Why did Christopher Columbus decide to sail west across the Atlantic Ocean?

Answer 1

Because he wanted to find another way to the far East, to countries such as China and India. These countries had a lot of high valued resources, such as silk and spices, and Columbus wanted to find a shorter and faster way to this place. But instead he hit America. And an interesting fact is that he thought he had come to India, and that's why the native Americans are called Indians, even though they are not at all related to India.

Answer 2

Columbus was looking for a faster trade route to Asia to make transportation more profitable. He was trying to find a western route, a quicker trade route, to get spices and riches for Spain and impress the monarchs who had sent him. Columbus mistakenly believed the Atlantic Ocean was much smaller than it really is, and when he first landed on an island in the Bahamas, believed he had reached the East Indies.

When he saw the dark-skinned people (Native Americans), he called them "Indians" It was a total accident.

A:

In the Bible,the earth is described as a Sphere, not a flat circle like most believed at the time. Christopher Columbus read this, believed it, and then set out to gain fame, fortune and the notoriety of society's most influential by sailing around the earth. Odd that no one ever seems to elaborate on the bible's accuracy in this account.

He wanted to find a knew way to get to the east. He thought it was faster.

It is reported he had read the works of Marco Polo. I think he wanted fame and riches and that was his primary reason.

Please see the Related Question below.

Answer 3

To find India.

He agreed that the world was round and figured that if he sailed directly south he would sail around the world and reach India assuming that the distance would be shorter then having to sail around the bottom of Africa to get here. Alas for the natives of the Americas (now still referred to as Indians ) there was a whole continent in the way.

Answer 4

he tried to find the indies and went across it

Answer 5

It was a failed attempt to find a route to East Asia he thought that there was no landmass blocking his way and that it was under 9,000 miles to get there

Answer 6

To find a land. And he found America! So it might have been a short cut?

Answer 7

Because he wanted to go India to get spices

Answer 8

He agreed the world was round, and decided to prove that.