Social Studies grade 9 (2009). Before Christopher Columbus's voyages to the West Indies and Central and South America, Europeans knew nothing of the Americas in the New World. His four journeys, beginning in 1492 and ending in 1504, blazed a sea route west across the Atlantic Ocean that pioneered would exploration for years to come. This account captures Columbus's determination and courage as he led his crews into both unknown waters and unfamiliar civilizations.