Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus was born in 1451 in Italy. Columbus knew the earth was round, and he wanted to find a shorter sea route to India by going west. He needed ships, men and money to make the long trip. The King and Queen of Spain agreed to help him. They hoped he would find lots of gold, which would make their country rich. They gave him three ships. They were the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria. On October 12th 1492, the three ships arrived at an island, which the Lucayans called Guanahani. Life changed this day for the Lucayans. They had never seen anything like it before. They hid in the bushes and watched. Men with white faces landed on their island. Their bodies were covered with strange clothes. The locals did not understand the language the white people spoke. Christopher Columbus planted a long pole with the flag on the beach. Then, he renamed the island San Salvador. Shortly after, the Lucayans were taken away from their homes and their land by the Spanish people. A few years later, other Spanish ships came. Soon very few Lucayans were left. Question 1. When did Christopher Columbus arrive in The Bahamas? A. 1942 B. 1451 C. 1492 2. What did he rename the island of Guanahani to? A. Cat Island B. Eleuthera C. San Salvador 3. Which country did Columbus and his men come from? A. Italy B. Spain. C. The Bahamas D. The United States of America 4. Who helped Christopher Columbus get his ships? A. He bought the ships himself B. The King and Queen of England C. The Prime Minister of The Bahamas D. The King and Queen of Spain 5. How did the Lucayans felt when they saw the Spaniards? A. They were scared B. They were happy C. They were excited D. They were hungry 6. Name the three ships that Christopher Columbus had. __________________________________________________________________________ 7. Drag and drop the numbers 1 - 4 to put the events in the order that they happened in the story? _________ Many Lucayans were killed and some were made slaves. _________ Christopher Columbus renamed the island. _________ Christopher Columbus planted a flag. _________ The Spaniards took the Lucayans from their homes.