Who discovered America?

[Boleslav]

So - who discovered America?
Was it the Chinese, the Vikings, or Columbus?

I read a book (1492 The Year China Discovered America) this Summer which claimed the Chinese discovered - even colonised - the US. I'm not sure I would go that far, but I'm interested in finding out what other people think.

 

[North King]

There was a thread on this, a while back.

I believe the consensus was there was no way to know, because minor cases of say, a ship blowing over the ocean, would be common. Regular contact did not seem to happen until 1492 and the Euros, but there is evidence that China may have influenced the Maya in the 7th century or so, when they suddenly gained jade working and an influx of new styles suspiciously similar to China's. Perhaps the tales of Xu Fu were True after all?

 

[alex994]

Didn't the tale of Xu Fu contain something about an elixer of life? cuz i don't think we've discovered an elixer for life yet. and Xu Fu was an admiral during the Han Navy or Qin Navy i believe.

 

[pawpaw]

So - who discovered America?

american indians, they were their all along

 

[Boleslav]

@North King, If I'd known there was a thread already on this, I might not have started this one... I don't like it when the threads repeat themselves. I'll check beter next time.

I found the arguements in the book compelling, but I really am not sure how much I am willing to believe that the Chinese had this trading connection with the Inca and Maya.

The book did claim that a medieval junk was found near Sacramento in California, I tried checking up on that to see if it was true, but didn't find any information. You'd be surprised (or maybe you wouldn't) by what pops up if you search 'sacramento' + 'junk'.

I also want to find out whether Australians are taught that the Chinese or Brits 'discovered' Australia...

 

[North King]

Didn't the tale of Xu Fu contain something about an elixer of life? cuz i don't think we've discovered an elixer for life yet. and Xu Fu was an admiral during the Han Navy or Qin Navy i believe.

I heard that he went to find the isles with the spices of immortality.

When he got back from his first voyage, he claimed sharks in the water prevented him from going further; the king gave him archers.

The second voyage was also a faliure, he said a fire breathing dragon demanded many beautiful maidens, and he got those and men to go with them.

He never got back from the third voyage, some Chinese said he found the spices and fouded his own kingdom.

Around this timje the Mayans suddenly acquired the art of Jade Working and also made many stone carving sof Jaguars who were designed almost exactly in the style of Chinese carvings of Tigers.

 

[Pangur Bán]

For western civilization, it is utterly irrelevant whether or not the Chinese "discovered" America. The term "discovery" can only have two meanings here:

1) Discovery by the human race, in which case Siberians discovered it approximately 14 millenia ago.

2) Discovery by a civilization, in which case, as far as we're concerned, it was probably discovered in turned by people from the British Isles, Scandinavia and the old Roman West.

 

[alex994]

The second voyage was also a faliure, he said a fire breathing dragon demanded many beautiful maidens, and he got those and men to go with them.

He never got back from the third voyage, some Chinese said he found the spices and fouded his own kingdom.

Or he established the Kingdom of Japan....it could've happened!

 

[Birdjaguar]

Gavin menzies book: "1421 the year china discovered america" is crap. Reputable chinese historians don't give it any credance at all. Don't bother to read it, unless you liked "chariot of the gods".

 

[North King]

Gavin menzies book: "1421 the year china discovered america" is crap. Reputable chinese historians don't give it any credance at all. Don't bother to read it, unless you liked "chariot of the gods".

Too true, 1421 puts a bad name on the Chinese Treasure Fleets.

If you wish to read a GOOD book with real scholarship on the same subject, read "When China Ruled the Seas" by Louise Levathes. It is an excellent description of the Chinese navy from early days to the 1400s, with technical, logistical, military, and historical aspects covered in a well written style.

 

[alex994]

No credable Chinese historians during that era made any MENTION of the sea voyages during Wudi's reign. Why? Cuz all documents on that issue was purged from the records.

 

[Birdjaguar]

No credable Chinese historians during that era made any MENTION of the sea voyages during Wudi's reign. Why? Cuz all documents on that issue was purged from the records.

To clarify my post: When I said "chinese historians" in post #9, I was referring to living scholars who teach, study and write about chinese history regardless of their ethnic background or country of origin.

 

[jonatas]

The portuguese were probably aware of Newfoundland before 1492... and as for brazil... well ive also read theories that Brazil could have been discovered by the Portuguese before the 1500 date for Cabral and the magical "1492" date everyone always quotes as the official discovery of the americas...
of course it's just my opinion.. but i do firmly believe that Portuguese sailors had landed on the Americas before 1492

Of course we know the Vikings made it for sure... very likely the Irish too.. and who knows who else made it..

 

[Hundegesicht]

It was discovered ~11,000 BC by a nomadic group of people either walking or sailing across the Bering straight to Alaska, probably the same ancestors of modern day Siberians. After that it was probably accidentally rediscovered several times by Chinese, Phoenicians, and various other groups, though the first European group to go there, leave clear cut evidence they had been there and interacted with the natives, and returned to tell the tale were Vikings lead by Leif Eriksson in the years 1000-1002(?) AD.

Various other European countries probably visited in the following centuries until Columbus brought the first large scale colonization fleets and established a permanent European presence, which is generally regarded as the "discovery" of America.