Blacks in South America

When Vasco Nunez de Balboa, a Spanish explorer, landed in South America in 1513 he found a small community of Black people already living in America. This fact brings convincing indication that it was Africans that discovered America and not Columbus as it has been said. Archeological excavations have also brought up evidence of this fact. They discovered pre-Columbian pottery with African facial appearance. They believe that it must have been West-Africans who sailed into the Atlantic Ocean and were brought to South America by strong streams. Christopher Columbus was informed about this practice when he stopped in The Cape Verde Islands. Columbus was looking for a shorter way to get to the Indies when islanders informed him about Africans setting off on small ships into the ocean going west. He attained confirmation of this scheme when he arrived in the Caribbean islands and found dark people who were already trading with the Indians. Columbus was told that the natives had already traded gold with black men coming from the ocean. He later on wrote in his observations that these Black men must have come from West Africa.