answersLogoWhite

0

Not very much. Since the days of the ancient Greeks it was already known that the Earth was a globe, that its axis was slightly tilted (the Greeks had even exactly calculated the number of degrees of that tilt) and the size and circumference of the Earth's globe had also been exactly known for well over1,000 years. So the idea that Columbus' sailors (or anyone else) thought that the Earth was flat and that travellers migh fall off at some point is no more than a myth.

When Columbus first tried to get funding from the Portuguese he was rejected because Portugal's experts had looked at his calculations and knew that he was totally off the mark, calculating the Earth's circumference at about 1/3rd of its real size. They knew he could never find the Indies where he thought they were.

So basically the only 'expert' with a totally wrong perception of the world was Columbus himself. The Spanish experts also realized that Columbus had his calculations wrong, but the King and Queen of Spain decided to help him on his way regardless, since it was only a small expedition and you never knew what he might come up with: most experts knew from experience that there must be more land to discover than they knew of at the time.

The only change in perception really was that there apparently was a 'new world' between Europe and the Indies along the Western route. This by the way was not a conclusion of Columbus, who remained convinced to his dying day that he had reached unknown islands near the coast of either India or China. It was Amerigo Vespucci who first published the opinion that the newly discovered land could not in any way be part of the East Indies.

User Avatar

Wiki User

9y ago

What else can I help you with?

Related Questions

Which European leader financed Columbus' first voyage across the Atlantic?

Christoher columbus


Which European leader financed Columbus ' first voyage across the Atlantic ocean?

Christoher columbus


How did European's respond to news of Columbus's first voyage?

The Europeans were suprised.


What was the funding of christopher Columbus voyage?

i believe it was 1,300,000 maravides (european money)


Who was the first European to record a hurricane?

Christopher Columbus was the first European to record encountering a hurricane during his fourth voyage to the Caribbean in 1502.


The first European to land on Puerto Rico was?

Christopher Columbus was the first European to land on Puerto Rico. He landed November 19, 1493 on his second voyage to the new world.


How did Columbus's voyage affected the Caribbean Indians?

some of the indians were kidnapping by columbus and his men The Indians were influenced to make European-style ceramics.


How did Columbus's voyage affect the Caribbean Indians?

some of the indians were kidnapping by columbus and his men The Indians were influenced to make European-style ceramics.


Which european leader financed columbus first voyage across the altantic ocean?

king james the third


When was Columbus's first voyage to Spain?

Columbus first voyage


What describes the importance of Christopher Columbus?

His voyage inspired European powers to begin exploring, conquering, and colonizing the Americas.


What is the ISBN of The Last Voyage of Columbus?

The ISBN of The Last Voyage of Columbus is 0759513767.