He didn't. It was well-known at the time of Columbus that the earth is round.
He thought the earth was flat and it is round
The earth is flat
Columbus never believed the earth was square, in fact, the myth was that he believed the earth was flat. However, in truth, Columbus did not believe the earth was flat. Ancient Greek mathematicians, Pythagoras and Aristotle, proved the earth was spherical in shape based on the shadow of the earth on the moon and the curvature of the earth when approaching land. Columbus falsely believed he could reach Asia by going west because he underestimated the circumference of the earth, and also believed Europe was wider than it was.
Round. Most people by the time of Columbus did not believe the Earth was flat, despite what some history books will tell you.
There is a common misconception that historical figures like Christopher Columbus believed the Earth was flat. In reality, most educated people in Columbus's time knew that the Earth was round. The idea that Columbus was trying to prove the Earth's roundness is more of a myth.
The earth is flat
He didn't. It was well-known at the time of Columbus that the earth is round.
Yes.
No, the men who sailed with Columbus did not believe the Earth was flat. By the late 15th century, educated Europeans widely accepted that the Earth was round, a fact known since ancient Greek times. Columbus himself argued for a shorter route to Asia based on a spherical Earth, although he underestimated the size of the planet. The misconception that people in Columbus's time thought the Earth was flat is largely a myth popularized in later centuries.
No, most educated people in Columbus's time did not believe the Earth was flat. By the 15th century, ancient Greek scholars had already proven that the Earth was a sphere. Columbus's challenge was not convincing people the Earth was round, but rather estimating its size and the distance to Asia.
false
He was trying to prove that the earth was flat