Exploration. Think of all the things in the world there are to explore, for example, the deep seas, the top of mountains, the inside of caves, and even places around our home. Everyone views exploration and the discovery of new things differently. One person may think that all these new ideas are very bad, and leading the world into failure. Others may think that exploration may help us with thing we cannot solve. The real question is if exploration is something that is good and we should continue doing it, or should we just stop, and let things remain a question. Exploration is a good thing that helps us advance as humans and live like we do today.
One of the most recognized explorations of the world was the exploration of Christopher Columbus. Most people remember Columbus through the poem “Christopher Columb
us sailed the ocean blue in 1492”, and this poem reminds people of his great explorations through the vast, unforgiving sea, and finding the new world, which is not currently called America. Columbus was born in 1451 and died in 1506, he sailed the ocean on August 2, 1492 in hopes to find a route to India where the riches of gold, pearls and spice awaited. (http://www.enchantedlearning.com/explorers/page/c/columbus.shtml) Columbus and 90 other crew men were on three ships to make the journey, the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. Columbus and his crew first saw the island of the Bahamas, and later that month he would sail to Cuba and Hispaniola, which is now called Hawaii. Columbus talked about the discovery of Hispaniola in his letter to Luis de Sant Angel saying:
“I heard from other Indians I had already taken that this land was an island, and thus followed the eastern coast for one hundred and seven leagues, until I came to the end of it. From that point I saw another isle to the eastward, at eighteen leagues’ distance, to which I gave the name of Hispaniola.” (
http://www.bartleby.com/43/2.html)
On Christmas Day, the Santa Maria sank off shore of Hispaniola, and Columbus then departed back to Spain in the Nina. Columbus, later, made three addition journeys to America. (
http://wilstar.com/holidays/columbus.htm)
Many people disagree that America was founded by Christopher Columbus, and they state something very different. They say that America was in fact, founded by Leif Ericsson, who was Eric, the Red’s son. Leif sailed out from Greenland to Norway. Leif Ericsson visited Biarni Heriulfsson and bought a ship from him, and then he collected a crew of thirty five men. Leif invited his father, Eric, to be the leader of the journey, but he declined saying that his “Stricken years, and adding that he was less able to endure the exposure of the sea life than he had been”. (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1000Vinland.html) When Leif set sail, sailing up the western coast of Greenland, and he sailed for more the 600 miles and found a land with high glaciers and rock. He was disappointed with his discoveries, so he named the land Helluland, and set said again south to which he founded another land. There he found flat white beaches and some trees, and he named this land Markland, which is today believed to be the eastern side of Canada. The last place Leif Ericsson discovered was a place larger than any of the Vikings had seen before. There they build temporary shelters and they stayed there for the winter. When the spring came, Leif and his men were ready to go, but before he left, he named the land Vinland. Very few people ever went back to Vinland, which mainly left Europe in the dark about the New Land. (
http://www.mnc.net/norway/LeifErikson.htm)
The discovery of America is a great example of how exploration is a good thing. Without America the world would not be the same without the power of America, and all the discoveries that America has made in weapons and medicine. Without exploration, the world may not be more advance then the Vikings, or the Renaissance was. People may still be living in houses without heating or cooling. No matter what people think about exploration, there is no arguing that it is something that human cannot live without.
Leif Erikson." MNC Online. Web. 09 May 2010.
http://www.mnc.net/norway/LeifErikson.html.
Modern History Sourcebook: The Discovery of North America by Leif Ericsson, C. 1000from The Saga of Eric the Red, 1387." FORDHAM.EDU. Web. 09 May 2010.
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1000Vinland.html.
Columbus Day and Christopher Columbus - a History." Wilstar - History of Holidays, MIDI Jukebox, Fun Science, Puzzles, Family Fun. Web. 09 May 2010.
http://wilstar.com/holidays/columbus.htm.
"The Letter of Columbus to Luis De Sant Angel Announcing His Discovery. 1909-14. American Historical Documents, 1000-1904. The Harvard Classics." Bartleby.com: Great Books Online -- Quotes, Poems, Novels, Classics and Hundreds More. Web. 09 May 2010.
http://www.bartleby.com/43/2.html.
"Christopher Columbus: Explorer - EnchantedLearning.com." ENCHANTED LEARNING HOME PAGE. Web. 09 May 2010.
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/explorers/page/c/columbus.shtml).
tle of Dunnichen. Scotland was friends with Edward, until he started meddling with their affairs, and the relationship ended, causing the Wars of Scottish Independence. The country started to change very dramatically when Robert de Brus killed John Comyn. Robert I battled to win the independence of the state for over 20 years. After their victory in 1314, it took fourteen more years to come with the independence document, the Declaration of Arbroath. "
tle of Dunnichen. Scotland was friends with Edward, until he started meddling with their affairs, and the relationship ended, causing the Wars of Scottish Independence. The country started to change very dramatically when Robert de Brus killed John Comyn. Robert I battled to win the independence of the state for over 20 years. After their victory in 1314, it took fourteen more years to come with the independence document, the Declaration of Arbroath. "
