why were native americans called indians

Native Americans were called "Indians" because when Christopher Columbus arrived in the Americas in 1492, he mistakenly believed he had reached the Indian subcontinent in Asia. Based on this error, he referred to the native peoples he encountered as "Indios" (Spanish for Indians). The term stuck and became widely used by Europeans to describe the Indigenous peoples of the Americas. Despite the geographical inaccuracy, the label "American Indian" has persisted in legal, political, and social contexts over centuries. While "Native American" has become a preferred term since the 1960s to reflect a more accurate and respectful acknowledgment, many Indigenous people still identify with the term "Indian," reflecting its complex history and personal significance.