Have you ever wondered why we are called AMERICA? Many of us are unaware by the REAL person who discovered our land we call America (as opposed to San Salvador). His name was Amerigo Vespucci who was born in 1454 and died in the year 1512. From his contributions of being an explorer and cartographer (a map drawer), the continents of North and South America bear his name. His first name AMERIGO is what our land mass is named after but was changed to a feminine version, AMERICA.
It is said that this was an attempt (don't ask me why) to be consistent with the feminine names of Asia and Europe, since they were named after women. A lot more can be said about our guy, Amerigo Vespucci. But that's something you can study about on your own time. As for Columbus, he was basically an explorer with strict obedience to the Pope during his time (his ship the "Santa Maria" is Spanish for "Holy Mary"....hint hint).
We're usually not told about the story of how Columbus was sent back to Spain in chains and shackles. This is detailed by the esteemed biographer of Columbus, Samuel Eliot Morrison. He gives very grim statistics of the torture and genocide Columbus authorized upon the natives. He was sent back to Spain as a common criminal. When I think about the true founding of America, I think about another ship. That is, the MAYFLOWER, which sailed a little over a century later. Unlike other explorers, the Pilgrims were not searching for GOLD....they were searching for GOD!
Anyway, Happy Columbus Day (it's at least a day off for some people...haha)!
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