▁fol kl ore ▁and ▁cultural ▁aw aren ess , ▁and ▁non - Native ▁American ▁fol kl ore ▁especially ▁includes ▁any ▁narr ative ▁which ▁has ▁contributed ▁to ▁the ▁sh aping ▁of ▁American ▁culture ▁and ▁belief ▁systems . ▁These ▁narr atives ▁may ▁be ▁true ▁and ▁may ▁be ▁false ▁or ▁may ▁be ▁a ▁little ▁true ▁and ▁a ▁little ▁false ; ▁the ▁ver acity ▁of ▁the ▁stories ▁is ▁not ▁a ▁determ ining ▁factor . ▁ ▁Christopher ▁Columb us ▁Christopher ▁Columb us , ▁as ▁a ▁hero ▁and ▁symbol ▁to ▁the ▁then - imm igr ants , ▁is ▁an ▁important ▁figure ▁in ▁the ▁p ant he on ▁of ▁American ▁myth . ▁His ▁status , ▁not ▁unlike ▁most ▁American ▁icons , ▁is ▁representative ▁not ▁of ▁his ▁own ▁accomplish ments , ▁but ▁the ▁self - per ception ▁of ▁the ▁society ▁which ▁chose ▁him ▁as ▁a ▁hero . ▁Having ▁effect ed ▁a ▁separation ▁from ▁England ▁and ▁its ▁cultural ▁icons , ▁America ▁was ▁left ▁without ▁history — or ▁hero es ▁on ▁which ▁to ▁base ▁a ▁shared ▁sense ▁of ▁their ▁social ▁sel ves . ▁Washington ▁Ir ving ▁was ▁instrument al ▁in ▁popular izing ▁Columb us . ▁His ▁version ▁of ▁Columb us ' ▁life , ▁published ▁in ▁ 1 8 2 9 , ▁was ▁more ▁a ▁rom ance ▁than ▁a ▁bi ography . ▁The ▁book ▁was ▁very ▁popular , ▁and ▁contributed ▁to ▁an ▁image ▁of ▁the ▁discover er ▁as ▁a ▁solit ary ▁individual ▁who ▁challeng ed ▁the ▁unknown ▁sea , ▁as ▁triumph ant ▁Americans ▁cont empl ated ▁the ▁d angers ▁and ▁promise ▁of ▁their ▁own