what was columbus looking for

Christopher Columbus was looking for a new route to India, China, Japan, and the Spice Islands in order to bring back gold and spices that were highly sought in Europe. His patrons, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain, hoped that his success would bring them greater status. Columbus believed that he could reach these destinations by sailing west across the Atlantic Ocean. He made four voyages to America, during which he explored an astonishingly large area of the Caribbean and a part of the northern coast of South America. At every island, the first thing he inquired about was gold, taking heart from every trace of it he found.