This chapter explores the despair in late 15th century Western Europe linked to the decline of key institutions like the Holy Roman Empire and the church. It contrasts this with the hope ignited by a Spanish caravel's discovery, raising questions about European exploration and the choice of Christopher Columbus for this pivotal journey.
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Episode notes
This episode is a remastered and slightly revised version of the first of five on Christopher Columbus, the “Admiral of the Ocean Sea.” The episode discusses why Columbus should figure in to The History of the Americans in the first place, the state of Europe in 1491, how it changed after Columbus’s discovery, why it was a European who connected the hemisphere rather than an Asian, American Indian, African, or Muslim, and how it came that Columbus got the idea and built his proposal – a medieval venture “pitch deck” – to raise the money for his venture.
The Nuremberg Chronicle of 1493 (referred to in the episode):
Selected references for this episode (Commission earned for Amazon purchases through the episode notes on our website)
