shore.After regaining his strength, without money or position, Columbus made his way to Lisbon where he arrived in 1477. Soon after he arrived, he began sailing for Italian merchants to Northern Atlantic ports. His travels kept him busy with trips as far away as Iceland. However, Columbus did find the time to meet and marry Felipa Perestrello of Portugal. In their brief marriage, Columbus fathered a son before his wife died, only two years after they first met. Later, he would have another son out of wedlock.The next four years up until 1484, Columbus spent his time devising a way to sail to the Indies. He studied maps and text provided to him by the king of Portugal. While Felipas family had not had much money, they were still nobility, which gave Columbus access to the Portuguese court and the King.It was during this time that Columbus came up with his plan to find a westward route to Asia. Contrary to modern day textbooks, by the end of the 15th century, most everyone knew that the Earth was a sphere. The question that remaining was the size of the Earth. Columbus wanted the opportunity to explore and hopefully discover a new route to Asia and to the mythical land that Marco Polo had referred toCipango (Japan).In 1484, the King of Portugal denied his request saying that it was too expensive, that Columbus was a visionary and wrong about the distance, and that there were only worthless rocky points of land in the west. Besides, Portugal wanted to find an eastward route to Asia by travelling around Africa.Through his disappointment, Columbus moved himself and his two sons to Spain with hopes of convincing the Spanish monarchy of what he was incapable of convincing the Portuguese. After years of negotiating and pleadinga time when Columbus said, If it strikes often enough, a drop of water can wear a hole in stone,Ferdinand and Isabella finally consented and in April 1492, Columbus rendezvous with history began.Columbus journey consiste...
