When Christopher Columbus
embarked on his voyages to the New World, little did he know that the names of
places and creatures would get all tangled up in a hilarious mix-up.
First, let's talk about the name
of the New World itself. Columbus believed he had reached the eastern shores of
India, and so he named the newfound land "Indies." Unfortunately for
him, he was nowhere close to India, but rather in what we now know as the
Americas. So, poor Columbus, in all his confusion, gave birth to the misnomer
that still lingers today.
Now, onto the turkey - that
magnificent bird that graces our Thanksgiving tables. Columbus, thinking he had
arrived in the land of India, mistook the turkey for a bird he was familiar
with from his travels to the Middle East - the "Hindi" bird. Well,
the poor turkey had nothing to do with India, but hey, who's counting?
And let's not forget the American
Indians. Columbus, in his bewildered state, mistakenly believed he had
encountered the inhabitants of India when he first met the indigenous people of
the Americas. So, he called them "Indians," forever confusing their
true identity.
Last but not least, to add to the
confusion, Columbus named the Caribbean islands he discovered "West
Indies" because he thought he had finally reached the eastern shores of
India. So, the term "West Indies" has stuck around, even though it
has nothing to do with the actual East Indies.
Oh, Columbus, you had quite the
mix-up. But hey, at least you gave us some laughable tales and a few amusing
names to ponder over as we delve into the history of the New World.
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