--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: America did not need to be discovered…" description: "\"America did not need to be discovered because quite simply America had the American-Indians. There were whole groups of people that already lived there..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ce/alejandro-castro-espin-12304_america_america-did-not-need-to-be-discovered-be_318692.jpg" --- # America did not need to be discovered because quite simply… ![“America did not need to be discovered because quite simply America had the American-Indians. There were whole groups of people that already lived there including very developed societies such as the Incas, the Aztecs, and the Mayans. But then came the European vision that saw the conquest as a…” quote by Alejandro Castro Espin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ce/alejandro-castro-espin-12304_america_america-did-not-need-to-be-discovered-be_318692.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ce/alejandro-castro-espin-12304_america_america-did-not-need-to-be-discovered-be_318692.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ce/alejandro-castro-espin-12304_america_america-did-not-need-to-be-discovered-be_318692.jpg) > “America did not need to be discovered because quite simply America had the American-Indians. There were whole groups of people that already lived there including very developed societies such as the Incas, the Aztecs, and the Mayans. But then came the European vision that saw the conquest as a source of advanced growth away from medieval Europe. The new revolutionary bourgeois trend formed a new perspective on what was democracy that they saw as an improvement to the democracy of ancient Greece.” [Alejandro Castro Espin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-castro-espin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. America was already inhabited by advanced societies; European "discovery" ignored existing peoples. **In simple terms:** Indigenous peoples existed before Europeans arrived. Key Takeaway Recognize pre‑colonial histories. Themes history colonialism indigenous rights Eurocentrism Mood reflective critical Type historical educational When to use this quote - education curricula - museum exhibits - public policy on indigenous rights Key Concepts civilization cultural erasure historical narrative Questions to Reflect On - What narratives dominate our view of history? - How can we honor indigenous contributions? A Different Perspective May oversimplify complex pre‑colonial interactions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Ancient](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancient/) [Ancient greece](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancient-greece/) [Bourgeois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bourgeois/) [Conquest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conquest/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Europe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/europe/) [Greece](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greece/) [Growth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growth/) [Improvement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/improvement/) [Mayans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mayans/) [Medieval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medieval/) [Medieval europe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medieval-europe/) [New perspective](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-perspective/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Perspective](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perspective/) [Revolutionary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revolutionary/) [Trends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trends/) [Vision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vision/) ## Related quotes > [“You study any pretty democracy, from the ancient Greeks forward, and you'll see that the only way each system functions is with a working…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/you-study-any-pretty-democracy-from-the-ancient-greeks-forward-and/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [I felt sure we could gain the upper hand by putting ourselves in the mindset of the Incas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahir-shah/i-felt-sure-we-could-gain-the-upper-hand-by-putting-ourselves-in-the/) [Tahir Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahir-shah/) > [Peru was the Incas; it has 3,000 to 4,000 years of history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nobu-matsuhisa/peru-was-the-incas-it-has-3-000-to-4-000-years-of-history/) [Nobu Matsuhisa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nobu-matsuhisa/) > [Cecilia was made in a living room on a Sony. It was like a little piece of magical fluff, bur it works. El Condor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/cecilia-was-made-in-a-living-room-on-a-sony-it-was-like-a-little/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [The Mexicans descend from the Aztecs; the Peruvians descend from the Incas; the Argentineans descend from the boats.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-fuentes/the-mexicans-descend-from-the-aztecs-the-peruvians-descend-from-the/) [Carlos Fuentes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-fuentes/) > [“The Incas were right to worship the sun, Father. God is fire. Combustion is the one inarguable blessing. A tree, oil, coal, a man,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-hill/the-incas-were-right-to-worship-the-sun-father-god-is-fire-combustion/) [Joe Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-hill/) > [“Have you ever climbed a mountain in full armour? That's what we did, him going first the whole way up a tiny path into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-shaffer/have-you-ever-climbed-a-mountain-in-full-armour-that-s-what-we-did/) [Peter Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-shaffer/) > [America may not realize it yet, but Latin prototypes are being created right now, and not just by me. They are these mambo kings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-leguizamo/america-may-not-realize-it-yet-but-latin-prototypes-are-being-created/) [John Leguizamo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-leguizamo/) > [According to the Mayans, the world is supposed to end in the year 2012. Are you buying that? When's the last time you even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/according-to-the-mayans-the-world-is-supposed-to-end-in-the-year-2012/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Every culture from the Egyptians to the Mayans to the American Indians to the Bedouins created bestiaries that enabled them to express their relationship…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-colbert/every-culture-from-the-egyptians-to-the-mayans-to-the-american/) [Gregory Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-colbert/) > [I keep trying to tell people that Los Angeles is already the largest Indian city in the U.S., that there are Toltecs playing Little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rodriguez/i-keep-trying-to-tell-people-that-los-angeles-is-already-the-largest/) [Richard Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rodriguez/) > [If it turns out that the Mayans are right and the world is going to end, you know what this means? Lindsay Lohan is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/if-it-turns-out-that-the-mayans-are-right-and-the-world-is-going-to/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Oprah's quitting in 2011. Now we know why the Mayans ended their calendar in 2012](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-ferguson/oprah-s-quitting-in-2011-now-we-know-why-the-mayans-ended-their/) [Craig Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-ferguson/) > [Human societies as temporally and spatially far-flung as the Mesopotamians, Mayans, and Easter Islanders likely came to ruin by expanding beyond the capacity of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-e-rees/human-societies-as-temporally-and-spatially-far-flung-as-the/) [William E. Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-e-rees/) > [The Mayans have predicted the world is supposed to end on December 21. If the world doesn't end on December 21, you can bet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/the-mayans-have-predicted-the-world-is-supposed-to-end-on-december-21/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) ## More by Alejandro Castro Espin > [There is us living the Cuban experience that we believe is ours. We do not believe that it is perfect, but it has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-castro-espin/there-is-us-living-the-cuban-experience-that-we-believe-is-ours-we-do/) [Alejandro Castro Espin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-castro-espin/) > [Communism is an aspiration, an aspiration is an ideal, a dream, a longing of something that would be perfect, but hard to build because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-castro-espin/communism-is-an-aspiration-an-aspiration-is-an-ideal-a-dream-a/) [Alejandro Castro Espin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-castro-espin/) > [Cubans are a people who suffered from capitalism in the cruelest way, in the social order, the economic order and the political order.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-castro-espin/cubans-are-a-people-who-suffered-from-capitalism-in-the-cruelest-way/) [Alejandro Castro Espin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-castro-espin/) > [True medicine is to defend human life in any circumstances and not for political reasons or for reasons of any other kind, it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-castro-espin/true-medicine-is-to-defend-human-life-in-any-circumstances-and-not/) [Alejandro Castro Espin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-castro-espin/) > [Today China is a first world economy, in terms of development. The U.S. may still be in first in GDP but it is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-castro-espin/today-china-is-a-first-world-economy-in-terms-of-development-the-u-s/) [Alejandro Castro Espin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-castro-espin/) > [Let's not use the term democracy as a play on words which is what people commonly do, using human rights as a pretext. Those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-castro-espin/let-s-not-use-the-term-democracy-as-a-play-on-words-which-is-what/) [Alejandro Castro Espin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-castro-espin/) > [In Cuba, our experiment is not the best democracy and should not be a reference to anybody elses, it is ours. It has worked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-castro-espin/in-cuba-our-experiment-is-not-the-best-democracy-and-should-not-be-a/) [Alejandro Castro Espin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-castro-espin/) > [Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Nicaragua have shown that by breaking with the unfair order imposed by the neoliberal adjustment policies, promoted by Washington and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-castro-espin/venezuela-ecuador-bolivia-and-nicaragua-have-shown-that-by-breaking/) [Alejandro Castro Espin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-castro-espin/) > [In Cuba, despite having lived through the most difficult times, there has never been a neo liberal adjustment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-castro-espin/in-cuba-despite-having-lived-through-the-most-difficult-times-there/) [Alejandro Castro Espin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-castro-espin/) > [The American people have on many occasions been willing to shed their own blood for a noble cause, like when hundreds of thousands of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-castro-espin/the-american-people-have-on-many-occasions-been-willing-to-shed-their/) [Alejandro Castro Espin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-castro-espin/) > [Venezuela, Bolivia and Ecuador lived through times of cruel and ruthless capitalism where the workers, the masses of the population, saw themselves living in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-castro-espin/venezuela-bolivia-and-ecuador-lived-through-times-of-cruel-and/) [Alejandro Castro Espin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-castro-espin/) > [It is only through popular consultation and exchange with the people about social and economic policies that we were going to define the strategic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-castro-espin/it-is-only-through-popular-consultation-and-exchange-with-the-people/) [Alejandro Castro Espin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-castro-espin/) > [As you know Cuba has progressed a lot regarding all the indicators of social development and those rates can be compared favorably with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-castro-espin/as-you-know-cuba-has-progressed-a-lot-regarding-all-the-indicators-of/) [Alejandro Castro Espin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-castro-espin/) > [In Cuba we had the most ferocious form of capitalism for 60 years. It dominated every sphere of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-castro-espin/in-cuba-we-had-the-most-ferocious-form-of-capitalism-for-60-years-it/) [Alejandro Castro Espin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-castro-espin/) > [How do we explain for example the Ebola epidemic in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea Conakry? Those very powers that swindled and occupied them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-castro-espin/how-do-we-explain-for-example-the-ebola-epidemic-in-liberia-sierra/) [Alejandro Castro Espin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-castro-espin/) [Explore all 55 Alejandro Castro Espin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-castro-espin/) ## More America quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. \[salutes\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumors-i-ll-die-deal-thank-you/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I'm gonna bring America together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-gonna-bring-america-together/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. Remember, under a Trump administration it's called America first. Remember that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-need-a-system-that-serves-our-needs-not-the-needs-of-others/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [You live overseas, you see these exotic places and you want to know about them. But, weirdly, it also made me homesick for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/you-live-overseas-you-see-these-exotic-places-and-you-want-to-know/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. It's AIDS, it's herpes, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/freedom-in-every-sense-but-primarily-political-sense-a-rise-in/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) [Browse all 20,382 America quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "America did not need to be discovered because quite simply America had the American-Indians. There were whole groups of people that already lived there including very developed societies such as the Incas, the Aztecs, and the Mayans. 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