Christopher Columbus

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[[File:P5230068.JPG|thumb|The Columbus home in Santo Domingo]]
 
[[File:P5230068.JPG|thumb|The Columbus home in Santo Domingo]]
In most of North and South America, Cristóbal Colón, or '''Christopher Colombus''' in [[English]], is recognized as the most significant of the early [[Europe]]an explorers of the [[America]]s.  
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In most of North and South America, '''Cristóbal Colón''', or '''Christopher Colombus''' in [[English]], is recognized as the most significant of the early [[Europe]]an explorers of the [[America]]s.  
  
 
==Controversial Columbus==
 
==Controversial Columbus==
 
 
Despite small visits and settlements by earlier explorers, especially from [[Scandinavia]], Columbus was backed by the power of the empire of [[Spain]], opening the door for the large-scale exploration and exploitation of the Americas. To shamelessly quote [[Wikipedia]] on the subject ''He is regarded more accurately as the person who brought the Americas into the forefront of Western attention. "Columbus' claim to fame isn't that he got there first," explains historian Martin Dugard, "it's that he stayed."'' However, mentioning any previous expeditions by Europeans to the Americas - or even perhaps whatever excursion that caused ''native'' Americans to get there - is considered by [[Andrew Schlafly|some]] to be "anti-Christian", as Columbus was a good Christian boy, therefore worthy of the credit, not some Icelandic <s>Christians</s> [[pagan]]s with bad body odor.
 
Despite small visits and settlements by earlier explorers, especially from [[Scandinavia]], Columbus was backed by the power of the empire of [[Spain]], opening the door for the large-scale exploration and exploitation of the Americas. To shamelessly quote [[Wikipedia]] on the subject ''He is regarded more accurately as the person who brought the Americas into the forefront of Western attention. "Columbus' claim to fame isn't that he got there first," explains historian Martin Dugard, "it's that he stayed."'' However, mentioning any previous expeditions by Europeans to the Americas - or even perhaps whatever excursion that caused ''native'' Americans to get there - is considered by [[Andrew Schlafly|some]] to be "anti-Christian", as Columbus was a good Christian boy, therefore worthy of the credit, not some Icelandic <s>Christians</s> [[pagan]]s with bad body odor.
  
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==Origins==
 
==Origins==
 
 
Columbus was born in Genua. His origins are not a subject of debate amongst serious historians, though especially among amateur historians there is the occasional alternative origin theory. Some have pointed out he may have been [[Judaism|Jewish]], escaping the inquisition that engulfed Spain after the expulsion of the Moors. No evidence for this theory exist however. In fact, since Columbus had plenty of enemies, sooner or later one of them would have pointed out his Jewishness. Though during his lifetime he was accused of a lot of things, being Jewish was not one of them. Others have suggested he may have had Portuguese, Galician, French, Armenian or Greek origins. Coincidentally the proponents of those theories are Portuguese, Galician, French, Armenian and Greek, respectively.
 
Columbus was born in Genua. His origins are not a subject of debate amongst serious historians, though especially among amateur historians there is the occasional alternative origin theory. Some have pointed out he may have been [[Judaism|Jewish]], escaping the inquisition that engulfed Spain after the expulsion of the Moors. No evidence for this theory exist however. In fact, since Columbus had plenty of enemies, sooner or later one of them would have pointed out his Jewishness. Though during his lifetime he was accused of a lot of things, being Jewish was not one of them. Others have suggested he may have had Portuguese, Galician, French, Armenian or Greek origins. Coincidentally the proponents of those theories are Portuguese, Galician, French, Armenian and Greek, respectively.
  
 
==Lies to children==
 
==Lies to children==
 
 
Schoolchildren are often taught the following rhyme to remember when Columbus found America (even though he thought it was India and was definitely not the one to "discover" it):
 
Schoolchildren are often taught the following rhyme to remember when Columbus found America (even though he thought it was India and was definitely not the one to "discover" it):
  
Line 24: Line 21:
  
 
== Columbus Day ==
 
== Columbus Day ==
 
 
In the [[United States]], there is a Federal holiday in honor of Columbus on the second Monday of October. This holiday is the subject of minor controversy due to Columbus's rather violent legacy. The Italian-American community often sponsors Columbus Day celebrations, and Native American groups often protest these. However, since it allows most adults a paid day off from work and children a day off from (public) school, not too many people care about the criticism.
 
In the [[United States]], there is a Federal holiday in honor of Columbus on the second Monday of October. This holiday is the subject of minor controversy due to Columbus's rather violent legacy. The Italian-American community often sponsors Columbus Day celebrations, and Native American groups often protest these. However, since it allows most adults a paid day off from work and children a day off from (public) school, not too many people care about the criticism.
  
 
==See also==
 
==See also==
 
 
*[[America]]
 
*[[America]]
 
*[[Scientific mythology]]
 
*[[Scientific mythology]]
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
 
 
*Another poem: ''[http://sniff.numachi.com/pages/tiPLSCOLMB.html Please Mr. Columbus]''
 
*Another poem: ''[http://sniff.numachi.com/pages/tiPLSCOLMB.html Please Mr. Columbus]''
 
*[http://www.dickipedia.org/dick.php?title=Christopher_Columbus Dickipedia's not-at-all-biased article on Columbus]
 
*[http://www.dickipedia.org/dick.php?title=Christopher_Columbus Dickipedia's not-at-all-biased article on Columbus]
 
==Footnotes==
 
<references />
 
  
 
{{DEFAULTSORT:Columbus, Christopher}}
 
{{DEFAULTSORT:Columbus, Christopher}}
 
[[Category:Christians]]
 
[[Category:Christians]]
 
[[Category:Explorers]]
 
[[Category:Explorers]]

Revision as of 05:34, 10 January 2012

The Columbus home in Santo Domingo

In most of North and South America, Cristóbal Colón, or Christopher Colombus in English, is recognized as the most significant of the early European explorers of the Americas.

Contents

Controversial Columbus

Despite small visits and settlements by earlier explorers, especially from Scandinavia, Columbus was backed by the power of the empire of Spain, opening the door for the large-scale exploration and exploitation of the Americas. To shamelessly quote Wikipedia on the subject He is regarded more accurately as the person who brought the Americas into the forefront of Western attention. "Columbus' claim to fame isn't that he got there first," explains historian Martin Dugard, "it's that he stayed." However, mentioning any previous expeditions by Europeans to the Americas - or even perhaps whatever excursion that caused native Americans to get there - is considered by some to be "anti-Christian", as Columbus was a good Christian boy, therefore worthy of the credit, not some Icelandic Christians pagans with bad body odor.

Current controversies surrounding Columbus in the U.S. involve the implications of his "discoveries" for the native populations i.e., enslaving them, genocide, and stealing their gold.

Origins

Columbus was born in Genua. His origins are not a subject of debate amongst serious historians, though especially among amateur historians there is the occasional alternative origin theory. Some have pointed out he may have been Jewish, escaping the inquisition that engulfed Spain after the expulsion of the Moors. No evidence for this theory exist however. In fact, since Columbus had plenty of enemies, sooner or later one of them would have pointed out his Jewishness. Though during his lifetime he was accused of a lot of things, being Jewish was not one of them. Others have suggested he may have had Portuguese, Galician, French, Armenian or Greek origins. Coincidentally the proponents of those theories are Portuguese, Galician, French, Armenian and Greek, respectively.

Lies to children

Schoolchildren are often taught the following rhyme to remember when Columbus found America (even though he thought it was India and was definitely not the one to "discover" it):

In fourteen hundred and ninety two,
Columbus sailed the ocean blue.

Another legend and so-called factoid around Columbus is that he sailed around the Earth to prove that it wasn't flat - and that his sailors were fearful that he would cause them to fall off the edge. Thus, before Columbus and Columbus alone, everyone thought the Earth was flat. As it was known to ancient Greeks that the world certainly was round this is, of course, nonsense (although whether common people were aware of the fact is debatable, as many people even today don't think the earth is billions of years old, despite conventional wisdom and modern science saying that it is). The myth further gets confused by conflicting legends that it was Columbus who thought the Earth was flat and that the sailors thought the world was round and they would "slip off the rounded edge" or something.

Another lie is that the Portuguese rejected his request for funding because they thought the world was flat. They knew perfectly well that it was round, and they also knew that Columbus had grossly underestimated its size. He calculated the voyage from the Canary Islands to Japan to be about 3,700 km, when in reality it was more like 19,600 km, much too far for any ship of the time to travel without making port. In short, if he hadn't run into land completely by accident, Columbus and his crew would have run out of food and water well before reaching Asia.

Columbus Day

In the United States, there is a Federal holiday in honor of Columbus on the second Monday of October. This holiday is the subject of minor controversy due to Columbus's rather violent legacy. The Italian-American community often sponsors Columbus Day celebrations, and Native American groups often protest these. However, since it allows most adults a paid day off from work and children a day off from (public) school, not too many people care about the criticism.

See also

External links

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