As today is Colombus Day, is has become very commercialized in the Western World. It is a day to celebrate sales and buy that new mattress set, not to venture on a pilgrammage of Colombus' voyage.
According to MSNBC, here are the top 5 misconceptions about Christopher Colombus:
1. Colombus set out to prove the world was round.
The earth's roundness was proved nearly 2,000 years earlier, beginning with Pythagoreas in the 6thC BCE.
2. Colombus discovered America.
Instead, Colombus' journey included Hispanola, Central & South America. The only reason why the misconception about Colombus discovering America is prominent because the Thirteen Colonies were at war with England and not Spain. Therefore, we named the day our land was discovered after a Spainard. (It was actually discovered by the true American Indians and later by England's John Cabot.)
3. Colombus introduced syphillis to Europe.
Syphillis was a world-wide disease before Colombus. Coincidentially, a case of syphillis broke in Napels, 1494 following Colombus' return. The earliest known case of syphillis was described by Hippocrates in Classic Greece as a pre-Colombian theory. Though, these two arguements are widely discussed throughout anthropology and history.
4. Colombus died unknown in poverty.
At the time of his death in 1506, Christopher Colombus was living comfortably (like most of you and myself are today). Fernindad & Queen Isabella did not alow his to keep his discoveries, as promised to him, from his endeavors. Instead, a twenty year lawsuit occurred and finally his heirs regained ownership of the artifacts.
5. Colombus did nothing significant.
Christopher Colombus was miguided about many things but assisted in two key concepts of history. The first was his navigation techniques. He established some knowledge about tradewinds, specifically the lower-latitude easterlies and higher-latitude westerlies. Also, Colombus was the first European to stay in the Western Hemisphere. This direct contact built the foundation for further discoveries and voyages between Europe and the Americas.
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