Historical Miscoceptions

Well as Elder Fields hasn't written yet (I hear the weather was horrible in Chicago so he might not have had the chance to write today, or my dad didn't forward me the email yet) I figure I'll blog a little about some historical misconceptions that my Independent study history class is clarifying. This may help me to get more homework done too so I can blog about what I learn.

Anyway, we all know, or should know, that Magellan himself did not make it all the way around the world, but it was one ship of the five that originally set out. One ship crashed on a reef in 1519, the captain of another ship deserted and headed back to Spain. Magellan died in the Philippines in April 27, 1521.

The survivors consolidated their resources and burned the least seaworthy of the ships. The Victoria continued west across the Indian Ocean while the flagship, the Trininidad turned around because the captain was upset at the sailors for fighting in the back seat. They were never heard of again. I think it was sea turtles.

And although Magellan had died before circumnavigating the globe, he has been considered the first because he sailed to the East Indies for Portugal 10 years sooner. So he got a leg up on the race really.

Now if we look to the Aztecs, many believe that the city Tenochtitlan fell immediately when Cortes arrived. But nope! Although Cortes did arrive in 1519, the were held back the first time, and it was not until 1521 that Tenochtitlan, aided by thousands of natives; people conquered by the Aztecs and upset at all the human sacrifices. Maybe the animals had rebelled previously and that's why they weren't sacrificed?

Anyway, that's it for today. Tune in next time when we locate Ponce de Leon and see if he will give us the location to the fountain of youth.