The Discovery of America
Native Americans
Early Discoverers
Columbus
Exploring the Americas


Where are all these places I’m talking about?
Site Atlas
http://www.sitesatlas.com/search.htm
Earlier “Discoveries”
I. Vikings
	A. Faeroe Islands - 800
	B. Greenland - 870
II. Bjarni Herjulfsson - 986
	A. Blown off course/navigational mistake
III. Leif Eriksson - 1000
	A. Helluland - Today > Baffin Island
	B. Markland > Labrador
	C. Spent summer in huts in Vinland - berries/grapes
	D. Location - Unknown - Maybe L’Anse aux Meadows in 	
		Newfoundland
IV. Thorvald - Leif’s brother - visited in 1004
V. Thorfinn Karlsefni - 1010 - according to legend
	A. Brought men and wome
	B. Fought Skraelings - “dwarfs” - Native Americans
	C. Left after 3 years
VI. This Vinland legend was passed down all the way to Columbus

Indians
I. The Perception of Indians
	A. Teepees
	B. All the same
	C. Running around naked
	D. Making woo-woo-woo noises
	E. Taking scalps from cowboys
	F. Bows and arrows
	G. Uncivilized
II. Reality of Indians
	A. Diverse styles of architecture, pyramids, cliff dwellings
	B. Numerous different tribes that didn’t relate to each other
	C. Civilized - religion, music, language, science, 	agriculture,
transportation, warfare
	D. Scalping introduced to Indians by Europeans
	E. Didn’t call themselves Indians, Native Americans, or
	Indigenous People
	
Christopher Columbus
I. World is Round Myth
	A. Known to Ancient Greeks - though thought Earth center of Universe
		1. Pythagoras/Aristotle
	B. 3rd Century B.C.E.
		1. Eratosthenes of Cyrene found measurement
		2. Worldwide Science and Math Experiment - 2002
	C. Well-known idea by 15th century
II. Background
   A. Born in Genoa, Italy 1451 - Cristoforo Colombo
   B. Dad weaver
   C. Learned to read as adult
   D. 1476 - Went to Lisbon, England, Iceland (See Leif above)
   E. 1479 Returned to Portugal, married, wife died child birth 1480
   F. 


. The Perception of Columbus
	A. Amazing sailor
	B. Man of god (name=Christ bearer)
	C. First to reach America
	D. Disproved notion of flat world
	* Italians claim holiday, Hispanics celebrate their discovery 	day
	E. Incredibly heroic and fearless - had no idea what he 	would find
	
II. Reality
	A. Plan turned down by Portugal, England, and France
	B. Asked Isabella of Spain a second time
	C. Spain agreed
		1. Wanted money
		2. Jealous of Portugal
		3. Little risk, big gain
	D. Promised by Queen
		1. 10% of profits
		2. Gets to be governor of all conquered lands
		3. New cool title - Admiral of the Ocean Sea
	E. Left August 3, 1492
	F. September 9, 1492 - began keeping 2 logs
		1. True course and distance vs. one to make crew happy
		2. Irony - Private log overestimated by 9% - way longer
		3. Fake/happy log for crew actually correct
	F. October 12 - crew wants to mutiny - taking too long
	G. Rodrigo sees land, but Columbus claims to avoid paying
	reward
	H. Named San Salvador - Guanahani to the natives
	I. Didn’t find gold or spices, but did see:
		1. Little gold
		2. Tobacco
	J. Thought he was on island near China
		1. Went looking for China
		2. Never got to the United States of America
	K. Obsessive quest for gold led to genocide of natives
		1. Warfare
		2. Forced labor
		3. Disgusting punishments
		4. Diseases