columbus named the people he met there

  Native Americans

  Indians

  Europeans

  Americans

9.   Americans had been living in the Americas long before Columbus arrived.

10.  We remember Christopher Columbus on what day of the year?

  August 3rd

  October 12th

  October 13th

  November 12th