columbus first voyage dates

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History Resources

Columbus reports on his first voyage, 1493

A spotlight on a primary source by christopher columbus.

On August 3, 1492, Columbus set sail from Spain to find an all-water route to Asia. On October 12, more than two months later, Columbus landed on an island in the Bahamas that he called San Salvador; the natives called it Guanahani.

For nearly five months, Columbus explored the Caribbean, particularly the islands of Juana (Cuba) and Hispaniola (Santo Domingo), before returning to Spain. He left thirty-nine men to build a settlement called La Navidad in present-day Haiti. He also kidnapped several Native Americans (between ten and twenty-five) to take back to Spain—only eight survived. Columbus brought back small amounts of gold as well as native birds and plants to show the richness of the continent he believed to be Asia.

When Columbus arrived back in Spain on March 15, 1493, he immediately wrote a letter announcing his discoveries to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, who had helped finance his trip. The letter was written in Spanish and sent to Rome, where it was printed in Latin by Stephan Plannck. Plannck mistakenly left Queen Isabella’s name out of the pamphlet’s introduction but quickly realized his error and reprinted the pamphlet a few days later. The copy shown here is the second, corrected edition of the pamphlet.

The Latin printing of this letter announced the existence of the American continent throughout Europe. “I discovered many islands inhabited by numerous people. I took possession of all of them for our most fortunate King by making public proclamation and unfurling his standard, no one making any resistance,” Columbus wrote.

In addition to announcing his momentous discovery, Columbus’s letter also provides observations of the native people’s culture and lack of weapons, noting that “they are destitute of arms, which are entirely unknown to them, and for which they are not adapted; not on account of any bodily deformity, for they are well made, but because they are timid and full of terror.” Writing that the natives are “fearful and timid . . . guileless and honest,” Columbus declares that the land could easily be conquered by Spain, and the natives “might become Christians and inclined to love our King and Queen and Princes and all the people of Spain.”

An English translation of this document is available.

I have determined to write you this letter to inform you of everything that has been done and discovered in this voyage of mine.

On the thirty-third day after leaving Cadiz I came into the Indian Sea, where I discovered many islands inhabited by numerous people. I took possession of all of them for our most fortunate King by making public proclamation and unfurling his standard, no one making any resistance. The island called Juana, as well as the others in its neighborhood, is exceedingly fertile. It has numerous harbors on all sides, very safe and wide, above comparison with any I have ever seen. Through it flow many very broad and health-giving rivers; and there are in it numerous very lofty mountains. All these island are very beautiful, and of quite different shapes; easy to be traversed, and full of the greatest variety of trees reaching to the stars. . . .

In the island, which I have said before was called Hispana , there are very lofty and beautiful mountains, great farms, groves and fields, most fertile both for cultivation and for pasturage, and well adapted for constructing buildings. The convenience of the harbors in this island, and the excellence of the rivers, in volume and salubrity, surpass human belief, unless on should see them. In it the trees, pasture-lands and fruits different much from those of Juana. Besides, this Hispana abounds in various kinds of species, gold and metals. The inhabitants . . . are all, as I said before, unprovided with any sort of iron, and they are destitute of arms, which are entirely unknown to them, and for which they are not adapted; not on account of any bodily deformity, for they are well made, but because they are timid and full of terror. . . . But when they see that they are safe, and all fear is banished, they are very guileless and honest, and very liberal of all they have. No one refuses the asker anything that he possesses; on the contrary they themselves invite us to ask for it. They manifest the greatest affection towards all of us, exchanging valuable things for trifles, content with the very least thing or nothing at all. . . . I gave them many beautiful and pleasing things, which I had brought with me, for no return whatever, in order to win their affection, and that they might become Christians and inclined to love our King and Queen and Princes and all the people of Spain; and that they might be eager to search for and gather and give to us what they abound in and we greatly need.

Questions for Discussion

Read the document introduction and transcript in order to answer these questions.

• Columbus described the Natives he first encountered as “timid and full of fear.” Why did he then capture some Natives and bring them aboard his ships?
• Imagine the thoughts of the Europeans as they first saw land in the “New World.” What do you think would have been their most immediate impression? Explain your answer.
• Which of the items Columbus described would have been of most interest to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella? Why?
• Why did Columbus describe the islands and their inhabitants in great detail?
• It is said that this voyage opened the period of the “Columbian Exchange.” Why do you think that term has been attached to this period of time?

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The Ages of Exploration

Christopher columbus, age of discovery.

Quick Facts:

He is credited for discovering the Americas in 1492, although we know today people were there long before him; his real achievement was that he opened the door for more exploration to a New World.

Name : Christopher Columbus [Kri-stə-fər] [Kə-luhm-bəs]

Birth/Death : 1451 - 1506

Nationality : Italian

Birthplace : Genoa, Italy

Christopher Columbus leaving Palos, Spain

Christopher Columbus aboard the "Santa Maria" leaving Palos, Spain on his first voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. The Mariners' Museum 1933.0746.000001

Introduction We know that In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue. But what did he actually discover? Christopher Columbus (also known as (Cristoforo Colombo [Italian]; Cristóbal Colón [Spanish]) was an Italian explorer credited with the “discovery” of the America’s. The purpose for his voyages was to find a passage to Asia by sailing west. Never actually accomplishing this mission, his explorations mostly included the Caribbean and parts of Central and South America, all of which were already inhabited by Native groups.

Biography Early Life Christopher Columbus was born in Genoa, part of present-day Italy, in 1451. His parents’ names were Dominico Colombo and Susanna Fontanarossa. He had three brothers: Bartholomew, Giovanni, and Giacomo; and a sister named Bianchinetta. Christopher became an apprentice in his father’s wool weaving business, but he also studied mapmaking and sailing as well. He eventually left his father’s business to join the Genoese fleet and sail on the Mediterranean Sea. 1 After one of his ships wrecked off the coast of Portugal, he decided to remain there with his younger brother Bartholomew where he worked as a cartographer (mapmaker) and bookseller. Here, he married Doña Felipa Perestrello e Moniz and had two sons Diego and Fernando.

Christopher Columbus owned a copy of Marco Polo’s famous book, and it gave him a love for exploration. In the mid 15th century, Portugal was desperately trying to find a faster trade route to Asia. Exotic goods such as spices, ivory, silk, and gems were popular items of trade. However, Europeans often had to travel through the Middle East to reach Asia. At this time, Muslim nations imposed high taxes on European travels crossing through. 2 This made it both difficult and expensive to reach Asia. There were rumors from other sailors that Asia could be reached by sailing west. Hearing this, Christopher Columbus decided to try and make this revolutionary journey himself. First, he needed ships and supplies, which required money that he did not have. He went to King John of Portugal who turned him down. He then went to the rulers of England, and France. Each declined his request for funding. After seven years of trying, he was finally sponsored by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain.

Voyages Principal Voyage Columbus’ voyage departed in August of 1492 with 87 men sailing on three ships: the Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa María. Columbus commanded the Santa María, while the Niña was led by Vicente Yanez Pinzon and the Pinta by Martin Pinzon. 3 This was the first of his four trips. He headed west from Spain across the Atlantic Ocean. On October 12 land was sighted. He gave the first island he landed on the name San Salvador, although the native population called it Guanahani. 4 Columbus believed that he was in Asia, but was actually in the Caribbean. He even proposed that the island of Cuba was a part of China. Since he thought he was in the Indies, he called the native people “Indians.” In several letters he wrote back to Spain, he described the landscape and his encounters with the natives. He continued sailing throughout the Caribbean and named many islands he encountered after his ship, king, and queen: La Isla de Santa María de Concepción, Fernandina, and Isabella.

It is hard to determine specifically which islands Columbus visited on this voyage. His descriptions of the native peoples, geography, and plant life do give us some clues though. One place we do know he stopped was in present-day Haiti. He named the island Hispaniola. Hispaniola today includes both Haiti and the Dominican Republic. In January of 1493, Columbus sailed back to Europe to report what he found. Due to rough seas, he was forced to land in Portugal, an unfortunate event for Columbus. With relations between Spain and Portugal strained during this time, Ferdinand and Isabella suspected that Columbus was taking valuable information or maybe goods to Portugal, the country he had lived in for several years. Those who stood against Columbus would later use this as an argument against him. Eventually, Columbus was allowed to return to Spain bringing with him tobacco, turkey, and some new spices. He also brought with him several natives of the islands, of whom Queen Isabella grew very fond.

Subsequent Voyages Columbus took three other similar trips to this region. His second voyage in 1493 carried a large fleet with the intention of conquering the native populations and establishing colonies. At one point, the natives attacked and killed the settlers left at Fort Navidad. Over time the colonists enslaved many of the natives, sending some to Europe and using many to mine gold for the Spanish settlers in the Caribbean. The third trip was to explore more of the islands and mainland South America further. Columbus was appointed the governor of Hispaniola, but the colonists, upset with Columbus’ leadership appealed to the rulers of Spain, who sent a new governor: Francisco de Bobadilla. Columbus was taken prisoner on board a ship and sent back to Spain.

On his fourth and final journey west in 1502 Columbus’s goal was to find the “Strait of Malacca,” to try to find India. But a hurricane, then being denied entrance to Hispaniola, and then another storm made this an unfortunate trip. His ship was so badly damaged that he and his crew were stranded on Jamaica for two years until help from Hispaniola finally arrived. In 1504, Columbus and his men were taken back to Spain .

Later Years and Death Columbus reached Spain in November 1504. He was not in good health. He spent much of the last of his life writing letters to obtain the percentage of wealth overdue to be paid to him, and trying to re-attain his governorship status, but was continually denied both. Columbus died at Valladolid on May 20, 1506, due to illness and old age. Even until death, he still firmly believing that he had traveled to the eastern part of Asia.

Legacy Columbus never made it to Asia, nor did he truly discover America. His “re-discovery,” however, inspired a new era of exploration of the American continents by Europeans. Perhaps his greatest contribution was that his voyages opened an exchange of goods between Europe and the Americas both during and long after his journeys. 5 Despite modern criticism of his treatment of the native peoples there is no denying that his expeditions changed both Europe and America. Columbus day was made a federal holiday in 1971. It is recognized on the second Monday of October.

• Fergus Fleming, Off the Map: Tales of Endurance and Exploration (New York: Grove Press, 2004), 30.
• Fleming, Off the Map, 30
• William D. Phillips and Carla Rahn Phillips, The Worlds of Christopher Columbus (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1993), 142-143.
• Phillips and Phillips, The Worlds of Christopher Columbus, 155.
• Robin S. Doak, Christopher Columbus: Explorer of the New World (Minneapolis: Compass Point Books, 2005), 92.

Bibliography

Doak, Robin. Christopher Columbus: Explorer of the New World. Minneapolis: Compass Point Books, 2005.

Fleming, Fergus. Off the Map: Tales of Endurance and Exploration. New York: Grove Press, 2004.

Phillips, William D., and Carla Rahn Phillips. The Worlds of Christopher Columbus. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1993.

Map of Voyages

Click below to view an example of the explorer’s voyages. Use the tabs on the left to view either 1 or multiple journeys at a time, and click on the icons to learn more about the stops, sites, and activities along the way.

• Original "EXPLORATION through the AGES" site
• The Mariners' Educational Programs

HISTORIC ARTICLE

Aug 3, 1492 ce: columbus sets sail.

On August 3, 1492, Italian explorer Christopher Columbus started his voyage across the Atlantic Ocean.

Geography, Human Geography, Social Studies, U.S. History, World History

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On August 3, 1492, Italian explorer Christopher Columbus started his voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. With a crew of 90 men and three ships—the Niña, Pinta, and Santa Maria—he left from Palos de la Frontera, Spain. Columbus reasoned that since the world is round, he could sail west to reach “the east” (the lucrative lands of India and China). That reasoning was actually sound, but the Earth is much larger than Columbus thought—large enough for him to run into two enormous continents (the “New World” of the Americas) mostly unknown to Europeans. Columbus made it to what is now the Bahamas in 61 days. He initially thought his plan was successful and the ships had reached India. In fact, he called the indigenous people “Indians,” an inaccurate name that unfortunately stuck.

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October 19, 2023

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Christopher Columbus

Italian explorer Christopher Columbus discovered the “New World” of the Americas on an expedition sponsored by King Ferdinand of Spain in 1492.

c. 1451-1506

Quick Facts

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Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer and navigator. In 1492, he sailed across the Atlantic Ocean from Spain in the Santa Maria , with the Pinta and the Niña ships alongside, hoping to find a new route to Asia. Instead, he and his crew landed on an island in present-day Bahamas—claiming it for Spain and mistakenly “discovering” the Americas. Between 1493 and 1504, he made three more voyages to the Caribbean and South America, believing until his death that he had found a shorter route to Asia. Columbus has been credited—and blamed—for opening up the Americas to European colonization.

FULL NAME: Cristoforo Colombo BORN: c. 1451 DIED: May 20, 1506 BIRTHPLACE: Genoa, Italy SPOUSE: Filipa Perestrelo (c. 1479-1484) CHILDREN: Diego and Fernando

Christopher Columbus, whose real name was Cristoforo Colombo, was born in 1451 in the Republic of Genoa, part of what is now Italy. He is believed to have been the son of Dominico Colombo and Susanna Fontanarossa and had four siblings: brothers Bartholomew, Giovanni, and Giacomo, and a sister named Bianchinetta. He was an apprentice in his father’s wool weaving business and studied sailing and mapmaking.

In his 20s, Columbus moved to Lisbon, Portugal, and later resettled in Spain, which remained his home base for the duration of his life.

Columbus first went to sea as a teenager, participating in several trading voyages in the Mediterranean and Aegean seas. One such voyage, to the island of Khios, in modern-day Greece, brought him the closest he would ever come to Asia.

His first voyage into the Atlantic Ocean in 1476 nearly cost him his life, as the commercial fleet he was sailing with was attacked by French privateers off the coast of Portugal. His ship was burned, and Columbus had to swim to the Portuguese shore.

He made his way to Lisbon, where he eventually settled and married Filipa Perestrelo. The couple had one son, Diego, around 1480. His wife died when Diego was a young boy, and Columbus moved to Spain. He had a second son, Fernando, who was born out of wedlock in 1488 with Beatriz Enriquez de Arana.

After participating in several other expeditions to Africa, Columbus learned about the Atlantic currents that flow east and west from the Canary Islands.

The Asian islands near China and India were fabled for their spices and gold, making them an attractive destination for Europeans—but Muslim domination of the trade routes through the Middle East made travel eastward difficult.

Columbus devised a route to sail west across the Atlantic to reach Asia, believing it would be quicker and safer. He estimated the earth to be a sphere and the distance between the Canary Islands and Japan to be about 2,300 miles.

Many of Columbus’ contemporary nautical experts disagreed. They adhered to the (now known to be accurate) second-century BCE estimate of the Earth’s circumference at 25,000 miles, which made the actual distance between the Canary Islands and Japan about 12,200 statute miles. Despite their disagreement with Columbus on matters of distance, they concurred that a westward voyage from Europe would be an uninterrupted water route.

Columbus proposed a three-ship voyage of discovery across the Atlantic first to the Portuguese king, then to Genoa, and finally to Venice. He was rejected each time. In 1486, he went to the Spanish monarchy of Queen Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon. Their focus was on a war with the Muslims, and their nautical experts were skeptical, so they initially rejected Columbus.

The idea, however, must have intrigued the monarchs, because they kept Columbus on a retainer. Columbus continued to lobby the royal court, and soon, the Spanish army captured the last Muslim stronghold in Granada in January 1492. Shortly thereafter, the monarchs agreed to finance his expedition.

In late August 1492, Columbus left Spain from the port of Palos de la Frontera. He was sailing with three ships: Columbus in the larger Santa Maria (a type of ship known as a carrack), with the Pinta and the Niña (both Portuguese-style caravels) alongside.

On October 12, 1492, after 36 days of sailing westward across the Atlantic, Columbus and several crewmen set foot on an island in present-day Bahamas, claiming it for Spain.

There, his crew encountered a timid but friendly group of natives who were open to trade with the sailors. They exchanged glass beads, cotton balls, parrots, and spears. The Europeans also noticed bits of gold the natives wore for adornment.

Columbus and his men continued their journey, visiting the islands of Cuba (which he thought was mainland China) and Hispaniola (now Haiti and the Dominican Republic, which Columbus thought might be Japan) and meeting with the leaders of the native population.

During this time, the Santa Maria was wrecked on a reef off the coast of Hispaniola. With the help of some islanders, Columbus’ men salvaged what they could and built the settlement Villa de la Navidad (“Christmas Town”) with lumber from the ship.

Thirty-nine men stayed behind to occupy the settlement. Convinced his exploration had reached Asia, he set sail for home with the two remaining ships. Returning to Spain in 1493, Columbus gave a glowing but somewhat exaggerated report and was warmly received by the royal court.

In 1493, Columbus took to the seas on his second expedition and explored more islands in the Caribbean Ocean. Upon arrival at Hispaniola, Columbus and his crew discovered the Navidad settlement had been destroyed with all the sailors massacred.

Spurning the wishes of the local queen, Columbus established a forced labor policy upon the native population to rebuild the settlement and explore for gold, believing it would be profitable. His efforts produced small amounts of gold and great hatred among the native population.

Before returning to Spain, Columbus left his brothers Bartholomew and Giacomo to govern the settlement on Hispaniola and sailed briefly around the larger Caribbean islands, further convincing himself he had discovered the outer islands of China.

It wasn’t until his third voyage that Columbus actually reached the South American mainland, exploring the Orinoco River in present-day Venezuela. By this time, conditions at the Hispaniola settlement had deteriorated to the point of near-mutiny, with settlers claiming they had been misled by Columbus’ claims of riches and complaining about the poor management of his brothers.

The Spanish Crown sent a royal official who arrested Columbus and stripped him of his authority. He returned to Spain in chains to face the royal court. The charges were later dropped, but Columbus lost his titles as governor of the Indies and, for a time, much of the riches made during his voyages.

After convincing King Ferdinand that one more voyage would bring the abundant riches promised, Columbus went on his fourth and final voyage across the Atlantic Ocean in 1502. This time he traveled along the eastern coast of Central America in an unsuccessful search for a route to the Indian Ocean.

A storm wrecked one of his ships, stranding the captain and his sailors on the island of Cuba. During this time, local islanders, tired of the Spaniards’ poor treatment and obsession with gold, refused to give them food.

In a spark of inspiration, Columbus consulted an almanac and devised a plan to “punish” the islanders by taking away the moon. On February 29, 1504, a lunar eclipse alarmed the natives enough to re-establish trade with the Spaniards. A rescue party finally arrived, sent by the royal governor of Hispaniola in July, and Columbus and his men were taken back to Spain in November 1504.

In the two remaining years of his life, Columbus struggled to recover his reputation. Although he did regain some of his riches in May 1505, his titles were never returned.

Columbus probably died of severe arthritis following an infection on May 20, 1506, in Valladolid, Spain. At the time of his death, he still believed he had discovered a shorter route to Asia.

There are questions about the location of his burial site. According to the BBC , Columbus’ remains moved at least three or four times over the course of 400 years—including from Valladolid to Seville, Spain, in 1509; then to Santo Domingo, in what is now the Dominican Republic, in 1537; then to Havana, Cuba, in 1795; and back to Seville in 1898. As a result, Seville and Santo Domingo have both laid claim to being Columbus’ true burial site. It is also possible his bones were mixed up with another person’s amid all of their travels.

In May 2014, Columbus made headlines as news broke that a team of archaeologists might have found the Santa Maria off the north coast of Haiti. Barry Clifford, the leader of this expedition, told the Independent newspaper that “all geographical, underwater topography and archaeological evidence strongly suggests this wreck is Columbus’ famous flagship the Santa Maria.”

After a thorough investigation by the U.N. agency UNESCO, it was determined the wreck dates from a later period and was located too far from shore to be the famed ship.

Columbus has been credited for opening up the Americas to European colonization—as well as blamed for the destruction of the native peoples of the islands he explored. Ultimately, he failed to find that what he set out for: a new route to Asia and the riches it promised.

In what is known as the Columbian Exchange, Columbus’ expeditions set in motion the widespread transfer of people, plants, animals, diseases, and cultures that greatly affected nearly every society on the planet.

The horse from Europe allowed Native American tribes in the Great Plains of North America to shift from a nomadic to a hunting lifestyle. Wheat from the Old World fast became a main food source for people in the Americas. Coffee from Africa and sugar cane from Asia became major cash crops for Latin American countries. And foods from the Americas, such as potatoes, tomatoes and corn, became staples for Europeans and helped increase their populations.

The Columbian Exchange also brought new diseases to both hemispheres, though the effects were greatest in the Americas. Smallpox from the Old World killed millions, decimating the Native American populations to mere fractions of their original numbers. This more than any other factor allowed for European domination of the Americas.

The overwhelming benefits of the Columbian Exchange went to the Europeans initially and eventually to the rest of the world. The Americas were forever altered, and the once vibrant cultures of the Indigenous civilizations were changed and lost, denying the world any complete understanding of their existence.

As more Italians began to immigrate to the United States and settle in major cities during the 19 th century, they were subject to religious and ethnic discrimination. This included a mass lynching of 11 Sicilian immigrants in 1891 in New Orleans.

Just one year after this horrific event, President Benjamin Harrison called for the first national observance of Columbus Day on October 12, 1892, to mark the 400 th anniversary of his arrival in the Americas. Italian-Americans saw this honorary act for Columbus as a way of gaining acceptance.

Colorado became the first state to officially observe Columbus Day in 1906 and, within five years, 14 other states followed. Thanks to a joint resolution of Congress, the day officially became a federal holiday in 1934 during the administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt . In 1970, Congress declared the holiday would fall on the second Monday in October each year.

But as Columbus’ legacy—specifically, his exploration’s impacts on Indigenous civilizations—began to draw more criticism, more people chose not to take part. As of 2023, approximately 29 states no longer celebrate Columbus Day , and around 195 cities have renamed it or replaced with the alternative Indigenous Peoples Day. The latter isn’t an official holiday, but the federal government recognized its observance in 2022 and 2023. President Joe Biden called it “a day in honor of our diverse history and the Indigenous peoples who contribute to shaping this nation.”

One of the most notable cities to move away from celebrating Columbus Day in recent years is the state capital of Columbus, Ohio, which is named after the explorer. In 2018, Mayor Andrew Ginther announced the city would remain open on Columbus Day and instead celebrate a holiday on Veterans Day. In July 2020, the city also removed a 20-plus-foot metal statue of Columbus from the front of City Hall.

• I went to sea from the most tender age and have continued in a sea life to this day. Whoever gives himself up to this art wants to know the secrets of Nature here below. It is more than forty years that I have been thus engaged. Wherever any one has sailed, there I have sailed.
• Speaking of myself, little profit had I won from twenty years of service, during which I have served with so great labors and perils, for today I have no roof over my head in Castile; if I wish to sleep or eat, I have no place to which to go, save an inn or tavern, and most often, I lack the wherewithal to pay the score.
• They say that there is in that land an infinite amount of gold; and that the people wear corals on their heads and very large bracelets of coral on their feet and arms; and that with coral they adorn and inlay chairs and chests and tables.
• This island and all the others are very fertile to a limitless degree, and this island is extremely so. In it there are many harbors on the coast of the sea, beyond comparison with others that I know in Christendom, and many rivers, good and large, which is marvelous.
• Our Almighty God has shown me the highest favor, which, since David, he has not shown to anybody.
• Already the road is opened to gold and pearls, and it may surely be hoped that precious stones, spices, and a thousand other things, will also be found.
• I have now seen so much irregularity, that I have come to another conclusion respecting the earth, namely, that it is not round as they describe, but of the form of a pear.
• In all the countries visited by your Highnesses’ ships, I have caused a high cross to be fixed upon every headland and have proclaimed, to every nation that I have discovered, the lofty estate of your Highnesses and of your court in Spain.
• I ought to be judged as a captain sent from Spain to the Indies, to conquer a nation numerous and warlike, with customs and religions altogether different to ours.

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This Day In History : October 12

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Columbus reaches the “New World”

After sailing across the Atlantic Ocean, Italian explorer Christopher Columbus sights a Bahamian island on October 12, 1492, believing he has reached East Asia. His expedition went ashore the same day and claimed the land for Isabella and Ferdinand of Spain , who sponsored his attempt to find a western ocean route to China, India, and the fabled gold and spice islands of Asia.

Columbus was born in Genoa, Italy, in 1451. Little is known of his early life, but he worked as a seaman and then a maritime entrepreneur. He became obsessed with the possibility of pioneering a western sea route to Cathay (China), India, and the gold and spice islands of Asia. At the time, Europeans knew no direct sea route to southern Asia, and the route via Egypt and the Red Sea was closed to Europeans by the Ottoman Empire , as were many land routes.

Contrary to popular legend, educated Europeans of Columbus’ day did believe that the world was round, as argued by St. Isidore in the seventh century. However, Columbus, and most others, underestimated the world’s size, calculating that East Asia must lie approximately where North America sits on the globe (they did not yet know that the Pacific Ocean existed).

With only the Atlantic Ocean, he thought, lying between Europe and the riches of the East Indies, Columbus met with King John II of Portugal and tried to persuade him to back his “Enterprise of the Indies,” as he called his plan. He was rebuffed and went to Spain, where he was also rejected at least twice by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. However, after the Spanish conquest of the Moorish kingdom of Granada in January 1492, the Spanish monarchs, flush with victory, agreed to support his voyage.

On August 3, 1492, Columbus set sail from Palos, Spain, with three small ships, the Santa Maria, the Pinta  and the Nina . On October 12, the expedition reached land, probably Watling Island in the Bahamas. Later that month, Columbus sighted Cuba, which he thought was mainland China, and in December the expedition landed on Hispaniola, which Columbus thought might be Japan. He established a small colony there with 39 of his men. The explorer returned to Spain with gold, spices, and “Indian” captives in March 1493 and was received with the highest honors by the Spanish court. He was the first European to explore the Americas since the Vikings set up colonies in Greenland and Newfoundland in the 10th century.

During his lifetime, Columbus led a total of four expeditions to the "New World," exploring various Caribbean islands, the Gulf of Mexico, and the South and Central American mainlands, but he never accomplished his original goal—a western ocean route to the great cities of Asia. Columbus died in Spain in 1506 without realizing the scope of what he did achieve: He had discovered for Europe the New World, whose riches over the next century would help make Spain the wealthiest and most powerful nation on earth. He also unleashed centuries of brutal colonization, the transatlantic slave trade and the deaths of millions of Native Americans from murder and disease.

Columbus was honored with a U.S. federal holiday in 1937. Since 1991, many cities, universities and a growing number of states have adopted Indigenous Peoples’ Day , a holiday that celebrates the history and contributions of Native Americans. Not by coincidence, the occasion usually falls on Columbus Day , the second Monday in October, or replaces the holiday entirely. Why replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day? Some argue that the holiday overlooks Columbus' enslavement of Native Americans—while giving him credit for “discovering” a place where people already lived.

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Conscientious objector awarded Medal of Honor

Racial violence breaks out aboard u.s. navy ships, thomas jefferson composes romantic letter, john denver dies in an aircraft accident, al gore wins nobel prize in the wake of "an inconvenient truth", fire rages in minnesota, matthew shepard, victim of anti-gay hate crime, dies, nikita khrushchev allegedly brandishes his shoe at the united nations, robert e. lee dies.

The Second Voyage of Christopher Columbus

Second Voyage Adds Colonization and Trading Posts to Exploration Goals

Preparations for the Second Voyage

Dominica, guadalupe and the antilles, hispaniola and the fate of la navidad, cuba and jamaica, columbus as governor, the start of the enslaved indigenous peoples trade, people of note in columbus’ second voyage, historical importance of the second voyage.

• Ph.D., Spanish, Ohio State University
• M.A., Spanish, University of Montana
• B.A., Spanish, Penn State University

Christopher Columbus returned from his first voyage in March 1493, having discovered the New World—although he didn’t know it. He still believed that he had found some uncharted islands near Japan or China and that further exploration was needed. His first voyage had been a bit of a fiasco, as he had lost one of the three ships entrusted to him and he did not bring back much in the way of gold or other valuable items. He did, however, bring back a group of Indigenous people he had enslaved on the island of Hispaniola, and he was able to convince the Spanish crown to finance the second voyage of discovery and colonization.

The second voyage was to be a large-scale colonization and exploration project. Columbus was given 17 ships and over 1,000 men. Included on this voyage, for the first time, were European domesticated animals such as pigs, horses, and cattle. Columbus’ orders were to expand the settlement on Hispaniola, convert the population of Indigenous people to Christianity, establish a trading post, and continue his explorations in search of China or Japan. The fleet set sail on October 13, 1493, and made excellent time, first sighting land on November 3.

The island first sighted was named Dominica by Columbus, a name it retains to this day. Columbus and some of his men visited the island, but it was inhabited by fierce Caribs and they did not stay very long. Moving on, they discovered and explored a number of small islands, including Guadalupe, Montserrat, Redondo, Antigua, and several others in the Leeward Islands and Lesser Antilles chains. He also visited Puerto Rico before making his way back to Hispaniola.

Columbus had wrecked one of his three ships the year of his first voyage. He had been forced to leave 39 of his men behind on Hispaniola, in a small settlement named La Navidad . Upon returning to the island, Columbus discovered that the men he left had raped Indigenous women and angered the population. Indigenous people had then attacked the settlement, slaughtering the Europeans to the last man. Columbus, consulting his Indigenous chieftain ally Guacanagarí, laid the blame on Caonabo, a rival chief. Columbus and his men attacked, routing Caonabo and capturing and enslaving many of the people.

Columbus founded the town of Isabella on the northern coast of Hispaniola, and spent the next five months or so getting the settlement established and exploring the island. Building a town in a steamy land with inadequate provisions is hard work, and many of the men became sick and died. It reached the point where a group of settlers, led by Bernal de Pisa, attempted to capture and make off with several ships and go back to Spain: Columbus learned of the revolt and punished the plotters. The settlement of Isabella remained but never thrived. It was abandoned in 1496 in favor of a new site, now Santo Domingo .

Columbus left the settlement of Isabella in the hands of his brother Diego in April, setting out to explore the region further. He reached Cuba (which he had discovered on his first voyage) on April 30 and explored it for several days before moving on to Jamaica on May 5. He spent the next few weeks exploring the treacherous shoals around Cuba and searching in vain for the mainland. Discouraged, he returned to Isabella on August 20, 1494.

Columbus had been appointed governor and Viceroy of the new lands by the Spanish crown, and for the next year and a half, he attempted to do his job. Unfortunately, Columbus was a good ship’s captain but a lousy administrator, and those colonists that still survived grew to hate him. The gold they had been promised never materialized and Columbus kept most of what little wealth was found for himself. Supplies began running out, and in March of 1496 Columbus returned to Spain to ask for more resources to keep the struggling colony alive.

Columbus brought back many enslaved Indigenous people with him. Columbus, who had once again promised gold and trade routes, did not want to return to Spain empty-handed. Queen Isabella , appalled, decreed that the New World Indigenous people were subjects of the Spanish crown and therefore could not be enslaved. However, the practice of enslaving Indigenous populations continued.

• Ramón Pané was a Catalan priest who lived among the Taíno people for about four years and produced a short but very important ethnographic history of their culture.
• Francisco de Las Casas was an adventurer whose son Bartolomé was destined to become very important in the fight for the rights of Indigenous people.
• Diego Velázquez was a conquistador who later became governor of Cuba.
• Juan de la Cosa was an explorer and cartographer who produced several important early maps of the Americas.
• Juan Ponce de León would become governor of Puerto Rico but was most famous for his journey to Florida in search of the Fountain of Youth .

Columbus’ second voyage marked the start of colonialism in the New World, the social importance of which cannot be overstated. By establishing a permanent foothold, Spain took the first steps toward its mighty empire of the centuries that followed, an empire that was built with New World gold and silver.

When Columbus brought back enslaved Indigenous peoples to Spain, he also caused the question of whether to practice enslavement in the New World to be aired openly, and Queen Isabella decided that her new subjects could not be enslaved. But although Isabella perhaps prevented a few instances of enslavement, the conquest and colonization of the New World was devastating and deadly for Indigenous peoples: their population dropped by approximately 80% between 1492 and the mid-17th century. The drop was caused mainly by the arrival of Old World diseases, but others died as a result of violent conflict or enslavement.

Many of those who sailed with Columbus on his second voyage went on to play very important roles in the trajectory of history in the New World. These first colonists had a significant amount of influence and power over the span of the next few decades.

• Herring, Hubert. A History of Latin America From the Beginnings to the Present . New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1962.
• Thomas, Hugh. "Rivers of Gold: The Rise of the Spanish Empire, from Columbus to Magellan." Hardcover, 1st edition, Random House, June 1, 2004.
• The Third Voyage of Christopher Columbus
• Biography of Christopher Columbus
• 10 Facts About Christopher Columbus
• The Truth About Christopher Columbus
• Biography of Christopher Columbus, Italian Explorer
• La Navidad: First European Settlement in the Americas
• The First New World Voyage of Christopher Columbus (1492)
• Biography of Juan Ponce de León, Conquistador
• The Fourth Voyage of Christopher Columbus
• Biography of Bartolomé de Las Casas, Spanish Colonist
• Biography of Diego Velazquez de Cuellar, Conquistador
• Where Are the Remains of Christopher Columbus?
• The Florida Expeditions of Ponce de Leon
• The Controversy Over Columbus Day Celebrations
• The History of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

NFL draft picks 2024: Tracker, analysis for every selection in first round

The 2024 NFL draft is finally upon us, occurring in downtown Detroit, home – for the first time ever – of the reigning NFC North champion Lions. It's also the first time Motown has hosted the league's marquee offseason event in the common draft era (since 1967).

The league's 89th annual "Player Selection Meeting" did not feature much mystery with its No. 1 pick, but things did get awfully interesting shortly after that thanks a to a crop loaded with big-name offensive stars at the top of Round 1.

USA TODAY Sports analyzed each pick, one through 32, as it was made Thursday night.

2024 NFL draft tracker: First-round picks

1. chicago bears (from carolina panthers): qb caleb williams, usc.

The 2022 Heisman Trophy winner has essentially appeared destined to be the top pick of this draft for about three years, following an impressive debut as a freshman with the University of Oklahoma. But the mystery evaporated entirely when the Bears traded former QB1 Justin Fields to Pittsburgh in March. Now Williams becomes the latest presumed savior for one of the league’s original franchises – one that’s never had a quarterback throw for 4,000 yards or 30 TDs in its century-long-plus existence.

NFL DRAFT HUB: Latest NFL Draft mock drafts, news, live picks, grades and analysis.

However Williams, 22, Chicago’s first No. 1 pick of the common draft era, should certainly be the guy to hit those thresholds and more. His game has been (unfairly) compared to three-time Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes’, though Williams – he measures 6-1, 214 pounds – self-identifies with four-time league MVP Aaron Rodgers. Either way, he has elite arm talent and the ability to make off-platform throws with the highest degree of difficulty, very often a necessity with the depleted Trojans last season. He also possesses ample mobility, though will often scramble in a bid to extend his time to throw rather than just take off down the field. In two years at Southern California, he passed for 8,170 yards, 72 TDs and 10 INTs despite often having to improvise.

Williams will likely have to learn to tamp down his creativity as a rookie in 2024, yet – atypical of most No. 1 picks – he’s stepping into what’s virtually a turnkey operation, especially compared to what Fields was working with for three seasons. Chicago’s offense is stocked with weapons (WRs DJ Moore and Keenan Allen, RB D'Andre Swift, TE Cole Kmet, solid offensive line), while the defense should be a top-10 unit. Every reason to believe Williams should be the capstone to the Bears’ rebuild, the groundwork laid last year when they traded the No. 1 pick to Carolina – the Panthers eventually went with former Alabama QB Bryce Young – for what turned out to be this year’s top selection. And Chicago should legitimately contend for a playoff spot in 2024 after winning five of its final eight games last season to finish 7-10.

2. Washington Commanders: QB Jayden Daniels, LSU

Make that two teams in a row opting for former Heisman winners tasked with settling long-festering quarterback problems. Daniels, 23, who won college football’s most prestigious award last season, projects as this draft’s top dual threat QB – comfortable with picking apart defenses from the pocket or breaking their backs with an 80-yard run. He’s been widely compared to Lamar Jackson, though is a far more advanced passer than the two-time league MVP was at this stage if not quite as electric an open-field runner. The former Arizona State star, who transferred after the 2021 season, took a huge leap for the Tigers in 2023, similar to the one Heisman predecessor Joe Burrow had in 2019, passing for 3,812 yards, 40 TDs and four INTs while rushing for 1,134 yards and 10 scores.

The Commanders will have to do a better job protecting Daniels – and he’ll have to be more judicious about breaking the pocket in the NFL – given the cautionary tale of former Washington QB Robert Griffin III, who was never the same player after tearing up his knee and absorbing heavy contact throughout his 2012 rookie season. (Departed Sam Howell, last year’s QB1 in D.C., was sacked a league-most 65 times.) At 6-4, 210 pounds, Daniels has a slender frame, like RG3, and a tendency to put it in harm’s way while trying to pick up a few extra yards at the end of already profitable plays. It should help him to be teamed with experienced OC Kliff Kingsbury – he’s worked with the likes of Mahomes, Williams and Kyler Murray over the years – and playmakers like WRs Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson and RB Austin Ekeler. Daniels could be the player who exemplifies the reset of a franchise under new ownership and hoping to soon notch its first postseason win in nearly two decades.

3. New England Patriots: QB Drake Maye, North Carolina

With their earliest draft pick of owner Robert Kraft’s three-decade tenure, the Pats attempt for the second time in three years to draft the long-term successor for legendary Tom Brady. (Mac Jones, their Round 1 choice in 2021, was traded to Jacksonville earlier this year.) Only 21, Maye comes with all the physical tools – ideal size (6-4, 223), howitzer arm and bruising open-field running ability, a skill set that evokes comparisons to Justin Herbert and Josh Allen, the latter proving it’s a combo that can work well in the adverse weather conditions of the AFC East. The ACC player of the year in 2022, Maye wasn’t as good last season, though his supporting cast had also deteriorated. Still, he passed for nearly 8,000 yards, 62 TDs and 16 INTs over the past two years for the Tar Heels, running for nearly 1,200 yards and 16 more scores.

Decision-making and some occasionally wildly off-target throws have been issues that need improvement. The Pats also have a lot of work to do around Maye, the left side of the offensive line at issue and no elite players at any of the offensive skill positions. However new director of scouting Eliot Wolf clearly prioritized getting a potential franchise quarterback into the program while knowing veteran QB Jacoby Brissett can start early on if the Patriots opt to hold Maye back once the regular season starts. New England hasn’t won a playoff game since TB12 departed following the 2019 season, but Kraft and Co. are banking Maye can change that … and soon.

This is the fourth time in the draft's common era that quarterbacks have been the first three picks (1971, 1999, 2021).

4. Arizona Cardinals: WR Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State

The first non-quarterback off the board – and arguably the best player in the draft among an amazing group of receivers – “Maserati Marv” immediately becomes the No. 1 wideout on a Cards squad that lost Hollywood Brown during free agency. Yet Harrison, 21, the son of his Hall of Fame namesake, should be a significant step up from Brown as a rookie – especially if he can quickly fulfill his widely cited comparison to Arizona legend Larry Fitzgerald. Big (6-3, 209), fast, precise and competitive, the two-time All-American and 2023 Biletnikoff Award winner as college football’s best wideout, Harrison will beat you with his route running, at the point of the catch or downfield depending on the situation. He’s exceeded 1,200 receiving yards and found the end zone 14 times each of the past two seasons and might be the best to roll off what seems like a Buckeyes wide receiver assembly line. No one’s likely to be happier than Cardinals QB Kyler Murray, who hasn’t had a 1,000-yard target since DeAndre Hopkins in 2020.

Don’t be surprised if Harrison emerges as the 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year. Here’s an assessment from the 2023 Offensive ROY, Texans QB C.J. Stroud, Harrison’s former teammate at Ohio State: “I think I read something like he’s NFL ready, but other guys have more potential. That makes no sense. Like, what? If you’re ‘NFL ready,’ how is that not potential?” Stroud said earlier this month. “For me, I think I would love to play with him again. I probably won’t get that opportunity for a while, but I’m super proud of him. Whoever’s up there (drafting) man, be smart. Don’t be dumb. Don’t think too hard.”

▶ Marvin Harrison Jr. Q&A

5. Los Angeles Chargers: OT Joe Alt, Notre Dame

A massive man (6-9, 321), the unanimous 2023 All-American – and son of legendary Chiefs lineman John Alt – is widely regarded as the best blocker in this draft and a plug-and-play starter. However with Pro Bowler Rashawn Slater seemingly entrenched on the left side for the Bolts, Alt will likely move to right tackle. A team captain, Alt was a highly respected leader in South Bend and certainly a productive one – allowing just one sack total and just a handful of pressures over the past two seasons. QB Justin Herbert, who didn't make it through the 2023 season, can certainly use the added level of protection. But expect this team to run a lot more in 2024 courtesy of its fortified line and new HC Jim Harbaugh's smashmouth philosophy.

6. New York Giants: WR Malik Nabers, LSU

Daniels’ primary target the past two seasons in Baton Rouge, Nabers, who led the SEC in receptions each of the past two seasons, really blossomed during a 2023 All-American campaign (89 catches for 1,569 yards and 14 TDs). As highly regarded as Harrison is, some NFL observers believe Nabers has even more upside. At 6 feet, 200 pounds, he blazed a sub-4.4 40-yard dash at LSU's pro day, though Nabers, 20, claimed it was sub-4.3 on some stopwatches. He should be a highly welcomed addition to embattled QB Daniel Jones, whose contract sets this season up as a make-or-break campaign for him personally. The Giants, who haven’t had a 1,000-yard receiver since Odell Beckham Jr. (also an LSU product) in 2018, badly needed an alpha playmaker after losing RB Saquon Barkley to Philadelphia in free agency.

7. Tennessee Titans: OT JC Latham, Alabama

Maybe not the tackle the Titans had targeted, but Latham should settle in to an O-line that needs the help. Massive at 6-6, 342-pounds, he was a fixture at right tackle for the Crimson Tide and is a mauler who can also play guard. And given the Titans addressed the offensive skill positions in free agency (WR Calvin Ridley, RB Tony Pollard), may as well continue leveling up the line after they made LG Peter Skoronski their first-round pick in 2023. Now Tennessee continues to invest in the protection around second-year QB Will Levis. And don’t forget, new HC Brian Callahan hired his father, legendary O-line coach Bill Callahan, to remediate a front five that surrendered 64 sacks in 2023, tied for most in the AFC.

8. Atlanta Falcons: QB Michael Penix Jr., Washington

This draft's first real shocker given the Falcons just signed veteran QB Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract in free agency. However if not for the four season-ending injuries (one to each of his shoulders and two torn ACLs) he suffered while at Indiana University, Penix would likely have been picked even earlier – especially after two stellar seasons following his transfer to the Huskies. While at UW, Penix threw for more than 9,500 yards with 67 TDs and 19 INTs. His left arm may be the most electric in this draft, and it carried Washington to within a win of the 2023 national title. Before a title game loss to Michigan, Penix showed pro scouts everything they needed to see in a semifinal victory over Texas, lasering the ball all over and through a stout Longhorns defense to the tune of 430 yards and two TDs, from the pocket and outside of it.

Penix (6-2, 216), a first-team All-American last season, will be 24 next month, so you wonder how long he'll sit behind Cousins. But the adversity he faced and experience he gained over six college seasons should help him adjust to a backup role ... however long that is.

9. Bears: WR Rome Odunze, Washington

A first-rounder on the field and off of it, Chicago gets a blue-chip rookie receiver to pair with Caleb Williams. And the Bears, who have been busily building a proper supporting cast for Williams, were dangerously thin at wideout behind DJ Moore and Keenan Allen, who will be 32 by Week 1 and is only under contract for this season. Spectacular as Harrison and Nabers are, plenty of proponents for Odunze, an All-American last year and All-Pac-12 member the past two. The 6-3, 212-pounder has a sterling off-field reputation plus the ball skills and production (92 catches, for 1,640 yards, 13 TDs in 2023) to be a co-WR1 with Moore in 2025 and beyond.

10. Minnesota Vikings (from New York Jets): QB J.J. McCarthy, Michigan

The Vikes ensure they get their guy to replace Kirk Cousins by doing a one-pick flip with the NYJ. One of the more divisive prospects of this draft, considerable debate about whether McCarthy, who’s just 21, was a driving force for the Wolverines’ 27-1 record while he was their starter or if he was largely along for the ride on a team that won the national championship last season. Physically, McCarthy generally has the goods at 6-3 and 219 pounds with more than sufficient arm talent and athleticism to make plays on the move. Though he didn’t throw all that much (more than 5,700 yards, 44 TDs, 9 INTs over past two seasons), he was a money player on third downs and in big games – namely against Ohio State and in the College Football Playoffs. His intangibles and leadership qualities are renowned, especially by his former teammates.

McCarthy's experience in a pro-style offense should also ease his transition to the NFL. What should make it even smoother is joining an offense with All-Pro WR Justin Jefferson, a great line and a highly regarded coach in Kevin O'Connell, a former NFL quarterback. Ultimately, it will be determined if McCarthy can carry on offense or must be carried. In the interim, if he needs more time to prove his readiness to play, veteran QB Sam Darnold is under contract for the 2024 season.  

11. Jets (from Vikings): OT Olumuyiwa Fashanu, Penn State

GM Joe Douglas picks up a fourth- and fifth-rounder to move back one spot in the Minnesota deal. Then, rather than add more weaponry for QB Aaron Rodgers, 40, Douglas, who's always valued O-linemen, takes the Nittany Lions’ 2023 All-American. An especially good pass blocker, Fashanu (6-6, 312) should be this team's left tackle of the future ... and maybe even the present if free agent addition Tyron Smith, 33, who hasn't played a full season since 2015, breaks down again. Fashanu was a high school teammate of Caleb Williams.

12. Denver Broncos: QB Bo Nix, Oregon

If you need a quarterback to start immediately – as the Broncos basically do – this could be your guy, Nix making an FBS record 61 starts behind center between his time at Auburn and Oregon. However he truly flourished with the Ducks, completing an NCAA record 77.4% of his passes last season – though it must be noted that quite a few occurred at or near the line of scrimmage as dictated by the Ducks’ offense.

Nix (6-2, 214) doesn’t have an elite arm, but he does take care of the ball and makes quick decisions in addition to his accuracy, valued traits by Denver HC Sean Payton. The Pac-12 offensive player of the year in 2023, Nix threw for 4,508 yards and 45 TDs against just four picks. And he can also make plays with his legs, scoring 20 TDs on the ground over the past two seasons. Already 24, Nix carries some scars from his time with Auburn, but being no stranger to adversity should help him take the reins with fairly low expectations in 2024.

The selection of Nix means this draft ties 1983 for most QBs taken in the first round. He is also the first quarterback Payton has ever taken in Round 1.

13. Las Vegas Raiders: TE Brock Bowers, Georgia

The Silver and Black apparently are forced to pivot with all the top quarterbacks gone. Despite being limited by an ankle injury for a good chunk of the 2023 season, Bowers, the only two-time Mackey Award winner ever, had 26 TD catches during his three-year college career and averaged nearly 60 grabs for 850 yards as the rare player at his position who could dominate a game offensively – sometimes as a ball carrier. He should be quite a run-after-catch threat between the hashes with WRs Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers operating outside. And with fellow TE Michael Mayer, a second-round pick in 2023, likely to handle the bulk of the blocking, Bowers should be free to work downfield ... or even run a few jet sweeps, as he did for the Dawgs on occasion.

14. New Orleans Saints: OL Taliese Fuaga, Oregon State

A right tackle for the Beavers, Fuaga is excellent in pass protection and especially nasty as a run blocker. He becomes the first Round 1 O-lineman in Oregon State’s history and can probably play anywhere up front aside from center. And there's certainly a need in the Big Easy given the performance, or lack thereof, thus far by former first-round LT Trevor Penning plus the knee issues and cost associated with RT Ryan Ramczyk. But, given the abuse he took in 2023, QB Derek Carr has to be grinning.

15. Indianapolis Colts: DE Laiatu Latu, UCLA

And the defense is finally on the board after a record 14 consecutive players were picked on the other side of the ball. The Pac-12’s defensive player of the year in 2023 – when he also earned the Lombardi Award and Ted Hendricks Award for being the country’s best collegiate defensive end while posting an FBS-best 1.8 tackles for loss per game – Latu racked up 35 TFLs, 23½ sacks, five forced fumbles and a pair of interceptions in two seasons with the Bruins. A neck injury suffered while he attended the University of Washington temporarily relegated him to medical retirement, but Latu said at the scouting combine that his medical reports suggest he's no longer at high risk. (He also said he was already considering a career in firefighting just in case.)

He's almost certainly this year’s most advanced, productive and versatile pass rusher and an immediate counterpunch to a division that features QBs Trevor Lawrence and C.J. Stroud. Indy suddenly has a pretty deep pass rush with Latu, DE Kwity Paye and veteran DT DeForest Buckner.

16. Seattle Seahawks: DT Byron Murphy II, Texas

New HC Mike Macdonald made his bones as a defensive coach and joins a franchise that watched the Rams' Aaron Donald wreck shop for a decade. (Macdonald also watched DT Justin Madubuike wreck shop in Baltimore last year.) The NFL is increasingly reliant on players who can disrupt quarterbacks up the middle – something Murphy can do effectively and likely much more so if teamed alongside veteran DT Leonard Williams.

17. Vikings (from Jacksonville Jaguars): DE/OLB Dallas Turner, Alabama

The Vikes come up in another draft night deal to juice their pass rush. Co-Defensive Player of the Year in the SEC last season while racking up 10 sacks, Turner also has a case as this draft’s premier defensive prospect – one who can bend around blockers. He and free-agent addition Jonathan Greenard are a nice replacement tandem after the team's top pass rushers in 2023, Danielle Hunter and D.J. Wonnum, signed elsewhere last month.

18. Cincinnati Bengals: OT Amarius Mims, Georgia

Mims’ 87-inch wingspan and 6-8, 340-pound frame help him block out the sun. He only started eight games for the Bulldogs and may not be in the lineup immediately for Cincy. But this team usually drafts ahead of its needs, and offensive line has been a perennial one since QB Joe Burrow came to town in 2020. And it might not take Mims long to displace veteran Trent Brown this year.

19. Los Angeles Rams: DE Jared Verse, Florida State

Replacing retired legend Aaron Donald isn’t going to be a one-for-one proposition. But Verse is a nice start given his high motor and effectiveness against both the run and pass. A first-team All-American during both of his seasons with the Seminoles, he registered nine sacks in each − and his bull rush is something to behold. Verse is LA's first Round 1 selection since QB Jared Goff was the No. 1 pick of the 2016 draft.

20. Pittsburgh Steelers: OL Troy Fautanu, Washington

An All-Pac-12 performer with sweet feet, Fautanu has All-Pro ability and the versatility to thrive at tackle or guard on either side of the line – and the Steelers can use the help pretty much anywhere. But if this team, despite its high-profile quarterback acquisitions this offseason, is going to get back to its roots as a run-heavy force under new OC Arthur Smith, bolstering its front five makes all the sense in the world.

21. Miami Dolphins: OLB/DE Chop Robinson, Penn State

His eye-popping athleticism – the 6-3, 254-pounder ran a sub-4.5 40 at the combine – doesn't necessarily align with his production, which included 9½ sacks and 17½ TFLs in two seasons with the Nittany Lions. But he should be a real asset to a defense that was stripped of OLBs Bradley Chubb (knee) and Jaelan Phillips (Achilles) late last season. And TBD how ready those two will be for Week 1 this year.

22. Philadelphia Eagles: CB Quinyon Mitchell, Toledo

He’s got size (6-0, 195), blazing speed (4.33 40 time) and ball skills, two of his six interceptions over the past two seasons turned into pick-sixes. And he’ll tackle, unlike some Eagles DBs in 2023. But with starting CBs Darius Slay and James Bradberry both north of 30, this is a near-optimal intersection of need and value. Mitchell becomes Philly's first Round 1 corner since 2002 (Lito Sheppard).

23. Jaguars (from Cleveland Browns via Houston Texans and Vikings): WR Brian Thomas Jr., LSU

The 6-3, 209-pounder put down a 4.33 40 at the combine in the wake of a season when he had 1,177 yards on 68 catches – a quarter of those receptions resulting in TDs. He'll have to prove he was more than a byproduct of playing with QB Jayden Daniels and opposite WR Malik Nabers at LSU. Yet Thomas is headed to a team where he doesn't have to immediately assume a WR1 role or replace all of departed Calvin Ridley's production given the presence of Christian Kirk, Zay Jones, newly signed Gabe Davis and TE Evan Engram.

24. Detroit Lions (from Dallas Cowboys): CB Terrion Arnold, Alabama

The home team jumps up five spots for the first-team All-American who features swagger, production and toughness. And the secondary looks a whole lot better with Arnold and Carlton Davis III joining 2023 second-rounder Brian Branch. But Arnold is the complete package, with sensational ball skills (5 INTs in 2023), smarts and a willingness to stick a ball carrier – all traits that will sing in Motown. And, like departed DB C.J. Gardner-Johnson, he can play just about anywhere in the defensive backfield.

25. Green Bay Packers: OT Jordan Morgan, Arizona

An especially good pass blocker who was a fixture at left tackle for the Wildcats, it stands to reason he'll play the same spot for the Pack given their recent divorce from veteran David Bakhtiari. Two years removed from a torn ACL, Morgan should be ready to safeguard QB Jordan Love right away.

26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: OL Graham Barton, Duke

A left tackle for the Blue Devils, the two-time All-ACC selection is likely headed inside in the NFL due to his relatively short arms. Regardless, his ability to play anywhere on the line will be quite a boon to the Bucs, who appear especially susceptible between the tackles at the moment.

27. Cardinals (from Texans): DL Darius Robinson, Missouri

The 6-5, 285-pound All-SEC selection has the size and athleticism to play inside or out while thriving against the run or pass – all traits a defense that’s weak up front and allowed the second-most points in the league in 2023 could badly use. His leadership will also be a boon to a young defense.

28. Kansas City Chiefs (from Buffalo Bills): WR Xavier Worthy, Texas

Naturally, the champs acquire the fastest player in combine history after a deal with Buffalo – which seemed to be the receiver-needy team. Worthy's 4.21 speed should fill a need for K.C. following the loss of deep threats Mecole Hardman and Marquez Valdes-Scantling while complementing free-agent arrival Hollywood Brown. But don’t short Worthy’s chops as a receiver after he averaged 66 catches and better than 900 yards during three seasons with the Longhorns. He'll probably need to add to a 5-11, 165-pound build to survive in the pros. But the off-field uncertainty around second-year WR Rashee Rice likely also motivated this selection.

29. Cowboys (from Lions): OT Tyler Guyton, Oklahoma

A former tight end, the 6-8, 322-pounder is an exceptional athlete for his size. He's relatively inexperienced from a playing time perspective but should have an opportunity to immediately fill the left tackle post vacated by Tyron Smith. If not, 2022 first-rounder Tyler Smith can fill in there until Guyton is ready.

30. Baltimore Ravens: CB Nate Wiggins, Clemson

Tall (6-1) and highly explosive (4.28 40 time), his athleticism is readily apparent. The first-team All-ACC selection was quite light (173 pounds) at the combine but has reclaimed some of that body mass after running like a star sprinter. He should have an opportunity to challenge for a starting job in Baltimore, though the Ravens will demand a player who sometimes shies from contact proves his toughness.

31. San Francisco 49ers: WR Ricky Pearsall, Florida

Coming off a 65-catch, 965-yard season, he has amazing hands and 4.4 speed. Pearsall also has a reputation as a hard worker and should be yet another game-breaking weapon in NFC champs' multi-faceted offensive attack … though his arrival casts further doubt around the status of WR Brandon Aiyuk, who's entering his walk year and angling for a new contract.

32. Panthers (from Chiefs via Bills): WR Xavier Legette, South Carolina

Carolina resurfaces in Round 1, coming up one spot to essentially take a local guy. Catching balls from QB Spencer Rattler, Legette had a breakout 2023 campaign with 71 catches for 1,255 yards and seven TDs. His ability as a returner could also be a huge asset amid the NFL's modified kickoff rules. Definitely a welcome pickup for QB Bryce Young coming off his highly disappointing rookie year.

Draft's risk-and-reward factor

Historically, about half of the players selected in the first round pan out as success NFL pros – said another way, about a 50% chance a Round 1 prospect won't live up to the high hopes inherently tied to him. Who do this year's higher-risk candidates seem to be?

Read Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz's 11 boom-or-bust prospects

NFL draft's 50* biggest busts

The New York Jets' trade of QB Zach Wilson this week underscored anew how badly the 2021 NFL draft went for so many quarterback-desperate teams. Yet draft history is littered with busts, particularly in Round 1, like Wilson, Trey Lance and Mac Jones, so beware before you get overly optimistic about the guy your team chooses tonight. Here's a thorough look back at the 50 most notable draft washouts from the past 50 years ... and we (justifiably*) found a way to shoehorn more than 50 onto the list.

Read Nate Davis’s complete rankings here

2024 NFL draft's top 125 players

Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz also revealed his final list of the best players on this year's board this morning, a group that now runs more than 100 deep – meaning some of these players will definitely be available when the fourth round begins Saturday morning. As the mock drafts indicate this draft rolls deep with quarterbacks and receivers at the top, though a quality group of offensive linemen isn't far behind.

1. Caleb Williams, QB, USC

2. Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State

3. Rome Odunze, WR, Washington

4. Malik Nabers, WR, LSU

5. Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina

6. Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia

7. Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU

8. Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame

9. Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo

10. Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama

Read the full list of top players with analysis

Follow USA TODAY Sports' Nate Davis on X, formerly Twitter @ByNateDavis .