Columbus or Smith: Who did “It” (America) Better?
Looking back at the start of the Americas, Christopher Columbus and John Smith are two of the most commonly known names. While both men sailed out in search of new lands, trade routes, and treasures, that is where their similarities end. Christopher Columbus is more commonly known as the bright explorer who “discovered” the Americas. Yet many historians can agree that his greed and lies are more often than not, left out of history books. Columbus repeatedly sent untrue tales of the Americas to the King and Queen of Spain in order to continue gaining funds for his journeys. John Smith, on the other hand, is recognized as the noble and brave man that was saved from death by the Indian princess Pocahontas. Smith was an avid explorer, as well as an imaginative storyteller. During the days when Smith was writing down his experiences, it was during the golden age of English theater, which in turn may have influenced his journals a great deal. While many may think that Columbus and Smith are similar, they both had separate goals and their values were on opposite ends.…show more content… He navigated his ships out of Spanish ports and towards the vast unknown in search of new trade routes and new fortunes, as well as to spread Christianity. And as far as most people know: “In fourteen hundred ninety-two/ Columbus sailed the ocean blue.” But what most people do not know is that Columbus actually stumbled up the Americas—he had been looking for (and thought he had reached) Asia (Goldfield 17). Columbus had promised his sponsors, the King and Queen of Spain, that there was much money to be found in Asian trade markets and that he would definitely bring back gold, spices, and silks from the Far East. While he may have missed his mark in terms of today’s geography, in his mind and during his time, he was spot