A valid argument might be made that Columbus,in a historic sense,did discover America. The North American Indians attached no importance to a continuous factual history,and kept none outside of a collection of tribal myths and memories. Lief Ericsson likely did establish a colony at "vinland",but it had little or no impact on written history,nor did it influence it.Columbus' discovery,whether you like it or not,changed history and opened the flood gates of European exploration,colonization,and exploitation.In that sense he can safely be said to have discovered America.

It was the age of exploration,and it is certain that if Columbus had failed,someone else would have soon fetched up on the shores of America.But it was him.And his life deserves examination,for his courage,his determination,his ambition,his ruthlessness,his incompetence,and all the other factors that make him a complex and enigmatic figure.I don't think he is a particularly admirable figure,but I sometimes believe he receives the lion's share of abuse from Native Americans because he did open the door to what they perceive as an invasion and occupation.

LEJ (shields up)