How Did Technology Affect The Voyage Of Christopher Columbus

Technology’s Impact on the Voyage of Christopher Columbus

In a World which seems so long ago to even imagine, explorers believed there were many riches to be acquired. Traders used two different routes in search of jewels, gold, spices, and silks. They traveled by land and by sea. Both of these were very long and dangerous because they had no way of knowing what laid ahead for them. At this time they only knew of three continents: Europe, Africa, and Asia. Little did they know there were actually seven. In 1492, a man named Christopher Columbus came along and hoped that he could find a faster and much safer route to Asia by water. He was one of the best Italian sailors of his time. He knew this journey would require more sailors
He began his voyage with three ships. Two of them were smaller caravels known as the Nina and the Pinta and a larger carrack ship called the Santa Maria which was captained by himself. During this era these were well made, sturdy ships that were easy to maneuver. But I cannot help but wonder if he would have had access to the different types of ships and vessels with the large engines that we do today, how much time and labor could have been spent doing other things? In fact, he might not have even sailed at all. If someone needs to take a trip like that today they would fly in an airplane or on a jet. This would have reduced his timing by months. If Columbus would have had all the technology we have today in his discovery it would have been shorter and even more
There they stocked up on water, fresh food, and supplies. Another advantage to the larger ships that we have today is they have more space to store food and supplies. Once they got everything they needed Columbus and his fellow sailors were off across the Atlantic Ocean. They left on September 6, 1492, and sailed for thirty-seven days. Even then without a calendar it must have been challenging keeping track of how long you had been out to sea. Columbus continued to sail on stopping at many islands and claiming each one for Spain. After about three months he set sail back to Spain through some horrible storms. A radio would have been an asset during these storms to better prepare themselves for what was ahead of them. Through all of his travels and stops along the way at different islands, Columbus still thought he had reached the Indies. If he would have had resources such as Google Maps it would have made his journey a lot faster and more accurate on where he was going. We have gone from something that is as simple as a book of maps called an Atlas to talking Global Positioning Systems which literally tell you where you are, how far you have traveled, and how much farther you have to go until you reach your destination. All this takes place with a push of a button. Even something as simple as a watch would have been a bonus in his travels instead of having to use a sandglass. This would have helped him and his crew