1421: The Year China Discovered America? 1421: The Year China Discovered America? presents a journey of adventure and exploration that examines the mystery surrounding the sailing exploits of the legendary Zheng He and the gigantic Ming fleet of treasure junks he commanded for more than 30 years. The Chinese court burned all the records of Zheng He's daring journeys and fabulous achievements, unwittingly creating a remarkable mystery that tantalizes the world 500 years later. Surviving records tell of his voyages to the western oceans, but now, one determined author claims that the lost records tell an even greater tale. Gavin Menzies, a retired British submarine commander, claims he has stumbled across "evidence" that now shows that this extraordinary Chinese fleet was the first to discover America - decades before Columbus. When's it on? What do you think of the Ming Dynasty notion that China was culturally and morally superior to the "barbarians" beyond its borders? How much stock can you put in the writings of the fleet's embedded historian? What aspect of 15th-century navigation surprised or impressed you the most? How important do you think it is to determine who actually "discovered" America? Why? Now that you know what you know, who do you think should get credit for discovering America? Why? What do you think about the destruction of records/artifacts being deemed subversive or unimportant? How credible do you think Menzies is in his claim that genetic evidence of a Chinese presence in the Americas and other areas outside China exists? What do you think is the strongest piece of evidence Menzies presents to bolster his theory? The weakest?
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