Will The History Books Ever Fess Up?

[Janice]

With the English, Spanish and Dutch countries conquering and taking possession of Caribbean Islands and Columbus discovering the Americas; will the history books every rewrite the history books and tell the truth?

The islands were full of people living on them and the American Indians were already living in the Americas. So, why do our history books still teach us who possessed these countries and islands? They should instead talk about those people who lived, farmed and raised their families the same as they did in their countries.

How can you discover America and islands when they were already inhabited?

[BEER980]

They were unknown to them so that is how they were discovered. History books are written by the winners not the losers.

[nholley]

History books are written by the winners not the losers.

What does that mean? Aren't the winners the ones who are already there?

[GalvestonDuck]

History books are written by the winners not the losers.

What does that mean? Aren't the winners the ones who are already there?

I'm guessing it is in response to the question - "will the history books ever rewrite the history books and tell the truth?"

The ones who were already there (regardless of whether you consider them the winners or the losers) are not the ones who were writing the books.

It's kind of like how Texas history is different if you read it from a north of the border perspective or from one written by someone south of the border.

[Janice]

Yes, you are so right, it is who is writing the story.

[alicia-w]

i'm guessing that if they rewrite things accurately, Columbus Day would no longer be holiday since he would no longer be revered as some great guy.....

[SouthFloridawx]

With the English, Spanish and Dutch countries conquering and taking possession of Caribbean Islands and Columbus discovering the Americas; will the history books every rewrite the history books and tell the truth?

The islands were full of people living on them and the American Indians were already living in the Americas. So, why do our history books still teach us who possessed these countries and islands? They should instead talk about those people who lived, farmed and raised their families the same as they did in their countries.

How can you discover America and islands when they were already inhabited?

I always wondered the same thing. I just couldn't understand how we could say that the united states was discovered. There were people out there before us and hence we could not discover it. I to think the history books should be corrected to state what happend to these people and why they no longer inhabit the areas they once did.

[Gorky]

Even talking in modern times, isn't it believed that the Norwegians discovered America some 500 years before. I'm sure they had a settlement in Newfoundland which has been dated to the 10th century containing Runic stones and other such things. Long before that, people came across from the far East leading to the Indigenous American population, either by boat, or even walking across the icepack into Alaska.

[Janice]

Yes, the Mongolians walked across the strait to Alaska forming Eskimos. Some migrated south to the Americas, American Indians, and more south to Mexico, Mexicans. You can see that they all had the same origional Mongolian facial features.

[brunota2003]

if you think about it...the only people that write history books that are really read are the winners of war, they conquer and write down their version of it...then that becomes excepted as fact...