Exploring America
Christopher Columbus
1492

Characters
• Narrator
• Christopher Columbus: Italian explorer
• Bartholomew Columbus: Christopher’s brother
•  John II: King of Portugal
• Isabella: Queen of Spain
• Ferdinand: King of Spain
• Sailor1
• Sailor2
• Taino1: Native American
• Taino2: Native American

Scene 1

Narrator: Explorer and navigator Christopher Columbus was born in 1451 in the Republic of Genoa, Italy. His first voyage into the Atlantic Ocean in 1476 nearly cost him his life. Columbus participated in several other expeditions to Africa. 1492, Columbus left Spain in the Santa Maria, with the Pinta and the Niña alongside. He has been credited for opening up the Americas to European colonization. But his journey to the New World began like that.

Bartholomew Columbus: Brother! How’s you last trip to Africa and Asian?

Christopher Columbus: It was terrible; the road is long and dangerous! We must to find a new way to Asian!

Bartholomew Columbus: But why we need to do that?

Christopher Columbus: So we could be rich and have enough gold to live rest of ours life’s like Kings and Queens and also to govern the new land we will find on our way?

Bartholomew Columbus: Would it even be possible to do so the world is huge and dangerous?

Christopher Columbus: The world is much smaller than people think, I’ve studied many maps and I estimated the distance from the Canary Islands to Japan to be about 3,000 Italian miles west from us.

Bartholomew Columbus: Dear Brother, are you sure?

Christopher Columbus: Yes, and it will take us about the months to reach Asia and become rich, powerful and respected people.

Bartholomew Columbus: Okay. But who will give us ships and mans, because trip will be long and expensive and the only people that have so much money are Kings and Queens.

Christopher Columbus: We will go to John II: King of Portugal.

Scene 2

Christopher Columbus: King John I found a fastest way to get to Asia!

John II: King of Portugal: The world is huge so how you planning to do so?

Christopher Columbus: Many People think the World is huge but I think the World is much smaller than people think it is! And I estimated the distance from the Canary Islands to Japan to be about 3,000 Italian miles west from us. And it will take us about a month!

John II: King of Portugal: I don’t believe it!  You are a fool!

Christopher Columbus: If you would sponsor expedition trip to find a better way to Asia and I will find it, Portuguese empire would me much bigger and much richer.

John II: King of Portugal: I will never waist my money on your foolishness expedition, and what a point you still will die the seas are full of monsters.

Christopher Columbus:  Not so long ago everybody thought the world was flat. Now we know its round. There aren’t any monsters in the sea.

John II: King of Portugal: You can try your fake stories about small world on someone else but not me!

Christopher Columbus: Ok, but trust me you will regret this opportunity!

John II: King of Portugal: Trust me I will not, now get out!

Narrator: After Christopher Columbus didn’t had any luck with Portugal king he and his brother decided not to give up and try Spanish King and Queen and they had a luck with them. They sponsored their trip to find a faster and better way to Asia but instead they found something else!

Scene 3

Christopher Columbus: I have a plan to make Spanish empire the most powerful and richest of all!

Isabella: Queen of Spain: How you planning to do so?

Ferdinand: King of Spain: Will it cost us anything?

Christopher Columbus: Well, I will discover a fastest route to Asia! The world is much smaller than people think, I’ve studied many maps and I estimated the distance from the Canary Islands to Japan to be about 3,000 Italian miles west from us.

Isabella: Queen of Spain: How long will it take you to do so?

Christopher Columbus: It will take me at least a months to do so?

Ferdinand: King of Spain: You are crazy it’s not possible to do so! The seas are dangerous and full of sea monsters!

Christopher Columbus: Trust me I know what I’m doing I will discover a fastest way to Asia and I will make you rich!

Isabella: Queen of Spain: Very-well, but what do you want from us?

Christopher Columbus: I need you to sponsor the trip for me! I will need three ships and man in order to do so!

Ferdinand: King of Spain: Alright, Spain will sponsor you expedition voyage for you.

Christopher Columbus: Right now you made a greatest decision in your life, trust me you and Spain won’t regret it! But I have few rules if you want to have a deal, if I will find a route to Asia or any other new land you will pay me a lot of money and me and my brother will be a governors of any new land we will find along the way!

Ferdinand: King of Spain: Fine you have a deal, just remember you must find a faster route to Asia!

Scene 4

Narrator: Spanish King and Queen sponsored their trip to find a faster and better way to Asia. Columbus left Spain in the Santa Maria, with the Pinta and the Niña alongside.  But instead they found something else!

Sailor 1: Hey, Do you think we will see a land again?

Sailor 2: I don’t know but that ideas to find a new way to Asia seams wrong to me! I would rather stayed in my cell and eaten my soup with bread everything’ll day.

Sailor 1: But in Asia we can get so many good things like Spices and silk and then we can sell them back in the England.

Sailor 2: I think we will never see Asia or Spain again.

Sailor 1: Columbus knows what he’s doing!

Narrator: Christopher Columbus thought it would take him about a months to reach the Asian but instead it took him to reach a new land two months and nine days.

Sailor 2: I see the land! The land!

Narrator: Columbus voyage reached Cuba and he met Taino men’s they were really nice to him and didn’t had any danger to him but Christopher Columbus made them slaves.

Christopher Columbus: Hello People, I’m your new governor and this land belongs to the Spain!

Taino1: Native American: Look Gods came to us from the spirit land!

Taino2: Native American: Do you think we did something really bad?

Taino1: Native American: I don’t know but do you think they will stay here for too long?

Christopher Columbus: And you two will be my slaves!

Narrator: On a second, larger expedition (Sept. 25, 1493-June 11, 1496), sailed with 17 ships to find gold and capture Indians as slaves in the Indies. Columbus established a base in Hispaniola and sailed around Hispaniola and along the length of southern Cuba. He spotted and named the island of Dominica on November 3, 1493. On a third expedition (May 30, 1498-October 1500), Columbus sailed farther south, to Trinidad and Venezuela. Columbus was the first European since the Viking Leif Ericsson to set foot on the mainland of America. On his fourth and last expedition (May 9, 1502-Nov. 7, 1504), Columbus sailed to Mexico, Honduras and Panama and Santiago. He and his brother thought they found a Way to Asia and he died with this idea in his head. It took people a while to figure it out that what Columbus discovered was not an Asia it’s a New World!