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Originally Posted by jimjamuser
That is a good post. I would like to add my opinion (worth 2 cents). Am agnostic about the statues. But like to add that it believed that the Vikings set foot on North America 1st. Also, Asian people crossed the land bridge (now the Bering Strait) into Alaska then to Ca., the West and then the east. Then became named Indians and redmen, and etc...blah..blah. So, my opinion is that they were the 1st.
The Vikings and the Indians had no one person like Columbus who could be commemorated with a statue. Plus he was European, which was the dominant area at the time. The History of America was written by the winning or dominate culture. So, US History picked one person to focus on and it was Columbus.
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Good post. I would like to suggest that Columbus is recognized as being the first in his world (Europe) to discover the New World, not the first to venture into what is now known as America. And I do believe that I recall some place up North where there is mention, or a monument that suggests that the Vikings (Northsmen?) were early explorers on this continent. I also was taught that Asians (?) migrated to this continent when the continents were connected and became what we now call American Indians, or for those that are PC, indigenous natives. American history is fascinating and if taught by a good teacher, does not have to be embarrassing. Our fore fathers thought they were doing a good thing, regardless of how we see it now. It should not be changed if we are to learn how to correct our current conduct. The TRUTH should not hurt but it should lead to enlightenment.