--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The true America is the Middle West, and…" description: "\"The true America is the Middle West, and Columbus discovered nothing at all except another Europe.\" — W. L. George" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c91/w-l-george-44837_america_the-true-america-is-the-middle-west-and_1318582.jpg" --- # The true America is the Middle West, and Columbus… ![“The true America is the Middle West, and Columbus discovered nothing at all except another Europe.” quote by W. L. George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c91/w-l-george-44837_america_the-true-america-is-the-middle-west-and_1318582.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c91/w-l-george-44837_america_the-true-america-is-the-middle-west-and_1318582.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c91/w-l-george-44837_america_the-true-america-is-the-middle-west-and_1318582.jpg) > “The true America is the Middle West, and Columbus discovered nothing at all except another Europe.” [W. L. George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-l-george/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The Midwest embodies true America, while European discovery merely replicated European culture. **In simple terms:** Midwest is authentic America; Columbus brought another Europe. Key Takeaway Value authentic regional culture. Themes identity nationhood culture Mood critical thoughtful Type analytical historical When to use this quote - travel writing - historical analysis - cultural studies Key Concepts regionalism colonial critique American mythos Questions to Reflect On - What defines “true” America? - How does colonial history shape modern identity? A Different Perspective May oversimplify diverse experiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Columbus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/columbus/) [Columbus Discovered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/columbus-discovered-332241/) [Discovered Europe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discovered-europe-1347251/) [Europe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/europe/) [Middle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/middle/) [Middle West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/middle-west-1106634/) [True America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-america-1613010/) [West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/west/) ## Related quotes > [Columbus discovered no isle or key so lonely as himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/columbus-discovered-no-isle-or-key-so-lonely-as-himself/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [What a pity, when Christopher Columbus discovered America, that he ever mentioned it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-asquith/what-a-pity-when-christopher-columbus-discovered-america-that-he-ever/) [Margot Asquith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-asquith/) > [Columbus only discovered that he was in some new place. He didn't discover America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/columbus-only-discovered-that-he-was-in-some-new-place-he-didn-t/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [Everybody in 15th century Spain was wrong about where China was and as a result, Columbus discovered Caribbean vacations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/everybody-in-15th-century-spain-was-wrong-about-where-china-was-and/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [In fourteen hundred ninety-two Columbus sailed the ocean blue and discovered America. Now, some have argued Columbus actually discovered the West Indies, or that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/in-fourteen-hundred-ninety-two-columbus-sailed-the-ocean-blue-and/) [Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/) > [“We say that Columbus discovered America and Newton discovered gravity, as though America and gravity weren't there until Columbus and Newton got wind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-kaysen/we-say-that-columbus-discovered-america-and-newton-discovered-gravity-2/) [Susanna Kaysen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-kaysen/) > [Away back in that time-in 1492 - there was a man by the name of Columbus came from across the great ocean, and he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chitto-harjo/away-back-in-that-time-in-1492-there-was-a-man-by-the-name-of/) [Chitto Harjo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chitto-harjo/) > [We say that Columbus discovered America and Newton discovered gravity, as though America and gravity weren't there until Columbus and Newton got wind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-kaysen/we-say-that-columbus-discovered-america-and-newton-discovered-gravity/) [Susanna Kaysen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-kaysen/) > [Arithmetic must be discovered in just the same sense in which Columbus discovered the West Indies, and we no more create numbers than he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/arithmetic-must-be-discovered-in-just-the-same-sense-in-which/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [“You're like Christopher Columbus. You discovered something millions of people did before you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-simpson/you-re-like-christopher-columbus-you-discovered-something-millions-of/) [Lisa Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-simpson/) > [Bunkum and tummyrot! You'll never get anywhere if you go about what-iffing like that. Would Columbus have discovered America if he'd said 'What if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/bunkum-and-tummyrot-you-ll-never-get-anywhere-if-you-go-about-what/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [“his stomach as flat as the earth was rumored to be before Columbus discovered the truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-blakely/his-stomach-as-flat-as-the-earth-was-rumored-to-be-before-columbus/) [Lauren Blakely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-blakely/) > [When America has been discovered in America it will be discovered in Europe. They are looking for America now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-stanley-lee/when-america-has-been-discovered-in-america-it-will-be-discovered-in/) [Gerald Stanley Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-stanley-lee/) > [“he rated it as a gain in coming to America, that here you could get tea, and coffee, and meat every day. But the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/he-rated-it-as-a-gain-in-coming-to-america-that-here-you-could-get/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“Yes it is true . . . America is a racist country.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eric-dyson/yes-it-is-true-america-is-a-racist-country/) [Michael Eric Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eric-dyson/) ## More by W. L. George > [He's no failure. He's not dead yet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-l-george/he-s-no-failure-he-s-not-dead-yet/) [W. L. George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-l-george/) > [Cats know how to obtain food without labor, shelter without confinement, and love without penalties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-l-george/cats-know-how-to-obtain-food-without-labor-shelter-without/) [W. L. George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-l-george/) > [Given that we glimpse what distinguishes man from the beast, is there anything that distinguishes woman from man?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-l-george/given-that-we-glimpse-what-distinguishes-man-from-the-beast-is-there/) [W. L. George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-l-george/) > [Vanity is as old as the mammoth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-l-george/vanity-is-as-old-as-the-mammoth/) [W. L. George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-l-george/) > [She is still less civilized than man, largely because she has not been educated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-l-george/she-is-still-less-civilized-than-man-largely-because-she-has-not-been/) [W. L. George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-l-george/) > [Men have been found to deny woman intellect; they have credited her with instinct, with intuition, with a capacity to correlate cause and effect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-l-george/men-have-been-found-to-deny-woman-intellect-they-have-credited-her/) [W. L. George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-l-george/) > [It is not age which killed Boston, for no cities die of age; it is the youth of other cities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-l-george/it-is-not-age-which-killed-boston-for-no-cities-die-of-age-it-is-the/) [W. L. George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-l-george/) > [Wars teach us not to love our enemies, but to hate our allies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-l-george/wars-teach-us-not-to-love-our-enemies-but-to-hate-our-allies/) [W. L. George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-l-george/) [Explore all 9 W. L. George quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-l-george/) ## 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": "The true America is the Middle West, and Columbus discovered nothing at all except another Europe.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "W. L. George" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-l-george/the-true-america-is-the-middle-west-and-columbus-discovered-nothing/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "America" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-l-george/the-true-america-is-the-middle-west-and-columbus-discovered-nothing/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c91/w-l-george-44837_america_the-true-america-is-the-middle-west-and_1318582.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c91/w-l-george-44837_america_the-true-america-is-the-middle-west-and_1318582.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c91/w-l-george-44837_america_the-true-america-is-the-middle-west-and_1318582.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The true America is the Middle West, and Columbus discovered nothing at all except another Europe.” — W. L. George", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "W. L. George", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-l-george/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The true America is the Middle...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-l-george/the-true-america-is-the-middle-west-and-columbus-discovered-nothing/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-l-george/the-true-america-is-the-middle-west-and-columbus-discovered-nothing/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```