Christopher Columbus was Scottish

[O'Callaghan]

After reading the article I'd still say Christopher Columbus, aka Pedro Scotto, was Italian, just of Scottish descent. His alleged true family surname, Scotto, looks to me as if it means something like 'the Scot' in Italian (guesstimating because I never learnt Italian). It certainly doesn't look like a Scottish name. In many countries (but not Gaelic ones so much), one of the early forms of surnames indicated the town where you were born, or if you were a foreigner, the country. If his parents owned a shop in Genoa, they may have been born in Scotland, or their forebears may have been, but he was probably born in Italy.

Wonder if he had a claim to belonging to a clan? Probably not. As the son of shopkeepers more likely he was of lowland descent, and they would have regarded highlanders and clans as barbaric at that time, LOL!

[O'Callaghan]

I'd also like to say that when archaeologists discovered L'Anse aux Meadows the locals had known all about it for some time, but no-one ever asked them, so I'm told.

[Bryan]

I'd also like to say that when archaeologists discovered L'Anse aux Meadows the locals had known all about it for some time, but no-one ever asked them, so I'm told.

Actually, that's not entirely true. The locals did know about the site, but they thought it was an Indian site according to Helge Ingstad.

[Bigkahuna]

Being of Native American blood also ( 1/8 Mowhawk), I still find it funny that anyone can think someone " discovered" any place where people already lived.

1/4 Cherokee and TOTALLY on your side!!

[Zardoz]

I don't know that much about that Italian fellow, but a lot of reseach indicates the Iceland, Greenland and maybe Newfoundland were visited by Irish as early as 800-900AD.

[Phil]

These damn Scots get everywhere.

[Mipi]

Columbus Italian? Could be. He was born in town Calvi on island Corse (Corsica). If you ask people living there if they are Italian, the answer will be no. Same if you ask if they are French.

But in the past Italian families from Tuscany had very strong influence and strong holds on Corsica, so at the end of story he could /was an Italian guy.

This is not really important. We all now that Vikings and Celts were there first!

[Oldhiker]

Being of Native American blood also ( 1/8 Mowhawk), I still find it funny that anyone can think someone " discovered" any place where people already lived.

excellent point.

Do you know what Native Americans called North America before white man arrived??


"ours!"

makes you stop and think about our perspective on history

[Downix]

1/4 Cherokee and TOTALLY on your side!!

1/16th Abenaki, with you all the way.

[Kerr the Walker]

I get a kick out of the term "Native American." I mean, if you were born between 35* W and 170* W, regardless of when, then you're native to the Americas right?

To me the label "First Nations" makes more sense. Doesn't make it sound so much like there was one vast group of people who all identified with one another before the Europeans arrived. Heck, the fought like the dickens some times. Calling them one people would probably have ticked them off just as much as if you called a Scotsman an Englishman during.....well.....pretty much any time.

On the suggestion that Colombus was a Scot...I say let's roll with it. Pretty soon it'll be in the history books! Truth by legend!

(tongue firmly in cheek)