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The Real Discovery of America
By Neil Peterson | November 25, 2009
It is a cornerstone of American history – the 1492 discovery of the Americas by Genoese explorer Christopher Columbus, setting in motion a chain of events that would eventually lead to the colonization of the New World by the Puritans. Recited by schoolchildren, expounded upon in basic history texts, and portrayed in film – this accepted account is an essential element in our national biography. But what if the story doesn’t start there? A controversial new theory makes a compelling argument that Columbus was bested in his quest by a Chinese admiral – and if proven, this hypothesis has the potential to rewrite the history books.
The 1421 theory, established by British amateur historian Gavin Menzies, asserts that 70 years prior to Columbus’ discovery a fleet of Chinese vessels reached the New World, building early settlements and communicating with the indigenous populations of the region. The fleet, part of the Ming Dynasty’s Imperial Navy, was commanded by admiral Zheng He – and if Menzies’ account is accurate, He may also be credited with being the first seafarer to circumnavigate the globe 100 years before Magellan’s historic voyage.
Menzies’ claim centers on the discovery of an early Chinese map – depicting fairly accurate representations of all the continents and several unmistakable geographic features of North America, including the Potomac River and the Grand Canyon. The bamboo-paper map is currently undergoing radiocarbon-dating in a New Zealand lab, but it is believed to be a 1763 copy of a map originally drawn in 1418. If the map is authentic, it will prove not only the extraordinarily advanced cartographic abilities of the Chinese explorers, but also their early arrival in the Americas.
Menzies also asserts that evidence of their early discovery can also be found in native peoples’ folklore and legend. Stories related by the Cherokee peoples of the southeastern US could represent the meeting – and warring – of the tribe with the seafaring visitors. Menzies also points to the oral history of the now-vanished Inca civilization, contending that they were, at one time, governed by Chinese admirals. (Though given the vague nature of oral histories, it is nearly impossible to offer these arguments as solid evidence. They are only useful in providing additional, if anecdotal, support.)
1421 – The Year the Chinese Discovered America
Historic artifacts unearthed by archaeologists in North America may offer further proof of Menzies’ claim. Chinese coins have been found in eight different sites in the Pacific Northwest, and pre-Columbian jade has turned up in the shallow waters surrounding Key West, Florida, and off the coast of Big Sur, California. Additionally, native art found in Brazil and Peru depicts horses being ridden by what many believe to be Chinese cavalry. (Horses are a species not native to the continents, and were thought to be conveyed to these shores by Spanish explorers. However, the Chinese are considered the first to widely utilize the animals for centuries prior to Spanish exploration.)
Menzies’ argument for Chinese discovery is compelling, but it is his lack of direct physical evidence that has generated the greatest amount of debate from his critics. Published in 2001, his book 1421: The Year China Discovered the World, was lambasted by historians and scholars alike as a dangerously inaccurate fiction. If the early settlements built by previous explorers, such as the Norse, offer verifiable proof of their residence here, where are the remnants of Chinese colonies? Menzies’ alternative history may never be proven, but the mere existence of other possibilities is intriguing. When fact and theory collide, how much of our history is just a story?
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