How Did Christopher Columbus Influence Human Progress

In August of 1492, Christopher Columbus set sail from Spain. He was searching for a sea route to Asia, finding the Americas instead. He didn’t know it at the time, but his “discovery” would send European powers into a feeding frenzy as the competed for land and resources. Columbus’s timing was perfect - with the new development of nation states, leaders were now wealthy enough to finance expeditions and establish settlements. In addition, new technology such as the Portuguese caravel and improved map making allowed sailors to have more efficient voyage and travel further inland. The Americas, though inhabited by Native Americans who had traveled there centuries before, was seen as a new opportunity - a blank slate. European countries were quick