What mistake did Columbus make that led him to believe he could make it to Asia by sailing west?
A. He miscalculated the size of the Earth by more than half
B. He gave in to his sailors when they threatened mutiny.
C. He got Spanish financial and political backing.
"A. He miscalculated the size of the Earth by more than half" would be the mistake that Columbus initially made, since he had not idea that the Americas actually lay in his way.