And You Still Thought Columbus Discovered America

Not exactly a new story but the AP is featuring it for some reason today. Perhaps they want to help adults catch up on their History. I wonder, do they ever teach about the horrors native populations so often inflicted upon themselves? It isn't as if Europeans invented wars, slavery and disease exclusively. If they wanted to actually present a balanced view, they might take time to inject all of the progressive accomplishments injected into native cultures over time. But I guess that wouldn't do. 

One wonders how long this assault on the heritage of so many can continue before the other side begins to rebel. Time was when we built monuments and named parks after Columbus. But I suppose we could simply all turn them into Obama amusement parks over night and be done with it in one fell swoop.

 "The whole terminology has changed," said James Kracht, executive associate dean for academic affairs in the Texas A&M College of Education and Human Development. "You don't hear people using the world 'discovery' anymore like they used to. 'Columbus discovers America.' Because how could he discover America if there were already people living here?"

In Texas, students start learning in the fifth grade about the "Columbian Exchange" - which consisted not only of gold, crops and goods shipped back and forth across the Atlantic Ocean, but diseases carried by settlers that decimated native populations.

Comments

[Fred2]

Because October 12th is Columbus Day, even more so in east coast US cities with large populations of Italian-Americans.

In practical terms, Europe learning of the New World was a big deal, and has had a tremendous impact on world history.

[Terrye]

It is not as if any of these people want to give it back, now is it? Sometimes when I read this kind of thing, I get the feeling that modern day Americans are like ungrateful children...who dislike they way Dad makes his living but damn well expect to be included in the will.

[MarkJ]

I'm sure the kiddies are also being taught about such charming and enlightened New World native customs as empire building, forced labor, mass human sacrifice, and ritual cannibalism.

Then again, I suppose not: after all, that might bring up inconvenient questions like, oh say, why so many of the peoples under Aztec and Inca subjugation eagerly cast their lot with Hernan Cortes and Francisco Pizarro.

[Mark Turner]

Columbus probably never set foot in what is now the US, during any of his 4 voyages to the Americas. He did land on Hispaniola and was governor of Santo Domingo for a while there -- I think also stopped at Cuba, Puerto Rico, probably Jamaica and possibly as far as the Yucutan Peninsula of Mexico. The significance of Columbus is that he was the first European to actually claim the land in the Americas he discovered for a European power (Spain). The vikings did visit and settle up in Newfoundland for a while long before Columbus, but I don't believe they ever "claimed" in for Norway, etc. There is even some speculation that early Chinese vessels may have made in to the west coast of the US, but they not claim any lands for China.

The main catastrophe brought upon native peoples by European explorers was disease -- this destroyed up to 90% of the populations existing in the Americas at the time of the first European contact. Secondly, there was a policy of forced integration or extermination, which was popular after the Civil War -- long after the Americas were colonized and settled -- this was more of an emotional and cultural destruction of native people, although physically it certainly took its toll.

P.S. European explorers had a similar effect on native people elsewhere in the world - Australia, parts of Asia and Africa - it isn't exclusive to the Americas.

[John H. Costello]

The newspaper article shortchanged the Europeans gifts to the Indians and the Indians gifts to the Europeans. The Indians got horses, metal tools; the Europeans got tomatoes, avocados, chilis, and syphylis.

[Brett_McS]

The Native American and Australian cultures were all tribal, and in tribes the warrior is the central figure. The tribes were in virtually constant war with each other - keeping the warriors 'employed' - because of this primacy of the warrior. This is the same as the situation in Afghanistan today.

Because the women of the tribes do the sort of work that can be useful in commercial societies, and the men/warriors do not, the absorption of the tribal people into the modern world can result in a very painful dislocation, for the men especially. I don't know about America, but Australian Aboriginal women integrated into western society much more easily than the men.

[SDN]

Mark, the Vikings couldn't claim it for "Norway" because they didn't consider themselves part of a nation state. They certainly claimed it for whatever chieftain they served.

P.S.: European explorers weren't the only ones; there's a reason several plagues made it from Asia to Europe via the Middle East. And, of course, slave-holding mostly survives in Moslem dominated societies. We live in a Fallen world, and always have.

[Miklo]

Columbus was among the first to confirm

the economic opportunities

revealed through exploration of the Western Hemisphere.

The more developed civilizations likely knew the land

was here...

But Columbus' expedition only affirmed its viability for

the enrichment and advancement of "modern civilization".

[xerocky]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leif_Erikson_Day

October 9th was Leif Ericson day and nobody said a word. As far as I can tell the whole place should be called Ericsonland.

Long live Ericsonland.

[Ed Flinn]

Columbus: ...I want to take a few of you guys back on the boat with me to prove I discovered you.

Native: What you mean, you discover us? We discover you.

Columbus: You discovered us?

Native: Certainly. We discover you on beach here. Is all how you look at it.

Columbus: Yeah, I never thought of that. ...

--- Stan Freberg, The History of the United States of America
Vol.1 (The Early Years)

[joe buzz]

We should have just stayed the hell in Europe, exceeded the carrying capacity of the land and been wiped out by a plague. That would have made a lot of people happy. Lets wallow in our WIG!
(White Ignorant Guilt)

[Johnny Goodtimes]

Sorry that actual history got in the way of your myths, Riehl. I can only imagine how horribly inconvenient that must be.

[WAHOO WILLIE]

If not for Columbus, would we even have a Hispanic History Month?

[mojo]

The Mongol Emperor, Kublai Khan, supposedly sent an expedition to the west coast of North America. It never returned.

[WAHOO WILLIE]

Mark said: "European explorers had a similar effect on native people elsewhere in the world - Australia, parts of Asia and Africa - it isn't exclusive to the Americas."

Did you intentionally leave out adverse affects of european explorers in other parts of europe? Pretty much the same story throughout history when one group moved into the territory of another. Wonder if anyone was here when the first athapaskins crossed the land bridge into north america? Whatever the truth. The goal being to demonize america by any means available.

[Donna]

I still like the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria story....although, can't help but believe in "Ericsonland".

[Malcolm]

James Kracht's comment:".. Because how could he discover America if there were already people living here?"

What an asinine comment. CC's discovery was for Europe, as a prelude to the 16th Century. The Norse and Chinese discoveries didn't amount to anything because there were no historical forces ready to take up those discoveries into a greater development. "Discovery" is on behalf of some purposeful enterprise, not just a meandering over the next hill to do a hunt and gather routine, as with the case of the indigenous peoples. The pre-Columbians' real historical discovery upon the arrival and expansion of the Europeans was that their nemesis had arrived. These facts are all aside from neurotic value judgments.

[BR]

"All right, but apart from the sanitation, the medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, a fresh water system, and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us?"
(from)Life of Brian