How would the world be if Cristobal Columbus didn't discover America?
By juliancj83
@juliancj83 (46)
United States
7 responses
@wmraul (2552)
• Bucharest, Romania
28 Oct 09
Technicaly, Columbus didn't discover America.
First of all because he landed on somewhere today's Cuba islands .. Second, Amerigo Vesspucci was first ..
Else, extermination of local populations is an equal "feature" of portugese, spaniards, british and french, all together masivelly helped later by imigrants from all over Europe, people who mostly were uneducated and poor looking for a new start, people wanted by law enforcements on their countries and adventurers seeking for new entertainment.
Yet not all of them are to be blamed for the massacres, majority were not quite active in this direction and often disinformed about real facts ...
However, I don't think is a good idea to judge todays generations for what them ancestors done .. And should not forget that all started in south-Americas where RELIGION is to be blamed for estinction of the local populations ..
@juliancj83 (46)
• United States
28 Oct 09
well, If you want to be specific neither Amerigo Vesspucci was first, thousands of years ago some human primitive tribes cross from the north of asia and Europe to America in winter when the ice was strong to walk over (remember that the cradle of human race is Africa and from there it spread throughout the world) they just didn't document it.
I said Columbus after he came the rest of europeans started to come, so that's why some people say he was the first, Amerigo came after columbus and was the first making the map of America that's why the continent has his name. Also take into account that Cuba is part of America, America is divided in 3 parts but it's still the same continent. The fact that people born in the US are called americans as their nationality doesn't mean that the rest of the countries in Central and South America are a different continent. About who to blame, it was my mistake, sorry I didn't mean to generalize, I'm not judging europeans neither actual generations, I was just writing something for you guys write about,and it worked, hehe, I should have expressed it in a different way.
Thanks a lot to all for your comments.
@loudcry (1043)
• India
28 Oct 09
For one, a lot of red Indians would be alive. It is said than America is a country built on the genocide of one race and the slavery of another.
This being said, it is a nation which has many virtue and has also redeemed itself time and time again. Today it has come to become a land of dreams for many immigrants. With the election of Obama it has redeemed itself .
It hard to say what would have happened if columbus had not discovered America. But here's one of the scenarios. Europeans who came to America often left europe pecause of repressive societies back home. They were fiercly freedom loving and this quality can be seen in Americans even today. They have created one the most succesful democracies in the world with strong democratic institutions. The country has greatly infuenced liberal thoughts the world.
In my opinion, the bloody and gory history notwithstanding, I think its good to have America, as we know it, around.
@deebomb (15304)
• United States
28 Oct 09
First of all I wouldn't blame Columbus for the demise of those Indians or other natives. The Aztecs were also killing may of the more docile natives. If Columbus hadn't sailed for America looking for a shorter route to the the spice Islands then some one else would have. From the beginning of time people have moved into their neighbors territory wanting to expand. It happened in Aferica, Rome in the northern Europe the mongels in the far east and so one. It was the natural progression of groups of people. There are many tribes even in Europe that were driven to extentions such as the Visigoths,vandals, Ostrogoths.
AS time went by one tribe would become strong and would wipe out their neighbors. So those tribe would more than likely be wiped out any way.
@bird123 (10643)
• United States
31 Oct 09
What if's should never be considered. Things happen for many unseen reasons. European technology with the industrial revolution was far advanced than indians. Brains always seems to win. Let's think of consequences. If America never existed, Hitler would be ruling the world now. What do you think he would do with the Indians? Probably comes out the same. All people are never lost in any war. There are lots of Indians living today. Perhaps America needs them more now than ever to teach us how to live without destroying the environment. After all, Indians were one with the land.