3 unusual historical facts about fortune (in America).

HISTORY OVERFLOWS with curious anecdotes, some well known while others lie forgotten in dusty volumes. Flipping through age-worn pages, I came across some interesting stories connected to money and fortune –topics that naturally capture people's attention. As so often happens, history reveals its ironic twists and turns with valuable lessons to teach. Let's dive into three of this curious finds:

1. The Seven Golden Cities

In the early days of Mexico's colonial history, Aztecs spread word among the Spaniards of a golden kingdom located further north (approximately in modern New Mexico), known as the Seven Cities of Cíbola or Tzíbola, filled with treasure. Intrigued, Viceroy Antonio de Mendoza (1490-1552) ordered two consecutive expeditions to investigate. The first under the command of friar Marcos de Niza, and the second, divided into two columns, with Francisco Vázquez de Coronado traveling by land and Hernando de Alarcón by sea.

Neither group could find the fabolous Cíbola, yet the journeys yielded valuable discoveries: Coronado sighted the Colorado River and canyon while Alarcón determined California was a peninsula, not an island as presumed. Though searchers found no mythical golden city, they expanded geographical knowledge - highlighting how pursuits of wealth can paradoxically yield a totally different reward.

2. Buying Manhattan

The Lenape, Manhattan's original inhabitants, named Manhattan Island 'Manna-hata,' meaning “island of many hills.” To legitimize Dutch claims to New Amsterdam, Governor Peter Minuit formally purchased Manhattan from the Lenape on May 24, 1626.

Legend says Minuit paid just $24 worth of crystal beads, red rags and copper buttons. Yet in a letter written by dutch merchant Peter Schaghen to directors of the Dutch East India Company stated that Manhattan was purchased for "60 guilders worth of trade" –around $1,143 today.

While the specific payment amount remains unclear, either sum was an incredible bargain for the Dutch. Manhattan's strategic harbor, abundant resources and prime location would transform it into one of the world's greatest cities, a global economic hub worth billions.

3. The Oak Island mystery

This mystery involves a legendary buried treasure hidden somewhere on, or beneath, Oak Island in Nova Scotia, Canada. The treasure is rumored to have been hidden by Marie Stuart, the Knights Templar or pirates.

The earliest known mention of the Oak Island treasure was in 1795 when a teenager noticed a depression in the ground and what seemed to be blocks of wood arranged in a circle.

In 1799, the Onslow Company dug a 30-meter shaft but was defeated by the complicated underground defenses. They retrieved old tools and bits of wood from the pit.

The 'money pit' is a shaft believed to extend at least 30 meters deep, perhaps leading to treasure chambers below. Over the years, excavators have encountered numerous booby traps and obstacles, including layers of logs, flagstones, clay and putty intended to flood the shaft.

In 1865, the Shaftesbury and Mersey Companies tried again using more sophisticated equipment but also failed to reach the bottom. They unearthed a stone inscribed with mysterious symbols.

In the 1930s, the Strange-McNutt excavation found a stone tablet with stranger markings as well as oak timbers which radiocarbon dating indicated were 500 years old.

In the 1990s, an expedition led by the Oak Island Treasure Company, drilled to a depth of 238 meters but also found no significant treasure.

Despite centuries of failed attempts, the dream of unearthing a massive pirate horde or historic lost treasure continues to draw intrepid explorers to the Oak Island mystery. Many believe the answers lie just out of reach, below that elusive money pit.

A Final Word

The three stories above show how valuable discoveries often come wrapped in illusion and difficultly. Usually the rewards may differ from what we expect, but with perseverance, ingenuity and a long-term perspective, what initially seems impossible can be accomplished. As we sift through history's dusted pages in search of wealth and fortune, the greatest gains may ultimately lie in the insights we uncover along the way.

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