An Examination of the Geography of Three Major Contenders for Columbus's First Landfall, in 1492 (original) (raw)
At its simplest level the landfall debate can bc broken down into three separate elements: the transAtlantic crossing; the nature of the landfall island; and the passage from Guanahani to Cuba. It is the intcntion of this study to confine itself to the geographical issues relevant to the first landfall, but including thc navigation and seaman_ ship involved in approaching it. The three islands undcr investigation are San Salvador (once called Watlings Island) Samana Cay (once called Atwood Cay) and Grand Turk (Figure 1). In this instance the first issue conccrns the navigational approach to the island, and the first sightings of land from the sea. Wc are told that Columbus approached Guanahani at night, stcering a westerly course,r and thcre is reason to believe the wind was from the east or north east. They saw the land about 5-6 miles away at night, and according to Oviedo, many islcts *ere seen about Guanahani, and they were called White islands because of their appearance.
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This is the author's original manuscript now published in Terrae Incognitae The Journal of Thr Society for the History of Discoveries published by Taylor and Francis, 2017
Abstract: Christopher Columbus’s first voyage to the Americas may qualify as history’s most significant exploration. Despite this imposing status, debate persists regarding the first four islands visited during the month of October 1492. A myriad of studies have provided a multitude of possibilities, seemingly ad nauseam. That said, there is a need to revisit this debate. For seven decades many historians have concluded that Samuel Eliot Morison has provided the most cogent theory regarding the identity of these islands. Those same decades have led to complacency regarding the many inconsistencies between Morison’s theory, information provided by Columbus’s log, and the actual geography of the Bahamas. New resources are applied in an attempt to resolve these inconsistencies. They provide alternative interpretations to several passages within the Las Casas transcription of Columbus’s log. Although continuing to support a number of Morison’s conjectures, these alternative interpretations reject Morison’s choice of Rum Cay as Columbus’s second island, instead supporting Samana Cay for that position. This proposed change to Morison’s theory, of itself, is not as important, however, as it is to continuously challenge historical theories that appear incomplete or incorrect.
Columbus to Acosta: Science, Geography, and the New World
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A List of Works that Attempted to Identify Christopher Columbus's Landfall island
A List of Works that Attempted to Identify Christopher Columbus's Landfall island, 2023
Numerous attempts have been made to identify the first island visited by Christopher Columbus on his first voyage to the New World. This list was created to help with another paper and is posted here in hopes that others may find it useful.
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