W.L. Grant continued in the introduction of The Voyages and Explorations of Samuel de Champlain (1911, The Courier Press, A.S. Barnes Co.): "In the search for these were made the three greatest voyages in history, those of Columbus, of Vasco da Gama, and greatest of all of Magellan. In his search for the riches of Cipangu, Columbus stumbled upon America. The great Genoese lived and died under the illusion that he had reached the outmost verge of Asia; and though even in his lifetime men realized that what he had found was no less than a new world."
All those blaming Columbus for sailing west must turn one chapter back in the history books to find that it was actually Islamic jihad disrupting the land routes from Europe to India and China that resulted in Columbus looking for a sea route.
Islamic expansion was instrumental in bringing about "The Dark Ages" with the conquering of Egypt and cutting off trade across the Mediterranean, including that of papyrus; and Islamic expansion was instrumental in "The Renaissance" with the invasion of Greece, causing scholars to flee to Italy.
Spain saved Europe by defeating the Ottoman Turkish navy in the Battle of Lepanto in 1571. Afterwards, though, instead of freeing the Mediterranean from Ottoman control, King Philip II sent the Iron Duke of Alba to commit the Spanish Fury, killing 10,000 Dutch Reformed in Antwerp, Belgium, and sending its Invincible Armada to conquer Anglican England.
Why was the sinking of the Invincible Spanish Armada significant to America? Had Spain succeeded in their attempts to conquer England, there may have been: no Anglican England; no Puritans wanting to "purify" it; no Pilgrim separatists fleeing it; no New England colonies being settled, and, quite possibly, no United States of America.
