1. History
Internal
Assessent
Name of Candidate: Samantha Wright
School: Hydel High School
Centre #; 100324
Candiddate #
Teacher Miss Smith
2014

2. Research Question
It was the Africans, not Christopher Columbus who discovered the Americas prior to 1492
Aims and Objectives
In this essay the researcher will:
Assesses the validity of Christopher Columbus's claim of discovering the New world
Evaluate the evidence the African presence in the Americas prior to 1492
Analyze the view of historians who generally argue that Africans were not the first to
discover the Americas
Compare the evidence for and against Africans presents in the Americas prior to 1492

3. Introduction
It is the claim of many historians that Christopher Columbus was the first to reach the
Americas. "The great discoverer" Christopher Columbus was born in Genoa Italy he was an
experienced sailor and student of navigation
1
Christopher Columbus thought that he could find a new route to the Far East by sailing West
across the Atlantic and with the approval of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. This theory
led him to a landmass unknown to Europe at this time he named the region "The Americas"
Recent revelations have led the researcher to question the notion of Christopher
Columbus “discovery" The researcher has formulated the hypothesis that "It was the Africans,
not Christopher Columbus who discovered the Americas prior to 1492
This research will shoulder the task of:
Assessing the validity of Christopher Columbus's claim of discovering the New world
Evaluating the evidence the African presence in the Americas prior to 1492
Analyzing the view of historians who generally argue that Africans were not the first to
discover the Americas
Comparing the evidence for and against Africans presents in the Americas prior to 1492
1
The 21
st
Century Webster’s Encyclopaedia

4. The story of Christopher Columbus’s discovery is widely populated. It’s in Story books or
have been passed down to generation due to stories heard but is it really true? Was
Christophe Columbus the first to "discover" the New World?
2
Noted historians, Ivan van Sertima and Gaussou Diawaro (Malian Historian) argued that
Africans may have discovered the Americas nearly 2 centuries before Christopher
Columbus’s " famous landing".
Not only wereNative Americans present in the Americas when Christopher
Columbus arrived in the New World but also the presence of Africans.3
Physical and Cultural
evidences were discovered in the Americas that proved that Africans were actually here
before Christopher Columbus, noted historians like Ivan van Sertima tooktime out to validate
those evidences to disapprove the notion that Christopher’s Columbus was the first “old
world” visitor to visit the Americas. The researcher postulate that it is as a result of racism
the Africans werenot given the praise for discovering the Americas.
4
It was stated in Christopher Columbus diary that he saw people of a “different kind"
different from the native Americas. It was always, stated that a spear was found on in the
Americas and was sent to test in Europe. The spear was made up of 3 elements gold, silver
and copper the spear was said to look similar like the ones in Africa.
5
King of the Mali Empire name Abubakaria dressed in a flowing white robe and a jewel
turban, He took leave of Mali and set out with his Fleet of 2000 people down to the Senegal
river heading West cross the Atlantic. The king and his fleet never made it back home
Could it be that the aforementioned spears were brought to the Americas by the Mali king?
To future strengthen my argument that (hypothesis) the researcher drew on evidences put
forwardly by historians like Ivan Van Sertima, Cheikh Amto Diop, Rio Weiner and Peter
Reboo
Historians aforementionedhave made some great points and credible arguments to
support the fact that African Presence were in the Americas before 1492 the Terra Cotta
Head [Appendix #1]
2
Legend H.Clegg II; Before Columbus: Black Explores of the New World
3
Ibid
4
ibid
5
They came before Christopher Columbus, Chapter 3 page 50 -[Ivan Van Sertima

5. 6
Terra Cotta headswere found in various size and shapes across the Americas. In 1983 Dr.
Matthew Sterling lead a joint team from the SmithsonianInstitution and National Geography
Society in to the Gulf of Mexico to an obscured spot about a mile away from a village of
Tres Zapotes. Sterling uncovered what looked like a "helmet dome of a head". The head is
believed to be carved from single block of basalt. The negroid head was found only ten miles
away from the source it was made from. The basalt came from a mountain called Mount
Tuxtla. The feature of the head was amazingly Negroid in features.
Historians argued that it was the "whites" who carved these heads, but because of the lack of
tools that’s why the heads came out to the negroidresults. Look below at the two pictures and
tell if this look like a mistake,or it is just a African carving out one of its kind !!!!
Four negroid heads in all was excavated at La Venta and others werefound else were in the
Americas . This had to prove that presents of the Africans were in the Americas because i am
sure the "whites" wouldn’t not make so much mistakes of making Negroid looking faces.
More objects were found to prove there existence like the pyramids and the skeletons.
7
It was said that founded in La Isabella now known as Dominica Republic revealed over
6
They came before Christopher Columbus, Ivan Van Sertima
7
According to "Africa Challenge of History: Afrocentrisim ,Eurocentrisim and Semilocentrism by Pathe
Diagne

6. 1,200 skeletons, it was said to be Columbus's crew but DNA said otherwise, the test confirm
that these skeletons were the remains of Africans.
When people hear of pyramids there think of Egypt, but did you know that pyramids were
Also found in the Americas in parts of Mexico the same place were the Terra Cotta heads
were found.8
Built by the Olmec, the first major Mesoamerican civilization, it dated to
between 1000bc. Despite the towering reputation of Egypt great pyramids in Giza Egypt. The
Americas actually contain more pyramids structure then the rest of the world. Civilizations
like the Maya, Aztec and Inca all build pyramids to houde there dieties and to bury there
kings.
If you take a good look at both Pyramids the ones in Americas and the one in Egypt the
only difference is that the ones in America has a flat top and the Egypt ones has a pointed top
Pyramids in the Americas, Mexico Pyramids in Egypt, Giza
The similarities are that they both house there deities and bury their kings, they are both more
made of stones. It is very obvious that the idea of the pyramids came from Egypt in Africa
9
The Similarity between Olmec and the Africana is the Racial, religion, alphabet, pyramid and
script both culture speak also identical mende language. So do you think Christopher could come
8
Pyramids in latin America by History.com,
http://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/pyramids-in-latin-america
9
African Presence in Early America, Ivan Van Sertima

7. and did that? there must have been some African presence before him, because at the very
beginning of learning history you learn about the Indigenous people called Mayas, how were
they able they so smart to build roadways ,temples and even Pyramids. They were more civilized
than the Tainos and Caribs, How come?? Someone must have taught them! There must have
been African presence in the Americas... Next question is how were there behavior and Culture
so common to the Africans? The Mayan were here long before him as to say 2000 years before
him. The name Mayans and Mali they sound common, there is must a connection between the
two.
10
The Africans even had trade ships sailing around in the Americas (index) and it was said
that parts of the ship were found in different island in the Americas.
Symbols have been found in use by both theancient Egypt and Mexico "the sun
devoured by the scorpions" (Index) is one of the symbols.
However the fact that African had discovered the Americas before Christopher Columbus
have not been heard and were hidden by many historian due to racism. Although many
evidences proved that African were in the Americas before Christopher, other Historian try to
hide the fact that they actually did.
Historian like Gavin Mendizes claim to say that Chinese were the first to discover and do not
have any evidence to prove, he is so smart.
Other Historians say that Vikings were here first, Vikings came around 1000AD they
existed in the North American region. While others say Vikings were not the first to it was 2
native Americans that landed in Holland in 60 BC and that was the end of that story no one
proved if it was correct or not..
Based on the evidence provided that Africans were here like the Head Sculpture ,some
historians actually say that it was because of faulty tools why the "white man " made a
sculpture like that but what can they say about the pyramids ? This is when they came up
withinthe theory to say that the African in Egypt were not black they were white.But they
still were called Africans.
Appendix
10
They came before Columbus, Ivan Van Sertima