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Whose America? |
So you’ve all heard about Queen Isabella selling the crown jewels to finance Columbus’ valiant trek across the ocean blue, right? And how he discovered America, met the natives, yada yada yada. But how much do you really know about the guy? What were his motives for doing what he did—and for that matter, what exactly did he do?
If you’re clinging to the version of Columbus’ story that your second grade teacher passed along, it’s time for you to try and answer some questions, beyond the big one: How can a place that’s already inhabited be discovered? Or have fun showing off to yourself how enlightened you are by getting them all right. Whatever your motives, this quiz is here for you.
1. Upon arrival in the Indies, to whom was Columbus hoping to present a letter written by the Spanish monarchy?
a. Indian leader Sher Shah Surib
b. the Chinese emperor
c. one of Japan’s daimyo, or feudal lords
d. Pocahontas’ mom
Answer: b. Isabella and Ferdinand wanted to send greetings to the Grand Khan (emperor) of what was then called Tartary because Marco Polo had previously been in his service.
2. What was the status of habitation in the Americas when Columbus arrived?
a. a few thousand, tending turkeys and making cranberry sauce
b. scattered tribes numbering not more than 1 million
c. 10 million people, mostly nomadic
d. 50 million people, most stationary
Answer: d. The best estimation being between the original view (a few thousand) and the highest possible number (112 million), the current consensus is that 50 million people were living in a fairly advanced state of societal organization, having accurate calendars, mathematics, astronomy and agricultural developments.
3. What’s the modern-day equivalent of Columbus’ distance estimation between the Canary Islands and Japan?
a. 2,500 miles
b. 5,000 miles
c. 10,000 miles
d. he didn’t estimate, he was on a mission from God
Answer: a. Columbus thought he would be traveling about 2,500 miles. He calculated according to the writings of Alfraganus, a Persian Muslim astronomer, but he overlooked the fact that Alfraganus had been referring to the Arabic mile (1,830 meters).
4. What’s the deal with Amerigo Vespucci?
a. He was the captain of the Pinta
b. He landed in Costa Rica before Columbus’ arrival on Hispaniola, and was the true discoverer of the New World
c. He landed in Colombia after Columbus’ discovery of Hispaniola and corrected Columbus’ assumptions
d. He was a nut looking to gain fame and fortune by slandering Columbus’ name
Answer: c. Vespucci didn’t travel until 1497, but he concluded that due to the large size of the South American landmass, it could not be the Asian continent. Columbus still believed it to be so.
5. Who was the first European explorer to document North America?
a. Look, isn’t this quiz all about him?
b. Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci
c. Italian explorer Giovanni Caboto
d. Viking Leif Erikson
Answer: c. England sent Giovanni Caboto, or John Cabot, on a northern route in search of Asia in 1497. He landed and mapped the coastline from Nova Scotia to Newfoundland, though he, like Columbus, believed it to be Japan. Leif Erikson, however, is believed to be one of the first European explorers to set foot on American soil, having landed in Newfoundland in the 11th century.
6. Who began celebrating Columbus Day?
a. The Society of St. Tammany, a.k.a. the Columbian Order, 1792
b. An Italian lawyer and his buddies in San Francisco, 1869
c. Venezuelan president Juan Vicente Gomez, 1921
d. The Knights of Columbus and FDR, 1937
Answer: all of the above. The decision to celebrate Columbus Day was made independently by each, though it should be noted that Venezuela’s celebration has been called the Day of Indigenous Resistance since 2002 (it previously shared the title “Day of the Race” with other South and Central American countries).
7. What event provided Columbus with the information he needed to plan a route to the Indies?
a. His work in a Genoese bookshop
b. Privateering an expedition to Tunis
c. Moving to Lisbon
d. Meeting the love of his life
Answer: d. Meeting and marrying Felipa Perestrello e Moniz gave him access to her father’s navigational papers—her father was deceased, but had been a governor in the Madeiras Islands and a seafarer himself. In his possession were many useful maps and charts containing information about ocean currents.
8. What greatly enhanced Columbus’ success as a sailor?
a. His ability to predict the weather
b. Great physical strength
c. Familiarity with technologically advanced devices like the astrolabe
d. Moral support from his crew
Answer: a. He was astute at “reading” the smell of the air, the color of the sky, the condition of the seas, the pressure he felt in his joints, floating debris, and other natural phenomena. He even predicted hurricanes accurately.
9. Who received the pension awarded for first sight of land in the Indies?
a. Martin Alonso Pinzon, after returning the Nina to Spain
b. Rodrígo de Triana, lookout on the Pinta
c. Columbus himself, of course
d. No one—it was deceitfully offered to prod the sailors awake at night
Answer: c. When Columbus heard Rodrígo de Triana’s cry, “Tierra, tierra!” he claimed that he had seen light on the land the night before, but hadn’t decided to say anything.
10. When did Columbus realize that he was not anywhere near Asia?
a. On his first voyage, when he couldn’t seem to locate the Chinese emperor
b. On his second voyage, after visiting Cuba
c. On his third voyage, when he decided that he had instead found the Garden of Eden
d. He never did
Answer: c. When the mouth of the Orinoco river was sighted, he thought he had found the source of all great rivers: the Garden of Eden. (He still, however, continued to bicker about its possible attachment to Asia.)