Final answer:
Christopher Columbus reached the Americas in 1492, supported by Spanish monarchs and motivated by wealth and titles, despite a miscalculation of Earth's size. Believing he landed in Asia, Columbus never realized he discovered a "New World" that spurred further European exploration and colonization.
Step-by-step explanation:
Columbus's Success in Reaching the Americas
Christopher Columbus succeeded in reaching the Americas due to a combination of factors including the financial backing from Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand, his determination to find a sea route to Asia, and a fundamental misunderstanding of the earth's size. Columbus sailed in September of 1492 with three ships, the Niña, Pinta, and Santa María, and fewer than ninety men. Despite most scholars at the time arguing that Columbus grossly underestimated the distance to Asia, the existence of the American continent provided a landfall for his small fleet. If not for the Americas, Columbus and his ships could likely never have crossed the immense distance of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans combined.
On his first voyage, Columbus left behind a settlement on Hispaniola and kidnapped some Arawak people to take back to Spain, still believing he had reached the Indies. He continued to believe he had reached Asia until his death, unaware that he had encountered a "New World." Moreover, Columbus had certain incentives, like gaining a title of nobility and 10 percent of the wealth from the lands he claimed, fueling his exploration. His expeditions and the subsequent arrival of other European explorers led to a significant period of colonization and expansion in history.
While Columbus did not reach Asia as he intended, his voyages significantly impacted European exploration and the eventual mapping and understanding of the world. The name 'America' was later applied to the lands he explored, derived from the name of another Italian explorer, Amerigo Vespucci, who recognized that the Americas were a separate landmass from Asia.