CJHS ELA 8th Grade History Research

William Bradford said it best: “Being thus passed the vast ocean, and a sea of troubles before in their preparation, they had now no friends to welcome them or inns to entertain or refresh their weather- beaten bodies; no houses or much less towns to repair to…And for now it was Winter, and they that know the winters of that country know them to be sharp and violent, and subject to cruel and fierce storms, dangerous to travel to known places, much more to search and unknown coast.”

Experts have deemed the winter of 1620 and 1621 as mild, but there were reports of harsh weather. An early December storm brought in snow and very cold air. Bradford described the ground as covered with snow and frozen. Six inch snow depths were reported as well. In mid December, another Arctic blast seemed to take over the area as the Pilgrims exploration party continued their venture around the Cape Cod Bay. From the descriptions, it sounded like an ice storm–Bradford described their coats as being “glazed” with ice. Winds then shifted and south flow allowed temperatures to ease. Nonetheless a mix of rain and snow impacted the area on that mid-December day.

However, records indicate that the Pilgrims were pretty lucky that season. Thomas Dudley of Massachusetts Bay wrote the following: “a calm winter, such as was never seen here since.” December ended mildly. January was moderate. Some sleet and snow was reported in early February, but mild weather returned before Spring began early. Pretty fortunate, hm?

Let’s not forget, however, that Winter was the dreaded enemy of these explorers. Many of them would not survive long at all-mainly due to disease. There is no official record of the next winters, but it’s no secret that it was difficult. Again, I have a hard time envisioning myself in a little shack with a blanket trying to get through a night of blustery, snowy weather… but some made it. And thus, Thanksgiving was born.

After 29 days out of sight of land, on October 7, 1492

Before he left Spain on his second voyage, Columbus had been directed by Ferdinand and Isabella to maintain friendly, even loving, relations with the indigenous people, the natives. He set sail in 1493.

On May 30, 1498, Columbus led the fleet to the Portuguese Porto Santo Island, his wife's native homeland. He then sailed to the island of Madeira and spent some time there with the Portuguese captain João Gonçalves da Câmara before sailing to the Canary Islands and Cape Verde. Columbus landed on the south coast of the island of Trinidad on July 31, 1498.

His first voyage into the Atlantic Ocean in 1476 nearly cost him his life

ttacked by French privateers

married Felipa Perestrello

. The couple had one son, Diego in about 1480. His wife died soon after and Columbus moved to Spain.

e also had a son Fernando who was born out of wedlock in 1488 with Beatriz Enriquez de Arana.

1451 Born Cristoforo Colombo, between August and October, in the Republic of Genoa in modern-day Italy

1476 First voyage out of Mediterranean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean

1492 Begins first of four voyages to find western ocean route to Asia with the three ships the Pinta, the Nina, and the Santa Maria on the first voyage.

1498 On third voyage, Columbus reaches the mainland of the Americas sailing into the mouth of the Orinoco River in modern-day Venezuela.

Columbus did not have any women on his first two voyages. In 1498, Columbus recruited one woman for every ten men on his third voyage.

The ships of exploration were general-purpose cargo vessels (investors were reluctant to risk first class ships). They were uncomfortable and were not made for the business of discovery, yet their maneuverability, their flexibility of rigging, their ability to travel more than 100 miles per day under favorable conditions, and to sail in shallow water gave them a major role in voyages of exploration. In the words of Dr. Roger Smith, underwater archaeologist for the State of Florida, caravels were the "Mercury spacecraft of a long line of transoceanic vessels.

The ships of exploration were general-purpose cargo vessels (investors were reluctant to risk first class ships). They were uncomfortable and were not made for the business of discovery, yet their maneuverability, their flexibility of rigging, their ability to travel more than 100 miles per day under favorable conditions, and to sail in shallow water gave them a major role in voyages of exploration. In the words of Dr. Roger Smith, underwater archaeologist for the State of Florida, caravels were the "Mercury spacecraft of a long line of transoceanic vessels."