How did different cultures refer to/envision the Americas before it was explored and named? Did Native Americans simply call it "the land" because they had no idea there was anything else out there? Did any of the Americas have a name before westerners showed up?

by fappyday

I feel like there's a major disconnect with history lessons that public schools give with regards to the history of North America. There's a subtle implication that history didn't start until Westerners showed up, but there's got to be a lot more to history than that. Did any Asian cultures have any idea about a landmass across the pacific?

Mictlantecuhtli

There's always room for discussion, but perhaps these two topics in our FAQ will answer your question.