Christopher Columbus, the discoverer of America? Options

[panaginip13]

Okay, so I searched for a topic on this, and couldn't find one so I decided to make one. If there is a topic on this, feel free to close this and smack me upside the head for my inability to find things.

Columbus is often known as the discoverer of America. He came across America during his exploration and shared his discovery with Europe. This caused more Europeans to explore and settle in America, helping make America what it is today. However, some do not think that Columbus discovered America because of the Vikings and Native Americans that were there before him and for many other reasons.

Should Columbus be the one credited for discovering America? If not, who should be?

[sadolakced acid]

1. columbus was not the first european in the 'new world'
2. columbus never knew he found a 'new world'

i know who it was who first said "this is a new world!" to the europeans. He was Amerigo Vespucci.

i know the first european in the 'new world'. he was lief erikson.

so why should columbus be credited with discovering america, or inspiring others to america?

[Spirited Away]

1.  columbus was not the first european in the 'new world'
2.  columbus never knew he found a 'new world'

This is a response I wrote in an earlier topic about hitler and columbus:

In history there was always someone who stumbled on an idea, and someone else who made the idea better and famous. For example, the evolution theory existed before Charles Darwin. Anaximander, Xenophanes, Aristotle and a few more people have made assumptions about evolution, wrote about it and studied what they can about it with what knowledge of science was available during their lifetime. However, what we learned generally learn in school is that Darwin is much credited with formalizing the actual theory.

Why then must Columbus be looked down on if he wasn't the first to reached America when Darwin wasn't the first to think of the evolutionary theory? Like Darwin, he was only testing out his theory. Though miscalculated, know that the people of that era does not have firm knowledge on geography. What else do you expect from them? Certainly not perfection I hope.


Now then, as for Columbus not even knowing what he stumbled on. Many artists died before their paintings become famous... They wouldn't know that their work is now masterpiece worth millions because... well, they died.

In comparison, Columbus died before he had a chance to realize what we now know.