(All thoughts exhibited, suggested, quoted, seen or found, either are direct quotations, are personal opinion, or employed colloquially. They are not meant to reflect, suggest, or state the reader's opinions.)
1492. On the command of Queen Isabella and her consort, King Ferdinand, an armada of ships were sailing across the Atlantic (Their names are famous already, it doesn't add to the hitherto poetic flow. And fine! There were three ships! Hardly a fleet). In the distance, loomed a landmass, verdant, huge, like a coiled tiger (Fine, fine, it was an isle of moderate stature.) They had sighted the Indies!
The first millennium C.E. was finished. The son of an exiled Viking was standing at the prow of a longboat. Four hundred and ninety-two years before our aforementioned incidence, Leif Eriksson "the Fortunate" was traveling to Greenland. Yet Greenland was not what he found.
In the icy mist came a shoreline. Helluland, Markland, Vinland (i.e. Baffin Island, Labrador, Newfoundland). He, his crew, and perhaps a few vermin living in the ship were the first Europeans to glimpse America, be it North or South.
Also, there is a contending theory for one extraordinary admiral of the fifteenth century called Zheng He (Properly pronounced "Jung Hu") proposed by one Gavin Menzies. (Incidentally, this personage respects that theory but takes it with a grain of salt, however amazing it is. More on that later). Anyway, Zheng He.
The theory which this Admiral Zheng He discovered the Americas himself, in 1420. Besides the contention, the fleet was amazing in and of itself: Over four hundred ships, sailing around the Indian Ocean, battling (Yes, they battled pirates, cite "The Ming Voyagers" on Asia for Educators, "Ancient Chinese Explorers" on PBS.org; if you would like to learn more). Battling pirates, arresting usurpers, and finding exotic species such as the giraffe! the leopard! And the zebra! among others. Or being gifted them, but either way.
Allow me to return to Columbus. Hopefully you, Reader, are not too disdainful of the prior theory for it really is fascinating!
Columbus. 1492. Brave explorers. Valiant Spaniards. Cheating, barbaric, filthy, conquistadors.
Columbus, wasn't one of course, he was a man trying to make his way in an emerging time. Other contending theories state that he could have been a covert Jew or converso (See: Jewish Pirates of the Caribbean, Ed Kritzler). However, the greed, inhumanity, cruelty, and duplicity that followed cannot be understated - The Aztecs failing, the Mayans tricked, the Incas hidden - later eradicated.
Soon(ish), as the Pilgrims arrived on the shores of the Eastern Seaboard, they were advised and aided by the Native Americans, until the advent of King Phillip's War, and the natives' subsequent deriding and loss...
"Manifest Destiny." "It is our manifest destiny to overspread the continent." Said John O'Sullivan, an editor - Unlike many editors, his words became famous - Now, isn't it fairly apparent when you attain the word "over" in a sentence that it probably isn't beneficial?
Filthy, lying, cheating, duplicitous, foul, cruel, inhumane, conquerors. Unfortunately, that is the main reason American history and I do not get along. Fascinating, but in the wings lurks brutality.
In essence: Personal statement? Columbus did not discover the Americas.
Of course, it wasn't his fault, he was simply sailing for the Indies - the origin of the (politically incorrect) term "Indians" (I believe Native Americans is more respectful) for he thought he had discovered those islands.
Past is past, but the conquest, thievery, and brutality is still bloody outrageous!
And there's the rub with history: Behind every picture-perfect moment, whether it be of exploration, of innovation, of travel, conflict, story, tale, it will most likely be anachronistic, erroneous, or spoilt by another piece of history.
Have a nice day.
Well, truly, have a nice weekend. I wish that you were in some way surprised or appreciative or enlightened of these moments and possible happenings of history.
Thank you for reading,
~ ♫ ♫ ♫~ Anacostia Mirabow-Marignac. ~ ♫ ♫ ♫~
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