Columbus Returns to Lisbon: Proof the New World Exists
Columbus sailed home to Spain but landed in Portugal first — right in front of his biggest rival. King João II had rejected Columbus's voyage proposal five years earlier, calling it too expensive and impossible. Now the explorer who proved him wrong sat in Lisbon harbor on March 4, 1493, his ship battered by Atlantic storms, forced to seek refuge in enemy waters. João summoned Columbus to court, where the Genoese captain bragged about gold and new lands while Portuguese nobles whispered about seizing him. The king's advisors urged him to kill Columbus and claim the discoveries for Portugal. João refused, and that restraint cost Portugal an empire. Spain got the Americas instead.
March 4, 1493
533 years ago
Key Figures & Places
Portugal
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Caribbean
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Christopher Columbus
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Lisbon
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Niña
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The Bahamas
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his voyage
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first expedition
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North America
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The Bahamas
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Lisbon
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Caribbean
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Niña (ship)
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Christopher Columbus
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Palos de la Frontera
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Exploración geográfica
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