# A world without Indian contributions **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 22, 2011, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-world-without-indian-contributions/579309 "2011-04-22T01:03:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-world-without-indian-contributions/579309/21 "2011-04-22T03:03:06Z")
> [@pinguin](#): > > A chemist can correct me, but ipomoea alba put the sulphur on the rubber. Ah, but did it put the _rubber on the road?_😃 ---
**Author:** ![pinguin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac8455/32.png) [@pinguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinguin)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-world-without-indian-contributions/579309/22 "2011-04-22T03:22:33Z")
Olmecs, of course. They had rubber shoes. ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-world-without-indian-contributions/579309/23 "2011-04-22T03:48:12Z")
I’m afraid that Jack Daniels explains much of this thread. ---
**Author:** ![pinguin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac8455/32.png) [@pinguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinguin)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-world-without-indian-contributions/579309/24 "2011-04-22T04:07:58Z")
Ah Jack Daniels. Just imagine those poor pioneers without a substance to make whiskey, and suddenly addopting the Indigenous maize to make the **BEST** whiskey of all. Poor Scots that continue drinking barley whiskey. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-world-without-indian-contributions/579309/25 "2011-04-22T04:11:54Z")
> [@smiling\_bandit](#): > > Second… I have no idea what you’re possibly getting across. You do know that AmerIndians developed neither the wheel nor metal nor rubber, do you? Nor developed it into an industrial good? I think he’s saying that indigenous Americans invented the Schwinn ten-speed. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-world-without-indian-contributions/579309/26 "2011-04-22T04:19:47Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I think he’s saying that indigenous Americans invented the Schwinn ten-speed. Actually, Schwinn is Mohegan for “A vehicle composed of two wheels held in a frame one behind the other, propelled by pedals and steered with handlebars attached to the front wheel” ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-world-without-indian-contributions/579309/27 "2011-04-22T04:30:13Z")
> [@pinguin](#): > > Ah Jack Daniels. Just imagine those poor pioneers without a substance to make whiskey, and suddenly addopting the Indigenous maize to make the **BEST** whiskey of all. Poor Scots that continue drinking barley whiskey. I hope you’re kidding if what you’re saying is that Jack Daniels is the **BEST** whiskey of all. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-world-without-indian-contributions/579309/28 "2011-04-22T04:31:07Z")
Native Americans invented handlebars? ---
**Author:** ![pinguin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac8455/32.png) [@pinguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinguin)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-world-without-indian-contributions/579309/29 "2011-04-22T04:35:39Z")
Natives invented many things. More than what the western centered education usually teaches. For instance, I hope you guys never have to try what they invented and is used in hospitals. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-world-without-indian-contributions/579309/30 "2011-04-22T04:35:55Z")
And casinos! Think how many fewer casinos we’d have. ---
**Author:** ![pinguin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac8455/32.png) [@pinguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinguin)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-world-without-indian-contributions/579309/31 "2011-04-22T04:40:28Z")
Natives didn’t invented casinos, but discovered a way to exploit white men game addiction in theirs favour this time. ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-world-without-indian-contributions/579309/32 "2011-04-22T04:40:37Z")
> [@voltaire](#): > > I hope you’re kidding if what you’re saying is that Jack Daniels is the **BEST** whiskey of all. Yeah, those poor fools off drinking their single malt… they should obviously just get a bottle of jack and send the single malt to me. For, ya know, disposal. ---
**Author:** ![pinguin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac8455/32.png) [@pinguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinguin)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-world-without-indian-contributions/579309/33 "2011-04-22T04:41:54Z")
Yeap. Just imagine the effect of Scot whiskey that make same pipers to wear skirts. ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-world-without-indian-contributions/579309/34 "2011-04-22T04:54:15Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Native Americans invented handlebars? Most of the Native Americans I know don’t grow thick facial hair. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-world-without-indian-contributions/579309/35 "2011-04-22T04:57:39Z")
> [@pinguin](#): > > The wheel? Yes, they invented it. Yes, but they mostly used it for toys or possibly ceremonial objects. They never put the wheel to any use in transporting goods or people, or even as a potter’s wheel. Of course, the failure to use it in transport was partly due to the lack of draft animals, but this doesn’t explain the lack of use for making pottery. And you would think that wheels could have found some limited use in human-powered transport. Why exactly the indigenous societies of the Americas failed to put wheels to more use when they clearly knew of them in principle is a bit of a mystery. ---
**Author:** ![Oldeb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ea666f/32.png) [@Oldeb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oldeb)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-world-without-indian-contributions/579309/36 "2011-04-22T05:53:57Z")
I think my favorite part is something that **pinguin** didn’t even mention. Natural rubber is often called India rubber, _because for most commercial purposes it was grown outside of South America._ Yes, this great, mighty gift to the world was so powerful and important that… they never really managed to successfully capitalize on it in South America until well into the 20th century. By which time synthetic rubber was coming into vogue. It was those other Indians we have to thank for most of the commercial harvesting techniques. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-world-without-indian-contributions/579309/37 "2011-04-22T06:13:04Z")
> [@pinguin](#): > > Natives didn’t invented casinos, but discovered a way to exploit white men game addiction in theirs favour this time. … I know. Try a little harder and you may see the irony. ---
**Author:** ![2ply](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/b2d939/32.png) [@2ply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2ply)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-world-without-indian-contributions/579309/38 "2011-04-22T06:30:34Z")
> [@pinguin](#): > > Natives didn’t invented casinos, but discovered a way to exploit white men game addiction in theirs favour this time. That’s more a consolation prize. The white man still won the big game. White People: #1 from 1492-2030! Woo! ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-world-without-indian-contributions/579309/39 "2011-04-22T06:34:13Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Probably the same place they’d be if you didn’t eat all your vegetables. Just think of all the poor starving Chinese who died because some spoiled kid wouldn’t clean their plate when Mom told them to! I always hated that argument! Except it was “the poor kids in Africa”. Whatever, Mom. Eating your rubber meatloaf is\* not \*helping anyone. :o (Am I the only one immaturely giggling about “rubbers” right now?) ---
**Author:** ![Shakester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shakester/32/437_2.png) [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-world-without-indian-contributions/579309/40 "2011-04-22T07:47:44Z")
> [@pinguin](#): > > Even Henry Ford had a plan to plant large parts of Brazil with rubber trees, and that was in the 20th century. It was also [a disastrous failure.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fordl%C3%A2ndia) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-world-without-indian-contributions/579309.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-world-without-indian-contributions/579309.md?page=3)