re: #12 Tigger2005

As a stickler for historical accuracy, I’d like to state that most EDUCATED people of Columbus’ time believed (or knew, really) that the world is a sphere. Otherwise Columbus could never have secured backing for his expedition.

When I was in the 7th grade this lady who was a full-time phys ed teacher and a part-time history teacher told the class in all authority, “Columbus sailed to prove the world was round!” I raised my hand and said, “Um, actually, he sailed because he wanted to get rich and famous.”

It’s one of those many things we ‘learn’ in school/the media that no one seems to care isn’t actually true or complete. Sort of how in elementary school we learned about all the great European explorers and colonists and stuff, but generally neglected the “And then they killed, raped, and/or enslaved all the native people and took their land” parts.