who really discovered america?

Question

homework for a friend..

Answer 1

I am a history major and i can tell you that your question is actually a really difficult one to answer. you see if fringes on what discover really means: Does it mean who was there first, does it mean who was there from a European society first, does it mean who traded there or who settled America? You see without that the teacher is really leaving you open to give the wrong answer. So lemme just say this, Native Americans were here first, Vikings stopped by but didn't settle, A few Spaniards and Portuguese discovered south America and Columbus just discovered that there was land on this side of the globe. Of course he was so stupid he thought he was in India, so we now know the islands he landed on as the west indies. I would tell her to say it was the native Americans though,she can make a good argument for that.

Answer 2

Who Discovered America

Answer 3

According to a british historian, it can be proved with much evidence that Zheng He had discovered most parts of the world in the middle of the 15th century. On March 15, 2002 he introduced his researches to more than 200 diplomats, scholars, and bookmen at the Royal Geographical Society.


The Italian navigator Christopher Columbus arrived in America on Oct.12, 1492, and a new era of European exploration and expansion began. A 14-year study on the activities of the Chinese fleet during 1421 to 1423 told the historian that with many valuables, silk, and porcelain on his ships Zheng He was the first man completing the first circumnavigation of the globe one century earlier than Ferdinand Magellan during 1519-1522.


No one has explained that why European explorers had maps in their hands at that time, and who had drawn the maps? It was a large ocean extending there and a large armada was necessary for drawing those maps. So who would be the map drawers if not the Chinese commanding the world largest armada?

Gavin Menzies, author of the bestseller "1421: the Year China Discovered America," says Admiral Zheng He led a fleet of 30,000 men aboard 300 ships to the American continent in the 15th century to expand Ming China's influence.

The map shows us the Chinese explorer has been to America years before Columbus. The map also shows us the Chinese understanding of the entire world."

Yet whether Zheng, a Muslim eunuch known to have sailed as far as southern Africa, beat Columbus to America by more than 70 years is still bitterly debated.

Answer 4

Christopher Columbus is historically the one credited with discovering America, but there has been speculation that perhaps the Vikings (Norsemen) discovered America before Christopher. Then, of course, whenever Columbus did reach America, there were natives already there. So I guess one could reason that maybe the early Native Americans were the discoverers.

Answer 5

The Native Americans.

Answer 6

The Native Americans were here before anyone actually "discovered" America. However, if you're looking for an actual discovery, the Vikings were the first people to settle here. They settled set up a small fort, stayed for some years, and then vanished as quickly as they had come. Then several hundred years later, Christopher Columbus sailed here. Hope this helps.

Answer 7

You may want to investigate the Chinese of the Tang Dynasty. It is said one of their Admirals sailed East from China to a new land over 10000 li from home. That is a bit over 3000 nautical Miles ... If my maps are correct that would place him in what we know as North America! The chinese writings say this took place in about 755AD.

Of course if you are speaking of Europeans, Leif Ericson landed in Nova Scotia, 500 years before Columbus sailed West.

Also as it has been stated, why are we named after Amerigo Vespucci and not Columbus?

Answer 8

To discover America, It had to be named America. It was named by an Italian guy I believe, a few years after Columbus's trips. His last name is similar to America.
The first people in what is now called America are "native Americans". They came from Asia across icebergs at the Bering Straight near Alaska.

Answer 9

Apparently, there has been discoveries of artifacts from digs in various U.S. States in burial mounds and even a river bed that had the Ten Commandments written in ancient Hebrew dating back to around 1000 BC. Here are a couple of sites:
http://www.burlingtonnews.net/centerindians.html
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/fr/1116677/posts
I didn't believe it either, but my husband had seen it on a TV documentary. So, I decided to do a bit of research. Do it yourself, by using some of the keywords from these articles. BTW... This pre-dates all other claims. I am beginning to think that the Indians are descendants of some the Hebrews who were scattered because of their sins. The best history book yet is the Bible.

Answer 10

American indians were native people living in America which is true but they did not discover America they were already here. The explorer who discovered America was Amerigo Vespucci. See the following website:
http://www.uh.edu/engines/epi43.htm

Christopher Columbus discovered the continant but he thought it was the Indies. Amerigo discovered that these continants were not the Indies but a new continant and as a matter of fact America was named after Amerigo.