christopher journey

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Christopher Columbus

By: History.com Editors

Updated: August 11, 2023 | Original: November 9, 2009

The explorer Christopher Columbus made four trips across the Atlantic Ocean from Spain: in 1492, 1493, 1498 and 1502. He was determined to find a direct water route west from Europe to Asia, but he never did. Instead, he stumbled upon the Americas. Though he did not “discover” the so-called New World—millions of people already lived there—his journeys marked the beginning of centuries of exploration and colonization of North and South America.

Christopher Columbus and the Age of Discovery

During the 15th and 16th centuries, leaders of several European nations sponsored expeditions abroad in the hope that explorers would find great wealth and vast undiscovered lands. The Portuguese were the earliest participants in this “ Age of Discovery ,” also known as “ Age of Exploration .”

Starting in about 1420, small Portuguese ships known as caravels zipped along the African coast, carrying spices, gold and other goods as well as enslaved people from Asia and Africa to Europe.

Did you know? Christopher Columbus was not the first person to propose that a person could reach Asia by sailing west from Europe. In fact, scholars argue that the idea is almost as old as the idea that the Earth is round. (That is, it dates back to early Rome.)

Other European nations, particularly Spain, were eager to share in the seemingly limitless riches of the “Far East.” By the end of the 15th century, Spain’s “ Reconquista ”—the expulsion of Jews and Muslims out of the kingdom after centuries of war—was complete, and the nation turned its attention to exploration and conquest in other areas of the world.

Early Life and Nationality 

Christopher Columbus, the son of a wool merchant, is believed to have been born in Genoa, Italy, in 1451. When he was still a teenager, he got a job on a merchant ship. He remained at sea until 1476, when pirates attacked his ship as it sailed north along the Portuguese coast.

The boat sank, but the young Columbus floated to shore on a scrap of wood and made his way to Lisbon, where he eventually studied mathematics, astronomy, cartography and navigation. He also began to hatch the plan that would change the world forever.

Christopher Columbus' First Voyage

At the end of the 15th century, it was nearly impossible to reach Asia from Europe by land. The route was long and arduous, and encounters with hostile armies were difficult to avoid. Portuguese explorers solved this problem by taking to the sea: They sailed south along the West African coast and around the Cape of Good Hope.

But Columbus had a different idea: Why not sail west across the Atlantic instead of around the massive African continent? The young navigator’s logic was sound, but his math was faulty. He argued (incorrectly) that the circumference of the Earth was much smaller than his contemporaries believed it was; accordingly, he believed that the journey by boat from Europe to Asia should be not only possible, but comparatively easy via an as-yet undiscovered Northwest Passage . 

He presented his plan to officials in Portugal and England, but it was not until 1492 that he found a sympathetic audience: the Spanish monarchs Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile .

Columbus wanted fame and fortune. Ferdinand and Isabella wanted the same, along with the opportunity to export Catholicism to lands across the globe. (Columbus, a devout Catholic, was equally enthusiastic about this possibility.)

Columbus’ contract with the Spanish rulers promised that he could keep 10 percent of whatever riches he found, along with a noble title and the governorship of any lands he should encounter.

Where Did Columbus' Ships, Niña, Pinta and Santa Maria, Land?

On August 3, 1492, Columbus and his crew set sail from Spain in three ships: the Niña , the Pinta and the Santa Maria . On October 12, the ships made landfall—not in the East Indies, as Columbus assumed, but on one of the Bahamian islands, likely San Salvador.

For months, Columbus sailed from island to island in what we now know as the Caribbean, looking for the “pearls, precious stones, gold, silver, spices, and other objects and merchandise whatsoever” that he had promised to his Spanish patrons, but he did not find much. In January 1493, leaving several dozen men behind in a makeshift settlement on Hispaniola (present-day Haiti and the Dominican Republic), he left for Spain.

He kept a detailed diary during his first voyage. Christopher Columbus’s journal was written between August 3, 1492, and November 6, 1492 and mentions everything from the wildlife he encountered, like dolphins and birds, to the weather to the moods of his crew. More troublingly, it also recorded his initial impressions of the local people and his argument for why they should be enslaved.

“They… brought us parrots and balls of cotton and spears and many other things, which they exchanged for the glass beads and hawks’ bells," he wrote. "They willingly traded everything they owned… They were well-built, with good bodies and handsome features… They do not bear arms, and do not know them, for I showed them a sword, they took it by the edge and cut themselves out of ignorance. They have no iron… They would make fine servants… With fifty men we could subjugate them all and make them do whatever we want.”

Columbus gifted the journal to Isabella upon his return.

Christopher Columbus's Later Voyages

About six months later, in September 1493, Columbus returned to the Americas. He found the Hispaniola settlement destroyed and left his brothers Bartolomeo and Diego Columbus behind to rebuild, along with part of his ships’ crew and hundreds of enslaved indigenous people.

Then he headed west to continue his mostly fruitless search for gold and other goods. His group now included a large number of indigenous people the Europeans had enslaved. In lieu of the material riches he had promised the Spanish monarchs, he sent some 500 enslaved people to Queen Isabella. The queen was horrified—she believed that any people Columbus “discovered” were Spanish subjects who could not be enslaved—and she promptly and sternly returned the explorer’s gift.

In May 1498, Columbus sailed west across the Atlantic for the third time. He visited Trinidad and the South American mainland before returning to the ill-fated Hispaniola settlement, where the colonists had staged a bloody revolt against the Columbus brothers’ mismanagement and brutality. Conditions were so bad that Spanish authorities had to send a new governor to take over.

Meanwhile, the native Taino population, forced to search for gold and to work on plantations, was decimated (within 60 years after Columbus landed, only a few hundred of what may have been 250,000 Taino were left on their island). Christopher Columbus was arrested and returned to Spain in chains.

In 1502, cleared of the most serious charges but stripped of his noble titles, the aging Columbus persuaded the Spanish crown to pay for one last trip across the Atlantic. This time, Columbus made it all the way to Panama—just miles from the Pacific Ocean—where he had to abandon two of his four ships after damage from storms and hostile natives. Empty-handed, the explorer returned to Spain, where he died in 1506.

Legacy of Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus did not “discover” the Americas, nor was he even the first European to visit the “New World.” (Viking explorer Leif Erikson had sailed to Greenland and Newfoundland in the 11th century.)

However, his journey kicked off centuries of exploration and exploitation on the American continents. The Columbian Exchange transferred people, animals, food and disease across cultures. Old World wheat became an American food staple. African coffee and Asian sugar cane became cash crops for Latin America, while American foods like corn, tomatoes and potatoes were introduced into European diets. 

Today, Columbus has a controversial legacy —he is remembered as a daring and path-breaking explorer who transformed the New World, yet his actions also unleashed changes that would eventually devastate the native populations he and his fellow explorers encountered.

HISTORY Vault: Columbus the Lost Voyage

Ten years after his 1492 voyage, Columbus, awaiting the gallows on criminal charges in a Caribbean prison, plotted a treacherous final voyage to restore his reputation.

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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

Where was columbus born, first voyages, columbus’ 1492 route and ships, where did columbus land in 1492, later voyages across the atlantic, how did columbus die, santa maria discovery claim, columbian exchange: a complex legacy, columbus day: an evolving holiday, who was christopher columbus.

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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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

• ALL OVER THE MAP

A 500-year-old map used by Columbus reveals its secrets

Newly uncovered text opens a time capsule of one of history’s most influential maps.

This 1491 map is the best surviving map of the world as Christopher Columbus knew it as he made his first voyage across the Atlantic. In fact, Columbus likely used a copy of it in planning his journey.

The map, created by the German cartographer Henricus Martellus, was originally covered with dozens of legends and bits of descriptive text, all in Latin. Most of it has faded over the centuries.

But now researchers have used modern technology to uncover much of this previously illegible text. In the process, they’ve discovered new clues about the sources Martellus used to make his map and confirmed the huge influence it had on later maps, including a famous 1507 map by Martin Waldseemuller that was the first to use the name “America.”

MARTELLUS AND COLUMBUS

Contrary to popular myth, 15th-century Europeans did not believe that Columbus would sail off the edge of a flat Earth, says Chet Van Duzer, the map scholar who led the study. But their understanding of the world was quite different from ours, and Martellus’s map reflects that.

Its depiction of Europe and the Mediterranean Sea is more or less accurate, or at least recognizable. But southern Africa is oddly shaped like a boot with its toe pointing to the east, and Asia is also twisted out of shape. The large island in the South Pacific roughly where Australia can actually be found must have been a lucky guess, Van Duzer says, as Europeans wouldn’t discover that continent for another century. Martellus filled the southern Pacific Ocean with imaginary islands, apparently sharing the common mapmakers’ aversion to empty spaces .

Another quirk of Martellus’s geography helps tie his map to Columbus’s journey: the orientation of Japan. At the time the map was created, Europeans knew Japan existed, but knew very little about its geography. Marco Polo’s journals, the best available source of information about East Asia at the time, had nothing to say about the island’s orientation.

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Martellus’s map shows it running north-south. Correct, but almost certainly another lucky guess says Van Duzer, as no other known map of the time shows Japan unambiguously oriented this way. Columbus’s son Ferdinand later wrote that his father believed Japan to be oriented north-south, indicating that he very likely used Martellus’s map as a reference.

When Columbus made landfall in the West Indies on October 12, 1492, he began looking for Japan, still believing that he’d achieved his goal of finding a route to Asia. He was likely convinced Japan must be near because he’d travelled roughly the same distance that Martellus’s map suggests lay between Europe and Japan, Van Duzer argues in a new book detailing his findings.

Van Duzer says it’s reasonable to speculate that as Columbus sailed down the coast of Central and South America on later voyages, he pictured himself sailing down the coast of Asia as depicted on Martellus’s map.

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The map is roughly 3.5 by 6 feet. Such a large map would have been a luxury object, likely commissioned by a member of the nobility, but there’s no shield or dedication to indicate who that might have been. It was donated anonymously to Yale University in 1962 and remains in the university’s Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library.

Over time, much of the text had faded to almost perfectly match the background, making it impossible to read. But in 2014 Van Duzer won a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities that allowed him and a team of collaborators to use a technique called multispectral imaging to try to uncover the hidden text.

The method involved taking many hundreds of photographs of the map with different wavelengths of light and processing the images to find the combination of wavelengths that best improves legibility on each part of the map (you can play around with an interactive map created by one of Van Duzer’s colleagues here ).

Many of the map legends describe the regions of the world and their inhabitants. “Here are found the Hippopodes: they have a human form but the feet of horses,” reads one previously illegible text over Central Asia. Another describes “monsters similar to humans whose ears are so large that they can cover their whole body.” Many of these fantastical creatures can be traced to texts written by the ancient Greeks.

The most surprising revelation, however, was in the interior of Africa, Van Duzer says. Martellus included many details and place names that appear to trace back to an Ethiopian delegation that visited Florence in 1441. Van Duzer says he knows of no other 15th-century European map that has this much information about the geography of Africa, let alone information derived from native Africans instead of European explorers. “I was blown away,” he says.

The imaging also strengthens the case that Martellus’s map was a major source for two even more famous cartographic objects: the oldest surviving terrestrial globe , created by Martin Behaim in 1492, and Martin Waldseemuller’s 1507 world map , the first to apply the label “America” to the continents of the western hemisphere. (The Library of Congress purchased Waldseemuller’s map for a record $10 million in 2003.)

Waldseemuller liberally copied text from Martellus, Van Duzer found after comparing the two maps. The practice was common in those days—in fact, Martellus himself apparently copied the sea monsters on his map from an encyclopedia published in 1491, an observation that helps date the map.

Despite their commonalities, the maps by Martellus and Waldseemuller have one glaring difference. Martellus depicts Europe and Africa nearly at the left edge of his map, with only water beyond. Waldseemuller’s map extends further to the west and depicts new lands on the other side of the Atlantic. Only 16 years had passed between the making of the two maps, but the world had changed forever.

Greg Miller and Betsy Mason are authors of the forthcoming illustrated book from National Geographic, All Over the Map . Follow the blog on Twitter and Instagram .

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The First New World Voyage of Christopher Columbus (1492)

European Exploration of the Americas

Spencer Arnold/Getty Images

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

How was the first voyage of Columbus to the New World undertaken, and what was its legacy? Having convinced the King and Queen of Spain to finance his voyage, Christopher Columbus departed mainland Spain on August 3, 1492. He quickly made port in the Canary Islands for a final restocking and left there on September 6. He was in command of three ships: the Pinta, the Niña, and the Santa María. Although Columbus was in overall command, the Pinta was captained by Martín Alonso Pinzón and the Niña by Vicente Yañez Pinzón.

First Landfall: San Salvador

On October 12, Rodrigo de Triana, a sailor aboard the Pinta, first sighted land. Columbus himself later claimed that he had seen a sort of light or aura before Triana did, allowing him to keep the reward he had promised to give to whoever spotted land first. The land turned out to be a small island in the present-day Bahamas. Columbus named the island San Salvador, although he remarked in his journal that the natives referred to it as Guanahani. There is some debate over which island was Columbus’ first stop; most experts believe it to be San Salvador, Samana Cay, Plana Cays or Grand Turk Island.

Second Landfall: Cuba

Columbus explored five islands in the modern-day Bahamas before he made it to Cuba. He reached Cuba on October 28, making landfall at Bariay, a harbor near the eastern tip of the island. Thinking he had found China, he sent two men to investigate. They were Rodrigo de Jerez and Luis de Torres, a converted Jew who spoke Hebrew, Aramaic, and Arabic in addition to Spanish. Columbus had brought him as an interpreter. The two men failed in their mission to find the Emperor of China but did visit a native Taíno village. There they were the first to observe the smoking of tobacco, a habit which they promptly picked up.

Third Landfall: Hispaniola

Leaving Cuba, Columbus made landfall on the Island of Hispaniola on December 5. Indigenous people called it Haití but Columbus referred to it as La Española, a name which was later changed to Hispaniola when Latin texts were written about the discovery. On December 25, the Santa María ran aground and had to be abandoned. Columbus himself took over as captain of the Niña, as the Pinta had become separated from the other two ships. Negotiating with the local chieftain Guacanagari, Columbus arranged to leave 39 of his men behind in a small settlement, named La Navidad .

Return to Spain

On January 6, the Pinta arrived, and the ships were reunited: they set out for Spain on January 16. The ships arrived in Lisbon, Portugal, on March 4, returning to Spain shortly after that.

Historical Importance of Columbus' First Voyage

In retrospect, it is somewhat surprising that what is today considered one of the most important voyages in history was something of a failure at the time. Columbus had promised to find a new, quicker route to the lucrative Chinese trade markets and he failed miserably. Instead of holds full of Chinese silks and spices, he returned with some trinkets and a few bedraggled Indigenous people from Hispaniola. Some 10 more had perished on the voyage. Also, he had lost the largest of the three ships entrusted to him.

Columbus actually considered the Indigenous people his greatest find. He thought that a new trade of enslaved people could make his discoveries lucrative. Columbus was hugely disappointed a few years later when Queen Isabela, after careful thought, decided not to open the New World to the trading of enslaved people.

Columbus never believed that he had found something new. He maintained, to his dying day, that the lands he discovered were indeed part of the known Far East. In spite of the failure of the first expedition to find spices or gold, a much larger second expedition was approved, perhaps in part due to Columbus’ skills as a salesman.

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." 1st edition, Random House, June 1, 2004.

• Biography of Christopher Columbus
• La Navidad: First European Settlement in the Americas
• Biography of Christopher Columbus, Italian Explorer
• The Third Voyage of Christopher Columbus
• The Second Voyage of Christopher Columbus
• 10 Facts About Christopher Columbus
• The Truth About Christopher Columbus
• The Fourth Voyage of Christopher Columbus
• Biography of Juan Ponce de León, Conquistador
• Amerigo Vespucci, Explorer and Navigator
• Where Are the Remains of Christopher Columbus?
• Biography of Diego Velazquez de Cuellar, Conquistador
• The Florida Expeditions of Ponce de Leon
• A Brief History of the Age of Exploration
• Did Christopher Columbus Actually Discover America?

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Who Funded Christopher Columbus’ Voyages?

Christopher Columbus was the intrepid European explorer who traveled through uncharted waters. But how did he secure funding for his ventures?

The year was 1492. Genoan sailor Christopher Columbus stood aboard the Santa Maria , eyes trained to the west, hoping to find a passage to the West Indies and its vast store of spices and potential wealth . With the Niña  and the Pinta following close by, he would succeed on a mission he did not set out on – the discovery of a New World, and the change of the destiny of the rest of the Old. 

That’s the story we grew up learning, possibly the first history lesson many of us received in elementary school. But the craziest part of Columbus’s story does not happen during or after his great exploration venture. The crazy part is what happened before. The crazy part is how Columbus got the money for it.

Backing up to 1484 – Christopher Columbus was already a seasoned sailor, having traveled up and down the coasts of Europe and West Africa. Since the Ottomans had conquered Turkey and the Eastern Roman Empire in the 1450s, the “ Silk Road ” to the East and its riches were shut down. Christopher was an enterprising sort, and thought he had figured out a shorter way to India on account that he did not have the distances between latitudes calculated properly due to confusion between Arabic and Roman calculations. No, Christopher Columbus did not think the earth was flat – no one really did at that time.

He thought it was SMALLER than it really was. And he was not letting go of that idea.

Seeking Funding From the World’s Foremost Sailors – the Portuguese

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Columbus approached King John II of Portugal in 1484, but was rejected on two grounds.  The Portuguese were the world’s premier sailors and explorers at the time, and a committee appointed by John concluded that Columbus’s calculations of the earth’s size were incorrect, and that any voyage would take substantially longer than he predicted. The other ground for rejection was that the Portuguese were already developing a route to the Orient around the southern tip of Africa, and they did not want to waste time and resources on a questionable route in the opposite direction that would take too long because there definitely was not a giant land mass full of riches to exploit in the way .

Seeking Funding From the Country Next Door to the World’s Foremost Sailors – the Spanish

So a rejected Columbus goes to the King and Queen of Spain – actually, at the time, it was the monarchs Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon , who were in the middle of the Reconquista – the reconquering of the Spanish peninsula from Muslim rule, which had been in place in some areas of Spain for over 700 years.  Since they were in the middle of a rather large military operation, Ferdinand and Isabella were not quite ready to sponsor a voyage across a wide ocean in the wrong direction that did not have a giant land mass in the middle of it full of riches to exploit in the way .

Columbus, ever the optimist, then goes back to Portugal. Unfortunately for him, the guy who ALSO got back to Portugal was a sailor named Bartholomeu Dias who had figured out how to go around the southern tip of Africa.  The Portuguese, walking around with dollar signs for eyeballs, did not have time for Columbus and his crazy ideas about sailing west to India. There was not anything useful in doing something so silly from a sailor who did not know how to calculate latitudes properly.

One Last Shot at the Spanish, Getting Desperate, and Spain Comes Through

So, Columbus goes BACK to Ferdinand and Isabella in 1491. The King and Queen of Almost Spain turned him down again. Wars and all. In early 1492, Columbus started to think that the French might be reasonable people , and Charles VIII was called “The Affable,” so he might be agreeable. Columbus heads north, but is not long upon the road when he receives word from the King and Queen of Spain, who had just finally run the Muslims out of the country and had some spending money. 

And there you go. Almost a decade of consistently pestering the royalty of Spain and Portugal allowed Christopher Columbus the opportunity to prove to everyone the earth was smaller around and that there was plenty of money to be made by sailing in a different direction.  

Don’t you love it when great historical visionaries with crazy ideas know what they’re doing?

What Was the Silk Road & What Was Traded on It?

By Ryan Watson MA History, BA History Ryan Watson is a husband, father, underwriter, writer, and reseller. He graduated with a Bachelor's and Master's in History from Louisiana Tech University in the early 2000s. He focuses on Biblical, post-Biblical, and medieval history with occasional dabblings in other arenas.

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The Hero's Journey: Life's Great Adventure

Harris Communications: Home of the Hero's Journey Since 1997

Vogler’s “Writer’s Journey”

NOTE : You are welcome to link to this article, but please don’t copy or repost it. If you would like a PDF copy to use in your class or work, please contact me.

Campbell Goes to Hollywood

By reg harris, preface: the writer’s journey is not campbell’s monomyth.

During the 150 years of so that scholars have studied the Hero’s Journey, perhaps a dozen journey models have been developed. The most detailed and thorough of these models is Joseph Campbell’s monomyth. The monomyth, which contains 17 elements spread across 7 stages, is a philosophical and psychological study of a process that Campbell called the hero’s “transformation of consciousness.” It is rich in meaning and symbolism, and–until 1998–it was the acknowledged model for the Hero’s Journey.

In 1998, the monomyth was superseded by screenwriting consultant Christopher Vogler’s The Writer’s Journey (story below). The Writer’s Journey is a simplified adaptation of the monomyth designed primarily as a template for writing and editing screenplays and fiction. Because of its simplicity and Vogler’s work with Disney movies, The Writer’s Journey has become so popular that it has essentially replaced the monomyth as the de facto standard for the journey. Unfortunately, that simplicity came at a cost: the symbolism and psychological and philosophical depth of the monomyth had to be eliminated. This is not a criticism of Vogler. His model works well for its intended purpose. However, we need to remember that The Writer’s Journey is neither Campbell’s monomyth nor is it the most comprehensive or representative interpretation of the Hero’s Journey.

Evolution of the Writer’s Journey

Christopher Vogler discovered Joseph Campbell’s work while studying cinema at the University of Southern California. As a student, he wrote a paper exploring the mythological patterns that made the original Star Wars film ( Star Wars IV: A New Hope ) such a great success. After graduation, Vogler shared his ideas on myth and the hero’s journey while working for various film studios.

In 1985, as a story analyst for Disney, he organized his research into a seven-page memo called “A Practical Guide to Joseph Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces .” In the memo’s introduction, Vogler calls Campbell’s ideas “an excellent set of analytical tools” with which writers and editors can “almost always determine what’s wrong with a story that’s floundering.” For his analytical model, Vogler modified the graphic summary of the hero’s journey Campbell presents in Chapter IV of Hero (image right). As Vogler explains,

I’ve taken the liberty of amending the outline slightly, trying to reflect some of the common themes in movies…I’m re-telling the hero myth in my own way, and you should feel free to do the same. Every storyteller bends the myth to his or her own purpose. That’s why the hero has a thousand faces (Vogler, 1985).

In his memo, Vogler condensed Campbell’s complex model into 12-stages to create a practical guide for using the hero’s journey to evaluate and edit scripts submitted to Disney. He distributed his memo to Disney executives. Interest grew and the memo became, as Vogler describes it, “the ‘I have to have it’ document of the season.” Eventually, he moved to Disney’s Feature Animation division, where he helped develop The Lion King and other animation projects.

Later, while using the memo for the classes he taught at UCLA, Vogler developed his approach to storytelling and editing. He added material on archetypes and eventually expanded the seven-page memo into The Writer’s Journey: A Mythic Structure for Writers , a 315-page guide to using the hero’s journey for screenplays and other fiction.

Vogler’s Interpretation of the Hero’s Journey

The graphic (below right) illustrates in circular form Vogler’s interpretation of Campbell’s monomyth (1998, p. 194). Like Campbell, Vogler divides the journey into three “acts.” Campbell described the Hero’s Journey using the same three steps as the traditional Rite of Passage: Separation, Initiation (Transformation) and Return. Vogler, however, breaks Campbell’s “Initiation” into two separate steps, “Descent” and “Initiation.” Essentially, Campbell’s “Road of Trials” becomes Vogler’s “Descent” (Act II-A) and Campbell’s “Abyss” disappears into Vogler’s “Initiation (Act II-B).

Act I : Separation,

Act II : A. Descent, B. Initiation,

Act III : Return.

While this seems a minor change, it means that The Writer’s Journey must disregard or minimize several of the most important archetypal stages in the monomyth: Meeting with the Goddess, Atonement with the Father and the Apotheosis. These three stages are the very heart of the transformation of consciousness Campbell describes in the monomyth.

This is not a criticism of Vogler. The Writer’s Journey and the monomyth were created for different purposes and at different levels of complexity and meaning. Vogler focused on creating an analytical tool and template for writing screenplays and fiction. Campbell, on the other hand, described the transformation of consciousness we all experience as we navigate life’s challenges. In other words, the Writer’s Journey is structured for storytelling, while the momomyth explores the transformative process of human existence.

A second important difference between Campbell and Vogler is the “Refusal of the Call.” Vogler includes refusal as a fundamental stage, one that all heroes experience before they pass into the journey. In the monomyth, however, refusal is not a fundamental stage. While it is one of the most important elements in the Hero’s Journey, refusal does not occur in every journey. Campbell, himself, wrote “Often in actual life, and not infrequently in the myths and popular tales, we encounter the dull case of the call unanswered” (1949, p. 59).

This is an important distinction. “Often” does not mean “always,” and not all heroes refuse the Call. In the monomyth, refusal is an abandonment of the journey. What Vogler (and others) refer to as “Refusal” is actually the natural resistance the hero feels when preparing to leave the security of the known for the dangers of the unknown. This resistance is a major part of the story, but it is temporary and is better symbolized by the Threshold Guardian .

Refusal of the Call turns the whole journey inside out. As Campbell writes in The Hero with a Thousand Faces , “Refusal of the summons converts the adventure into its negative. Walled in boredom, hard work, or ‘culture,’ the subject loses the power of significant affirmative action and becomes a victim to be saved” (p. 59). (See “ The Call Refused: Evoking the Shadow Journey .”)

Is the Writer’s Journey a formula?

Vogler’s work and the hero’s journey have been criticized as being “formulaic” and “predictable.” This criticism is partially true. In far too many cases “the map has become the territory.” Instead of being a guide to evaluate and correct stories, The Writer’s Journey has became the formula for writing the stories. Many writers and producers, looking for a quick, salable story, have abused the hero’s journey by using it as a standardized story formula. (This might explain why so many Disney animated films follow the same basic plot.) However, it is equally true that writers can use the journey’s basic pattern as a guide or gauge rather than a template. The journey’s natural dynamics can help them develop their characters and stories into rich explorations of the human experience.

Because of its association with popular films such as The Lion King and Finding Nemo , Vogler’s model has become the best known model of the hero’s journey. It is often represented as Campbell’s monomyth, itself, rather than as an adaptation of the monomyth. For its intended purpose (i.e., writing, editing and evaluating stories), Vogler’s model works well, but it is not a replacement for the rich, nuanced dynamics of Campbell’s monomyth. Readers interested in the hero’s journey should explore both models: Campbell’s for its profound exploration of the journey’s psychology and philosophy, and Vogler’s as an example of how the hero’s journey can be adapted to fit specific needs.

Vogler on the Hero’s Journey

The Writer’s Journey is, as Vogler himself says, a “re-telling” of the mono­myth, not the monomyth itself. He designed it as an “analytical tool” to “determine what’s wrong with a story that’s floundering.” However, like Campbell, he discovered that the stories often transcend their narrative confines to give us insights into the challenges and journeys we all face in life. The hero’s journey, Vogler writes, becomes “a guide to the life lessons that have been carefully built into the stories of all times” (1998).

NOTE : Christopher Vogler offers some interesting stories and insights on his “Writer’s Journey” blog .

Campbell, J. (1949/1968). The Hero with a Thousand Faces . Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Campbell, J. (1988). The Power of Myth . (with B. Moyers). New York: Doubleday.

Vogler, C. (1998). The Writer’s Journey . Studio City, CA: Michael Wiese Productions.

The Heroine Journeys Project

Exploring and documenting life-affirming alternatives to the hero's journey, christopher vogler’s hero’s journey arc.

The stages of Vogler’s hero’s journey are:

• THE ORDINARY WORLD.   The hero is introduced. The reader is given a bit of personal history, setting, and cultural context. Something in the hero’s life makes them feel they are being pulled in different directions and causing stress.
• THE CALL TO ADVENTURE .   Something shakes up the situation, and the hero feels called to make a change, which usually involves leaving home.
• REFUSAL OF THE CALL .   The hero fears the unknown and considers turning away from the adventure.  Or another character tries to dissuade the hero from proceeding.
• THE HERO FINDS  A  MENTOR .   The hero comes across someone (often a stranger, elder, or spirit) who gives them training, equipment, or advice that will help on the journey.
• CROSSING THE THRESHOLD .   The hero commits to leaving the World where they started and enters a new region or condition with unfamiliar rules and values.
• TESTS, ALLIES AND ENEMIES .    The hero is tested and sorts out allegiances in the Unfamiliar or Special World.
• APPROACH .   The hero and their new-found allies prepare for the major challenge in the Special World.
• THE ORDEAL .   The hero arrives in a central space in the Unfamiliar World and faces death or their greatest fear.  The hero emerges from this moment of reckoning changed in some way.
• THE REWARD .   The hero takes possession of the treasure they have won in the ordeal. There may be celebration, but there is also danger of losing the treasure again.
• THE ROAD BACK .  The hero must complete the adventure and leave the Special World to bring their treasure back home.  Often a chase scene signals the urgency and danger of the mission.
• THE RESURRECTION .  The hero is severely tested once more as they near home in the climax.  The hero is changed by a last sacrifice, another moment of death and rebirth—often psychological– which prepares them to be a leader upon their return.
•  RETURN WITH THE ELIXIR .  The hero returns home, bearing the treasure. The treasure has the power to transform the world, as the hero has been transformed. The hero is hailed as a leader by their kinsmen or community and so begins a new (and better) life and world.

Vogler’s version of the Hero’s Journey can be depicted graphically as follows:

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The Writer's Journey - 25th Anniversary Edition: Mythic Structure for Writers Paperback – August 4, 2020

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• Print length 510 pages
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• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Michael Wiese Productions; 4th edition (August 4, 2020)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 510 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1615933158
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1615933150
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Christopher e. vogler.

Christopher Vogler is a veteran story consultant for major Hollywood film companies and a respected teacher of filmmakers and writers around the globe.

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Welcome to the Growth Garden, the podcast dedicated to cultivating your career progression and personal growth. We are going to explore topics around career growth, mental health and work-life balance.

The Growth Garden Nikki Rayment, Kevin Schumacher

Listen on Apple Podcasts Requires macOS 11.4 or higher

• APR 15, 2024

E9: In conversation with Seb Brantigan: Innovate, automate, thrive – mastering digital marketing

Mastering Digital Marketing and Automation: Seb Brantigan's Story In this episode of The Growth Garden, co-hosts Kevin and Nikki welcome Seb Brantigan, co-founder of DBSS Digital, to discuss his journey into entrepreneurship, digital marketing, and achieving work-life balance. Brantigan shares insights from his experiences, including the pivot from a traditional job to entrepreneurship, the challenges of self-funding and debt, and the crucial role of networking, mentorship, and adapting business strategies. He also discusses the impact of personal growth and travels on his professional life, strategies for managing workload and stress, and offers advice for aspiring entrepreneurs on pursuing passion with practicality. The episode concludes with rapid fire questions revealing personal preferences and impactful advice on perseverance and aligning actions with goals. 00:00 Welcome to The Growth Garden 00:28 Introducing Seb Brantigan: Digital Marketing Maverick 02:06 Seb's Entrepreneurial Journey: From Temp Worker to Agency Founder 06:50 The Vision Behind DBSS Digital 08:36 Innovative Marketing and Automation Strategies 11:11 The Impact of Travel on Business and Personal Growth 13:19 Achieving Work-Life Balance as an Entrepreneur 15:46 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs 19:32 Rapid Fire Questions: Insights into Seb's Preferences 20:45 Reflective Advice and Closing Thoughts 23:56 Farewell and Thanks

• APR 1, 2024

E8: In conversation with Gabriel Thomas Spartan: Redefining parenting and his path to inspiration

Cultivating Parenthood and Entrepreneurship on The Growth Garden This episode of The Growth Garden podcast features Gabriel Thomas Spartan, a first-time dad, author, and the owner of First Time Parent Company. Gabriel shares his inspiring journey of balancing his roles as a teacher, writer, and entrepreneur while being dedicated to raising a happy, healthy, and self-sufficient daughter. He discusses the inception of his business, which aims to assist first-time and co-parents through the challenges of parenthood. Gabriel's story is packed with insights on entrepreneurship driven by a desire to share knowledge and make a positive impact on society, rather than for personal gain. The podcast also includes Gabriel’s strategies for managing time and work-life balance, emphasising the importance of small, consistent steps toward achieving goals. Rapid-fire questions towards the end offer a personal glimpse into Gabriel's life, and the episode concludes with sound advice for anyone at a career crossroads or embarking on the entrepreneurship journey. 00:00 Welcome to The Growth Garden: Cultivating Career and Personal Growth 00:26 Introducing Gabriel: A First-Time Dad's Journey 03:14 Gabriel's Multifaceted Life: From Teaching to Entrepreneurship 12:35 The Mission of First Time Parent Company 19:30 Balancing Work, Life, and Parenting: Gabriel's Strategy 27:07 Rapid Fire Questions: Getting to Know Gabriel 28:46 Reflecting on Career Choices and Personal Growth 32:03 Closing Thoughts and Gratitude

• FEB 3, 2024

E7: In conversation with Ammar Galal: From studying and working as a marine engineer to pursuing his passion in film

Pivoting Career Paths and Cultivating Growth: An Interview with Filmmaker Ammar Galal In Episode 7 of the Growth Garden podcast, co-hosts Kevin and Nikki are joined by accomplished film writer, director, and producer Ammar Galal. He shares his transition from marine engineering and the oil and gas sector to pursuing a filmmaking career, earning a degree from the London Film Academy, and founding his own production house, 3010 Films. Ammar provides valuable insights into overcoming professional challenges, creative blocks, and the importance of finding personal outlets for stress. He emphasises the significance of understanding oneself in making career choices. 00:00 Introduction and Guest Presentation 00:30 Getting to Know the Guest: Ammar Galal 02:46 Ammar’s Career Transition from Engineering to Filmmaking 08:29 The Influence of Ammar’s Engineering Background on His Filmmaking 10:16 Ammar’s Experience at the London Film Academy 12:58 Establishing 3010 Films: Ammar’s Own Production House 15:44 The Impact of Ammar’s Multidisciplinary Approach on His Work 17:19 Significant Projects and Milestones for 3010 Films 20:27 Work-Life Balance in the Film Industry 20:41 Maintaining Mental Health in a Busy Production House 21:05 Personal Hobbies and Interests 22:46 Finding Happiness in Professional Life 23:11 The Reality of Directing 24:21 Career Transition and Achievements 25:33 Overcoming Creative Blocks 29:26 Quick Fire-Questions and Reflections 31:16 Advice for Career Crossroads 32:41 Reflections on Past Choices 34:06 Closing Remarks and Takeaways

• JAN 2, 2024

E6: In conversation with Yasmin Alam: Thriving as a female entrepreneur in the private jet and VC industry

The Growth Garden Episode 6: Navigating the Private Jet Industry with Entrepreneur Yasmin Alam In this episode of The Growth Garden, co-hosts Kevin and Nikki are joined by special guest, Yasmin Alam. Yasmin shares her journey into the aviation industry, starting her own on-demand private aircraft charter company - Eclipse Air Charter and becoming a venture capitalist focused on female-founded companies. Listen as she provides valuable insight into the challenges and successes she encountered along her unique path, and advantageously managing mental health and work-life balance as a busy entrepreneur. Explore how she continues to innovate in a highly competitive industry, also touching on her methods of mentoring and training new entrants in the sector. 00:06 Introduction to the Podcast and Guest 02:37 Exploring Yasmin Alam's Career Journey 07:56 Transitioning from Employee to Director 11:17 International Expansion and Leadership Challenges 23:51 Entrepreneurial Journey and Balancing Multiple Ventures 27:11 Challenges and Successes as a Female Entrepreneur 29:52 Maintaining Mental Health and Work-Life Balance 36:17 Reflections and Advice for Career Crossroads 37:25 Learning from Past Experiences 38:42 Conclusion and Farewell

• DEC 12, 2023

E5: In conversation with Christopher Bieri: His journey from Tesla to scaling his own startup Seatti

Episode 5: Finding Your Path - From Corporate to Founding a Startup with Christopher Bieri In this episode of the Growth Garden podcast, co-hosts Kevin and Nikki welcome guest Christopher Bieri, founder of Seatti, a company transforming the traditional workspace by enabling global enterprises to adopt a hybrid working model. Christopher discusses his background, academic journey, early career at Tesla, the decision to become an entrepreneur, and the growth of his company. Moreover, he shares his insights on personal growth, time management, stress alleviation, and the benefits of using a career coach. With a focus on fostering a better work-life balance, he also expounds on the importance of flexible work models in enhancing employees' wellbeing. 00:06 Introduction and Welcome 00:16 Guest Introduction: Christopher Bieri and His Company, Seatti 01:13 Christopher's Early Life and Education 01:57 Icebreaker: Career and Personal Life Insights 03:36 Christopher's Academic Journey and Experience at Harvard 09:07 First Job Experience at Tesla 15:02 The Role of a Career Coach in Christopher's Journey 23:09 The Inception of Seatti 25:25 Adapting to the New Normal: The Shift to Shared Workspace Models 25:45 The Evolution of a Startup: From Concept to Reality 26:28 The Impact of the Pandemic on Business Models and Strategies 26:59 The Power of Adaptability: Pivoting in the Face of Crisis 28:05 Leveraging Skills and Experiences for Swift Adaptation 28:36 The Human Side of Business: Approaching and Engaging with Stakeholders 29:38 The Journey of Seatti: From Concept to Successful Startup 30:55 The Role of Co-founders in a Startup's Success 31:24 Navigating Stakeholder Influence and Pressure in Decision Making 31:52 The Importance of Complementary Skills in a Startup Team 32:52 Reflecting on the Growth and Evolution of Seatti 35:17 The Impact of Remote and Hybrid Work Models on Quality of Life 37:16 Effective Time Management and Stress Management Strategies 41:22 The Role of Coaching in Personal and Professional Development 42:47 Reflecting on the Personal Happiness and Fulfilment Derived from Entrepreneurship 43:43 Fire Round Questions: Quick Insights into Personal Preferences and Influences 45:56 Final Thoughts and Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

• NOV 20, 2023

E4: In conversation with Niina Sillanpää: Pursuing a cross-boarder career in corporate consulting

Career Progression & Personal Growth: International Transitions & Consulting In episode four of the Growth Garden, hosts Kevin and Nikki chat with Niina Sillanpaa, a globetrotter boasting an impressive career journey from HR and headhunting in Finland and China, to now thriving as a business consultant at EY in the UAE. She shares her international experiences, highlighting her triumphs, struggles and learnings. Moreover, she offers practical advice on how to navigate career switches, the importance of having 'anchors’ for stability, and emphasises the significance of hard work, networking, and timing for career progression. The conversation ends on a reflective note discussing Niina's one regret and her mantra of ‘finishing what you start’. 00:06 Introduction and Welcome 00:16 Guest Introduction: Niina's Career Journey 00:59 Getting to Know Niina: Icebreaker Session 01:59 Niina's Early Career Days and Transition to Consulting 03:02 Language Barriers and Career Moves 03:17 Moving Countries for Love and Career 06:28 Impact of MBA on Career Trajectory 08:08 Navigating Career Progression at EY 16:22 The Power of Networking and Personal Branding 17:13 Overcoming Career Challenges and Obstacles 24:49 Maintaining Mental Health in High Pressure Environments 28:08 Quick Fire Round and Final Thoughts

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Christopher Walken’s Most Iconic Performance Shaped by a Memorable On-Screen Slap

In Michael Cimino’s gripping film “The Deer Hunter,” audiences are taken on an intense journey alongside a group of Western Pennsylvania steelworkers.Found in their everyday lives, these men’s worlds are turned upside down as they are sent off to endure the horrific realities of the Vietnam War. Their simplicity and wish for ordinary life, complete with 40-hour work weeks, local bar visits, or hunting in the Appalachians, starkly contrasts with the newfound chaos they face.

Cimino immerses us in the character’s world before abruptly changing the setting to the brutal conditions of Viet Cong captivity, where they are subjected to various terrors, including being forced to play Russian roulette. While it is known that Viet Cong soldiers mistreated prisoners of war, the depiction of Russian roulette lacks historical evidence, raising questions about Cimino’s choice despite its dramatic impact.

The cast, which includes powerhouses like Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, and John Savage, bring an undeniable believability to their performances, particularly during these intense moments. However, their authentic portrayal in the film’s Russian roulette scenes was bolstered by unusual methods aimed at heightening their emotional responses.

Walken’s Perfectly Raw Emotional Display

Although each actor shines in “The Deer Hunter,” it is unquestionably Christopher Walken who steals the show. As Nick, he enters the depths of the Saigon underworld, emerging both as a master of Russian roulette and a shell of his former self due to heroin addiction. It is through immense survival that he encounters De Niro’s Mike, who makes an almost successful attempt to coax him into returning home before Nick’s luck runs out.

To reach such a heart-rending performance, Walken first had to endure difficult situations at the hands of his on-screen captors . The rawness of these encounters suggests there was no pretense in the punishment he endured. The behind-the-scenes story of how these scenes were conceived is as intriguing as the film itself.

The Infamous Face Slap Admitted by Christopher Walken

Rolling Stone’s 2016 interview with Walken gives insight into the ‘jazz-like’ experience of filming “The Deer Hunter.” While the script provided a solid backbone, spontaneity added an intense layer of rawness, particularly in the scenes where Viet Cong soldiers hit Nick. As per Walken’s own recollection:

“The man who slapped me across the face repeatedly was actually a Bangkok lawyer with no prior or subsequent film experience. But for several hours, he played the role of my captor, continuously smacking me.”

The Guardian interview with Walken in 2021 further expounds on this: “We filmed in the jungle. We really were inside bamboo cages. The slaps were as real as the setting.”

The impetus for the real slaps? None other than Robert De Niro, who believed that the genuine reaction would amplify the scene’s impact. De Niro’s intuition was spot on, and Walken’s shocked response undoubtedly contributed to his Oscar win for Best Supporting Actor. Decades later, the role of Nick defies comparison in Walken’s career, culminating in a scene that remains hauntingly imprinted on audience memories: “One shot.”

Did Christopher Walken perform his own stunts in “The Deer Hunter”?

While not a question of stunts, Christopher Walken did experience the physicality of his role personally, enduring real slaps to the face in the making of the film.

What was unusual about the Russian roulette scenes?

The Russian roulette scenes, a central element to “The Deer Hunter”, deviated from historical accuracy but were significant in increasing the film’s dramatic tension.

Who was responsible for the actual slapping in the film?

The slaps Christopher Walken’s character received were delivered by an actual Bangkok attorney who had no prior acting experience.

In “The Deer Hunter”, Christopher Walken delivered a performance that has stood the test of time, etching itself into the annals of film history. Achieved through a mix of natural talent and unsimulated physicality, his portrayal of Nick encapsulates a character wrought with the turmoil of war. Supported by De Niro’s method-driven encouragement, Walken’s on-screen slap symbolizes the raw authenticity and commitment to realism that has solidified his work in this film as his most unforgettable role.

Adam Christopher Markle

Marriage & family therapist , ca lmft , 122790.

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