Every, even the thinnest textbook of universal history reports that Christopher Columbus discovered America. The date of this event is even given:October 12, 1492. But has what everyone takes for granted really happened?
It is said that success has many fathers and failure is an orphan, and this saying undoubtedly holds true for the discovery of the Americas. Getting to the New World has already been attributed to the ancient Egyptians, Phoenicians, Templars, and even Irish monks, among others. These stories all have two things in common:they are very interesting and… very far-fetched.
First settlers
It is different with the Vikings. Indeed, they reached the areas of today's Canada and the east coast of the USA. The sagas, which are the primary source of information in this case, say that it happened around 1000. Bjarni Herjulfsson and Leif Eriksson are the candidates for the honor of the discoverer of America.
The newcomers from Scandinavia even established their own settlements in Nowy Świat, but in the long run the whole undertaking was unsuccessful . Why? Just look at the map. To get to America by a "Viking" route, you had to reach Iceland first, which in itself is difficult and takes quite a long time. Then a jump to Greenland, from Greenland to Baffin Island, and finally from Baffin Island to Labrador. There is no need to hide:these are not the warmest places in the world.
Leif Eriksson is one of the strongest candidates to be the discoverer of America.
Besides, despite the undoubted boatbuilding skills of the Vikings, their boats were not entirely suitable for long journeys. They had an open deck and a load capacity much smaller than that of later sailing ships. A cruise on such a ship on the high (and cold) seas is hardly safe. No wonder that Scandinavian settlement eventually died out and the achievements of northern European sailors were forgotten.
What did Columbus really discover?
Perhaps, then, it should be said that Columbus discovered America… a second time? The problem is, that's not entirely true either. Just look at the itinerary of his journey. The first land he saw was an island in the Bahamas archipelago. Which? Disputes about this continue to this day. Until recently, it was assumed that it was San Salvador (or Waitling Island), now it is Samana Cay. Then he headed to Cuba, and later - to Hispaniola (or Haiti). There, the flagship Santa María was lost, and therefore Columbus decided to return to Spain. It is easy to see that never made it to the right continent.
It was similar during the second expedition, which was quickly organized thanks to the success of the first one. As early as September 2, 1493, 17 ships left Cadiz. In a record-breaking, by contemporary standards (and quite good even today) time, 20 days, the Spaniards managed to reach the Caribbean. This time, the first island they landed on was Dominika. Later, other islands from the Lesser Antilles archipelago were also discovered.
During the second expedition, Columbus also explored the coasts of Puerto Rico, Cuba (still believing it to be a peninsula), Hispaniola and Jamaica. Finally, in March 1496, he decided to return to Europe, where he was accused of abusing the administration of the new lands. During the nearly three-year journey, he never once again stood on the continent ...
The Italian traveler did not set foot on the American land until the third journey he embarked on after dealing with the allegations made against him. This time he chose a different route, thanks to which he landed on the Paria peninsula in modern Venezuela on August 5, 1498. By then, however, it was too late to take the lead of priority. Someone passed him.
photo:public domain Columbus left Spain three times on expeditions "to India".
In June 1497, more than a year before Columbus, John Cabot reached the shores of North America , A Venetian in the English service. This success is considered confirmed. And it is possible that he was not the first. There are quite a few candidates to be the actual discoverer of the New World.
Merchants from Bristol, including Robert Thorne and Hugh Eliot, reportedly found themselves on the shores of Newfoundland as early as 1494. The Danish-Portuguese expedition led by Dirk Pining, Hans Pothorst and João Vaz Corterel could have reached there even earlier, in 1472! Duarte Pacheco Pereira, on the other hand, may have discovered Brazil before signing the Tordesillas Treaty in 1494. The knowledge of the continent allegedly allowed the Portuguese to obtain more favorable conditions for the system. However, neither of these achievements has been definitively confirmed.
The Secret of Success
It is certain, at any rate, that Columbus was not the first to reach America. Why, then, was he the one who made history as its discoverer? The answer is good marketing and a little bit of luck .
The returns of the popular sailor from successive expeditions were a great event in Europe. Eventually, he brought exotic birds, fruit, shells, and even kidnapped inhabitants of the New World to Europe. His stories and "exhibits" aroused great interest and attracted people willing to go overseas. Especially since the discoverer himself presented the Caribbean as a country rich in all riches. These reports didn't always reflect reality, but… they were good to listen to.
Returns from subsequent Columbus expeditions were a great event in Spain.
Columbus also benefited from the fact that Spain was able to take full advantage of his discoveries. Its location and political stability, which was strengthened after the fall of Granada in 1492, helped her in this. It also had at the end of the 15th century the right people, sufficient resources and the necessary skills to effectively explore new lands . All these factors determined the rapid expansion of the Spaniards in the Americas. And since it began with Columbus' expeditions, he was recognized as the discoverer of the New World.
The rest of the travelers, even those who overtook him, were somewhat forgotten. So are the prehistoric hunter-gatherers who crossed the land bridge that connected Alaska with Asia during the last ice age several thousand years ago. In fact, they should probably appear in history textbooks as the first settlers in the New World ... But that's a completely different story.