THE REAL STORY: Who discovered America?

Christopher Columbus, who was one of the most important sailors in history, was born in Italy in 1451. During his childhood he got accustomed to sailing with his father, who was a merchant and sailor in Genoa. In his youth, Columbus dreamed of sailing the ocean and reaching the Eastern world. This was a dream for him because during the age in which he lived in, Eastern world was accepted as a source of wealth and romance in the minds of the Europeans. Especially, the countries that were known for their sea power, like Spain and Portugal, were sailing to the West and the East and empowering themselves with the wealth they gained from these regions.

The 15th and 16th centuries of history are also known as the age of geographical discoveries. The European powers of that time gradually started to discover new lands. Among these sailors, Columbus was the man who discovered America in the name of the Spanish Queen Isabella who sponsored his voyage. He landed in the New World in 1492, but he could not identify it as new discovered land because he thought that he landed in India. And because of that he named the people and the community he found in America as “Indians”. This unintentional discovery of America by Columbus started the modern history of America although he could not name his discovery. Instead of Columbus who really discovered America, another talented sailor, Amerigo Vespucci gave his own name to the newly discovered land. From that time on, that land has been known as America.