Many agree that Christopher Columbus was neither the first person to discover America nor a great cartographer, or even a navigator for that matter. Given the unknown pieces of land and limited technology, we can all agree that even if Columbus did not discover the most direct route to China or India, he is still a successful explorer. After all, he took risks that were almost unimaginable at that time, and he believed that he had the capability to navigate and venture into the unknown. But his arrogance got ahead of him. In the diary detailing his Fourth Voyage, he offered us a glimpse into his now deteriorating mind. For instance, despite conceding (through implication) that he did not stumble upon China or India, as detailed in his Third Voyage, during the Fourth Voyage, he still insisted that “he was in the neighborhood of China or India.” Seen from this perspective, it is as if Columbus is desperately trying to grasp onto his vision of himself. After all, in a way, Columbus had mapped, or created, a false sense of accomplishment and what I called the European Dream. Similar to what the American Dream represents, the European Dream promises any individual, who is willing to venture into the unknown, and who is willing to take risks, great rewards. This allure of riches is analogous to the California gold rush, which promised brave men great riches if they willingly adventure into the Wild West.

Columbus continues to justify himself in what appears to be his last attempt at establishing his greatness. He attempts to discredit Ptolemy, a great astronomer, and unequivocally states, “I say that the world is not as great as is commonly believed and that one degree on the Equator is 56.6667 miles, which may be exactly proved.” Notice that despite the long journey he took from Europe to the Americas, he still insisted that the world is small. More out of character is his attempt to use evidence to corroborate his supposed greatness, when he stated that one degree is 56.6667 miles, which even in today’s standard, is very exact. He further challenges someone to prove this finding, which shows his unwavering confidence in his own scientific methods and knowledge. Alas, his arrogance did not permit him to realize his own mistakes and acknowledge them. However, if he did, perhaps he would not have been known as the person to “discover” the Americas, because he most likely would not have been able to secure as many voyages as he did from the Majesties.