
Ridiculous History Ridiculous Maps: That Time Everyone Thought California Was An Island
Nov 27, 2025
Dive into the whims of historic cartography and discover the intriguing tale of how everyone once believed California was an island. Explore the mix of myth and reality that stemmed from early Spanish explorations and inaccuracies in mapping. Learn about the fascinating character who popularized this misconception and the eventual resistance to the truth. From fanciful names and daring expeditions to the allure of old maps, this episode unveils the hilarious errors that once shaped our understanding of geography.
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Maps Fueled By Fragmented Evidence
- Early mapmakers often worked from stories and limited coastal sightings rather than full surveys.
- That dependence on partial data made large, repeated cartographic errors plausible and persistent.
California Started As A Fictional Island
- Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo invented a fictional island called California in 1510 filled with Amazons and gold.
- Spanish explorers absorbed that fiction and used the name when they encountered Baja and nearby coasts.
Cortés Cemented The Island Myth
- Hernán Cortés and crew interpreted limited coastal voyages as confirmation that California was an island.
- Cortés named and promoted the island idea after hearing Montalvo's lore and seeing peninsular coastlines from ships.




