Top 10 Most Important Events in History - #8

For those who do not know, I am doing a list of what I think are the top 10 most important events in history. Here are 10 and 9 if you have not already seen them. These are the musings of a history student who is working on his MA degree in history, so they are in no way expert opinion, but here comes #8.






#8 - Columbus' Crossing of the Atlantic
We all know the old poem "In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue" but we don't often think of the social consequences of "discovering" a previously unknown continent full of indigenous people. This would be similar to us sending a manned flight to Mars, and discovering a planet between Earth and Mars that was full of people. This shocked Europeans to their core. And this caused unending questions, especially to the theologians. Are these indigenous people human? Do they have souls? If they have souls, did Jesus save them like us? Do they know about Jesus? Similar questions that theologians would be asking today if we found another planet full of people. These were important questions, too. Where did these people fit into society? Where European and Native American societies compatible, or mutually exclusive? Could both exist together at the same time? This also affected how Europeans saw their place in the world. The world suddenly doubled in size. Europe was no longer the center of the world.
Many nations in Europe claimed new colonies soon after Columbus. (see the Treaty of Tordesillas) These colonies were different than previous colonies held by Europeans. These new American colonies shared the richness in natural resources of other European colonies, as in Africa and the Atlantic Islands. The difference, however, was in the habitability of the climate. The American colonies were on a different, more pleasant latitude than those in Africa and could provide a more permanent home than the small islands in the Atlantic. These colonies were not only used for their natural resources, but also for a home - first for criminals, then for those who were seeking a better life than what over-populated Europe could provide. These people developed their own life-style and their own political philosophy as they lived thousands of miles from the people governing them. They began to think in new terms of liberty and equality; ideas that were not compatible with monarchical Europe. They spelled the end of monarchy and it all started with Columbus' crossing of the Atlantic.
Some will say that others discovered America before Columbus. Zheng He, a fifteenth century Chinese naval commander, crossed the Pacific (an even more impressive accomplishment than Columbus' crossing of the Atlantic) and landed on the west coast of South America, but the Chinese imperial government quashed his attempts and destroyed the Chinese naval fleet before anything could happen. Also, there is evidence of small canoes from the Caribbean carrying a handful of Native Americans landing in places like the Azores and Ireland. Also, some have argued that there are pre-Columbian native statues depicting Africans and Semites in authority positions over Native Americans. All of these facts are of no consequence. Columbus may or may not have known about the Americas before he left Europe, and others most certainly knew before he did, but the trade/exploitation of the new world did not occur until Columbus. The Chinese, Africans, Semites, or any other people may or may not have discovered America first, but they did not conquer and subdue the Native population or permanently settle the country and shake of the oppressive shackles of tyrannical monarchy which led to a generation of revolutionaries on both sides of the Atlantic.

Here's the whole poem to help you reminisce about elementary school:
In fourteen hundred ninety two
Columbus sailed the ocean blue
He had three ships and left from Spain;
He sailed through sunshine, wind, and rain.

He sailed by night; he sailed by day;
He used the stars to find his way.
A compass also helped him know
How to find the way to go.

Ninety sailors were on board;
Some men worked while others snored.
Then the workers went to sleep;
And others watched the ocean deep.

Day after day they looked for land;
They dreamed of trees and rocks and sand.
October 12 their dream came true.
You never saw a happier crew!

“Indians! Indians!” Columbus cried;
His heart was filled with joyful pride.
But “India” the land was not;
It was the Bahamas, and it was hot.

The Arawak natives were very nice;
They gave the sailors food and spice.
Columbus sailed on to find some gold
To bring back home, as he’d been told.

He made the trip again and again,
Trading for gold to bring to Spain.
The first American? No, not quite.
But Columbus was brave, and he was bright.