How Many Native American Tribes Were There in 1492? The Real Columbus Story

Ever wonder what life was like for Native Americans in 1492?

You’ve likely heard the rhyme about Christopher Columbus,

In fourteen hundred and ninety-two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.

For the longest time, we celebrated Christopher Columbus here in the United States because it was thought that he “discovered America.”

But, did he discover “America?”

What’s included in “America?”

And, who was here when he arrived?

Let’s take a look at the land we now call the United States, back in 1492.

Hi, by the way! I’m Brittany.

I lived and taught on a reservation for five years.

Here on my website, I share tips for people who want to:

• Teach on a reservation
  
• Learn more about Native American history
  
• Visit reservations and travel tribal lands, respectfully

What Is America?

Go into any Facebook Group for travelers, and you’ll probably find this hotly contested question – what exactly is America?

Is it short for “the United States of America?”

Or, does it include North America and South America?

People have lived on this land for thousands of years – as territories morphed and nations rose and fall.

So before we even start thinking about Columbus, his “discovery,” and the tribes of “Native America,” we need to know what “America” is!

America Before 1492

Before European contact in the late 15th century, America was a vast land home to millions of indigenous peoples – each with their own cultures, languages, and societies.

In the northern regions, where the United States now sits, hundreds of distinct tribes, nations, and confederacies were here.

These tribes had intricate systems of governance, trade networks, spiritual beliefs, and advanced knowledge of agriculture, astronomy, and medicine.

If you’re interested in learning more about the first people of the Americas, this article in the Atlantic is another great read.

The truth is, we don’t know much about this time – because we have no way of knowing what really happened, outside of primary documents with firsthand accounts.

And we have to take these with a grain of salt, of course – because these “explorers” didn’t even know where they were!

If you’re interested in Native American history, I highly recommend reading Columbus’ reports on his first voyage in 1493.

Knowing what we know now, it’s interesting to read the firsthand account.

By the way – if you’re a teacher on a reservation wondering how to tackle Columbus Day, come join our Facebook Group for teachers on reservations!

America In 1492

Of course, we don’t know for sure what it looked like then.

But it’s estimated that anywhere from 5 to 10 million indigenous people lived in what is now the United States.

And that in the total Americas combined, there could have been up to 112 million people.

(Reference: The Native Population of the Americas in 1492 by William M. Denevan)

The tribes around then were as diverse as they are now.

Tribes like the Iroquois, Cherokee, Lakota, Apache, and Tlingit inhabited different regions – each with their own forms of governance, trade systems, spiritual beliefs, and cultural practices.

Columbus and his crew, however, never actually set foot on the mainland U.S.

But if they had, they would have encountered societies as complex and diverse as those found in Europe at that time.

In the eastern woodlands, for example, large cities like Cahokia – near present-day St. Louis – had already flourished and declined before 1492.

The environment Columbus would have witnessed was largely untouched by industrialization.

In the Great Plains, vast herds of buffalo roamed freely.

In the Southwest, the Pueblo peoples lived in intricate stone dwellings built into cliffs – mastering desert agriculture through irrigation and dry farming techniques.

The coastal regions were lined with dense forests, abundant fisheries, and bustling trade networks connecting tribes over great distances.

Had Columbus and his crew arrived in what is now the United States, they would have been met with thriving civilizations that had been established for thousands of years – each uniquely connected to their environment and land.

So, How Many Native American Tribes Were There in 1492?

It’s impossible to say for sure.

Researcher Aaron Carapella has identified 584 active tribes in North America before 1492.

He’s done some amazing work mapping out what the Native American empires and indigenous tribe territories might have looked like in the 1490s.

What Did Christopher Columbus Actually Discover (If Anything)?

The hardest part of these stories are, they’re really all hear-say.

As far as we know, Christopher Columbus was the first European to see the Bahamas archipelago (which includes modern Haiti and the Dominican Republic).

Fun fact – there are actually documents that state that Columbus wasn’t even the first to spot land on the ship!

Read more about Rodrigo Barnajo – who’s rumored to truly be the first European from that ship to see that land.

Though it’s easy (and justifiable) to not like Christopher Columbus for all that he did and didn’t do, reaching that far of a distance was definitely an accomplishment during that time.

The journey would have been really dangerous, long, and exhausting.

The general consensus is that Columbus thought he was reaching “the Indies” in Asia.

And it’s possible that it was a mistake.

Maps weren’t correct back then, and people often underestimated how far places were from each other.

But another alternative is also possible: that Columbus knew he wasn’t anywhere near India, and that he lied to protect his fortune and fame.

On his return to Spain, he had an enormous amount of wealth – and he was titled, “Governor of the Indies.”

Why We Need to Learn Native American History

The uncertainty of it all is one of the reasons I love history so much.

We’re constantly uncovering new documents – learning facts that refute what we thought we knew before.

But it’s also important for us to learn Native American history.

If you’re an American (and by this, I mean a citizen of the United States), this is a part of our shared history and heritage – for better and for worse.

As a former educator myself, I’m always challenging my own assumptions and biases.

You could probably tell from the tone of this article that I’m not a huge fan of Columbus.

And yet, every year, as Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples Day approaches, I spend some time researching who he was, what he did, and what this day really means.

I learn something new every time!

Like, did you know he actually made four trips to the Caribbean?

It wasn’t just the one.

More Native American History to Learn

Stay tuned for more articles to be added here!

Bookmark this page to reference it in the future.