Anita,

While this controversy is a sore issue here in Virginia (and therefore on 
this forum), a similar controversy over a book erupted on my American 
History forum when we read the book 1421, in which the author proposed that 
the Chinese may have "discovered" America before Columbus. Those who refused 
to admit there could have been others who preceded Columbus, shot holes in 
the book on the silliest grounds - editing problems, for example. They were 
adamant in insisting that if someone is going to refute what we've all been 
taught in school, they must have more prestige in the field of history than 
to be a mere retired navyman.

What 1421 did was open my mind to other possibilities - perhaps the Chinese, 
perhaps the Basques, perhaps the Albans, perhaps the Russians, perhaps the 
Polenesians were the first non-Natives to view our continent. The only thing 
that is now certain, is that Columbus was the first to press with his 
"discovery"!

Anne

Anne Pemberton
[log in to unmask]
http://www.erols.com/apembert
http://www.educationalsynthesis.org 

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