Although not many people understand why they have to know about the past, when you don’t learn about it, things tend to repeat themselves. History is not always objective. Some tales from the American history books are nothing more than that, tales. Some historical facts handed down through the years have nothing to do with the truth. They are more like folklore. These are 18 falsely believed untruths that you likely believe, too.
Christopher Columbus Didn’t Discover America
Although many people in America wrongly believe that Christopher Columbus was the first person to discover America, he did not. Indigenous people were already living in the Americas for thousands of years before Columbus showed up on their land.
Benjamin Franklin Did Not Discover Electricity With a Key and Kite
Many kids grew up with an image of Benjamin Franklin testing electricity with a kite and key. That is not how it happened. He did conduct electrical experimentation, but the kite flying during a storm is likely a story made up to be more vivid for children to remember history by.
Napoleon Bonaparte Was Not Short
Napoleon Bonaparte might be short by modern-day standards, but in his time, he was a man of average height. Historical propaganda and other mistranslations of history have made him a short legend.
Cleopatra Was Not an Egyptian
You can’t make it through history class without knowing the story of Cleopatra. While she did end up in Egypt, she was of Greek Macedonian descent. Cleopatra was originally a member of the Ptolemaic Dynasty. It was the very same dynasty that ruled Egypt after Alexander the Great’s Conquest.
The Trojan Horse Was Not a Large Wood Horse
Images and notions of the Trojan Horse being wooden, massive, and housing people are false. There was no actual Trojan Horse, nor was it made from wood. The Trojan Horse is a metaphorical or symbolic notion of how Troy was invaded by disguise.
The Roman Emperor Caligula Did Not Use His Horse as a Consul
There is no denying that Caligula was eccentric in his manners and the way that he ruled, but there is no actual evidence that he appointed his horse as consul. That is likely a story that was passed down to demonstrate his idiosyncrasies.
Vikings Did Not Wear Helmets
Although every modern-day Viking is incomplete with a helmet for the show, there is no evidence to support the notion that Vikings wore the famed horned helmets into battle. The false narrative likely stems from some form of artistic interpretation.
The Great Wall of China Can Not be Seen From Space
There is no disputing that the Great Wall of China is, well, great. While it is impressive, it is not visible to the naked eye from space, regardless of how fantastic that sounds.
Marie Antoinette Did not Say “Let Them Eat Cake”
Marie Antoinette is the epitome of a spoiled aristocrat who didn’t care about the people she ruled over if you believe what history has to say about her. Regardless of how she reined, she did not say, “Let them eat cake.” There is no evidence that she ever uttered that phrase.
Albert Einstein Did Not Fail Math in School
While Michael Jordan did not make his basketball team and came back to find fame, Albert Einstein did not fail math at any point during his education. He was, not shockingly, amazingly good at math from a very young age and continued to excel at it throughout his school days and beyond.
The Salem Witch Trials Didn’t Burn Witches at the Stake
While the history books teach children year after year that the Salem Witches were all burned at the stake for their misdeeds, that is not true. Some witches were executed by hanging if found guilty, but none were burned at the stake during the Salem Witch Trials.
George Washington Did Not Have Wooden Teeth
George Washington might or might not have chopped down the cherry tree, but he most certainly did not have wooden teeth. Washington’s dentures were made from various materials that included human teeth, ivory, and metal, but there was no wood in his mouth.
During the Boston Tea Party, Tea Boxes Were Not Thrown Into the Harbor
In the history books, there are illustrations of people in Boston taking boxes from their ships and dumping them into the Boston harbor to protest no taxation without representation, but that is not what happened. Participants might have dumped tea into the harbor, but they didn’t throw boxes at will.
Nero Did not Play the Fiddle While Rome Burned
Nero was a historical character who was known for his extravagant lifestyle, but there is no evidence to support the notion that he played the fiddle while Rome was burning down in the Great Fire of Rome. Most likely, that stems from a figurative metaphor than an actual event.
The Declaration of Independence Was Not Signed on July 4, 1776
While most people believe that the Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776, and light fireworks every year in celebration of it, The Continental Congress approved the Declaration on July 4, but most delegates didn’t sign it until August 2, 1776, with many others signing it at a later date.
The Pyramids Were Not Built by Slaves
While there were certainly laborers involved in the construction of the pyramids in Egypt, the notion that they were slaves is not founded. Many were described as laborers and craftsmen of their trade, without mention of them being slaves.
The Dark Ages Were Not a Time of Intellectual Stagnation
The term “Dark Ages” is an oversimplification of a very complex time in history. While they were troubled times, there were advancements made in science, philosophy, and art, along with many others that were probably not specifically talked of.
The Emancipation Proclamation Was Not the Freeing of All Slaves
The Emancipation Proclamation has been claimed as having freed all of the slaves in America, but it did not. The document was an agreement that only applied to the Confederate states. It did not extend to border states or areas that were under Union Army control.
Not all Facts are “Facts”
When things get handed down from history, often there is time for interpretation. Once more, as stories are passed down, they tend to grow more wild and untrue. Although many of the facts above are accepted as so, they are not. That is how rumors start, and obviously, persist.
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