A Brief Note Regarding Fringe Notions

Michael Turner, in his book In Drake’s Wake, Volume 2, The World Voyage, wrote of the Drake landing encampment and New Albion claim at what is now Point Reyes National Seashore:  No Drake anchorage has ever been placed under so much scrutiny and been the subject of such a mass of research and field work over so many years. 

Even so, deeply researched historical fact does not always satisfy everyone.  The superlative nature of quality academic work is occasionally clouded by gullible individuals who develop and promote misguided notions. This is attested to with a quick look at the Wikipedia article, Fringe theories on the location of New Albion.  Wikipedia editors have documented roughly 30 sites that fringe and conspiracy theorists—theorists who typically operate as loners—have stated was the site of Drake’s New Albion claim. 

A number of the theorists situate their conclusions on fragile bedrock made of paranormal conversations, convictions of reincarnation, a curious object, or etched rocks. These speculations have even received some media notoriety. Like them, other speculations and local legends have all failed when they are properly scrutinized, most failing for obvious reasons. When one hacks away at the established historical record and then repairs the damage with a layered patchwork of secret collusion, conspiracy theories, alternative facts, and fake news, so-called truth is limited only to one’s imagination.

That raises the question:  Why the odd theories?  Perhaps DNG member Admiral Samuel Eliot Morison offered an apt answer in the preface of his book, The European Discovery of America, the Northern Voyages: 

All honest efforts to throw light on historical darkness, such as this era, have my enthusiastic support.  But it has fallen to my lot, working on this subject, to have read some of the most tiresome historical literature in existence.  Young men seeking academic promotion, old men seeking publicity, neither one nor the other knowing the subject in depth, only a particular voyage or a particular map, write worthless articles; and the so-called learned journals are altogether too hospitable to these effusions. Some of these stem from mere personal conceit;

Today, Admiral Morison might well include mentioning information outlets such as blogs, social media, podcasts, and a saturation of digital broadcast channels.

While fringe theorists could have pursued a National Historic Landmark or California Historical Landmark, only the DNG had the confidence to embark on these rigorous nomination and review processes. In addition to avoiding these exacting procedures, not one fringe theorist objected to the nominations during any of the extended public opportunities to do so. They knew that their evidence would not hold up to the analysis and inspection of historians and archaeologists.

After the rigor and extensive scrutiny of United States federal and California state landmark processes and diverse sources of authoritative recognition, New Albion fringe and conspiracy theorists’ activity seriously waned.  Even so, considering the existence of pyramid-building ancient astronaut assertions, modern flat-earth believers, and faked moon landing claims, similar nonsense regarding New Albion will likely always lurk on the peripheries due to the notion of some decent individual’s unfortunately ill-conceived conviction.

By Steve Wright