Christopher Columbus did not discover America. There were human beings living throughout the continents of North and South America, and the various island systems around them, for thousands of years before Columbus.
Columbus wasn’t even the first European to come to the Americas. It has long been known that the Danish explorer Leif Erickson actually made it to the actual mainland of the North American continent almost 500 years earlier than Columbus, something even Columbus never achieved. And recent discoveries found that he made his way as far south as Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts.
Columbus did not even establish that the world is spherical. THAT had been known by all of the few, elite educated people, ever since Greek mathematician Eratosthenes not only proved it using geometry, but also accurately calculated its size.
Based on Eratosthenes correct calculation of the size of the earth, while all educated people knew you could get to Asia and the Indies by sailing west, the size was prohibitive for the kinds of ships they had.
Columbus ignored real scientists, did his own amateurish calculations, and figured that the earth was ONE THIRD of its actual size, with the Indies about where the east coast of the Americas is. So when he got there, he assumed he was right and called it the Indies and the stubborn old man never did acknowledge his error.
All Columbus managed to achieve was massive cruelty, torture and the religious terrorism of forced “conversions” to “Christianity.”
Can’t we celebrate the courage of a brave man and an able leader. He crossed the Atlantic in three small vessels, (a Carrack — Santa Maria, and two Caravels — Nina & Pinta), with little idea of how far he had to go or what land was in front of him. That took courage. I’m a sailor. And when I go somewhere, I plan very carefully on course, (meaning I know where there are reefs, rock, shoals, and other hazards, also where the harbors are), and the time it takes to get there, (meaning how much food and water to take). Columbus didn’t have any of this information. He did know that there was land to the west. As has been stated, he knew that the world was round. And he had been to Iceland and heard the stories of the locals. Still, he was sailing into the unknown with no backup to rescue him. Again I say that took courage and leadership. Lets honor that courage!
As for doing the native North Americans bad. Well, we humans move around a lot. In Europe, Gauls, Germans, Franks, Goths, Huns, Slavs, and others all moved, (and violently moved), all over Europe and North Africa. An India was far form peaceful. As was China and the far East, having one war after another. In the Western Hemisphere, one native tribe/people displaced another. And example: the Navajo and Apaches are Athabaskan language speakers. And the Athabaskans live in Easter Alaska and NW Canada. And I don’t think that they got to the Southwestern US in a peaceful manner. The Aztecs came from Southern California and moved into the central Mexican valley. (Also please note the Mesoamerican rite of human sacrifice — cutting out living and beating human hearts to appease their gods). The Incas came from the Amazon river valleys and were the latest to rule the central Andean Mountains and coastal area.
Us round eyed “whites” are just the latest wave a migrants moving across the planet. It may not have been pretty. But that is history for you.
The Jews of Spain paid for it, though not voluntarily:
“They were permitted to their take belongings with them, excluding “gold or silver or minted money or other things prohibited by the laws of our kingdoms.” In practice, however, the Jews had to sell anything they could not carry: their land, their houses, and their libraries, and converting their wealth to a more portable form proved difficult. The market in Spain was saturated with these goods, which meant the prices were artificially lowered for the months before the deadline. As a result, much of the wealth of the Jewish community remained in Spain."https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alhambra_Decree#Decree
What about what our fore-fathers ( white people ) have done to the Native Americans for hundreds of years. Just as bad if not worse than what Columbus done.
If you’ll read the cartoon again, the question was “How did Christopher Columbus finance his voyage to the NEW WORLD?” Nothing there about discovering America. This WAS the New World to the Europeans. Don’t twist the statement into something that’s not there. Now, if you want to go on proselytizing about other related issues, be my guest.
Adiraiju over 5 years ago
On his knees and with great desperation, mostly.
DD Wiz Premium Member over 5 years ago
Christopher Columbus did not discover America. There were human beings living throughout the continents of North and South America, and the various island systems around them, for thousands of years before Columbus.
Columbus wasn’t even the first European to come to the Americas. It has long been known that the Danish explorer Leif Erickson actually made it to the actual mainland of the North American continent almost 500 years earlier than Columbus, something even Columbus never achieved. And recent discoveries found that he made his way as far south as Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts.
Columbus did not even establish that the world is spherical. THAT had been known by all of the few, elite educated people, ever since Greek mathematician Eratosthenes not only proved it using geometry, but also accurately calculated its size.
Based on Eratosthenes correct calculation of the size of the earth, while all educated people knew you could get to Asia and the Indies by sailing west, the size was prohibitive for the kinds of ships they had.
Columbus ignored real scientists, did his own amateurish calculations, and figured that the earth was ONE THIRD of its actual size, with the Indies about where the east coast of the Americas is. So when he got there, he assumed he was right and called it the Indies and the stubborn old man never did acknowledge his error.
All Columbus managed to achieve was massive cruelty, torture and the religious terrorism of forced “conversions” to “Christianity.”
wiatr over 5 years ago
Apparently he left home without his American Express. It would have gotten him here faster.
FL Cat Lady over 5 years ago
Blah, blah, blah..yadda, yadda, yadda..
littlejohn Premium Member over 5 years ago
Can’t we celebrate the courage of a brave man and an able leader. He crossed the Atlantic in three small vessels, (a Carrack — Santa Maria, and two Caravels — Nina & Pinta), with little idea of how far he had to go or what land was in front of him. That took courage. I’m a sailor. And when I go somewhere, I plan very carefully on course, (meaning I know where there are reefs, rock, shoals, and other hazards, also where the harbors are), and the time it takes to get there, (meaning how much food and water to take). Columbus didn’t have any of this information. He did know that there was land to the west. As has been stated, he knew that the world was round. And he had been to Iceland and heard the stories of the locals. Still, he was sailing into the unknown with no backup to rescue him. Again I say that took courage and leadership. Lets honor that courage!
As for doing the native North Americans bad. Well, we humans move around a lot. In Europe, Gauls, Germans, Franks, Goths, Huns, Slavs, and others all moved, (and violently moved), all over Europe and North Africa. An India was far form peaceful. As was China and the far East, having one war after another. In the Western Hemisphere, one native tribe/people displaced another. And example: the Navajo and Apaches are Athabaskan language speakers. And the Athabaskans live in Easter Alaska and NW Canada. And I don’t think that they got to the Southwestern US in a peaceful manner. The Aztecs came from Southern California and moved into the central Mexican valley. (Also please note the Mesoamerican rite of human sacrifice — cutting out living and beating human hearts to appease their gods). The Incas came from the Amazon river valleys and were the latest to rule the central Andean Mountains and coastal area.
Us round eyed “whites” are just the latest wave a migrants moving across the planet. It may not have been pretty. But that is history for you.
PICTO over 5 years ago
“Chris is goin’ to find Ray Charles.” Queen Isabella a.k.a. Flip Wilson
tom.amitai over 5 years ago
The Jews of Spain paid for it, though not voluntarily:
“They were permitted to their take belongings with them, excluding “gold or silver or minted money or other things prohibited by the laws of our kingdoms.” In practice, however, the Jews had to sell anything they could not carry: their land, their houses, and their libraries, and converting their wealth to a more portable form proved difficult. The market in Spain was saturated with these goods, which meant the prices were artificially lowered for the months before the deadline. As a result, much of the wealth of the Jewish community remained in Spain."https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alhambra_Decree#Decree
retiredgezzer over 5 years ago
What about what our fore-fathers ( white people ) have done to the Native Americans for hundreds of years. Just as bad if not worse than what Columbus done.
DCBakerEsq over 5 years ago
I wish there were more lengthy, meaningless, and utterly inappropriate bloviations in the GoComics comments section.
Linguist over 5 years ago
I wonder what kind of reward points Columbus got on his Discover card ?
car2ner over 5 years ago
sigh, it is a clever pun. Moving on to the next strip now.
Dean over 5 years ago
Let me quote today’s Funny Quote[s] of the Day
James Joyce
“Christopher Columbus, as everyone knows, is honored by posterity because he was the last to discover America.”
stephenf over 5 years ago
You are entirely correct. But Columbus was the first to publish, and those of us in the sciences know that this is all that really matters.
Cameron1988 Premium Member over 5 years ago
LOL!
morgankhat over 5 years ago
If you’ll read the cartoon again, the question was “How did Christopher Columbus finance his voyage to the NEW WORLD?” Nothing there about discovering America. This WAS the New World to the Europeans. Don’t twist the statement into something that’s not there. Now, if you want to go on proselytizing about other related issues, be my guest.