ABSTRACT
Before Columbus
discovered America there were some rumors that some
ethnic groups had discovered first. Columbus, who as a boy who always wanted to sail and then when he got older Spain provided him three ships & he
sailed across the ocean and discovered a
new world. In school teachers tell only about the great discoveries of Columbus, they don’t give in detail about the atrocities Columbus had done towards the Red Indians. Red Indians are the native people, in the coming centuries they had been inducted in the minority section. Other than Columbus Romans, Phoenicians1, Muslims, Chinese, Welsh, Egyptians were the other ethnic groups were said to have discovered America before Columbus.
DISCOVERY OF NEW WORLD
In the year 1492 Columbus to achieve his lifetime ambition sailed past Atlantic Ocean and landed on remote islands what we now call them as Caribbean islands. Actually his main goal was to reach India. By traveling towards west he thought some day he might land on the western part of India. After reaching Caribbean islands he named it as West Indies.
Most of his voyages were disasters. With false statements and false proofs he convinced Spain’s King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella to help him financially. They gave him ships, the crew and the food. With all these help he claimed to have discovered America.
It has been said Columbus was not the first person to discovered America. The Vikings sailed to North America 500 years before Marco polo sailed China and India 300 years before prior. The Chinese, Welsh, Egyptians, Romans, Phoenicians, Portuguese, French, Germans were the other ethnic groups claimed that they discovered America before Columbus.
The Chinese set foot on American shores seven decades before Columbus sailed to America. Like the westerners the Chinese were also great travelers. Because of these travelers Buddhism spread across China. The reader would be astonished to know that Lord Buddha whom all the Buddhists worship as god was prince Siddhartha of India. Chinese travelers came to India and were so impressed by his teachings that they accepted Buddhism as religion and spread it across China.
The evidence of the Welsh being set foot on North America could be seen in Mississippi Valley. Some of the Welsh adventurers settled in Mississippi Valley. They helped the natives to build the mysterious forts and stonewall. Some sources point out of Welsh moving towards Alabama and later westward North Dakota.
The Muslims came from the northern part of Africa mainly from Egypt. In those days the blacks were strong and robust were treated as slaves. They were sold to wealthy customers and westerners. The Europeans brought to America as salves. Later on the blacks would be called as African Americans.
The Romans on the conquest of increasing their empire might have landed on American shores. The Italian culture that exists in the present community has viewed one of the reasons of the Romans being in this land. There is not much evidence present to support their claims.
The Red Indians were the natives of North America. The Arawaks were the other natives. The Indians lived peacefully before Columbus claimed to have discovered America. The Spanish hunted the Indians and invaded their lands. They were brutally killed and the remaining Indians were used as salves. Before Columbus set his foot on North America the population of Indians was 10 million. After his arrival their population was reduced to less than half.
The westerners were in need of workers to find the gold. They thought by making Indians as slaves they don’t have to give wages to them and make them work, as they like. They hunted for the Indians, killed them if refused to surrender and treated them as animals. If they escape into the hills they were found and brutally killed. The Spaniards rode on the back of Indians. They made them work day and night without showing any kindness towards them. The men work in the mountains and make it into pieces of stones. The wives would dig the soil and wash it in search of gold. The Indians faced many atrocities during those periods.
There were many reasons of different ethnic groups settling in different parts of America. The foremost things were due to trade and language barrier they opted to settle in different parts of America. Most of Spanish settled in Mexico and some of them moved to South America. The Africans moved to Caribbean islands and U.S.A. The Jews settled in U.S.A. and Canada. The economic feasibility was also one the reasons for migration.
Whatever the reasons most of the Americans celebrate Columbus Day. In schools the students were taught on the adventures of Columbus. Only positive side of Columbus would be taught. In future the government might consider changing the syllabus and his negative side also might appear in the textbooks.
References
Antony Barnett. (2005). Take four people, one DNA test, and unravel the
story of human migration. London: The Observer. Retrieved October
29, 2005 http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,6903,1572730,00.html
Boyce Rensberger. (1997). Putting a New Face on Prehistory.
Washington: Washington Post. Retrieved October 29,2005
http://www.geocities.com/js_source/pu5geo.js
Howard Zinn. (2003). People’s History of the United States. New York:
Harper Collins. Retrieved October 29,2005
http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Zinn/Columbus_PeoplesHx.html -->
Kennedy, B. (1994). The Melungeons: An Untold Story of Ethnic cleansing
in America New York: Mercer University Press. Retrieved October 29,
2005 http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Meadows/5621/melungeons.html
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