First, it wasn’t 𠇊ccepted scientific wisdom” that the Earth was flat. This was an unscientific viewpoint that came from the Dark Ages, and it was science that debunked it.

No one in the Middle Ages though the Earth was flat, in fact, pretty much everyone knew it was round and had a good idea about it’s diameter.

That’s why most people thought Columbus was mad, they knew if they traveled West from Spain they would have no one near enough food and water to make it to India. If the Americas weren’t there, everyone would have died of dehydration or hunger.