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Show Columbus Day And Ericsson Much has been made of the generally accepted view that Leif Ericsson discovered North America five hundred years before Columbus. THE WELL-known historian, his-torian, Samuel Elliot Morrison, has probably established es-tablished that event beyond doubt. That in no way detracts from the epic voyage made by Columbus in 1492, nor does it make necessary parochial attacks at-tacks on the Leif Ericsson voyage. HISTORY IS easily capable of honoring both men. Assuming As-suming Ericsson was here first, his voyage meant little in the development of this country and continent. Columbus' discovery was tremendously significant. He was searching for the Old World (in this case, India) but found the New World, thus opening up the western hemisphere to European colonization. WHILE IT may be fashionable to refer to colonialism in derogatory terms these days, it was the best turn of events for North America in thousands of years. Had not the United States been settled by the English and other Europeans, there would almost certainly be no great democratic republic on these shores today. CRISTOFERO Columbo, as he was named at birth in Genoa in 1451, sailed from Palos, Spain, on August 3rd, 1492, and reached Watling Island on October 12, in 1492. He made three more crossings cross-ings before his death in 1506, at which time he was still unrewarded by the Spanish monarchy. |