Columbus Day

The Waldseemüller Map was published in 1507 based on assumptions made up to then. The map was made possible, and necessary, because by then every European knew there was a new world out there. A book came out in 2015 proposing that some of the map’s assumptions came from hitherto-secret Portuguese lore, and that it was this very map which made it all public to the world for the first time.

Also read here, but take it with some salt.

I think we can all agree, the secret of some large landmasses to the northwest and south of the Canaries, by 1492, had become an open one in western Europe. Basques, Norse, and even some Brits (Cornish mainly) were fishing not far off the coasts of Labrador and Newfoundland: per Brian Fagan, Fish On Friday. The Portuguese government had failed with Dulmo; but I wonder if unofficial accounts had earlier traipsed eastern Brasil, thus inspiring d'Ulm's attempt. The fishermen didn’t want others to discover their secrets; and the Portuguese didn’t want their rivals grabbing colonies the Portuguese were hoping to take first.

So Columbus could already suspect a Brasil continent – soon to be dubbed “America” – and some smaller landmasses in the north, the largest of which was provisionally “Parias”. And do remember: Columbus wasn’t even asked to go find more such islands, nor even continents; and he did NOT so ask his patron the Queen. To her, he proposed some passage between the islands. Everyone knew the world was round but there remained some question to what degree it was a sphere, especially between the tropics. An hourglass earth with a passage between Parias and Brasil would suit Spain just fine. (In fact we now know that Earth is the opposite of an hourglass; we’re on an ellipsoid.)

As pointed out, the Spanish came to feel embarrassed by Columbus much as, later, they despised Cortés. Even in America, “Columbus Day” was an Italian festival. An excuse for Sicilian immigrants to celebrate a… Genovese.

Columbus Day would make sense for the West Indies, including southern Florida. It might also make sense for certain post-West-Indian outposts like the Carolinas. Unsure how much sense it makes for the most of the United States or Canada.

Giovanni Caboto is a better choice for an Italian who thought he’d ended up in Asia and almost, but didn’t, land between Maine and Georgia. Cabot didn’t land here, closer. And his theory that the natives were Siberian was a demonstrable improvement over Columbus’ rival theory. And pace Ed Driscoll and the "--- With Lid" blog - Chabotte didn't enslave anybody.

UPDATE 11/12/2020: Need to nuance Portugal in light of Dulmo.