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Did Christopher Columbus discover America?

It's amazing really how the history books and school books are still claiming that Mr Christopher Columbus discovered America. Throughout the western hemis-phere Columbus Day appears to be  a popular national holiday while Columbus himself never even set foot on American soil. Even worse, the man didn't even know he had seen the shores of America, let alone that he even realized that this was at the time a yet unknown conti-nent for Europeans. And none of the Spanish conquis-tadores has even been to North America anyway. For Columbus, all he seen were the Bahama's, namely Cuba and Haiti, the last island mentioned here was called His-paniola by Columbus. Also evident was that he had ne-ver been to India, because if he had, he never would have called the natives Indians. For anyone visiting India and seeing America after it should be odd not to see any tigers, cobra's, peacocks, elephants or Hindu shrines there.

Instead, the Europeans were encountering a number of unknown animals like turkeys, llama's  and guinea pigs. We could rightfully say that Francisco Pizarro had discovered South America. For Central America and in particular Mexico, Columbus had his conquistadores like Hernán Cortes to march into "India" and claim the land in the name of the royal monarchs of Spain, King Fernandes and Queen Isabella. But for what the justification of the conquest was concer-ned, the Requirimiento of 1510, also mentioned the Pope of Rome as divine ruler for God on earth for this mission. It was what the catholics of the 15th century really believed but of

course this would today conside-red to be nothing more than blas-phemy and imperialism but at the time people really believed this to be acceptable. Nobody took an interested in the religions of the natives because after all, they were heathens anyway and Europeans were convinced of it that theirs was the only true one anyway.

Royal banner of King Ferdinand of Aragon and Queen Isabella of Castille (only carried by the Santa Maria)

The Santa Maria

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