I'm sure that everyone remembers the days in grade school when we celebrated Columbus Day. Surprisingly, though, most things about Columbus that are taught in grade school are myths.
Here are a few examples, and some things your teachers didn't tell you:
- Columbus was of Italian descent (Unknown): Much controversy surrounds the origin of Columbus. Although there was a good chance that he was Italian, there also is reason to believe that he was of Spanish descent.
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Columbus' voyages helped pave the way for Europe's domination of the world for the next 500 years (Fact): Except for the invention of agriculture, that was probably the most consequential development in human history.
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Columbus thought that the earth was flat (Myth): At the end of the 15th century, almost everyone knew that the Earth was a sphere. What was in question, however, was the circumference of the Earth.
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Spain financed Columbus' voyages for the purpose of world domination: Fact.
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Queen Isabella sold the crown jewels to finance Columbus' voyage (Myth): The queen may have suggested this, but her financial advisers convinced her otherwise.
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The crew of the 3 ships was made up of jailbirds and ex-convicts (Myth): The crew was actually made up of experienced sailors from the towns of Palos and Moguer, Spain.
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The initial voyage from Spain to the new world was perilous and fraught with bad weather and lack of food. Several sailors died along the way (Myth): No one died on the maiden voyage.
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Columbus first landed in the Bahamas: Fact.
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Columbus died of syphilis (Myth): Columbus died from a form of Gout.
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Columbus died a poor man in chains in a Spanish prison (Myth): He did spend time in jail, but died a relatively rich man.
