At the end of the 15th century, it was practically infeasible to travel from Europe to Asia by land. To solve that problem Portuguese explorers took the sea route. It ran along the West African coast and around the cape of Good Hope. Columbus came up with a completely different idea: instead of sailing around the African continent, why not sail west across the Atlantic ocean.
Spanish rulers, motivated by the quest for treasure supported Columbus’s pursuit and funded his voyage. However, Columbus assumed incorrectly. He thought that the circumference of the Earth was much smaller than it really was.
