2006-07-25 08:55:57 · 25 answers · asked by StupendousMan 5 in Education & Reference ➔ Trivia
I am not from America.
2006-07-25 08:56:30 · update #1
When Columbus came to America, he thought he had reached the West Indies... So he named the natives "Indians"... However, when it was discovered that it was an entirely different continent... they became American Indians... but more appropriately "Native Americans"
2006-07-25 08:57:48 · answer #1 · answered by AresIV 4 · 3⤊ 1⤋
When Columbus first sailed, he was not looking for a new country but a faster way to India to get goods for trade. When he landed in what is now the Americas, he thought he was in India, hence calling Native Americans Indians. To differentiate Indians from India versus Indians from American, American Indians are called just that.
2006-07-25 16:01:21 · answer #2 · answered by Be_loislane1 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The term Indian for the American natives started with a mistake made by Christopher Columbus. When he landed on the Island of Hispanola he thought he was in India, & identified the natives there as Indians. The name stuck & all natives on this side of the Atlantic Ocean were hereafter referred to as Indians.
2006-07-25 16:00:27 · answer #3 · answered by No More 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
When Europeans first arrived in the New World, they believed that they had traveled around the world to the Asian continent. Or at least to a country just East of there. Indians were what they were called because they believed it was a part of the Indies. In recent history, they are referred to as American Indians or as Native Americans to differentiate them from people from the country of India.
2006-07-25 15:59:16 · answer #4 · answered by Blunt Honesty 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Amerigo Dispuchi stole the credit for naming the continent, North America, and the continent South America. Indians were called thus by Columbus, who was a moron that thought that he had landed on India, when in fact he landed on the island of the Dominican Republic. So all of our stupid teachers and professors have mixed up these facts to call the natives of North America - 'American Indians' . . . . what morons! uh, wait, you're not a teacher are you??? ;)
2006-07-25 16:00:41 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
They prefer Native American/First People...The Indians part came because they looked a little bit like the people from the country of India. PEACE!
2006-07-25 15:59:00 · answer #6 · answered by thebigm57 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think its because when Christopher Columbus "founded" America, thinking he was going to India... he called the Native Americans Indians. And it kinda stuck. "Indian" is an incorrect term to use. Native Americans is more PC, however I believe most Native Americans prefer to be called by their specific tribe. Such as Cherokee, Navajo, etc.
2006-07-25 15:58:59 · answer #7 · answered by *karasi* 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
when the settlers got to america they thought they landed in India. So they called the aborigionals Indians. They later found out they were in the NEW WORLD and Indians stuck but they called them American Indians.
2006-07-25 15:58:10 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Christopher Columbus set out to find "India" in Asia thinking if he circled the globe by sea he would reach India but at that time no one in Europe knew that the Americas were in between and he landed in America thinking he had reached india and saw the indigenous people who had Red tinge to their skin thus calling them "Red Indians"
2006-07-25 17:20:20 · answer #9 · answered by Bramhastra 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
when colombus discovered the new world he thought he was in india, and he started calling the locals Indians, thinking he was in the country India. The name stuck, and now everyone calls them Indians (even our racical Native American Teacher). To avoid confusion with the residents of India, we call them American Indians, i think. Pie is good,
2006-07-25 17:01:07 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋