Before Columbus discovered America, trade between Asia and Europe was done over land, particularly through the Silk Road. However, with the fall of the Byzantine Empire, the Ottomans controlled the region. Europeans wanted to find a different route.
Columbus formulated a plan to reach the East Indies, and he was able to convince the Spanish kings to finance his journey. Columbus landed in an island in the Bahamas on October 12, 1492. On arrival, he believed it to be part of Asia, and spent the rest of his life trying to find passage to India.