When the seventeen-page booklet Argentia was produced in 1979 by a group of five students for the Placentia Area Historical Society — as a summer “make work” project with the aid of a government grant — a lot of erroneous information about Argentia came into being. In reference to Argentia on page four, the booklet reads: “Its historical beginnings date back to 1503, when it was mapped by the Portuguese explorers Gaspar and Miguel Cortreal” [sic].

Since 1979, that statement has been quoted verbally, and in writing, by at least nine prominent Newfoundland personalities. That inaccuracy, along with more than 176 other historical errors, has also been posted on some of the websites that are maintained by local organizations such as the Laval High School, Argentia Management Authority, the Argentia Area Chamber of Commerce, the Festival of Flags Committee, the Atlantic Allies Museum, the Avalon Gateway Regional Economic Development Inc., and Public Works and Government Services Canada.

Some of the other erroneous information about Argentia that has been circulating for the last five decades was also picked up by noted Newfoundland author Patrick O'Flaherty and included in his book The Rock Observed. Most of the information pertaining to Argentia that is contained in the Books of Newfoundland by Joseph R. Smallwood was obtained from the same erroneous sources.

The same mistakes are also present on numerous American websites that are maintained by former U.S. military personnel who were stationed in Argentia at one time or another. Even the Department of Tourism division of the provincial government has some of the misinformation prominently displayed on its website and printed in its official tourism guide, the Newfoundland and Labrador Travel Guide. The people who used that information in their speeches, in their writings, or on their websites just assumed that the information they had obtained was correct. Nobody ever checked to find out if it was accurate.

In relation to the booklet Argentia, the correct surname of the Portuguese explorers is Corte-Real and, in 1503, they were both dead. That is a well-documented historical fact.

There has always been much controversy and a lot of conflicting opinions as to what part of the Western World the Corte-Real brothers explored. Here are some of the verbatim claims and hypotheses that have been written over the years, portions of which are now posted on various websites:

• Gaspar Cortreal [sic] received a charter from King Manuel of Portugal on May 12, 1500 to discover and claim jurisdiction over lands in the New World.

• The Portuguese explorers Gaspar and Miguel Cortreal [sic] first mapped the Argentia and Placentia areas in 1503.

• The route of Gaspar Cortreal's [sic] first voyage is unknown, but it is almost certain that he reached Newfoundland.

• Gaspar Cortreal [sic] made a map of Newfoundland in 1501.

• Gaspar Cortreal [sic] drew up the Cantino Chart.

• Gaspar Cortreal [sic] named Labrador.

• Gaspar Cortreal [sic] returned to the "New Land” with his brother Miguel in 1501, and made contact with the Indians.

• Gaspar and Miguel Cortreal [sic] sailed into Placentia Bay, which was then known as Bay St. Andrew, and started a colony in Placentia.

• Gaspar Cortreal [sic] remained to spend the winter in Newfoundland, while Miguel sailed back to Portugal.

• Gaspar and Miguel Cortreal [sic] gave their name to Placentia because the Reinal [spelled Reinel in some other sources] Map of 1504 and the Mercator Map of 1541 showed the area as “Insulae Cortrealis.”

• Gaspar and Miguel Cortreal [sic] explored the south and east coasts of Newfoundland and raised flags to mark the various places at which they landed.

• Gaspar Corte-Real established a fishery in Conception Bay.

• Gaspar Corte-Real named Conception Bay and Portugal Cove.

With regard to the history of Newfoundland, the Catholic Encyclopedia's only entry is quite deficient in quality and quantity. It reads:

In the year 1500 the Portuguese under Gaspar de Cortereal [sic] took possession of the country and founded the settlement and Church of Placentia [sic]. In 1534 the French voyager, Jacques Cartier, visited the country, and explored the Gulf of St. Lawrence. He also had chaplains with him who celebrated Mass at Catalina in Newfoundland, and Brest, or Old Fort, on Labrador. In 1622 Lord Baltimore founded his colony of Ferryland. He brought out three Jesuit Fathers with him, and had Mass celebrated regularly, “and all other ceremonies of the Church of Rome were used in ample manner as 'tis used in Spain.” Such was the complaint made against him to the Board of Trade by the Protestant clergyman, Mr. Stourton. In 1650 the French founded a church at Placentia on the site of the one abandoned by the Portuguese. But none of those attempts succeeded. The real foundation of the Catholic Church in Newfoundland is due to [sic] priests from Ireland, who came out towards the close of the eighteenth century.

Authors such as Hatton & Harvey, in 1883, and W. G. Gosling, in 1957, hypothesized that Gaspar Corte-Real named Conception Bay and Portugal Cove, explored Trinity Bay, the Northeast coast of the Newfoundland, and the Strait of Belle Isle. They also claimed that he started the first fishery in Conception Bay.

The Behaim Globe of 1492 — the same year that Christopher Columbus set out on his famous voyage — depicts only ocean between Europe and Asia; there was no indication that people knew about the existence of North America at that time. The survivors of Gaspar Corte-Real's voyages, not Gaspar Corte-Real, drew up the Cantino Chart in 1502. That was the first time that any part of North America was depicted in cartographic form. In 1507, Martin Waldseemüller shocked Europe when he displayed a new globe showing another land mass between Europe and Asia. He named the new land America, in honor of Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci who allegedly was the first to learn of its existence … at least several years before the voyages of John Cabot and the Corte-Reals, and possibly before Columbus' expedition.

When considering how events unfolded in the late-1400s and early-1500s, one has to be aware of the method of transportation, the types of vessels in use, and the explorers' lack of knowledge as to what lay ahead of them. Exploratory voyages were not made in winter, so all sailing expeditions were made between April and October, and no later than November. Since the early explorers did not know where they were going, their exploratory trips were, at best, trial-and-error processes.

Thus, when making statements about the two expeditions that Gaspar Corte-Real made to the New World in 1500 and 1501, some writers and historians failed to consider a couple of very important factors.

Firstly, the sailing practices of the day dictated that Corte-Real's expedition in 1500 would have been a maximum of eight months in duration, assuming, of course, that he left in the first part of April and returned in the last part of November.

Secondly, a substantial amount of that time — anywhere from six weeks to three months, depending on weather conditions and the explorers' navigational skills — would have been spent sailing to the New World and back home again. That sailing time from their home port and back again would be anywhere from 18.75 to 37.5 percent of the total expedition time, which is an incredible amount of time, even by the standards of the day.

Thirdly, the date of departure on his second expedition and the length of time it took him to cross the North Atlantic are not known. Taking all that information into consideration, it was absolutely impossible for Gaspar Corte-Real to have created a colony, complete with a church, at Placentia, established a fishery in Conception Bay, and explored enough territory to be able to produce the Cantino Chart in addition to doing all the traveling that he was supposed to have done. All claims to the contrary are without merit and scientifically invalid.

According to the book Découvertre et Évolution Cartographique De Terre-Neuve Et Des Pays Circonvoisins 1497-1769, written by Henri Harrisse in 1892, João Vaz Corte-Real, Gaspar and Miguel's father, in all likelihood visited Newfoundland before John Cabot. Pedro Reinal, a member of Corte-Real's expedition, was the one who created the Reinal Map in 1504. Based on his experience and information he learned from other explorers in the three years after Corte-Real disappeared, Reinal may have honored either the Corte-Real brothers, or their father, for their exploration efforts by placing the name on the map where he did. It does not mean that Corte-Reals actually visited the place that bears their name on the map.

Although Harrisse alluded to the fact that Gaspar Corte-Real may have reached Newfoundland in the Notre Dame Bay area, the earliest known maps of Newfoundland in his book tell a different story. They indicate that the Gaspar and Miguel Corte-Real never visited the Placentia area. Indeed, those maps illustrate that they by-passed the entire island of Newfoundland on their way to the southern part of the New World from the Labrador region.

Historian and Archivist H. P. Biggar claimed that Gaspar Corte-Real entered Hamilton Inlet and explored inward for thirty-five miles, at which point it became too narrow to continue.

The Pedro Reinal Map bears the coordinates of the land Gaspar Corte-Real “discovered” as being 49° N to 57° N. Other maps known as Kunstmann II and Kunstmann III bear the same information. Those maps are so named because the German priest and historian, Friedrich Kunstmann, who lived in Lisbon for a number of years, printed them in his famous Atlas of the World.

One glance at a globe will reveal that Labrador, not the island of Newfoundland, falls within those coordinates 49° N to 57° N. Studying those maps, as crude as they may be, one can perceive the outline of the Labrador coast. Although it does not contain the fine details of modern maps, the shape of Labrador, not Newfoundland, is readily discernable. That same landmass depicted on the Cantino Chart is identified as “Terra del Rey de Portugal,” meaning “The Land of the King of Portugal.” Another ancient map shows the same landmass as “Terra de Cortte Riall,” or “Land of Corte-Real” in a more modern version of the Portuguese language.

Admiral Gago Coutinho of Portugal put forth the theory that Corte-Real explored Greenland, after mistaking it for Asia . He based that premise on the information that the members of the expedition brought back to Portugal and their reference to Greenland as being Ponta d'Asia. Then, he postulated, Corte-Real sailed west of Newfoundland through the Gulf of St. Lawrence, entering by way of the Strait of Belle Isle and exiting through the Cabot Strait, before heading south. That theory is in keeping with the maps and sketches in Henri Harrisse's book.

Also, Coutinho states that the natives Corte-Real brought back to Portugal as slaves were from two very different climatic regions; some were dressed in heavy animal skins while others were almost naked. Given that description, one would naturally assume that the skin-clad natives were captured in the Labrador region while the others were taken much farther south. In his book, Voyages, H. P. Biggar identified the skin-clad natives as “Nasquapee [sic] Indians, one of the two indigenous groups that still inhabit Labrador.”

The name “Labrador” is further proof of a Portuguese influence on that particular part of North America . During the 1500s, the Portuguese term “lavradores” — “labradores” in modern Portuguese — generally meant “worker” but, more literally, it was often used to mean, “Slave.” Since some on the Portuguese explorers brought natives back to Portugal as slaves, the “New Land,” which was formally known as “Terra del Rey de Portugal,” was commonly referred to as “Lavradores,” or the “Land of Slaves.” The word “Rey” is an ancient form of Portuguese, as the modern alphabet does not contain “Y.” The letter “I” is now used instead. Taking all the information that is available about the early explorers into consideration, it is a certainty that the Portuguese named the area of North America now known as Labrador.

On May 12, 1500, Gaspar Corte-Real was given a charter from King Manuel of Portugal to go in search of new lands to the west. It is known that he reached a cold, snow-covered land in the northwestern section of North Atlantic Ocean. Since neither of the Corte-Real explorers left written records of their voyages, most historians are of the opinion that Gaspar's first landfall was Labrador … and, when he saw the spring remnants of winter, captured several natives that were in the area as slaves and turned south.

Since it is not known when Gaspar Corte-Real actually left Portugal, it was most likely sometime in early to mid-June, when he reached the “New Land.” In that case, his landfall would definitely not have been Newfoundland. The chances of snow being on the ground in Newfoundland at that time of year were very slim. However, the greater part of Labrador would most certainly still have had snow on the ground.

In 1501, Gaspar Corte-Real made a second exploration voyage … accompanied by two other ships, one of which was carrying his brother, Miguel. That expedition ended in “Terra Verde,” or Greenland. According to some authors who wrote about the Corte-Reals, “Terra Verde” meant “Land of Corte-Real.” Actually, "Terra Verde” is a Spanish-Portuguese phrase meaning “Land of Green,” which, because of the dense green forest, was very descriptive of the landfall. During that voyage, which included sailing along the coast of Labrador, the Corte-Reals captured approximately sixty native men and one native woman. Somewhere along the way, the ships separated; Gaspar Corte-Real continued on in a southward direction, and he was never seen or heard from again. The other two ships returned to Portugal with seven captives.

In May 1502, Miguel Corte-Real set sail from Lisbon, Portugal on a follow-up three-ship expedition to the New World. He was hoping to find his brother; however, he and his crew were lost somewhere in the North Atlantic.

Before starting out, the king had granted Miguel Corte-Real title to the "New Land” for which he was headed. Since all land sighted by Gaspar and Miguel Corte-Real was considered to be “New Land,” the term does not necessarily imply that he was given title to what we now know as Newfoundland. It could very well have been what is now Greenland, Labrador, or all the land on this side of the Atlantic Ocean.

Several people — including two schoolteachers who have should have known better — have asked in a challenging manner, “If Gaspar Corte-Real didn't explore Newfoundland and the Placentia area, then why did Premier Smallwood erect a statue to him in front of the Confederation Building?”

Well, this may come as a surprise to those people, but Premier Smallwood never erected any such statue. The statue of Gaspar Corte-Real that is located in front of the Confederation Building in St. John's was given to the government of Newfoundland by the Portuguese Fisheries Organization of Portugal in 1965. It was a token of appreciation to the people of Newfoundland for the hospitality they showed to the Portuguese fishermen of the White Fleet when they used St. John's harbour as their regular port of call and supply base. The bronze plaque on a concrete base at the foot of the statue reads:

GASPER CORTE-REAL

Portuguese Navigator — He Reached Terra Nova in the 15th Century — at the Beginning of the Era of the Great Discovery. From the Portuguese Fisheries Organization as an Expression of Gratitude on Behalf of the Portuguese Grand Banks Fishermen for the Friendly Hospitality Always Extended to Them by the People of Terra Nova. May 1965.

Starting a colony and building a church in Placentia was not an accomplishment of Gaspar Corte-Real. He simply would not have had time to execute such tasks. According to all accounts of history in the British, French, Portuguese, and Newfoundland archives, that distinction belongs to the Basque. It was the Basque fort, houses, and fish stages that the French took control of several decades prior to establishing its capital of Newfoundland at Placentia. In addition to that situation, Corte-Real did not carry colonists to Newfoundland, and there were no settlers in Placentia at that time who would have required a church.

Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN), the province's highest seat of learning, is not without fault! In its Centre for Newfoundland Studies there are numerous papers and articles about Argentia, but the vast majority of information they contain is based on the same erroneous information that surfaced after expropriation in 1941. On the website maintained by MUN, the very first paragraph relating to Argentia reads: “Argentia's history ended in 1940.”

Although minor when compared to other misinformation that exists, one would not expect such an error — insignificant or otherwise — from an institution like MUN. While the colonial history of Argentia ended in December 1941 — not in 1940, as it states on the website — Argentia's chronicles continued. The American presence created a powerful sentinel that was known as the "Guardian of the North Atlantic” throughout the world. Many of the U.S. military men who were stationed in Argentia during the war referred to U.S. Naval Operating Base, Argentia as the “Sentinel of War-time Justice.” Although less important now than it was in the past, Argentia's history continues … and it will as long as that part of the world exists.

Term papers, theses, and dissertations that were written by students at Memorial University of Newfoundland over the years can be accessed by anyone who is looking for specific types of information. Quite often, many of them contain a lot of erroneous information. Unfortunately, some people take the information in those documents at face value and reference it in their writings or oral presentations as fact.

Some of the information pertaining to Argentia in the Books of Newfoundland by Joseph (Joey) R. Smallwood is also incorrect. Not only is it incorrect, it is completely contrary to church records and his own government's archival collection. When one considers how the information was compiled, it is easy to see how the mistakes were made. When he was accumulating information for his books, Joey Smallwood solicited the help of high school and university students. Government grants were provided to fund the student employment program each summer for five summers.

The method and accuracy of information collected about all the other places in Newfoundland for Joey Smallwood's is not at issue in this presentation. However, much of the erroneous information gathered about Argentia was not the result of archival research. For two summers, students traveled around the area and interviewed former Argentia residents or their descendants. Most of the information they collected consisted of reminiscences and estimates of long forgotten facts. Where there were gaps, they filled in what they thought was appropriate. That information is known because it was witnessed and recorded.

When it came to facts, the information those people provided was far from accurate. They gave rough estimates while answering certain questions and the students wrote them down as fact. They did not check the information that was readily available in various records at Holy Rosary Parish Presbytery in Freshwater and the Provincial Archives of Newfoundland and Labrador (PANL) in St. John's.

Many of the articles on Argentia that appeared in the magazines Decks Awash and Newfoundland Quarterly contain the same erroneous information that was set forth in the Books of Newfoundland.

The estimate of the date when the name of Little Placentia was changed to Argentia is only one example of how erroneous information evolves. No less than 38 different dates arose from 78 interviews. Since most of the people interviewed believed that the name change took place in 1904 that was the date the students used. Nobody ever bothered to check Holy Rosary Parish records.

During the early-1990s — as a salute to the 50th anniversary of the American military occupation of Argentia — there was a rush to “capture the memories” in book form. In 1990, John Cardoulis had A Friendly Invasion published by Breakwater Books. Eileen Houlihan's Uprooted — The Argentia Story, which was published by Creative Publishers, followed two years later. In 1993, John Cardoulis had A Friendly Invasion II: A Personal Touch published by Creative Publishers, while Robert G. Joergensen had Newfoundland Gallantry in Action published by Jesperson Press Ltd. The misinformation about Argentia propagated by those authors is addressed in the sections of this website bearing their names.

As a result of the haste to meet self-imposed publication deadlines, and a minimal amount of research — based mostly on the collection of far-removed-from-the-scene memories of people who once worked in Argentia — much erroneous information found its way into print. In A Friendly Invasion, Uprooted – The Argentia Story, A Friendly Invasion II: A Personal Touch, and Newfoundland Gallantry in Action there are at least 462 significant errors pertaining to Argentia's history. That represents an incredible amount of distortion.