Christopher Columbus should be celebrated for his contributions to European and eventually global development. Society should view Columbus as a brave explorer searching to better the society in Europe. Society seems to condemn Columbus for bringing European imperialistic ways and diseases to the Western Hemisphere. Columbus was merely an explorer that chanced the wide ocean in hopes to find the eastern coast of Asia.
Cristóbal Colón, now recognized as Christopher Columbus, was born an raised in Italy and eventually became a sailor. He was a very smart man. He discarded medieval superstitions of a flat Earth and drew his own representation of the world. His calculations were very wrong, but they fueled him to search for a way to prove them correct. By consulting Queen Isabella of Spain, he was able to raise enough money to venture to India via the Atlantic Ocean. He was interested in a new route to India to better and accelerate trade between Europe and Asia. When Columbus reached land, he did not know that he had stumbled upon a new continent, but rather India. When returning to Europe and broadcasting his results to other explorers, he stimulated the curiosity of the Atlantic Ocean. Columbus’ journey helped other explorers, such as Amerigo Vespucci, realize that there was another world between Europe/Africa and eastern Asia.
Since 1992, Columbus has been frequently discredited from his exploration of the Atlantic Ocean. Some of these people compare the Europeans’ influence on the people and culture of native America as the first Holocaust or as David Standard wrote “Genocide in the Americas.” Columbus is blamed for diseases brought to the New World. Columbus probably was not aware of the human immune system’s ability to naturally defend itself from viral infections and the natives’ lack of this function against European diseases. Columbus could not have possibly controlled the murder of many natives in the New World or the conquest of their lands. Columbus was not a man whose intention was to find a new world and destroy it; he was an explorer.
Obviously, with further exploration and/or the advances in technology, the Americas would have been eventually discovered, but Columbus was the first. With this in mind, Columbus should be celebrated. Without Columbus’ discovery, the development schedule of the Americas and Europe that followed Columbus would have been askew. With the establishment of colonies following Columbus’ discovery and Vespucci’s interpretation, Europe experienced an economic boom that rivaled that of the Renaissance. This boom was caused by the increase in trade between the Americas, Europe, and Africa.
The development course might have taken a different turn if the discovery of the Americas was later is history. The affects of this are unimaginable. This is because there was an explorer like Columbus there to “open the door” (Bob Janes) for other explorers and eventually settlers’ experiences in the Americas which in turn affected European and eventually African and Asian societies. Therefore, Christopher Columbus, in relation to present day society, should be celebrated rather than condemned for his involvement in the development and birth of the world today.
While Christopher Columbus' personal image has come under heavy speculation over the past century, with his own achievments trivialized such as not truly being the first man to reach the New World and his personal treatment of slaves and the indigenous peoples of the Americas, many forget his true historical signifigance. That is to say, while many people ignorantly praise him for sailing the ocean blue, there are those who just as stubbornly underestimate his impact on the course of History. From a patriotic standpoint, Columbus discovered what is our home, the United States; the moralist would degradate his actions as causing the greatest "genocide" in human history and leading to the ruination of one of the largest, clean areas of land on earth. Nevertheless, both sides must acknowledge that Columbus, in daring to sail across the ocean without complete or moderatley accurate sea charts, spurred the age of exploration. Were it not for his 3 voyages toi the New World, Spain would have never risen to power so quickly or fallen as shamefully to England and Portugal as it did in the late 1560s. A true scholar of history must be able to maintain an observative perspective, balancing the views force-fed to the masses by the dominant power of the time but taking into account facotrs on the other side of things in addition to recognizing the benefitial events that led to granting the state its current control. In regards to Columbus I believe that he should not be viewed as either a great explorer or as an abominable tyrant to the native people, but merely an important figure in the colonization of the West and shift in all of Europe's political goals from the 15th to 20th centuries.
As a society, we should view Christopher Columbus as a discoverer, for that's exactly what he did. He should not be celebrated, as some of his actions were cruel and deliberate, and in no means worth glorifying. His treatment of the natives upon his landing in the "New World" was vicious and uncalled for, and it no doubt leaves ancestors of those people feeling angered at Columbus for his unjust conduct. Children today are taught to praise Columbus as a hero. What he did was extrodinary, considering the technology of the time, and as the 'father' of the New World, children should learn of his expeditions and contributions to geography. But in teaching this we should also give an accruate potrayal of all the facts of Columbus's deeds, rather than limiting our children's knowledge of only the 'good' things. The important thing to remember about history is that it always takes the perspective of those writing it, which results in a biased opinion by those learning it. Columbus should definitly be taught, appreciated and commemerated. His discoveries greatly advanced the knowledge of the world, and affected all those living his the Age of Discovery. But it is important that while he gets noted for his achievements we also remember the negative impacts that he left on the New World. We must continue to teach and commemorate the good and the bad, to give an accurate representation of the past.
Christopher Columbus has been celebrated as the discoverer of the “New World” and as a man who started a chain reaction which dramatically reshaped the economic, political, and even social standards of Europe. However, as recently as 1992 historians have begun to doubt the benevolence in his contributions to history and the actions he took while in the Americas. They look at the fact that millions of natives of the “New World” perished after the arrival of the Europeans under harsh disease and at times large-scale massacres and the introduction of forced labor and even slave labor. It is based upon this that historians have seen it fit to discredit or even vilify Christopher Columbus.
Before anyone can really place blame or exalt a figure in history, it is important to understand what that particular person did, rather than the events that may have been unintentionally caused by their actions. At the time of Columbus, the European world of trade was ever seeking to find faster routes to the Indian Ocean for trade with the major Asian powers of that area. In an attempt to circumvent the extremely long routes over land or around the coast of Africa, Columbus attempted to sail west and come at the Indian Ocean from the East. Little did he know that when he met landfall in the Carribean that he was not in India, and thus sought to find some sort of resource to report back to old Europe with. Unfortunately, he did take native captives as slaves back across the Atlantic, and did participate in massacres wherever he went in the Americas. What is most important from his discoveries is that he “Opened the door”-Bob Janes for the rest of Europe to expand into a vast new area full of natural resources.
While some might argue that the fact that he “opened the door” is enough that he should be placed at least partly under blame for one of the “greatest genocides in history”, it would also seem to imply that these events were not inevitable. With the new advances in ship buildings design and the constant search for more economic power, another explorer within the next decade probably would have ventured into the Americas in any case. One can then assume that the attitudes of European invaders would have remained the same and still would have committed the same crimes. Thus, Columbus was not directly responsible for the mass murders that ensued from his findings, yet was only the explorer who happened to set them off. From this, it is reasonably clear that Columbus cannot be vilified, yet he cannot also be celebrated for what he did do. The simple truth is that he was a good explorer who excelled in his field and nothing more.
Christopher Columbus has become one of the most controversial figures ever from a historical standpoint. He is one of those people that we can never agree about and whose merits are constantly being debated. Some want to celebrate him as a national hero; others want to crucify him as a murderer. I believe in taking a middle ground on this issue. He can’t be seen as a full-fledged national hero, because he really never intended to create the United States, he just happened to be the “first” person to find the Americas. He can’t be seen as a second Hitler, because he never really intended to wipe out entire tribes of Indians. Columbus shouldn’t be celebrated. He didn’t do anything spectacular that nobody else did. He was simply the first person to reach the Americas as recognized by the European society. It would be a different story if he had truly been the first person here, but since that was the Vikings, he shouldn’t be celebrated for this. He also got here accidentally which shows he was more lucky than good. He wasn’t trying to get to the Americas, he was trying to get to the West Indies, and he failed at that task. I don’t believe we should celebrate his failure. However, just because he shouldn’t be celebrated doesn’t mean he should be vilified. Sure you can say that he slaughtered natives, but how many did he himself actually kill? He wasn’t the one who killed all these people. As Bob Janes said, he simply opened the door for others to come in and enslave and slaughter natives. I would compare Columbus to the guy who invented the atom bomb. The guy who invented the atom bomb didn’t drop it on Hiroshima or Nagasaki, he just invented it. In fact, I think Columbus is less to blame than that guy because I don’t think Columbus realized what he was creating when he found a new bit of land. He had no way of knowing the brutal slaughters which would take place later on in the Americas. In conclusion, I think maybe Columbus has been taken too seriously as a historical figure. As far as I can tell, Columbus really has no great depth to his personality; he is simply a good ship captain who chanced upon an unbelievable discovery. I think sometimes that we as a society read in too much to a person’s actions and figure that they all have some sort of moral significance. I will view Columbus as a man, who was simply trying to get by doing what he did best, not a Hitler-esque villain or a founding father of a great civilization.
Christopher Columbus’s discovery of the Americas had positive and negative outcomes that we are now able to reflect back on today. As a society, there are those who believe he should be vilified and those who believe that he should be celebrated. Columbus is celebrated for discovering the New World. After his discovery of a new continent, the world expanded as well. More power, land, and trade was established that ended up benefiting not only Europe, but also the development of the Americas. Europe benefited from Columbus’s findings through the money that was made from the trading of rum, corn, tobacco, timber, and many other raw materials. The Americas underwent a change as a result of this new trading, power, and cultivation of land. The natives traded their goods for items from Europe that they had never seen before. Also, the culture that was being brought from overseas to the Americas mixed, causing a cultural exchange. The Europeans introduced a new way of dressing and everyday life to the Natives. Had it not been for this cultural exchange between the Europeans and the Natives, society today might still be dressing the way the natives did in the late 1400’s. Despite these positive developments, Columbus brought the good with the bad. Traveling back and forth from Europe to the Americas, Columbus unknowingly transported European diseases that the natives didn’t have immunity to. Therefore, many natives died due to these diseases. Another reason for why Columbus should be vilified is because he allowed natives to be killed and tortured for the expansion of land. Not only that, but Columbus had a racial prejudice against the natives due to their skin color. Being a European, Columbus carried on the European belief that the world was divided between Christians and infidels. The attitude that many colonists had towards non-Christians led to the accepted mistreatment, abuse, and forced labor of the Natives (When Worlds Collide). The amount of natives that died as a result of disease and slave labor can be paralleled today to the Holocaust. Columbus is a Hitler in how he permitted the death of those who differed from the Europeans in their skin color. Although not all of Columbus’s actions can be interpreted as positive ones, he still deserves recognition for discovering America. To Europeans he is a symbol of European exploration. Had it not been for him, the growth of trade and resources would not have been established. Americans should give Christopher Columbus recognition for he was the one who began a new existence, developed a new way of life, and founded a new continent of people. As for bringing the good with the bad, it is not entirely fair to blame Columbus for the many deaths that occurred. It was not his fault that people died due to diseases. It was also not his fault that he lacked the capabilities, skills, or education needed to successfully run a colony. The big picture here is that Christopher Columbus discovered America, the land of the free and the home of the brave. To not recognize Colombus’s actions would be disrespectful and unheard of. It is only right to give recognition for one’s actions, especially to especially to someone who discovered a continent, part of which would become the US, a leading economic and government power of the world
Christopher Columbus; a name not only well known in America, but throughout the world as well. Renown as an explorer for discovering what came to be called the “New World” and therefore celebrated in some countries, Columbus was inevitably also condemned by others for bringing about the many consequences that resulted in the deaths of over sixty million people. Although he in fact had led to European expansion in the Americas that took the toll of many innocent lives, it seems unfair to condemn a man that denied to his death what he was being given credit for. Despite the conflicting views of Columbus, everyone would have to agree that Columbus was a single man that changed the course of history forever.
Of the many people, government, and organizations that criticize Columbus for exploiting the New World, their beliefs seem to be only justified to an extent. As Wendy had said earlier, Columbus himself had never really taken part in the expansion of the New World. Even though it had been Columbus that “discovered” the Americas, it had been fate more than anything that had led to the destruction of the native population as Columbus-critics perceive. What many of these people fail to analyze is the fact that Columbus himself had not been the one to open the gateway leading from the New World to the Old World, but rather Amerigo Vespucci as Wendy also points out. He is also justified in the idea that technically, Columbus himself had not been the first one to discover the Americas. Other groups; most notably the Vikings, had already set foot upon the North American land before. The difference is that the earlier discoverers had not exploited the Americas like the Europeans had. To add on to that, it had been Columbus that stumbled upon the Americas, but the credit of exploitation would seem to be more suitable for Vespucci.
Thinking along the lines of what Columbus’ discovery had done in the long run; yes, if Columbus had led to the fall of many native tribes and other great native civilizations, he should also be given the credit of having brought about the United States as we know it. The United States of America today stands as a nation of democracy and freedom unlike any other country currently, or even before. Without the discovery and migration of Europeans to the land, there would be no America. It may seem immoral to say since a life itself holds a lot of value, but honestly speaking, the millions of natives that had died may be thought of as having led up to the creation of the might nation today. It’s a small sort of consolation, but the death of the natives was a step towards creating the greater good. Sadly, the conditions and hardships that the natives had suffered can never be compensated that simply, nor can the re-introduction of slavery. Nevertheless, what’s done is done. The past can’t be changed, and to put all that blame on one man seems unjust.
Christopher Columbus had died a degrading death despite his fame. The discovery of the Americas was only possible because of his search for a quick sea route for trade to the Indies. After he was cast out once the realization dawned upon Europe that his discovery was not of India, but a New World altogether, he was stripped of his titles, lands, and even thrown into jail. Even on his death bed, he swore the natives he found were from India. Because of this, his lack of faith in himself discredits his image as being a hero. In the end, both arguments can not win, so I’ve come to the conclusion that Columbus is not a hero. Therefore, he should not be celebrated as such. At the same time, he is not a villain since he hadn’t intentionally sought out to bring about the destruction of the natives. As a simple man that had followed his passion, he should also be viewed as such. He was a man that followed his heart and by a stroke of luck, or bad luck, he met up with fate that led to the history of events. One man can not take credit to all, nor should he take blame for all and nothing more could be said.
Christopher Columbus is considered by many a noble historic figure. Some Americans even view him as a hero. Most Americans view Columbus as the man who discovered America. This has been part of the popular belief in this country for many years. Young school children have been exposed to Columbus, and his romantic tales of discovery. I’m sure many of us in this class have drawn pictures in earlier grades of the three ships he used to sail across the Atlantic in 1492. Because of his status in American popular culture Columbus Day was made a federal holiday in 1968.
However, there is a group of revisionist historians who have negatively viewed Columbus in more recent years. Columbus has been condemned for the diseases that he brought to the “New World” and consequently the genocide that occurred in the indigenous population. Disease from Europe quickly spread once Columbus reached the Americas. As a result, one of the largest genocides ever occurred, killing a huge number of native peoples. Columbus has also been condemned for bringing slavery to America’s native peoples. These findings have changed Columbus’s reputation as an undisputed hero.
As the views of historians continue to develop and are given more credibility, this may eventually change the view of the American population. As more realistic accounts of what actually happened on Columbus’s expedition and the consequences of his discovery become incorporated into textbooks that American children use in their classes, this new generation of Americans will have a more realistic view of Columbus and his historic role.
In the present, I feel that Columbus should be viewed as an important figure in history who should be acknowledged as such. I feel that he should be considered neither a hero nor a villain. Columbus’s discovery of America was an important discovery that forever changed the history of the world. However, the consequences of his expedition were not admirable. In time this will become generally recognized and become the new popular and realistic view of Americans.
In my opinion Christopher Columbus should be seen as just another explorer. He was neither a neither a peace loving pacifist nor a homicidal maniac bent on the destruction of everyone he found in the new world. Christopher Columbus set out on his journey to find a sea route to Asia and especially the spice routes. He never set out with the mind set of going to a new world finding as many natives as he could and making them slaves or killing them for fun. He also thought he was dealing with natives from India because according to his calculations he was in India so when people say he hated the natives he met because of who they were that’s not true because he thought they were Indians. Also people blame Columbus for killing off entire tribes of natives even in places he didn’t explore. They say it’s his fault for finding them and causing more people to come and invade their lands. This is unfair to Columbus. It’s not like the Americas would have lain undiscovered unless Columbus found it. Other explores would have eventually landed and probably the same things would have occurred just a few years later. Columbus didn’t profit from all the death and destruction of the natives and their lands. He was put in charge of a colony and it failed miserably so he was put in jail and dishonored by the government. Columbus just a simple sea captain that who, to quote Bob Janes, "Held the door open for others but never went through." His discovery of the Americas set in motion events like plagues for the natives and other explores and settlers to come and enslave and kill the natives. He himself is not responsible for what fellow explores that came later did. Columbus should be viewed as and explorer and a sea man who set unknowingly set in motion problems for the natives but was not the direct cause of them.
As a society we should view Christopher Columbus partially the same way Thomas C. Tirado does. Columbus should be looked at from a view of his contribution to the development of European Society. Columbus made the voyage because he wrongly estimated the size of the earth, and when he got to the New World he still thought was in India, and continued to believe that to his death. Columbus was not a “Great Man” or a Hero, but thanks to his discovery, Europeans found a whole new world with wealth and land.
I do not agree with Thomas Tirado, that Columbus is as important as Jesus of Nazareth. Both influenced the world in a great way, Jesus created a whole new Religion and Columbus found a whole new world. The difference is that if Columbus had not discovered the New World, somebody else would of. Columbus did however bring Spain a short period of wealth. because someone from Portugal or another country could of found the new world, which would of given that country the new worlds wealth, instead of Spain.
As a society we should look at somebody who made a difference in the world, even if Christopher Columbus does not deserve credit for the difference he made.
The topic of Columbus is often a very controversial one. As children we see him as the discoverer of America. In the Latino areas to our south it is a very different story for it was the Spaniards that came and enslaved as well as killed sometimes whole villages of people. This is where my views differ from those of the Latinos in the areas where the Spanish conquered. It was the Spanish not Columbus that did the killing. It was the conquistadors and later explorers should be held responsible. Now her many people would then compare this all to Hitler saying well he didn’t kill any of the Jews himself but her sure knew what he was doing. Columbus did not have a clue as to what he found. He whole heartedly thought he was India which is why he called the Native Americans Indians. He did not find the riches and gold or even the kingdoms of the great civilizations that other explorers would later find. He found islands with people in huts made of palm leaves with very little gold and riches for that matter. He did not know that the deaths of hundred of thousands would result in his discovery. Lets say for example that Columbus didn’t even discover the New World, lets say it was a British ship or French, who we hold these people accountable just like those in Latino nations hold Columbus accountable for the deaths of their peoples. Some one would have eventually found the new world and most likely be in the same position as Columbus, for people would be soon to follow. In a historical view Columbus is just an unfortunate man to be responsible for the finding the new world, and is now getting blamed for the deaths that followed thereafter. What caused many of these deaths was something that not even the Europeans had yet grasped, and that was germs. Something that they were quite familiar with was the result of these diseases such as small pox, yellow fever, and other horrible ailments. The Europeans had no idea that they had brought over these pathogens, and it was because of these microscopic organisms that so many would die. Bobby Janes put it best; Columbus opened the door to the new world. He didn’t break it down, instead he, in a metaphorical sense got lost and went to the wrong house opened the door and poked his head in to see if anyone was home. The other explorers were the unwanted guests that came later and crashed the house and never seemed to leave. I do believe he should be celebrated for his actions, but not in the sense that we should throw parades and all that. I believe he should be acknowledged for his findings, some one we give credit to for pioneering the way for our culture to be brought (though not always welcomed) to the new world. This is because he did not really do anything wrong, he just found something he thought to be somewhere else. Columbus was an explorer who found a world previously unknown not a villain who massacred hundreds of thousands of people. If people want someone to blame for the deaths of the locals and natives is should be the conquistadors not Columbus who should be held accountable.
Obviously Christopher Columbus has been a national icon of the years past, but ideas of him have then since changed. On the one hand, Columbus is the fearless sailor whom set out to discover new lands and therein found America. When we were younger, we would discuss how Christopher Columbus and the Native Americans would greet each other and share many new customs, food, and culture with each other. Little did we know that our teachers were just giving us the fluff story. Unfortunately, we were later confronted with Columbus’ real story and we were still expected to celebrate his accomplishments. The new persona historians are sharing with us is the unjustly cruel Columbus who brought disease and tragedy upon his arrival and took slaves and anything considered valuable away from them. His revolution of finding the new world seems to have caused more than just a spur of curiosity for many went to explore new lands and brought back precious gold and innocent slaves. But who really should Christopher Columbus be portrayed as? Is he the hero who conquered new land and is best friends with the Native Americans or is he the villain who brought nothing but corruption and misery upon the native peoples?
I don’t think it’s truly fair to judge Columbus based on the fact that he brought the worst things man had to offer to the Native Americans, because it was assumed that he had no intentions to harm the original peoples. He also had no intention of sailing to the Americas hence the slang term, Indians. Giving him the benefit of the doubt, people nowadays would have to assume that he was just looking for gold and glory otherwise it would have been his head if he hadn’t come back with something thus Native American slaves.
Also considering my background and how I would have felt being invaded by a foreigner who really had no contributions to the community other than disease and the horrible habits of men (greed, gambling, enslavement, etc.). I would have been in complete and utter dismay that one could have the audacity to take over an entire nation with no regards to their lifestyles or opinions. This is really a serious topic that I discuss with my grandmother because she is more Native American than me. To put it bluntly she believes that Columbus was a pig-headed idiot and because of his stupidity thousands upon thousands of native people were slaughtered innocently.
I, being not as into the whole Native American views, believe that she is partly true. Sure we wouldn’t have what we have today, but how is it any different from the holocaust. Hitler honestly believed that he was doing God’s work by slaughtering the Jewish race and only leaving the pure peoples. I’m sure it was the same with Columbus. He had no idea that when he jumped shore that he would be destroying entire communities and killing thousands of lives. Of course not all of it was done by him, but still who are you going to blame- the first person who decided to kill the population for the good of the country or the men that followed in his foot steps? It’s almost impossible to decide.
Columbus Day falls right around the beginning of October, as is my birthday. So I have always had a 3 day weekend around my birthday, which is always nice. So that is why I can’t take the side of Christopher Columbus being a villain. However more than he got me a day off from school, I don’t think that he is the person to blame for the deaths of so many Native Americans, because if it wasn’t him it would have just been someone else. I think that Columbus wasn’t smart enough to try to systematically kill all the Native Americans. It was just an accident, someone from his crew was sick but because his body, and the bodies of everyone else on the ship, was immune to whatever disease that it was, they didn’t die from it. However the Native Americans had an immune system entirely different than the explorers so when they caught the disease they couldn’t fight it, which resulted in death. So overall I fall in to the “something else” category, of describing Christopher Columbus. Someone like Adolf Hitler should be vilified because he did create genocide among the Jewish citizens. However since it was because Columbus did come over and treat the Native Americans as inferior souls, he should not be celebrated. However all in all, he did start the domino effect for the Americas so I think that he should just be simply remembered.
Christopher Columbus was but one man and, indeed, the first man, known and recorded to truly stumble upon the New World and establish that irrevocable link between the two sides of the Atlantic. Since Columbus was the first, we, the later generations, establish him as the sharp pointed head of a both astonishingly wonderful and terrible spear of European incursion into the native populations of people settled in the ‘New World’. And yet, does that very tip of the spear that pierced the barrier of ignorance between two landmasses and many cultures truly merit all the blame or adulation? Even a dull spear without its single needlelike point could still well have projected itself into the Amerindian world. That is, without Columbus, there was still Cortes, Cartier, Ponce de Leon… or any other man who could have replaced Columbus as the first. That bulk of the European ‘invasion’ is what gives form and substance to the efficacy of a spear. With that in mind, it’s safe to say Columbus himself does not garner all of the blame or laudatory for establishing the conduct of the next centuries of Native American treatment and other European expenditures.
Now onto the question of whether the colonization and treatment of the New World peoples themselves should be praised, rebuked, or branded with disgust as absolute genocide… I would have to say there is no clear answer for that question. Firstly, we cannot hope to know all of the justifications of the time, or lump all of the different encounters into stereotype of the typical European vs. native encounter. While some names in history might have purposely spread disease and enjoyed the killing of the natives, others might have acted upon pure social conventions, while others operated on economic greed. Should we condemn the European if he was acting on a higher authority (perhaps his king, his own livelihood, his church) that focused his every action towards the native? It is agreed upon that genocide is both purposeful and rather systematic in nature… the act of killing in order to kill. And yet, the Europeans had reason to save the natives’ physical bodies for labor and spiritual souls for Christianity. While that may not apply for the open warfare in the English colonies for land, we can safely say that for some Europeans, the killing of the natives was not the prime purpose, and thus genocide was not the main goal. We can call it inhumane, and certainly slavery is inhumane, but a systematic massacre was not what took place throughout all of the Americas and beyond.
Does that mean that Columbus should be revered—celebrated because he started an era of mass exploration, colonization, and confrontation of ideas, peoples, and goods? Some of the effects of the encounter were good. The superior spread of knowledge and ideas between cultures is also a positive force for the evolution of humankind. And yet, the cost is often the very lives of the humans that the technology could have helped.
The whole European exploration front, including the social and economic thoughts of the time, including mercantilism and economienda, yielded both positive and negative results. Therefore, by no means should be celebrate the bad effects of the occasion in which Columbus sailed the ocean blue and met up with the natives. At the same time, there is no need to boo down the positive outcomes that did come from colonization and expansion. Columbus was one man, and a human at that. We cannot judge his faults without taking into account his virtues, or vice-versa. On the whole, shouldn’t we all just commemorate Columbus and all he signifies and does not signify with happiness the start of new colonies that would develop into breeding grounds for new lifestyles, new cultures, and at the same time shake our heads at the brutality of the conquistadors and power hungry settlers—all the while looking with heads up and eyes forward at a new and positive future where we can learn from our old mistakes and rejoice at our victories?
Christopher Columbus has come to be a controversial figure in the history of the world. He went in search of a new trade paths to China, but ended up in the islands off the cost of North and South America. Even though he was the one that originally discovered this area, if he hadn't came along and found this land, someone was bound to. To justify whether or not Columbus should be celebrated or vilified, one must look at the facts. Columbus was definitely a great sailor. He was able to overcome adversity and find land although it may not have been what he was looking for. There he has been harshly criticized for his actions when handling the natives. As Tirado had said in his speech, (referring to Father Bartolome de las Casas), Las Casas wondered why Columbus, "a man good by nature and of good intentions should have been blind in so clear a matter." As to this I believe that Columbus should not be celebrated so highly to the extent that he was a hero. He did not intend to bring diseases to these lands to kill off the Natives, but he did intend to sell them off into slavery for his own greed. He should be remembered as a world renowned explorer and one that had a great impact on the history of the world (whether or not is was good or bad). As Tirado also said,"Few events in history had so profound an impact on the entire world." I believe this is true. He opened Europe up to a whole different part of the world. One that Europeans didn't believe even existed. I still think that making him out to be a hero is just making light of the fact that what he did to the Native Americans is an acceptable part of what he did, and that is just not right. There needs to be some balance between his achievements and failures.
Christopher Columbus is as common a name to an American student as Michael Jordan is to basketball enthusiasts and Tiger Woods is to avid golfers. It is true that ever since grade school, we have learned about how great the voyages of Columbus were. However, if you take time to look at what really happened in those crucial years in 1492, you will get a different perspective of Columbus and his explorations.
First and foremost, he believed that the Earth was a lot smaller than it really was, and thus believed that reaching India would take a lot shorter of a time than it really did. Since he felt that way, the land that he actually found, which to his calculations was India, was in fact islands of a new continent, later to be called the Americas. Thus his main reason for exploring the lands of Hispanola were that the lands were really India. On Columbus Day, we remember Christopher Columbus for reaching the Americas, when he thought that he was in India. In addition, one cannot argue that the a lack of knowledge was what caused Columbus to miscalculate his map because a contemporary of Columbus, Amerigo Vespucci, believed, after careful observations, that that area was indeed a new continent.
Secondly, words associated with Columbus other than "discovery" and "Indians" are "genocide" and "disease." Columbus, to some scholars, is known for having one of the greatest genocides in history. I do not believe that Columbus intended for these mass killings because, as the article by James Axtell dictates, a lot of those deaths were caused simply by diseases. Perhaps a lot of those deaths can be blamed on the immune systems of the natives themselves. That being said, however, it is hard to ignore the numbers. The article by David Stannard states that during the time period between the sixteenth century and little before the 19th century, "between 97 and 99 percent of North America’s native people were killed." In addition, that article says that 500,000 natives died within months after the Spanish colonies were established on Espanola.
In short, I do not believe that Christopher Columbus should be celebrated or villified. Instead, I believe we should remember the year and remember the events. What happened in October 1492 onwards was very important because it signifies new doors to open and new lands to discover. I do not believe that we should celebrate Columbus Day for Columbus, but rather celebrate that day because it represents new land, life, and hope for the future.
Ever since elementary school we were all taught that Christopher Columbus was a great man who discovered America. In reality, Columbus’s achievements are very controversial, and I don’t think that he should be viewed as either a villain or as someone to be celebrated. Columbus was said to be a man of the silver age, which means that he was not the brightest man of the time, but he was definitely a good sailor. Columbus should be given credit for overcoming many obstacles and ultimately discovering the America’s. Columbus was criticized for causing one of the biggest genocides, and I think that using the term genocide to describe what Columbus did is a little too harsh. Columbus did not intentionally kill off the natives with disease, but he did use them as a labor force to benefit himself and his country. Therefore, I think that Columbus shouldn’t be celebrated as a hero, but he also shouldn’t be held solely responsible for the events that occurred in the America’s after 1492. If Columbus hadn’t fortuitously come upon the America’s someone else certainly would have, so the blame cannot be directly put on Columbus. Christopher Columbus should be remembered for finding the land that eventually became America, but what he did shouldn’t be glorified because he did make mistakes along the way. Ultimately, I think that we should celebrate Columbus Day to commemorate the start of the new world instead of actually celebrating Columbus himself.
I believe that Columbus should be viewed as a man who was a great explorer and sailor. He founded new land that led to gold, silver, and new territories for the European countries. Many natives did die while he was there but mostly from diseases.
Viewing Columbus as a great man is not a stretch of the imagination. He was a great explorer and sailor. Funded by the Spanish government he set sail and founded a new world. Though he was looking for another part of the world, he did find new land. This land led to the finding of South and North America. Without Columbus we could not have had America. This is why we could view him as a hero.
Columbus had many of the natives die in the land that he settled on. Many of these people died from disease, though he did kill many. With the huge numbers of deaths while he was on the island, some people consider him to be a horrible person, and leader of genocide. I don't agree with him being compared to Hitler and other genocide leaders. Columbus did not go to the island to kill all the native people, like Hitler did the Jews. Also, most of the people died of diseases, and not of Columbus ordering their deaths.
That is why I believe Columbus may have been a bad leader; he was a good explorer that founded land that led to our country being discovered.
Christopher Columbus should be viewed in our society as the founder of our continent. Since elementary school, we have learned about the long journey across the ocean Colombus had to endure. We also learned that once Columbus landed in America, he made friends with the Indians. As we grew older and enetered middle schol we learned that these childhood stories were very far from the ruth. Columbus used the Indians as slaves and worked them to death. With everone coming to the new world that Colombus discovered, disease was spread and many inidians suffered and died form it. With these reasons as support, many people argue that Columbus should not be celebrated for destroying many indian tribes and families. On the other hand, many people say that Columbus should be celebrated becuase without him who knows how long it would have been beofre someone else had discovered America. With the discovery of America new trade routes were established and the economy reached new heights.
Christopher Columbus should be celebrated exactly the way he is now, no more no less. The main reason that we celebrate Columbus day is because he founded the new world. Now it might not have been the world that he thought it was, but nevertheless it was still a new world. By Columbus discovering the new world he sparked Europe to begin exploring the area to the west. Soon after Columbus, countries like Spain and Portugal began to put much more effort into claiming the areas such as South America and Central America. When these countries came over they discovered new natural resources and valuables. For example Spain found massive amounts of gold and silver in the area of South America.
Although Columbus did a good thing in jump-starting the age of explortion to the west, he also participated in actions that make people question his credibility. Columbus used the native people when he got to the new world to work for him. He was extremely ruthless with them and basically worked them to death. Also when Columbus and the europeans arrived they brought with them small pox and other diseases that the natives weren't familiar with. Due to the fact that the diseases were new made it so much worse on the natives and millions of them ended up dieing.
Christopher Columbus is a character who has many mixed feelings about himself. He did some great things but also did some very terrible things. By sailing to the west and finding land he pushed Europe into the age of exploration. But he went in the wrong directions with some of decisions he made. Therefore, I concluded that he should be celebrated they way his is today and thats it.
Christopher Columbus is in many ways overstated and not looked at realistically. Columbus was just a sailor and an explorer, nothing more, he wasn't a killer and he was not certainly a politician. Many people argue that he is either the greatest person sense Jesus or a mass murderer of millions of Native Americans. I however believe that people are just overstating the issue, Columbus is not a special man, he wasn't the first to reach the Americas and he certainly was not the first to discover it. Christopher Columbus was just a sailor and an explorer, who in my opinion doing something to become rich and was really fortunate that his sailing skills gave him that. So Columbus, should not be viewed as a hero or branded as a murderer but rather just a skilled sailor looking for treasure. Thus, if Columbus did not exist or did not find the New World, then today we as Americans would just be celebrating someone else who found it rather than Columbus at a later date. Its that simple.
Christopher Columbus is arguably the most famous explorer in the history of mankind. He is recognized and heralded as the discoverer of America, the first European to arrive in the Americas and who forever linked Europe to America and paved the way for eventual colonization.
But Columbus cannot be celebrated a hero. A hero is someone known for his or her feats and is noble or does something for someone else or for the good of people beside himself. When Columbus set sail in 1492, his purpose was to find a sea route westward from Europe to Asia, and thus bolster the economy of Spain. His intention was not, by any means, to make the world a better place; his goals were not for the common good. He set out to find a route to Asia and to find wealth, and in the process, he unintentionally stumbled upon a new world. He did not know, and refused to believe, that he had arrived in a new world. Thus it is even inaccurate to call Columbus’s findings a “discovery,” which the American Heritage Dictionary defines as the act of “noticing or learning, especially by making an effort,” and Columbus did not make an effort to find a new land. It is really more accurate to call it an “encounter,” defined as “a meeting, especially one that is unplanned and unexpected.” It would not be right to congratulate Columbus on something that he did accidentally. In addition, it was inevitable, with the growing technology and the curiosity about “other worlds” that someone would eventually stumble onto this huge continent; Columbus was simply the first to do so.
Even if Columbus was not a hero, it cannot be denied that his “discovery” proved to be of enormous importance and had huge impacts on America and Europe. As a result of his stumbling onto a new continent, Columbus led the way to changes in the economies of European countries and eventual colonization of the Americas, but also the mass killing and enslavement of millions of natives and the collapse of great and sophisticated civilizations. However, Columbus cannot be blamed for these things. He, once again, unintentionally killed huge numbers of people by bringing diseases from Europe that the natives’ immune systems could not cope with. He did not know that he was doing this, so he cannot be blamed for it. It was not his intention. He didn’t set out from Spain knowing that he would kill millions of people. He was simply looking for a route to Asia to bolster Spain’s wealth. He also did not personally kill the natives who were murdered. He may have been the first to arrive, but he cannot be held responsible for what happened after his voyages. He did not know that he would usher in people like Pizarro and Cortés, who would, years after Columbus’s first encounter, destroy the Incans and Aztecs. But, he is a villain for his cruelty toward the natives and enslaving them. According to Tirado, Columbus believed that the natives “are fit to be ordered about and made to work,” and “in 1494, he shipped 550 Taínos to Spain for sale as slaves, fulfilling a promise he had made in a letter to a financial backer. Columbus looked upon slavery as an economic expedient as he began to despair of finding gold in sufficient quantity to satisfy the crown and support the colony. He proposed to make regular shipments of humans in exchange for cattle and provisions for the struggling outpost at La Isabella.” Columbus is responsible for selling hundreds of the natives into slavery, but we cannot pin the deaths of the millions on him.
Nevertheless, though he may not be a hero, we must acknowledge the historical significance of his actions and findings. He is truly an important figure in history: his actions had extremely significant effects on the course of European, African, and American history. We can give him credit for this, but he is not a hero. We can neither praise nor blame him for what he did not do.
On another note, I don’t mind getting a day off from school though =)
As a society of our times, we should not view Christopher Columbus as a hero or a villain yet a man who achieved both through his discoveries. Christopher Columbus’ discoveries changed the course of the age of exploration. Although historians say someone at sometime after Columbus would have found the “New World” anyway, the way Columbus handled the discovery has helped map the way our world is today. While his discoveries are important and should be recognized for the impact they have had on our world, we should also recognize the horrific actions that were allowed to take place. Columbus and many other European explorers practiced working the indigenous people to death in order to gain everything they could from the new resources discovered in the “New World”. Historians have stated the amount of deaths that occurred due to the age of exploration at the hands of the European explorers, exceeds greatly the number of deaths that took place during any other genocide. This being said, it must be presented again that Columbus’ discoveries have even been compared to have an impact on the world as great as the internet. These statements and facts of the great things that came out of Columbus’ discovery must be remembered. We can not paint Columbus as either a hero or a villain.
Living in today’s society I believe that we need to give Christopher Columbus his due credit for what he did and nothing else. He did not go out looking for a new world; he set out in search of a new way to fine an old one. He accidentally stumbled upon a new continent, but even in his deathbed he still believed that he had landed in the East, despite what science was proving. He was an ignorant and stubborn man, who was at first, adored, but when the truth was revealed, he was ridiculed for his blindness. It was only by sheer dumb luck that he happened to find the America’s, Columbus had never known they were there, and if he had spent some time looking over his calculations he would have been able to determine that there was no way humanly possible for him to reach the East if the world was calculated to the correct size. As far as Columbus knew, the world was a much smaller place where he would be glorified for helping Europe’s trade with the east. Columbus is taught to the youth of America as early as pre-school, and with the help of rhymes and reinforcement, it is instilled in our minds that Columbus is this great hero who discovered the Americas and therefore deserves a big celebration. As I grew older, however, and more facts came to light, I began to see that he was not the brave and pioneering Columbus that I knew and celebrated. He was a deceptive man, and although he was brave enough to take on the seas, he had little tolerance for people who were not like him, and when he first encountered the Natives, he used them and, under false pretences, befriended them. As time went on he killed many leaders who only wanted to help and understand him. Columbus did not take the time to even try to understand or accept the indigenous people, instead he was only interested in gaining fame and fortune, and if that meant that he had to step on a few toes, or kill a couple thousand people along the way, it was fine with him. Columbus single-handedly wiped out almost an entire race, and while he might not have directly delivered the blow to kill each person, he invaded a land that was uncharted by Europeans, and assumed that he could take it because of his arrogance. He contaminated a perfectly content society and hundreds of years of history were lost due to his ambition to become rich and famous, which ironically lead to his demise as he was to proud to admit that he was wrong.
Christopher Columbus was an extraordinary man whose greatest accomplishment, his voyage to the New World, has been glorified as a great feat, while at the same time criticized for some of its horrific consequences. In my opinion, the actions of Europeans in the Americas should certainly not be glorified, but the stain of this encounter between cultures should not alter the image of Columbus.
Christopher Columbus does not deserve to be labeled as a villain by society. His actions and intentions were those of a money minded explorer searching for the riches of the Indies. There is no evidence showing that he wanted to brutally suppress the cultures of the various native tribes in the Americas. Nor is there evidence showing that Columbus endorsed the harsh treatment of the natives in the New World.
It is evident, however, that many Europeans treated the natives cruelly. Native Americans were forced into labor on plantations, murdered, and even fed to the dogs of the Europeans. Millions of natives died within years of the Europeans’ arrival. Most of these deaths, however, were inadvertent because they were the result of disease. It is true that this disease was brought by the Europeans, but they did not purposely infect the natives.
Overall, the brutal treatment of natives by the Europeans should certainly impact how the discovery of America is perceived, but it should not affect the image of Columbus. Christopher Columbus was a great man who accomplished one of the greatest feats in history by “discovering” America. This ranks among the most important events of all time because of its impact on history. Although the encounter between Europeans and Native Americans should be viewed as a terrible episode of human cruelty, the actions of heartless Europeans should not tarnish the reputation of Columbus.
I believe that Christopher Columbus should still be celebrated. In the past twenty or so years, people have begun to say that Columbus was a "mass murderer" and that he created the biggest holocaust in history. One of the many definitions of genocide is that it is a one-sided mass killing with the intent to destroy a certain group of people. Genocide is the term used today to describe the notorious Nazi's concentration camps during World War II. I don't think that Christopher should be compared to Adolf Hitler, like many are trying to do. When Christopher Columbus sailed to the Americas, he and his crew brought over many illnesses that the Native Americans weren't immune to. Many Native Americans were killed by sickness. Columbus and his crew didn't intentionally bring the diseases over. Christopher Columbus discovered the Americas, and for that I believe that he should be celebrated. As more and more information on his explorations is being discovered, peoples' opinions of him are changing. Many people have completely different views of him. This is evident from the three articles we read for class. The idea that Columbus should be celebrated or vilified is based solely on personal opinion, rather than solid factual evidence. My personal opinion about Christopher Columbus is that he should still be celebrated, after all he discovered the place in which we live today.
As a society, we should view Christopher Columbus simply as a great explorer and a sailor. He was motivated by money and that was how he wound up discovering America. He was smart in the water, but had no ability to control and create a successful colony. He was intellectually a product of the middle ages and far from a Renaissance man.
He should neither be celebrated or vilified. His achievements as an explorer were very important in the history of America. If it wasn't for him the world we live in today would be very different. However, to go along with his accomplishments there were many problems he caused. He was responsible for a massive amount of deaths of Native Americans. Columbus has been accused of starting a genocide similar to the Holocaust. I believe what he did to the Native Americans can in no way be compared to the Holocaust. Hitler went around deliberately killing millions of Jews, homosexuals, and gypsies. Most of the Native American deaths were because of European diseases that Columbus didn't even know he brought over. Columbus did force many Native Americans into slavery where he worked them to death. Columbus is guilty for the deaths of all of these Native Americans, but his success as an explorer can not be denied.
Columbus Day is a national holiday where citizens can commend Christopher Columbus on his efforts of finding a New World and celebrating his genius as a navigator. One would say he would be a historical icon that should be recognized for generations to come. I would take a different approach and say that he was a villain who did more harm than good. According to the reading “When Worlds Collide”, Tirado explains that Father Barolomẻ de las Casas (along with Queen Isabella) saw first that Columbus was a tyrant. He admired Columbus’s navigational skills but still saw that he was brutal to the Indians that inhabited the New World. In one of his journals, Columbus wrote, “They are fit to be ordered about and made to work.” Columbus believed that these Indians were not citizens but slaves in his new colony. In fact, “In 1494, he shipped 550 Tainos to Spain to sell as slaves, fulfilling a promise he had made in a letter to a financial backer.” says Tirado. David E. Stannard also wrote about how Columbus was said to have started genocide in the New World. He says that 50,000 natives died within months after he established the first Spanish colony (Stannard 430). Many caught diseases that were brought from the explorers and transferred to the Indians. The Native Americans lived in the Americas first and they deserved to be treated like equals instead of savages. Instead, they were considered more like beasts instead of real humans in Columbus’s eyes. Most people celebrate Columbus because he connected two worlds and expanded our earth. He used his exceptional navigational skills to sail across the Atlantic in hopes of finding the Indies for new trade and money. Little did he know that he had reached a new continent entirely, and he still didn’t accept that idea. Tirado says that Columbus was extremely stubborn and couldn’t come to terms with the fact that this wasn’t Marco Polo’s world. In 1502, Amerigo Vespucci came along and accepted the fact that this new land wasn’t China or the Indies, but the Americas. Columbus reminds me of a two year old in this situation where everything has to be his way or else. He was not open to new ideas and the fact that he discovered a New World scared him. Vespucci was the mature, older adult that voyaged to the New World and came to terms that it was a different place than the Indies. Even if Columbus hadn’t made the voyage, someone else would have found the America’s (like Vespucci or Cortes). Of course, Columbus made a significant discovery and should be remembered for the first approach to the New World. But, students should be taught about both sides to this historical figure and recognize loss of culture and people he has brought.
Ever since the days of our early childhood Christopher Columbus has been known as the man who “discovered” the Americas and planted the seeds for future nations such as the United States. In light of learning that Columbus was a slave driver and a delivery boy for a disease that would wipe out 97 – 99 percent of the native american population, we are forced to reconsider our views on this historical figure.
Truth be told, Christopher Columbus was not a very bright man, or a very good sailor. How a man could land on the shores of the Americas and claim it to be India leaves me baffled. His discovering the New World was most certainly a fluke, and should not be regarded as anything more.
It was not his intent to carry a disease from Europe to this new world, but it happened, and so we must deal with that fact. Also, singling him out, and vilifying this man because he owned slaves is an unfair judgement of his character. Others may argue that Columbus was ruthless in his treatment of his slaves. Sometimes people must be ruthless in order to attain what they want the most. History is stocked with men and women who owned, and worked, slaves to the death. If we were to compare him to other slave owners in our nation's history, surely we would think twice. The first five presidents of this great nation owned slaves. In fact, George Washington owned more than 200 slaves and yet he is revered as a great figure in our history. We have a president's day, do we not?
I believe we should celebrate Columbus day not to honor Christopher Columbus, but to honor the discovery and the roots of our nation. If he had never stumbled upon these shores, someone else might have, but he did find the Americas and we owe it to him to give one measly day of our year to honor his name.
I feel that people should celebrate the idea that Christopher Columbus represented, but not celebrate Christopher Columbus himself. Christopher Columbus, whether for economic reasons or not, discovered a continent unknown to Europe at that time. This discovery led to an interatcion between two groups of people which led to an exchange of ideas, culture, goods, and diseases. Whether this interaction led to good or bad things is besides the point. The thing that matters the most is that Columbus' discovery initiated a new idea into peoples' minds. People now realized that there was more than just the Eastern Hemisphere, and that there were new places, people, and things to discover. Whether economic reasons led to other countries attempting to discover new lands after Columbus, or not, at least people were now trying and discovering new things, and the idea of "something more" was inplanted in every European's mind.
Christopher Columbus himself should not be celebrated. He was ignorant and stubborn thinking that he had discovered the Indies despite all of the factual evidence proving him wrong. He was an inadaquete leader causing the Europeans to interact inappropriately with the indigenous peoples of the newly discovered lands. The Europeans treated the natives cruelly and uses their dominance to enslave them for cheap labor. The fact that Christopher Columbus disrespected many people during his time should not be celebrated for those people's descendents are living now, and to celebrate would be rude and inconsiderate.
I feel that instead of having a "Columbus Day" we should just have a day which celebrates all discoverers. By doing this, we would be promoting new things and ideas and more people may want to try new things. Columbus' actions in dealing with the indigenous people whom he crossed paths with should not be repeated and are a bad example on how to treat new aquaintances. Columbus' actions in discovering a new Hemisphere, however, should be admired and everyone should aspire to do as he did by trying something new even if it goes against the norm.
As a society I believe we should view Columbus as pioneer of exploration in the New World. Columbus can be celebrated because he connected two vastly different worlds. He ushered in the Modern Age, and his discovery was one of the high points of the Age of Discovery. To Europe, and especially Spain, Columbus’s achievement is viewed as a wonderful achievement. It led to wealth and glory. As stated in “When Worlds Collide” the word colonialismo comes from Colón itself. Are we not glorifying Columbus in that instance? Since Columbus found a new world, the European economy flourished. Europe expanded their trade, got involved in the spice trade and increased their power. Columbus can also be celebrated because by discovering this new world, he paved the way for better navigation and understanding of the earth. Columbus should get recognition for an intellectually changing Europe, going from accepting a geocentric model to a heliocentric model. Columbus paved the way for European dominance in trade and politics as well. However, while being celebrated, Columbus can also be vilified by some. As a pioneer of exploration, Columbus has to be viewed in both lights, how much of the good outweighs the bad? Many accuse Columbus and his treatment of Indians as genocide. People accuse him of slavery and murder, and there is the fact that around 95% of the Indians in Mexico and Central America perished. Maybe Columbus’s actions can be viewed as this, but a huge factor was disease. Disease, not murder killed many Indians as well. Also it can’t really be considered genocide, as Columbus didn’t know these people existed before he set sail. He didn’t have a purpose to come and to execute as many Indians as possible. However any loss of life is regrettable and Columbus might have played a hand in it. We just can’t blame all these deaths on Columbus, there were other Europeans, disease, and intertribal wars. Columbus can’t be vilified for something we don’t have all the facts for. However I wouldn’t go as far as Charles Krauthammer went in stating, “mankind is better for it”. The loss of a population is not something to celebrate, its just can’t be used to vilify Columbus, the blame should be shared. Columbus though, does deserve blame for spreading the ideas of Indians as “barbarians”, since that was his first impression of this new society. Therefore I believe Columbus should be celebrated for his discoveries and the lasting impact on Europe and the Age of Exploration. You can’t blame Columbus for starting a genocide either. He shouldn’t be celebrated for killing people, but it wasn’t all on his shoulders. We should look at Columbus for the lasting impact he left on the world and for all the explorations and discoveries that followed him.
As a society, we should celebrate Christopher Columbus just for being the first European to discover the New World. He should not be given more credit than what he did, but he also should not be blamed for things that occurred in the Americas after his death. Columbus was the first to attempt to reach India by sailing strait through the Atlantic Ocean rather than going around Africa. It was brave considering that he did not know what he was going to encounter, and that is something that people should recognize. When he found lands, he managed to return to the same general area three more times, and his findings led to the colonization of the area around the Caribbean where he landed and the rest of the Americas. His explorations were very important to the history of Europe and the New World. Things occurred after Columbus that he is often blamed for. The populations of the natives, which he referred to as Indians, dropped dramatically. This was because of diseases brought by Europeans that the natives were not immune to, which the Europeans could not control. However, many of the deaths were due to the harsh treatment, which has been referred to as genocide and compared with the holocaust. Columbus should not be blamed for these things because it happened on voyages that he was not a part of. As James Axtel points out, we cannot blame whole societies or one person for the mistakes made by a few. Other Spaniards were the ones responsible for the genocide of the natives in America. At the same time, Columbus should not be celebrated for things that he did not accomplish. Many people think of Columbus and associate him with the colonization of the New World, which is inaccurate. Columbus died still thinking he had reached India. He did not know that he had discovered new land and should not be given credit for colonizing the lands. He only found them and that is what we should remember him for and the reason we should celebrate him.
Despite the fact that Columbus’s expeditions resulted in the deaths of many Native Americans and other indigenous peoples, he should not be held completely accountable. He and his men did kill many of the natives, but it was mostly from diseases that they did not purposely wish to spread to these people. I feel like historians and others today are extremely critical of Columbus’s actions, but he was really just going along with what all of the other explorers did during the time. If someone got in their way, they felt that it was necessary to remove them so that they could continue on with their exploration. Obviously it wasn’t very kind of him to kill people, but he was doing what he thought was necessary, and what anyone else at the time would have done if they were in his position. I think that it’s unfair for people to call Columbus evil, because he positively affected European exploration, and most of the harm caused was unintentional. I think it is complete bollucks for anyone to compare Columbus to Hitler, because they are so very different. While Hitler’s actions were completely and utterly intentional, Columbus was not aware that the natives were not immune to European disease. Hitler wanted to create a scapegoat for Germany’s failing economy, and have a reason to kill off a mass amount of people, but Columbus just wanted to explore the new lands that he had happened upon. He realized it after awhile that he and his crew were responsible for the pestilence, but he didn’t arrive on their land knowing that his presence would kill them. Columbus was mainly a good man, who was extremely bright. I guess he was a little bit stubborn, because he never accepted that he wasn’t in Asia. Still, his influences and exploration helped in European expansion and intelligence.
Despite the fact that Columbus’s expeditions resulted in the deaths of many Native Americans and other indigenous peoples, he should not be held completely accountable. He and his men did kill many of the natives, but it was mostly from diseases that they did not purposely wish to spread to these people. I feel like historians and others today are extremely critical of Columbus’s actions, but he was really just going along with what all of the other explorers did during the time. If someone got in their way, they felt that it was necessary to remove them so that they could continue on with their exploration. Obviously it wasn’t very kind of him to kill people, but he was doing what he thought was necessary, and what anyone else at the time would have done if they were in his position. I think that it’s unfair for people to call Columbus evil, because he positively affected European exploration, and most of the harm caused was unintentional. I think it is complete bollucks for anyone to compare Columbus to Hitler, because they are so very different. While Hitler’s actions were completely and utterly intentional, Columbus was not aware that the natives were not immune to European disease. Hitler wanted to create a scapegoat for Germany’s failing economy, and have a reason to kill off a mass amount of people, but Columbus just wanted to explore the new lands that he had happened upon. He realized it after awhile that he and his crew were responsible for the pestilence, but he didn’t arrive on their land knowing that his presence would kill them. Columbus was mainly a good man, who was extremely bright. I guess he was a little bit stubborn, because he never accepted that he wasn’t in Asia. Still, his influences and exploration helped in European expansion and intelligence.
“In fourteen hundred ninety-two Columbus sailed the ocean blue. He had three ships and left from Spain; He sailed through sunshine, wind and rain.”
The following quote is from a popular children’s poem describing the adventures of Christopher Columbus while he traveled the world. Christopher Columbus has been a major historical figure that we have learned about since a very young age, and he is renowned for discovering America and successfully uniting European culture with America. However, there are always two sides to every story, and as young children we did not learn the other side. Columbus was always portrayed as a brave explorer who had such a positive impact on the lives of the global society. Not only did he impact the world then by encouraging others to explore, but he still impacts the world today; after all, we do celebrate Columbus Day in his honor in America. But, at age sixteen I discovered that all of what I learned was one-sided. Apparently, Columbus was partially responsible for the “first holocaust” and brutally murdering Native Americans and other indigenous people of foreign lands. So now, after learning the other side of the story, I must decide how I feel about Columbus, and whether or not he should still be seen as the brave explorer or a villain.
Columbus’s intent was actually to explore India, but due to some miscalculations, he ended up in America. Although Columbus was not the first to discover America, his explorations were the first ones to make an impact. Without Columbus, would America have been what it was then and is today? Surely he should be celebrated for aiding in the early European establishment in our country. Even though Columbus brutally killed the natives when he arrived, he did it to protect himself and to help him explore land. His actions do not differ in the behavior of other explorers during the Age of Discovery. This being said, it is clear that Columbus was not the only explorer to kill natives, so the “first holocaust” and genocide cannot be entirely blamed on him. While Columbus had his fair share of wrong doings, he should not be vilified. To travel the world without certainty and in hopes to discover new worlds to expand our horizons is one of the bravest things a person can do. Should Columbus be stripped of his bravery, because he killed natives? Not completely, because the good appear to outweigh the bad.
Columbus was a man with a passion for adventure and wanted to explore new worlds. His actions led to economic success for Spain and Europe as a whole, but also partially made America what it is today. If Columbus, a European, did not have such a profound impact on America, what would have become of it? We may never know, but based on what we do know, I believe he should still be celebrated for helping establish the land in which we live in.
I think Christopher Columbus should be viewed as a hero. He didn't have the intention on bringing diseases to America and thats what people blame him for. I think its unfair to blame him for all those deaths. If it wasn't for Christopher Columbus America wouldn't be like it is today. Yes America would have been discovered sooner or later but if it was discovered by another country such as France or England, they might not have treated the Indians as the Spanish did. And if America was found by a different country they still would have brought diseases with them no matter what. So instead of Christopher Columbus being blamed for all the deaths, another explorer would have been blamed. I think that Christopher Columbus should be celebrated for discovering America, and not ridiculed for bringing diseases (which he never meant to bring) Now I'm not condoning his treatment of the Native Americans, i think it was very cruel what he did to them and i don't think he should be celebrated in that aspect whatsoever. It has been tradition that we celebrate the discovery of America and I think that it should continue. It is up to the person if they personally want to celebrate it or not. Columbus was an explorer and thats what he did he explored and found America. That is why he should be celebrated.
Christopher Columbus was a great explorer who should be viewed by our society just as he is now. Columbus is the founder of our homeland and for this reason we celebrate him. Through his voyage to the Americas, he inspired other people to sail out towards it as well. Without him, could it be said that our great country would be the same as it is today? It can’t. What is known, is that from his voyage, the America lived in today exists. There is a reason that most children in the United States know Christopher Columbus’s name. Growing up, they are taught George Washington, the father of our country, Thomas Edison, the man who brought everyone an electric light bulb from which we live our lives, and Christopher Columbus. If Christopher Columbus were truly a man who should be vilified, why would the youngest generation of this country be singing songs of his name? He sailed out into an unknown world, not sure of what he would encounter, a sure show of bravery, which is yet another thing we celebrate about him. It is said that he led the genocide of Native Americans. In many ways this is true. He killed mass amounts of the natives and is in large, a reason that they, as a population, began to die out. However, the morals and ideas that people today look back on him with are different than that of a man living in that day in age. Today, people know the outcome of the deaths of these innocent people, back then Columbus only saw the act as one for economic and political gain. This is why the comparison that is often done today of Columbus and Hitler is completely inaccurate. Hitler killed with the motive of killing out a population. Columbus killed for reasons that would better his people. While, still wrong, it really can’t be considered an act of cruelty such as Hitler’s. While Christopher Columbus had his flaws, as any human being does, he was still a great explorer, and the founder of our country. He acted valiantly to travel the unknown world and came to find the place we call home today. For that reason, Columbus should be thought of no differently from how he is now, and should continue to be celebrated.
Although Columbus was horrible to the natives of the Americas, as well as brought others who were in fact even worse than he was, he personally, and alone, cannot be blamed for the poor treatment of the Native Americans. Columbus was an explorer and should have been treated as such, he was a good captain with the minor flaw of being narrow minded, for example believing, although all proof pointed otherwise, that the Americas were actually the East Indies. When Columbus was in the Caribbean, he was put in charge of a settlement, and chaos ensued. This was not his fault, he was put in charge of something he was not qualified to charge, he was a close minded sea captain, and that is all. Although because Columbus came to the Americas many Native Americans died, it can not be all on his shoulders. Yes, he was the “first” one to connect Europe and the Americas and did “discover” it, but it was not his fault that the Natives were not immune to the diseases he brought, and he was merely following a stereotype in enslaving the few that were enslaved. Those that were enslaved weren’t even done so by Columbus as much as the settlers who followed in his stead. That is not to say that Columbus does not deserve any of the blame, he was still a human and should have realized what was happening around him. He is merely a figurehead for both sides, on the one side, he discovered America, he was the one and only one who received credit for this discovery, but this is the hero side. On the other hand, he is also blamed for much more than was his fault, yes, he was the first one to discover America, which put him as the one who brought the disease and slavery to the Americas. Neither of these could have been possible without his crew, and the settlers that followed in his stead. Columbus was not a hero in his time, nor in ours, but he was also not a villain, he was just a good explorer who got lucky in his discovery of an unknown land, but also drew the short straw in receiving the blame for the deaths of so many of the natives of America. He was a good explorer who was not cut out for leadership other than on his boat, but got stuck being such a leader, which caused problems, not Columbus himself, but his actions due to his incompetence as a leader.
Christopher Columbus, the man himself, should be celebrated for his navigational prowess and success in being the first to effectively connect two areas of the world previously unknown to each other. Other aspects of the man, such as his ignorance of what he accomplished, poor governing skills, and atrocities against the native people, do not deserve to be celebrated; in fact some deserve to be vilified. Because of this mixed bag of Columbus’s attributes, the man deserves to be commemorated, not blindly celebrated or completely disparaged. This would be equivocal to praising the big picture of what he accomplished despite his personal flaws. Growing up in the American school system, learning about Columbus and how he sailed the ocean blue is pretty much the first history-related thing anyone remembers being taught. This is reflective of the idea that Columbus’s legacy has risen to almost myth-like status. In our younger days, we were simply taught that Columbus with his three ships was a great explorer and discoverer of the “New World”—none of his negative traits or actions were brought to our attention. Now that one is knowledgeable about his beliefs and actions that continued (or set the mark for continuation in a New World) a pattern of atrocity towards “savage” non-Christians of the world, I am hesitant to think of him as a heroic figure. I think it comes down to whether society thinks that the discovery of the New World, an enormous feat in terms of historical progression, is a big enough deal to overshadow the darker aspects of what Columbus did. At this point, the majority of society deems the accomplishment worthy of commemoration and a three-day weekend. Once again, Columbus’s navigational accomplishment in terms of its effect on history deserves to respected and remembered, but his character flaws should also be taken into account.
Christopher Columbus can be a very polarizing figure in history. Whenever he is brought up, most everyone has their own very strong opinion on him. Many believe that he was a hero, and should be remembered as the great explorer who discovered and began colonizing America. Others claim that he was nothing more than an ignorant product of the middle ages who miscalculated the size of the Earth, and whose cruel acts toward the indigenous people of America qualify as genocide. I feel that we should view Columbus as something between the two. Lavishing excessive praise on him for being the one to "discover" America is not truly fair. Historical evidence has shown that centuries before Columbus, many Vikings were fishing off the coast of Newfoundland, and most likely made contact with the Native Americans. This means Columbus was not the first European to find the Americas. Until the day he died, he was not even aware that he was in a "new" continent. He was, however, certainly the first European explorer to establish a permanent Colony in the Americas, which the Viking explorers of earlier centuries did not. It cannot be denied that the establishing of the first European Colony in America has had an astronomical effect on the course of events since then, whether or not one believes the colony should ever have been founded in the first place. To consider Columbus as being on par with Hitler is also extreme, and for all intents and purposes, not accurate. He and his fellow colonists were, on an almost constant basis, very cruel to the Native Americans, enslaving them and even killed and maimed many for sport. However, their main goal was not to wipe out the entire race, but rather to use them for their own gains. I am not trying to justify the actions of the early colonists, or diminish their cruelty, but am merely stating that I don't think "genocide" is an appropriate label for what happened. Many who consider Columbus a man who committed genocide also label him as being stupid or ignorant for thinking that he was in Asia. While it is true that there was overwhelming evidence that should have been obvious after spending some time in America, there is no way he could have known immediately. Additionally, he was still somewhat ahead of his time in believing that the world was round, even if he did miscalculate its size. It seems to me that the most fair way to view Columbus is as a man who had a very large impact on the course of history. The establishment of the first European colony in America is of obvious importance, as it lead to the eventual founding of the United States of America. He was also, however a stubborn and cruel man, who allowed and often took part in unspeakable cruelty towards the indigenous people of America. To forget either one of these things, or to exaggerate one and diminish the other, fundamentally alters the image of Columbus. It is essential to keep both the good and bad in mind when thinking of Columbus, just as one should with any significant historical figure.
Christopher Columbus has been a major historical figure in the United States for many years, no matter what way people look at him. It is undeniable that what he did played an extremely important role in the expansion of European countries and that he had a large impact on the indigenous peoples of these new lands. He was also very successful in carrying the European culture to the Americas and forming a new way of life. However, I feel that society’s view of Christopher Columbus’s achievements are largely dependent on the ethnic background of the people who are judging him. While most Americans view him as a hero and someone who should be celebrated, there are others who feel that what he did should be considered genocide and a crime against humanity. Descendants of the Native Americans and Aztec civilizations may express a feeling of hatred toward Columbus for the disease and enslavement that he brought with him to the Americas, leading to the deaths of thousands of inhabitants. On the other hand, Europeans and modern day Americans would celebrate Christopher Columbus’s legacy, as he helped make us what we are today. Personally, I feel that we should celebrate the expedition of Christopher Columbus because it was a necessary step that the world need to take if it wanted to grow and expand. If you think about it, if Columbus didn’t come to the America’s when he did, than someone else would have farther on down the road. It was inevitable that someone would stumble across this “new world”, and when they did there was no way that they could avoid bringing disease and hardship with them. It was something that came with the territory. That being said, I still think that we should respect the lives of the native inhabitants of our land and recognize their beliefs that Columbus destroyed their civilization. Overall, I think that we should commemorate Columbus for his courageous acts and realize that there wasn’t anything he could do about bringing disease and hardships.
To vilify or not to vilify Christopher Columbus, that is the question? But within this question lies the notion of should or should not a man be praised, who through his own obstinacy and anti-empiricism discovered a new world. I myself believe that society should not extol Christopher, but rather praise his symbolic representation as the origin of a less-primitive society and nation. I believe that there is a major wall of separation dividing a person’s character and one’s accomplishments. In many reputable primary sources such as “When World’s Collide,” Tirado explains how Columbus had no incentive in finding a New World, but rather to find a new route to Asia, in order to indulge in its wealth and to evade Muslim intermediaries. He also goes on to explain how Columbus was an anti-empiricist, in that, he only accepted his own belief that he had found a new route to Asia and rejected those ideas contrary to his, which indeed amplifies great obstinacy. But although one may come to the epiphany that Columbus’s obstinacy and anti-empiricism may not conform to what society today may brand as a hero, the fact of the matter is, Columbus founded the America in which we live today, even if his character personifies stubbornness and a firm rejection of factual evidence. Therefore I believe not Columbus himself but rather his accomplishment should be solely revered by today’s society Now on the notion that Columbus should be vilified, because of the genocide of Native Americans, I highly beg to differ. Even if Columbus did bring oppression to the Native Americans, the majority of their deaths was because of disease. But does it make sense that Columbus being a human being should be held accountable for something that is as relatively impalpable such as disease? I think not! Now I myself am befuddled when Columbus is compared to Hitler. I am at awe at such an erroneous comparison. How can Hitler, a man who evidently loathed the Jews, be compared to a man who had no primary incentive to kill the Native Americans? Columbus’s motivation although intertwined with stubbornness was to find a new route to Asia and not slaughter an entire ethos or culture. But although I disagree with those various ideas justifying Columbus’s vilification, I still believe that Christopher Columbus should not be solely venerated or revered by society, but rather his accomplishment and his symbolic representation as the origin of a less-primitive America, which today rightfully claims to be worthy as the embodiment of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
To ask whether Columbus should be celebrated or vilified is a hard question. There are many who would argue that Columbus, despite his many doubtful actions, indirectly led to the birth and settlement of the present-day Americas. However, looking not at the effect of Columbus's actions, but rather the cause, it is almost laughable that a country like the U.S.A., founded on determination, intelligence and skill, should have a Columbus Day. While not a villian, Columbus is most certainly not a hero or a daring explorer to be idolized and acclaimed. His discovery of America, as most authorities agree, was more dumb luck than any real sense of destination. In fact, Columbus, despite all evidence to the contrary, believed himself to be in Asia, and stubbornly refused to admit his obvious mistake. Upon settling in the Americas, Columbus further proved his incapability as a leader. For example, James Axtell states, in his article "The Moral Demensions of 1492", that such titles of genocide have been applied to Columbus and his contemporaries due to "the Spaniards' wanton killing of Tainos...during Columbus' inept governorship in 1494-95." Failing to recognize the natives that he encountered as anything other than slave labor, Columbus began a bloody legacy, that other Spanish settlers and conquistadors emulated. While he cannot be blamed for the following pattern of disease that wiped out a majority of the Native Americans, since this consquence would have come about regardless of who arrived in America, he can be blamed for establishing the natives as less-than-human. What is perhaps most frustrating, and therefore, least savory aspect of Columbus, is that he cannot be considered a villain. None of his actions suggest any purposeful malicious intent, but rather, a pig-headed ignorance, that led to the death of thousands. Columbus is no Hitler, but rather someone unable to recognize his actions and the results of them.
Although Columbus was not an amazing person he still changed the direction of our world as we know it. I believe that no matter what happened that discovery should be celebrated. It was thanks to Columbus that Europe moved into the age of exploration. Columbus did not treat the natives well, but still he did find the Americas and he did open a new part of the world to Europe. I believe that society should celebrate the finding of the new world by Columbus. It changed the course of history. Just because he didn’t treat the natives well, doesn’t mean that such an accomplishment should go uncelebrated.
There are many reasons as to why one may reflect on Christopher Columbus as a character with a heroic stature in society, due his discovery of the Americas in 1492. On the contrary however, one may denigrate and degrade Columbus for having an “un hero like” personality as well as being a poor administer of a colony. In my opinion Christopher Columbus should not be celebrated or vilified in society, instead be viewed as a historical figure who caused the clash of two worlds, and sparked the emergence of various expeditions of the Americas.
Columbus, to this day, is a man whom the children of America are taught to praise and celebrate from youth. This is by no means wrong- Columbus deserves recognition for his accomplishments. Though the fact that his discovery was unintentional is not necessarily relevant in questioning whether or not he deserves this praise; if he had not stumbled upon this big pile of dirt we now live on, someone else would have done so, most probably by accident. As we praise Columbus, we would praise whoever brought this land onto the European map of the world. On the same note, we should not diminish Columbus’s standing because he did not discover a route to the Asian mainland, as was his original agenda. One man can only do so much.
However, as we celebrate the accomplishments of Columbus, it is not right to ignore the fact that his discoveries had negative effects, especially on the lives of American Natives. A great number of natives died from the effects of Europe on their land- through disease, overwork, and other various causes. However, the Europeans did not come to the Americas on the intention of hurting the natives. And as Columbus did not even believe himself to be in the Americas, he cannot be blamed for the events that followed his discovery. Finally, as stated above, if Columbus had not landed in the Americas, then the discovery would be named to someone else sooner or later. This land is too big to be missing from the maps forever and so Europe would have trickled into the lives of these natives with or without Columbus.
In conclusion, Columbus deserves to be recognized for his accomplishment of unintentionally making Europe aware of the Americas, but should not be held responsible for the unavoidable effects of European contact with the natives.
When I was child, I learned about Christopher Columbus, the brave explorer who found a “New World”. It is true that he played a considerable role in European Exploration. However, now I am learning the other side of the story. I am learning about how Columbus, in fact, started centuries of slave trade, oppression, and even a mass murder against the Native Americans. There is a large controversy over whether Columbus was a hero, or a villain. I do not believe that Columbus can be described as a hero or a villain. He simply should be recognized for changing the world.
Christopher Columbus set out on a voyage to find a route to East Asia by way of the Atlantic Ocean. His calculation ended up being way off and he ended up traveling for longer than he had predicted. While a large portion of his crew wanted to quit and return home, Columbus was still determined, partly because he was a stubborn man. His braveness, stubbornness, and determination finally paid off when they reached land. He believed that he had finally reached East Asia, but later it was proved that he landed in present-day Haiti. Even though he did not reach his set destination, he still made a remarkable discovery for Europe. The purpose of his voyage was to explore new lands, and boost the economy Europe. He did indeed do this, so because of his braveness I believe that we should recognize his accomplishments. When he reached the “New World”, The Grand Exchange occurred between the natives and the Europeans. This was the exchange of plants, animals, foods, slaves, diseases, knowledge and ideas that occurred between the Eastern and Western hemispheres. Many people argue that he was a villain because he committed genocide, but I believe this is false. Although he killed many Native Americans, you can not consider it genocide because unlike Hitler, he did not have the intention of eliminating a whole race. His actions reflected his time period. Most of the other explorers would have treated the Native American’s the same way if they were in Columbus’ position. He killed the Native Americans for the benefit of Spain. In fact the majority of the Native Americans died because of disease unknowingly carried over by the Europeans.
Although Columbus didn’t commit genocide, he did kill a large amount of Native Americans, so I don’t believe he should be celebrated. The only other person who has a national holiday to celebrate them is Martin Luther King Jr. Isn’t it contradictory how we celebrate both Martin Luther King Jr. and Christopher Columbus? One tried to end all racism, a downfall of society stemming from slavery, while the other took part in the slave trade. It is wrong to say that we celebrate Columbus for his scientific discoveries, because his sailing calculations were completely wrong. It was by luck that he found land. Some people also credit him with proving that the earth was spherical, even though some educated people already knew this before him.
Although Columbus treated the Native Americans whom he encountered harshly, he accomplished something that dictated the future of Europe, and the rest of the world. He opened up Europe to a “New World”. If Columbus had not made his discoveries that he made, the world would be a different place today. The mass murder of Native Americans should not be blamed on Columbus, for he was reflecting his time period. He was a man who simply sought adventure, and because of this, impacted the world. Although he made these accomplishments, he should not be celebrated because of the terrible ways he treated the natives. Therefore, Columbus Day should simply be a day of remembrance.
I think we can safely say that the historical date known the most by American children is the fateful day that Columbus sailed the ocean blue. The children would probably not even know the day that this country became independent. He is the universal hero that founded our great nation. There is another side to this tale though, what would they think of their savior if the knew that he not only was the bearer of society annihilating viruses. Is it possible that they may be more appalled if they know that he may also be the originator of the skeleton in America’s closet, slavery?
When Columbus came to the West Indies he brought with him the European virus smallpox, the disease spread island by island wiping out entire villages. The devastation was catastrophic but was poorly recorded because of the Spanish bias. And likewise the start of slavery was fueled by the need of replacement of the rapidly dying Indian slaves for stronger healthier ones from Africa.
When faced with these facts I think that instead of taking Columbus Day off, we should spend it in school learning of the atrocities that fell upon the natives.
Christopher Columbus has always been celebrated as a hero, who found America. Recently people have looked at him and blamed him for the genocide of the native populations off the Americas. Both these views are somewhat distorted. We should look at Columbus not as a hero or a monster, but a man who simply wanted to better his nation, but was undoubtedly put in circumstances he was not qualified to deal with.
Christopher Columbus was born in Italy and raised to be a sailor. He was an educated man and was not a common sailor. Columbus’s purpose for this trip had always been to help better his nation. He had set forth to find away to the east across the ocean. This would have been extremely useful to Spain as they could have controlled that trade route. He was an educated man and was not a common sailor. He was smart enough to discard older beliefs that the world was flat and also to provide calculations to show its circumference. Though wrong they show that he was learned and knew a fair amount. Using this he was able to convince the queen of Spain to support his trip. With mathematics and the queen on his side Columbus was convinced he was correct. He meant to help bring wealth to his nation and spread its power. He should be looked at as a nationalist for this, as he risked his life to help better Spain. He sailed for 3 months without complete or moderately accurate sea charts. Were it not for his 3 voyages to the New World, Spain would have never risen to power. It also could have fallen as England and Portugal hade in the 1560s. His discoveries not only led to the Spanish "Golden Age", but also secured this state for years to come.
There are people who compare Columbus’s influence on the people and culture of native America as the first Holocaust or as “Genocide in the Americas.” But most of the blame can not be put on him. He was simply a sailor who was given power that he did not know how to control. When he was rewarded for his discovery with political power, and given the title of Governor of the Indies. He should not have been given this position, because he did not have the qualifications to run a settlement. Christopher had the qualities of a good captain but not a governor. It is true he was very active in the slave trade between the Americas and Europe, although this was never his original idea. His goal was to find silver and gold. When he did not find this, he tried to make up for it with the slave trade. This is a brash political move made by someone who doesn’t fully know they‘re doing. Columbus is also blamed for the deaths of many due to disease. Columbus is blamed for diseases brought to the New World. Columbus probably was not aware of the immune system’s ability to defend itself from infections. He had no idea that the natives’ had lack of this against European diseases, from being isolated. Columbus could not have possibly controlled the murder of many natives in the New World or the conquest of their lands. He also can’t be blamed for future attempts to use dieses against the natives. Columbus was not a man whose goal was to find a new world and destroy it; he was an explorer who simply was given too much power.
Christopher Columbus was not a Hitler, or orchestrater of mass genocide. He was simply an explorer. He sought to better his nation and bring it into power. He can’t be blamed for being awarded a position that he was not qualified to hold and the ensuing actions that he took. Columbus should be viewed as an explorer and nothing else.
Society as a whole has been taught to view Columbus as a hero. He found the americas right? WRONG! Columbus found Hispanola. Not the Americas. If anything, one could claim he barely reached the mainland. He was a bad governer, and a bad business man, and for these reasons, he shoud not be celebrated. However, if Columbus had done his math correctly, and had not believed that the world was round, he would never have found that there was something between Europe and Asia on the other side of the world. For these reasons, he SHOULD be celebrated. Should he be vilified? No, I do not believe that Columbus should be vilified. Yes, he did some bad things. He killed the majority of the natives on Hispanola. However, one needs to realize that Columbus didn’t know better. The Church did not even recognize these natives as people. How would one expect Columbus to think otherwise. Yes, he was sailing to find a trade route to Asia, however, he was a staunt catholic, and he trusted the church and their decisions. Also, Columbus himself did not kill as many people as disease did. As we said in class, could one consider the Black Death a genocide because muslim traders carried it with them on the Silk Road? No. It is not considered a genocide because it was not deliberate. Columbus did not dileberately bring Small Pox to the Americas. The European immune system could handle it, the natives immune system could not. Overall, there were good and bad things about Columbus, and every individual has a right to chose what they feel, but if I had to make a decision, I would say that he should be celebrated more than vilified.
I think that as a society we should view Columbus as no more than a smoking gun. Though what happened to the natives was atrocious, it was not Columbus's fault. He was just following the orders given to him by the King and Queen. If you read Privileges and Prerogatives Granted by Their Catholic Majesties to Christopher Columbus you would see just how true this is. It reads: "For as much of you, Christopher Columbus, are going by our command, with some of our vessels and men, to discover and subdue some Islands and Continent in the ocean, and it is hoped that by God's assistance, some of the said Islands and Continent in the ocean will be discovered and conquered by your means." As you can see, he was not just sent to discover, but also to "subdue" and to "conquer". The the smallpox epidemic is much the same. Although it was he who brought it to the New World, he did not make the decision to spread it around and kill millions of natives with it. The Europeans had no knowledge that their mere arrival in a new land would bring death, and had they been bestowed with this knowledge, I feel their actions would have been different. That is why Columbus is not a villain or a hero, but merely the messenger of a higher power, be it the King and Queen or even the power of nature and disease.
In today's society children grow up with the thought that Christopher Columbus is a hero and he single handy discovered the Americas. Christopher Columbus was given his own holiday which makes people think he was responsibly for the discovering the Americans and how he was a great leader of colonies. To give him credit he was an excellent sailor but there shouldn't be so much emphasis on his impact on the Americas. Yes it's true that Christopher Columbus was a brave man who was able to sail across the Atlantic which at this time was rare. Although I don't think he should be looked at as a hero because he didn't even know were he was. He was in the Caribbean, the Americas and he believed he was in India! He happened to stumbled upon the Americas. Through out his life he believes he found India. This says he was not a sensible man because people where able to prove to him that the products coming out of the real India where not the same as the products coming out of the Americas. Such as sugars and spices which came form the Caribbean islands and not Asia. I also think most people don't know how he killed massive amounts of natives through European disease that he brought. Or the fact that he treated the natives poorly and killed any of them that stood in his way or didn't agree with his rules as a governor. It seems society doesn't teach Christopher Columbus's full story and that they enhance his actual contributions to the Americas. Christopher Columbus should be viewed as a European explorer that helped advance the Americas, not as a glorified hero in which we are brought up believing.
Christopher Columbus is widely acknowledged as the first man ever to reach the Americas. He is one of the best known navigators in history for his finding of the New World at a time in which the world was only known to consist of Europe, Africa, and Asia. In this day and age, society tends to view Columbus as a hero who set in motion everything that is North and South America today and as a villain who brought about many troubles upon the native peoples of the Caribbean and Central and South America. But, how should Columbus truly be viewed? Columbus should be viewed as a man who did something great unintentionally. When Columbus set off on August 12, 1492 he was in search of a faster route to Asia not to a whole New World. When he arrived in the Caribbean he thought that he had reached Asia. In fact, in his reports to Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand he wrote about the natives as Indians. Also, Columbus never even realized that he had reached a new world and stubbornly refused to believe it until his death in 1506, 14 years after he reached the Caribbean. This showed that his great feat was completely unintentional. Some people think that Columbus should be vilified. There is no denying the fact that he discovered the Americas, possibly one of the greatest discoveries in the history of the world, but people think that because of all of the monstrosities inflicted upon the natives that he should be seen as a villain. Although Columbus’s discovery brought smallpox and other European diseases as well as the conquistadors to the America’s he did not intentionally plan for all of this to happen. Also, in the case of his rule as governor, he was only following the rules laid out to him by his superiors. Therefore, I believe he should not be vilified but should be thought of as the bearer of many hardships upon a “simple and honest” group of people (Columbus’s letter to the treasurer to the King and Queen of Spain). As can be seen, Columbus should not be viewed as either a hero or villain. He should be viewed as a man who unknowingly made a great discovery which led to many troubles for many people but also set in motion everything that is the Americas today.
Christopher Columbus is and should be considered one of the greatest discoverers of his them (King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain) his harsh treatment of natives day. Although his discoveries were largely inaccurate they were still groundbreaking and touched off a wave of colonization that would spread from the southern most tip to the northern most parts of the Americas. Although his discoveries eventually lead to great wealth for the monarchs who financed, not to mention the tremendous inaccuracy of his calculations when trying to determine the circumference of the earth is often left out of, or briefly mentioned in basic history. Although these aspects should not be the focus of the information learned about Columbus they should still be addressed. History of a person or region, is not true history unless all aspects and hidden information concerning the subject are revealed. Columbus’s successes as an explorer are crucial parts of European and American history. However, his geographical failures and unnecessarily harsh treatment of native peoples ought not to be overlooked.
The question of how we view Christopher Columbus is not a simple matter. Saying that he is either a hero or a villain is making this question into a black and white issue, when in fact there are all different shades of gray in between. The answer to this question lies in perspective. To Europeans, especially the Spanish and the Italians, Christopher Columbus was the quintessential hero during that time. He was a trailblazer, a man who basically sacrificed his life to find a route to India. He ushered in the age of exploration and caused a giant change in the economic, political and social system of Europe. However, looking at it from the Native American’s and African’s side of view, Columbus is considered villain. Both sides opinion is radically different and it shows how even in the modern day, the cultural divide that was caused more than 500 years ago is still a point of debate. When Columbus finally hit land and thought he had found India, it became one of the most important events in the history of the world since the extinction of dinosaurs. He risked a great deal of time, money, and even his own life to find the coveted route to India by way of the Atlantic Ocean. Even thought he didn’t find India, Spain was still greatly helped by the amount of gold and other natural resources that was found in the Americas. After that moment, Christopher Columbus has become a pop culture icon. He is a representative of the superiority of Europeans at that time. He also combined the best of all worlds. He was a result of the middle ages, Italian born, funded by Spain, and also a Catholic. He was the symbol of exploration years after his actions. And maybe the most important aspect of his discovery of the Americas is that after about 450-55 years, America has risen to be one of the greatest nations in the world. And in response to those who say he is responsible for the genocide of the indigenous people of the Americas, it isn’t fair to place all the blame on him. He was a product of the ideology of white skin privilege, so he was brought up to be told that white men are the greatest race of people. If anyone is to take blame for the killing of all those ingenious people, it should be the society of Europe at that time. Also, much of the death was not caused by killing, as James Axtell states, “Gross demographical statistics--conjured from fragmentary figures and social-scientific assumptions and often inflated for moral or political reasons rather than historical necessity---are impossible to interpret clearly because they include the victims of intertribal warfare, migration and dislocation, and uncontrollable natural disasters, as well as overwork and other forms of colonial oppression.” (Axtell). This means, that murder was not the only reason the native population was killed. Columbus does have to share the blame because he did help in enslaving of the native people; however, he alone is not the culprit. In one of Columbus’s journal, he talks about how he thought the native people were beautiful but, “They are fit to be ordered about and made to work". Clearly, Columbus also held a notion that the native people were in fact inferior to him and his European ways. He enslaved many Native Americans to help the struggling outpost that he created and also sent back slaves in return for supplies. He set a precedent for all others that would come to the “New World”. A century of abuse and murder caused basically an extinction of Native Americans in both present day USA and South America. The statistics that are used show the enormity of how many people were actually killed. It is said that between 97-99% of Native American’s were killed from the moment Columbus set foot on the shores of Hispaniola to the massacre at Wounded Knee in 1890. That means between 50-80 million native people died during that time. That’s 8 times more than the Holocaust and is it more people than all of the genocides combined. However, this fact is rarely every written about in history books, why, because Native Americans aren’t “worthy victims”. They aren’t white, they believe in pagan religions, and their existence is just proof of the genocide Europe created and is the reason you and me are alive in America. Native Americans are one of the most disregarded people in world, and the fact that it took 500 years for people to realize that amount of damage Columbus caused in his journey, is truly amazing. When one looks at Columbus’s discovery from the Native American’s point of view, it is impossible to see Columbus as a hero. Even people, who admired him, realized his faults in this situation. Father Bartolome de las Casas, the “Apostle of the Indies”, admired Columbus as a sea-faring man and a man of god, however he saw Columbus’s evils. He couldn’t understand how, “a man good by nature and of good intentions should have been so blind in so clear a matter". (Tirado) Overall, Columbus was the jump-off for the biggest killing of a people to ever occur, so he can be viewed as a villain. Columbus’s discovery is a cataclysmic event in the history of the world. It set in motion, a chain of events that would eventually lead to the formation of maybe the greatest nation to grace the earth. But on the other hand, it also leads to the near extinction of a certain group of people and also helped in the rise of prejudice based on skin color. Though, Columbus’s helped Spain and Europe and eventually USA, he cannot be called a hero, he helped kill millions of Native Americans. However, he cannot be called a villain either. He was only an explorer, a sea-faring man. He wasn’t fit to be a governor of a settlement. He had no administrative experience, and he showed it in his poor-governing of La Isabella. Also, his treatment of Native Americans was a deep-seated prejudice that was placed in his mind by the education and the general views of European society at that time. Columbus should share part of the blame, but so should European society as a whole. Right now, Native American groups want to blame European countries for the atrocities which occurred in the “New World” but Europe wants no part in that, they just want to celebrate their great discovery. I believe the most logical step, is not to celebrate Columbus Day as the day when he discovered the Americas. It should be a day of commemoration of his encounter with the Americas, but also a day of remembrance of all the deaths of the native people. Also, European nations should apologize to the Native American communities, because we as people have to be able to be held accountable for all actions, right or wrong.
Ever since we were children, Columbus has been given to use on a silver platter. Those who grew up in America were told that Columbus was an amazing man that was to be admired and respected. This idea, however, becomes more strained as we grow older. Columbus was not the first man to “discover” America, nor did he even reach the main continent of North America. The name of the continents, as well, was named after a different explorer all together! Not only did treat the natives as slaves, he brought some of them back to Europe to prove that he found something of worth there. He plundered what gold he could find, which would later be shown in excess by the Spanish, and he essentially paved the way for the mass murders of the Indians living there. Whether it was intentional of him or not, the spread of European diseases such as small pox was a key part in the majority of deaths resulting from the “discovery” of America. There is one thing that I believe shows the true nature of Columbus more than anything else, and that is the same thing that makes me believe that he should not be celebrated in the least bit: Columbus utterly refused to believe that he had landed in an area other than the Western Pacific. Columbus should not be viewed as anything other than another explorer who was too ignorant to realize the consequences of his actions. We cannot glorify such a man, nor should we.
(Sorry my response is late, Mr. Kirby. I forgot to send this in last night after the football game.)
Christopher Columbus, the explorer, is viewed by different people to be a different type of man. Some calls him the father of the Americas, the glorious explorer, while others knows him as the killer of the Americas, the satanic conqueror. One must accept, before establishing a view of the righteousness or the morality of Columbus, that most views of Columbus are biased. Obviously those who are affiliated with Native American origin, or other original American inhabitants would condemn the actions of Columbus and convict him of genocide, while white Americans, or European affiliated population would consider Columbus a glorious explorer who opened up and finally completed the world; by discovering the missing two continents.
My belief is that, Columbus can not be a villain, he simply was an unlucky lucky man. It is true that his discovery led to Spanish, and later European colonization of the Americas; which caused a wipe out of the Native American population, but he never set foot on continental America. Being the stubborn navigator that he was, he still believed that he had set his foot on a island off the coast of china, and insisted on calling the people “Indians”. Thus, if you think about it, Columbus not only did not have the intent of killing the natives on the island, the idea that he was in a complete new world had not even occurred to him. How can Columbus be convicted of genocide, when such a concept was not even remotely possible from what his intention was. I also called him unlucky and lucky due to the consequence at which the events that followed his discovery of America happened. He traveled to find a route to Asia, but ended up in Europe, not wanting to go home empty handed, he brought home some goods from the new land, and proclaimed its location and etc. This, however, little that Columbus knew, sparked a era of European colonization of the Americas.
In the end, Columbus should be celebrated for his discovery of the new land, but not for the colonization of America, or etc. It may be true his discovery was accidental, but many scientific discoveries are based on serendipity. He was destined to find this new land, and in result, even though he didn’t mean it, he shaped the world that is today.
62 comments:
Christopher Columbus should be celebrated for his contributions to European and eventually global development. Society should view Columbus as a brave explorer searching to better the society in Europe. Society seems to condemn Columbus for bringing European imperialistic ways and diseases to the Western Hemisphere. Columbus was merely an explorer that chanced the wide ocean in hopes to find the eastern coast of Asia.
Cristóbal Colón, now recognized as Christopher Columbus, was born an raised in Italy and eventually became a sailor. He was a very smart man. He discarded medieval superstitions of a flat Earth and drew his own representation of the world. His calculations were very wrong, but they fueled him to search for a way to prove them correct. By consulting Queen Isabella of Spain, he was able to raise enough money to venture to India via the Atlantic Ocean. He was interested in a new route to India to better and accelerate trade between Europe and Asia. When Columbus reached land, he did not know that he had stumbled upon a new continent, but rather India. When returning to Europe and broadcasting his results to other explorers, he stimulated the curiosity of the Atlantic Ocean. Columbus’ journey helped other explorers, such as Amerigo Vespucci, realize that there was another world between Europe/Africa and eastern Asia.
Since 1992, Columbus has been frequently discredited from his exploration of the Atlantic Ocean. Some of these people compare the Europeans’ influence on the people and culture of native America as the first Holocaust or as David Standard wrote “Genocide in the Americas.” Columbus is blamed for diseases brought to the New World. Columbus probably was not aware of the human immune system’s ability to naturally defend itself from viral infections and the natives’ lack of this function against European diseases. Columbus could not have possibly controlled the murder of many natives in the New World or the conquest of their lands. Columbus was not a man whose intention was to find a new world and destroy it; he was an explorer.
Obviously, with further exploration and/or the advances in technology, the Americas would have been eventually discovered, but Columbus was the first. With this in mind, Columbus should be celebrated. Without Columbus’ discovery, the development schedule of the Americas and Europe that followed Columbus would have been askew. With the establishment of colonies following Columbus’ discovery and Vespucci’s interpretation, Europe experienced an economic boom that rivaled that of the Renaissance. This boom was caused by the increase in trade between the Americas, Europe, and Africa.
The development course might have taken a different turn if the discovery of the Americas was later is history. The affects of this are unimaginable. This is because there was an explorer like Columbus there to “open the door” (Bob Janes) for other explorers and eventually settlers’ experiences in the Americas which in turn affected European and eventually African and Asian societies. Therefore, Christopher Columbus, in relation to present day society, should be celebrated rather than condemned for his involvement in the development and birth of the world today.
Happy Columbus Day!
While Christopher Columbus' personal image has come under heavy speculation over the past century, with his own achievments trivialized such as not truly being the first man to reach the New World and his personal treatment of slaves and the indigenous peoples of the Americas, many forget his true historical signifigance. That is to say, while many people ignorantly praise him for sailing the ocean blue, there are those who just as stubbornly underestimate his impact on the course of History. From a patriotic standpoint, Columbus discovered what is our home, the United States; the moralist would degradate his actions as causing the greatest "genocide" in human history and leading to the ruination of one of the largest, clean areas of land on earth. Nevertheless, both sides must acknowledge that Columbus, in daring to sail across the ocean without complete or moderatley accurate sea charts, spurred the age of exploration. Were it not for his 3 voyages toi the New World, Spain would have never risen to power so quickly or fallen as shamefully to England and Portugal as it did in the late 1560s. A true scholar of history must be able to maintain an observative perspective, balancing the views force-fed to the masses by the dominant power of the time but taking into account facotrs on the other side of things in addition to recognizing the benefitial events that led to granting the state its current control. In regards to Columbus I believe that he should not be viewed as either a great explorer or as an abominable tyrant to the native people, but merely an important figure in the colonization of the West and shift in all of Europe's political goals from the 15th to 20th centuries.
As a society, we should view Christopher Columbus as a discoverer, for that's exactly what he did. He should not be celebrated, as some of his actions were cruel and deliberate, and in no means worth glorifying. His treatment of the natives upon his landing in the "New World" was vicious and uncalled for, and it no doubt leaves ancestors of those people feeling angered at Columbus for his unjust conduct. Children today are taught to praise Columbus as a hero. What he did was extrodinary, considering the technology of the time, and as the 'father' of the New World, children should learn of his expeditions and contributions to geography. But in teaching this we should also give an accruate potrayal of all the facts of Columbus's deeds, rather than limiting our children's knowledge of only the 'good' things. The important thing to remember about history is that it always takes the perspective of those writing it, which results in a biased opinion by those learning it. Columbus should definitly be taught, appreciated and commemerated. His discoveries greatly advanced the knowledge of the world, and affected all those living his the Age of Discovery. But it is important that while he gets noted for his achievements we also remember the negative impacts that he left on the New World. We must continue to teach and commemorate the good and the bad, to give an accurate representation of the past.
Christopher Columbus has been celebrated as the discoverer of the “New World” and as a man who started a chain reaction which dramatically reshaped the economic, political, and even social standards of Europe. However, as recently as 1992 historians have begun to doubt the benevolence in his contributions to history and the actions he took while in the Americas. They look at the fact that millions of natives of the “New World” perished after the arrival of the Europeans under harsh disease and at times large-scale massacres and the introduction of forced labor and even slave labor. It is based upon this that historians have seen it fit to discredit or even vilify Christopher Columbus.
Before anyone can really place blame or exalt a figure in history, it is important to understand what that particular person did, rather than the events that may have been unintentionally caused by their actions. At the time of Columbus, the European world of trade was ever seeking to find faster routes to the Indian Ocean for trade with the major Asian powers of that area. In an attempt to circumvent the extremely long routes over land or around the coast of Africa, Columbus attempted to sail west and come at the Indian Ocean from the East. Little did he know that when he met landfall in the Carribean that he was not in India, and thus sought to find some sort of resource to report back to old Europe with. Unfortunately, he did take native captives as slaves back across the Atlantic, and did participate in massacres wherever he went in the Americas. What is most important from his discoveries is that he “Opened the door”-Bob Janes for the rest of Europe to expand into a vast new area full of natural resources.
While some might argue that the fact that he “opened the door” is enough that he should be placed at least partly under blame for one of the “greatest genocides in history”, it would also seem to imply that these events were not inevitable. With the new advances in ship buildings design and the constant search for more economic power, another explorer within the next decade probably would have ventured into the Americas in any case. One can then assume that the attitudes of European invaders would have remained the same and still would have committed the same crimes. Thus, Columbus was not directly responsible for the mass murders that ensued from his findings, yet was only the explorer who happened to set them off. From this, it is reasonably clear that Columbus cannot be vilified, yet he cannot also be celebrated for what he did do. The simple truth is that he was a good explorer who excelled in his field and nothing more.
Christopher Columbus has become one of the most controversial figures ever from a historical standpoint. He is one of those people that we can never agree about and whose merits are constantly being debated. Some want to celebrate him as a national hero; others want to crucify him as a murderer. I believe in taking a middle ground on this issue. He can’t be seen as a full-fledged national hero, because he really never intended to create the United States, he just happened to be the “first” person to find the Americas. He can’t be seen as a second Hitler, because he never really intended to wipe out entire tribes of Indians.
Columbus shouldn’t be celebrated. He didn’t do anything spectacular that nobody else did. He was simply the first person to reach the Americas as recognized by the European society. It would be a different story if he had truly been the first person here, but since that was the Vikings, he shouldn’t be celebrated for this. He also got here accidentally which shows he was more lucky than good. He wasn’t trying to get to the Americas, he was trying to get to the West Indies, and he failed at that task. I don’t believe we should celebrate his failure.
However, just because he shouldn’t be celebrated doesn’t mean he should be vilified. Sure you can say that he slaughtered natives, but how many did he himself actually kill? He wasn’t the one who killed all these people. As Bob Janes said, he simply opened the door for others to come in and enslave and slaughter natives. I would compare Columbus to the guy who invented the atom bomb. The guy who invented the atom bomb didn’t drop it on Hiroshima or Nagasaki, he just invented it. In fact, I think Columbus is less to blame than that guy because I don’t think Columbus realized what he was creating when he found a new bit of land. He had no way of knowing the brutal slaughters which would take place later on in the Americas.
In conclusion, I think maybe Columbus has been taken too seriously as a historical figure. As far as I can tell, Columbus really has no great depth to his personality; he is simply a good ship captain who chanced upon an unbelievable discovery. I think sometimes that we as a society read in too much to a person’s actions and figure that they all have some sort of moral significance. I will view Columbus as a man, who was simply trying to get by doing what he did best, not a Hitler-esque villain or a founding father of a great civilization.
Christopher Columbus’s discovery of the Americas had positive and negative outcomes that we are now able to reflect back on today. As a society, there are those who believe he should be vilified and those who believe that he should be celebrated.
Columbus is celebrated for discovering the New World. After his discovery of a new continent, the world expanded as well. More power, land, and trade was established that ended up benefiting not only Europe, but also the development of the Americas. Europe benefited from Columbus’s findings through the money that was made from the trading of rum, corn, tobacco, timber, and many other raw materials. The Americas underwent a change as a result of this new trading, power, and cultivation of land. The natives traded their goods for items from Europe that they had never seen before. Also, the culture that was being brought from overseas to the Americas mixed, causing a cultural exchange. The Europeans introduced a new way of dressing and everyday life to the Natives. Had it not been for this cultural exchange between the Europeans and the Natives, society today might still be dressing the way the natives did in the late 1400’s.
Despite these positive developments, Columbus brought the good with the bad. Traveling back and forth from Europe to the Americas, Columbus unknowingly transported European diseases that the natives didn’t have immunity to. Therefore, many natives died due to these diseases. Another reason for why Columbus should be vilified is because he allowed natives to be killed and tortured for the expansion of land. Not only that, but Columbus had a racial prejudice against the natives due to their skin color. Being a European, Columbus carried on the European belief that the world was divided between Christians and infidels. The attitude that many colonists had towards non-Christians led to the accepted mistreatment, abuse, and forced labor of the Natives (When Worlds Collide). The amount of natives that died as a result of disease and slave labor can be paralleled today to the Holocaust. Columbus is a Hitler in how he permitted the death of those who differed from the Europeans in their skin color.
Although not all of Columbus’s actions can be interpreted as positive ones, he still deserves recognition for discovering America. To Europeans he is a symbol of European exploration. Had it not been for him, the growth of trade and resources would not have been established. Americans should give Christopher Columbus recognition for he was the one who began a new existence, developed a new way of life, and founded a new continent of people. As for bringing the good with the bad, it is not entirely fair to blame Columbus for the many deaths that occurred. It was not his fault that people died due to diseases. It was also not his fault that he lacked the capabilities, skills, or education needed to successfully run a colony. The big picture here is that Christopher Columbus discovered America, the land of the free and the home of the brave. To not recognize Colombus’s actions would be disrespectful and unheard of. It is only right to give recognition for one’s actions, especially to especially to someone who discovered a continent, part of which would become the US, a leading economic and government power of the world
Christopher Columbus; a name not only well known in America, but throughout the world as well. Renown as an explorer for discovering what came to be called the “New World” and therefore celebrated in some countries, Columbus was inevitably also condemned by others for bringing about the many consequences that resulted in the deaths of over sixty million people. Although he in fact had led to European expansion in the Americas that took the toll of many innocent lives, it seems unfair to condemn a man that denied to his death what he was being given credit for. Despite the conflicting views of Columbus, everyone would have to agree that Columbus was a single man that changed the course of history forever.
Of the many people, government, and organizations that criticize Columbus for exploiting the New World, their beliefs seem to be only justified to an extent. As Wendy had said earlier, Columbus himself had never really taken part in the expansion of the New World. Even though it had been Columbus that “discovered” the Americas, it had been fate more than anything that had led to the destruction of the native population as Columbus-critics perceive. What many of these people fail to analyze is the fact that Columbus himself had not been the one to open the gateway leading from the New World to the Old World, but rather Amerigo Vespucci as Wendy also points out. He is also justified in the idea that technically, Columbus himself had not been the first one to discover the Americas. Other groups; most notably the Vikings, had already set foot upon the North American land before. The difference is that the earlier discoverers had not exploited the Americas like the Europeans had. To add on to that, it had been Columbus that stumbled upon the Americas, but the credit of exploitation would seem to be more suitable for Vespucci.
Thinking along the lines of what Columbus’ discovery had done in the long run; yes, if Columbus had led to the fall of many native tribes and other great native civilizations, he should also be given the credit of having brought about the United States as we know it. The United States of America today stands as a nation of democracy and freedom unlike any other country currently, or even before. Without the discovery and migration of Europeans to the land, there would be no America. It may seem immoral to say since a life itself holds a lot of value, but honestly speaking, the millions of natives that had died may be thought of as having led up to the creation of the might nation today. It’s a small sort of consolation, but the death of the natives was a step towards creating the greater good. Sadly, the conditions and hardships that the natives had suffered can never be compensated that simply, nor can the re-introduction of slavery. Nevertheless, what’s done is done. The past can’t be changed, and to put all that blame on one man seems unjust.
Christopher Columbus had died a degrading death despite his fame. The discovery of the Americas was only possible because of his search for a quick sea route for trade to the Indies. After he was cast out once the realization dawned upon Europe that his discovery was not of India, but a New World altogether, he was stripped of his titles, lands, and even thrown into jail. Even on his death bed, he swore the natives he found were from India. Because of this, his lack of faith in himself discredits his image as being a hero. In the end, both arguments can not win, so I’ve come to the conclusion that Columbus is not a hero. Therefore, he should not be celebrated as such. At the same time, he is not a villain since he hadn’t intentionally sought out to bring about the destruction of the natives. As a simple man that had followed his passion, he should also be viewed as such. He was a man that followed his heart and by a stroke of luck, or bad luck, he met up with fate that led to the history of events. One man can not take credit to all, nor should he take blame for all and nothing more could be said.
Christopher Columbus is considered by many a noble historic figure. Some Americans even view him as a hero. Most Americans view Columbus as the man who discovered America. This has been part of the popular belief in this country for many years. Young school children have been exposed to Columbus, and his romantic tales of discovery. I’m sure many of us in this class have drawn pictures in earlier grades of the three ships he used to sail across the Atlantic in 1492. Because of his status in American popular culture Columbus Day was made a federal holiday in 1968.
However, there is a group of revisionist historians who have negatively viewed Columbus in more recent years. Columbus has been condemned for the diseases that he brought to the “New World” and consequently the genocide that occurred in the indigenous population. Disease from Europe quickly spread once Columbus reached the Americas. As a result, one of the largest genocides ever occurred, killing a huge number of native peoples. Columbus has also been condemned for bringing slavery to America’s native peoples. These findings have changed Columbus’s reputation as an undisputed hero.
As the views of historians continue to develop and are given more credibility, this may eventually change the view of the American population. As more realistic accounts of what actually happened on Columbus’s expedition and the consequences of his discovery become incorporated into textbooks that American children use in their classes, this new generation of Americans will have a more realistic view of Columbus and his historic role.
In the present, I feel that Columbus should be viewed as an important figure in history who should be acknowledged as such. I feel that he should be considered neither a hero nor a villain. Columbus’s discovery of America was an important discovery that forever changed the history of the world. However, the consequences of his expedition were not admirable. In time this will become generally recognized and become the new popular and realistic view of Americans.
In my opinion Christopher Columbus should be seen as just another explorer. He was neither a neither a peace loving pacifist nor a homicidal maniac bent on the destruction of everyone he found in the new world. Christopher Columbus set out on his journey to find a sea route to Asia and especially the spice routes. He never set out with the mind set of going to a new world finding as many natives as he could and making them slaves or killing them for fun. He also thought he was dealing with natives from India because according to his calculations he was in India so when people say he hated the natives he met because of who they were that’s not true because he thought they were Indians. Also people blame Columbus for killing off entire tribes of natives even in places he didn’t explore. They say it’s his fault for finding them and causing more people to come and invade their lands. This is unfair to Columbus. It’s not like the Americas would have lain undiscovered unless Columbus found it. Other explores would have eventually landed and probably the same things would have occurred just a few years later. Columbus didn’t profit from all the death and destruction of the natives and their lands. He was put in charge of a colony and it failed miserably so he was put in jail and dishonored by the government. Columbus just a simple sea captain that who, to quote Bob Janes, "Held the door open for others but never went through." His discovery of the Americas set in motion events like plagues for the natives and other explores and settlers to come and enslave and kill the natives. He himself is not responsible for what fellow explores that came later did. Columbus should be viewed as and explorer and a sea man who set unknowingly set in motion problems for the natives but was not the direct cause of them.
As a society we should view Christopher Columbus partially the same way Thomas C. Tirado does. Columbus should be looked at from a view of his contribution to the development of European Society. Columbus made the voyage because he wrongly estimated the size of the earth, and when he got to the New World he still thought was in India, and continued to believe that to his death. Columbus was not a “Great Man” or a Hero, but thanks to his discovery, Europeans found a whole new world with wealth and land.
I do not agree with Thomas Tirado, that Columbus is as important as Jesus of Nazareth. Both influenced the world in a great way, Jesus created a whole new Religion and Columbus found a whole new world. The difference is that if Columbus had not discovered the New World, somebody else would of. Columbus did however bring Spain a short period of wealth. because someone from Portugal or another country could of found the new world, which would of given that country the new worlds wealth, instead of Spain.
As a society we should look at somebody who made a difference in the world, even if Christopher Columbus does not deserve credit for the difference he made.
The topic of Columbus is often a very controversial one. As children we see him as the discoverer of America. In the Latino areas to our south it is a very different story for it was the Spaniards that came and enslaved as well as killed sometimes whole villages of people. This is where my views differ from those of the Latinos in the areas where the Spanish conquered. It was the Spanish not Columbus that did the killing. It was the conquistadors and later explorers should be held responsible. Now her many people would then compare this all to Hitler saying well he didn’t kill any of the Jews himself but her sure knew what he was doing. Columbus did not have a clue as to what he found. He whole heartedly thought he was India which is why he called the Native Americans Indians. He did not find the riches and gold or even the kingdoms of the great civilizations that other explorers would later find. He found islands with people in huts made of palm leaves with very little gold and riches for that matter. He did not know that the deaths of hundred of thousands would result in his discovery. Lets say for example that Columbus didn’t even discover the New World, lets say it was a British ship or French, who we hold these people accountable just like those in Latino nations hold Columbus accountable for the deaths of their peoples. Some one would have eventually found the new world and most likely be in the same position as Columbus, for people would be soon to follow. In a historical view Columbus is just an unfortunate man to be responsible for the finding the new world, and is now getting blamed for the deaths that followed thereafter. What caused many of these deaths was something that not even the Europeans had yet grasped, and that was germs. Something that they were quite familiar with was the result of these diseases such as small pox, yellow fever, and other horrible ailments. The Europeans had no idea that they had brought over these pathogens, and it was because of these microscopic organisms that so many would die. Bobby Janes put it best; Columbus opened the door to the new world. He didn’t break it down, instead he, in a metaphorical sense got lost and went to the wrong house opened the door and poked his head in to see if anyone was home. The other explorers were the unwanted guests that came later and crashed the house and never seemed to leave. I do believe he should be celebrated for his actions, but not in the sense that we should throw parades and all that. I believe he should be acknowledged for his findings, some one we give credit to for pioneering the way for our culture to be brought (though not always welcomed) to the new world. This is because he did not really do anything wrong, he just found something he thought to be somewhere else. Columbus was an explorer who found a world previously unknown not a villain who massacred hundreds of thousands of people. If people want someone to blame for the deaths of the locals and natives is should be the conquistadors not Columbus who should be held accountable.
Obviously Christopher Columbus has been a national icon of the years past, but ideas of him have then since changed. On the one hand, Columbus is the fearless sailor whom set out to discover new lands and therein found America. When we were younger, we would discuss how Christopher Columbus and the Native Americans would greet each other and share many new customs, food, and culture with each other. Little did we know that our teachers were just giving us the fluff story. Unfortunately, we were later confronted with Columbus’ real story and we were still expected to celebrate his accomplishments. The new persona historians are sharing with us is the unjustly cruel Columbus who brought disease and tragedy upon his arrival and took slaves and anything considered valuable away from them. His revolution of finding the new world seems to have caused more than just a spur of curiosity for many went to explore new lands and brought back precious gold and innocent slaves. But who really should Christopher Columbus be portrayed as? Is he the hero who conquered new land and is best friends with the Native Americans or is he the villain who brought nothing but corruption and misery upon the native peoples?
I don’t think it’s truly fair to judge Columbus based on the fact that he brought the worst things man had to offer to the Native Americans, because it was assumed that he had no intentions to harm the original peoples. He also had no intention of sailing to the Americas hence the slang term, Indians. Giving him the benefit of the doubt, people nowadays would have to assume that he was just looking for gold and glory otherwise it would have been his head if he hadn’t come back with something thus Native American slaves.
Also considering my background and how I would have felt being invaded by a foreigner who really had no contributions to the community other than disease and the horrible habits of men (greed, gambling, enslavement, etc.). I would have been in complete and utter dismay that one could have the audacity to take over an entire nation with no regards to their lifestyles or opinions. This is really a serious topic that I discuss with my grandmother because she is more Native American than me. To put it bluntly she believes that Columbus was a pig-headed idiot and because of his stupidity thousands upon thousands of native people were slaughtered innocently.
I, being not as into the whole Native American views, believe that she is partly true. Sure we wouldn’t have what we have today, but how is it any different from the holocaust. Hitler honestly believed that he was doing God’s work by slaughtering the Jewish race and only leaving the pure peoples. I’m sure it was the same with Columbus. He had no idea that when he jumped shore that he would be destroying entire communities and killing thousands of lives. Of course not all of it was done by him, but still who are you going to blame- the first person who decided to kill the population for the good of the country or the men that followed in his foot steps? It’s almost impossible to decide.
hi mr. kirby, this is just the blog u asked us to send to you.
-Nick Atlas
test
Columbus Day falls right around the beginning of October, as is my birthday. So I have always had a 3 day weekend around my birthday, which is always nice. So that is why I can’t take the side of Christopher Columbus being a villain. However more than he got me a day off from school, I don’t think that he is the person to blame for the deaths of so many Native Americans, because if it wasn’t him it would have just been someone else.
I think that Columbus wasn’t smart enough to try to systematically kill all the Native Americans. It was just an accident, someone from his crew was sick but because his body, and the bodies of everyone else on the ship, was immune to whatever disease that it was, they didn’t die from it. However the Native Americans had an immune system entirely different than the explorers so when they caught the disease they couldn’t fight it, which resulted in death.
So overall I fall in to the “something else” category, of describing Christopher Columbus. Someone like Adolf Hitler should be vilified because he did create genocide among the Jewish citizens. However since it was because Columbus did come over and treat the Native Americans as inferior souls, he should not be celebrated. However all in all, he did start the domino effect for the Americas so I think that he should just be simply remembered.
Christopher Columbus was but one man and, indeed, the first man, known and recorded to truly stumble upon the New World and establish that irrevocable link between the two sides of the Atlantic. Since Columbus was the first, we, the later generations, establish him as the sharp pointed head of a both astonishingly wonderful and terrible spear of European incursion into the native populations of people settled in the ‘New World’. And yet, does that very tip of the spear that pierced the barrier of ignorance between two landmasses and many cultures truly merit all the blame or adulation? Even a dull spear without its single needlelike point could still well have projected itself into the Amerindian world. That is, without Columbus, there was still Cortes, Cartier, Ponce de Leon… or any other man who could have replaced Columbus as the first. That bulk of the European ‘invasion’ is what gives form and substance to the efficacy of a spear. With that in mind, it’s safe to say Columbus himself does not garner all of the blame or laudatory for establishing the conduct of the next centuries of Native American treatment and other European expenditures.
Now onto the question of whether the colonization and treatment of the New World peoples themselves should be praised, rebuked, or branded with disgust as absolute genocide… I would have to say there is no clear answer for that question. Firstly, we cannot hope to know all of the justifications of the time, or lump all of the different encounters into stereotype of the typical European vs. native encounter. While some names in history might have purposely spread disease and enjoyed the killing of the natives, others might have acted upon pure social conventions, while others operated on economic greed. Should we condemn the European if he was acting on a higher authority (perhaps his king, his own livelihood, his church) that focused his every action towards the native? It is agreed upon that genocide is both purposeful and rather systematic in nature… the act of killing in order to kill. And yet, the Europeans had reason to save the natives’ physical bodies for labor and spiritual souls for Christianity. While that may not apply for the open warfare in the English colonies for land, we can safely say that for some Europeans, the killing of the natives was not the prime purpose, and thus genocide was not the main goal. We can call it inhumane, and certainly slavery is inhumane, but a systematic massacre was not what took place throughout all of the Americas and beyond.
Does that mean that Columbus should be revered—celebrated because he started an era of mass exploration, colonization, and confrontation of ideas, peoples, and goods? Some of the effects of the encounter were good. The superior spread of knowledge and ideas between cultures is also a positive force for the evolution of humankind. And yet, the cost is often the very lives of the humans that the technology could have helped.
The whole European exploration front, including the social and economic thoughts of the time, including mercantilism and economienda, yielded both positive and negative results. Therefore, by no means should be celebrate the bad effects of the occasion in which Columbus sailed the ocean blue and met up with the natives. At the same time, there is no need to boo down the positive outcomes that did come from colonization and expansion. Columbus was one man, and a human at that. We cannot judge his faults without taking into account his virtues, or vice-versa. On the whole, shouldn’t we all just commemorate Columbus and all he signifies and does not signify with happiness the start of new colonies that would develop into breeding grounds for new lifestyles, new cultures, and at the same time shake our heads at the brutality of the conquistadors and power hungry settlers—all the while looking with heads up and eyes forward at a new and positive future where we can learn from our old mistakes and rejoice at our victories?
Christopher Columbus has come to be a controversial figure in the history of the world. He went in search of a new trade paths to China, but ended up in the islands off the cost of North and South America. Even though he was the one that originally discovered this area, if he hadn't came along and found this land, someone was bound to. To justify whether or not Columbus should be celebrated or vilified, one must look at the facts. Columbus was definitely a great sailor. He was able to overcome adversity and find land although it may not have been what he was looking for. There he has been harshly criticized for his actions when handling the natives. As Tirado had said in his speech, (referring to Father Bartolome de las Casas), Las Casas wondered why Columbus, "a man good by nature and of good intentions should have been blind in so clear a matter." As to this I believe that Columbus should not be celebrated so highly to the extent that he was a hero. He did not intend to bring diseases to these lands to kill off the Natives, but he did intend to sell them off into slavery for his own greed. He should be remembered as a world renowned explorer and one that had a great impact on the history of the world (whether or not is was good or bad). As Tirado also said,"Few events in history had so profound an impact on the entire world." I believe this is true. He opened Europe up to a whole different part of the world. One that Europeans didn't believe even existed. I still think that making him out to be a hero is just making light of the fact that what he did to the Native Americans is an acceptable part of what he did, and that is just not right. There needs to be some balance between his achievements and failures.
Christopher Columbus is as common a name to an American student as Michael Jordan is to basketball enthusiasts and Tiger Woods is to avid golfers. It is true that ever since grade school, we have learned about how great the voyages of Columbus were. However, if you take time to look at what really happened in those crucial years in 1492, you will get a different perspective of Columbus and his explorations.
First and foremost, he believed that the Earth was a lot smaller than it really was, and thus believed that reaching India would take a lot shorter of a time than it really did. Since he felt that way, the land that he actually found, which to his calculations was India, was in fact islands of a new continent, later to be called the Americas. Thus his main reason for exploring the lands of Hispanola were that the lands were really India. On Columbus Day, we remember Christopher Columbus for reaching the Americas, when he thought that he was in India. In addition, one cannot argue that the a lack of knowledge was what caused Columbus to miscalculate his map because a contemporary of Columbus, Amerigo Vespucci, believed, after careful observations, that that area was indeed a new continent.
Secondly, words associated with Columbus other than "discovery" and "Indians" are "genocide" and "disease." Columbus, to some scholars, is known for having one of the greatest genocides in history. I do not believe that Columbus intended for these mass killings because, as the article by James Axtell dictates, a lot of those deaths were caused simply by diseases. Perhaps a lot of those deaths can be blamed on the immune systems of the natives themselves. That being said, however, it is hard to ignore the numbers. The article by David Stannard states that during the time period between the sixteenth century and little before the 19th century, "between 97 and 99 percent of North America’s native people were killed." In addition, that article says that 500,000 natives died within months after the Spanish colonies were established on Espanola.
In short, I do not believe that Christopher Columbus should be celebrated or villified. Instead, I believe we should remember the year and remember the events. What happened in October 1492 onwards was very important because it signifies new doors to open and new lands to discover. I do not believe that we should celebrate Columbus Day for Columbus, but rather celebrate that day because it represents new land, life, and hope for the future.
Ever since elementary school we were all taught that Christopher Columbus was a great man who discovered America. In reality, Columbus’s achievements are very controversial, and I don’t think that he should be viewed as either a villain or as someone to be celebrated. Columbus was said to be a man of the silver age, which means that he was not the brightest man of the time, but he was definitely a good sailor. Columbus should be given credit for overcoming many obstacles and ultimately discovering the America’s. Columbus was criticized for causing one of the biggest genocides, and I think that using the term genocide to describe what Columbus did is a little too harsh. Columbus did not intentionally kill off the natives with disease, but he did use them as a labor force to benefit himself and his country. Therefore, I think that Columbus shouldn’t be celebrated as a hero, but he also shouldn’t be held solely responsible for the events that occurred in the America’s after 1492. If Columbus hadn’t fortuitously come upon the America’s someone else certainly would have, so the blame cannot be directly put on Columbus. Christopher Columbus should be remembered for finding the land that eventually became America, but what he did shouldn’t be glorified because he did make mistakes along the way. Ultimately, I think that we should celebrate Columbus Day to commemorate the start of the new world instead of actually celebrating Columbus himself.
I believe that Columbus should be viewed as a man who was a great explorer and sailor. He founded new land that led to gold, silver, and new territories for the European countries. Many natives did die while he was there but mostly from diseases.
Viewing Columbus as a great man is not a stretch of the imagination. He was a great explorer and sailor. Funded by the Spanish government he set sail and founded a new world. Though he was looking for another part of the world, he did find new land. This land led to the finding of South and North America. Without Columbus we could not have had America. This is why we could view him as a hero.
Columbus had many of the natives die in the land that he settled on. Many of these people died from disease, though he did kill many. With the huge numbers of deaths while he was on the island, some people consider him to be a horrible person, and leader of genocide. I don't agree with him being compared to Hitler and other genocide leaders. Columbus did not go to the island to kill all the native people, like Hitler did the Jews. Also, most of the people died of diseases, and not of Columbus ordering their deaths.
That is why I believe Columbus may have been a bad leader; he was a good explorer that founded land that led to our country being discovered.
Christopher Columbus should be viewed in our society as the founder of our continent. Since elementary school, we have learned about the long journey across the ocean Colombus had to endure. We also learned that once Columbus landed in America, he made friends with the Indians. As we grew older and enetered middle schol we learned that these childhood stories were very far from the ruth. Columbus used the Indians as slaves and worked them to death. With everone coming to the new world that Colombus discovered, disease was spread and many inidians suffered and died form it. With these reasons as support, many people argue that Columbus should not be celebrated for destroying many indian tribes and families. On the other hand, many people say that Columbus should be celebrated becuase without him who knows how long it would have been beofre someone else had discovered America. With the discovery of America new trade routes were established and the economy reached new heights.
Christopher Columbus should be celebrated exactly the way he is now, no more no less. The main reason that we celebrate Columbus day is because he founded the new world. Now it might not have been the world that he thought it was, but nevertheless it was still a new world. By Columbus discovering the new world he sparked Europe to begin exploring the area to the west. Soon after Columbus, countries like Spain and Portugal began to put much more effort into claiming the areas such as South America and Central America. When these countries came over they discovered new natural resources and valuables. For example Spain found massive amounts of gold and silver in the area of South America.
Although Columbus did a good thing in jump-starting the age of explortion to the west, he also participated in actions that make people question his credibility. Columbus used the native people when he got to the new world to work for him. He was extremely ruthless with them and basically worked them to death. Also when Columbus and the europeans arrived they brought with them small pox and other diseases that the natives weren't familiar with. Due to the fact that the diseases were new made it so much worse on the natives and millions of them ended up dieing.
Christopher Columbus is a character who has many mixed feelings about himself. He did some great things but also did some very terrible things. By sailing to the west and finding land he pushed Europe into the age of exploration. But he went in the wrong directions with some of decisions he made. Therefore, I concluded that he should be celebrated they way his is today and thats it.
this is just a test posting, please disreguard it if it is recieved.
Christopher Columbus is in many ways overstated and not looked at realistically. Columbus was just a sailor and an explorer, nothing more, he wasn't a killer and he was not certainly a politician. Many people argue that he is either the greatest person sense Jesus or a mass murderer of millions of Native Americans. I however believe that people are just overstating the issue, Columbus is not a special man, he wasn't the first to reach the Americas and he certainly was not the first to discover it. Christopher Columbus was just a sailor and an explorer, who in my opinion doing something to become rich and was really fortunate that his sailing skills gave him that. So Columbus, should not be viewed as a hero or branded as a murderer but rather just a skilled sailor looking for treasure. Thus, if Columbus did not exist or did not find the New World, then today we as Americans would just be celebrating someone else who found it rather than Columbus at a later date. Its that simple.
Christopher Columbus is arguably the most famous explorer in the history of mankind. He is recognized and heralded as the discoverer of America, the first European to arrive in the Americas and who forever linked Europe to America and paved the way for eventual colonization.
But Columbus cannot be celebrated a hero. A hero is someone known for his or her feats and is noble or does something for someone else or for the good of people beside himself. When Columbus set sail in 1492, his purpose was to find a sea route westward from Europe to Asia, and thus bolster the economy of Spain. His intention was not, by any means, to make the world a better place; his goals were not for the common good. He set out to find a route to Asia and to find wealth, and in the process, he unintentionally stumbled upon a new world. He did not know, and refused to believe, that he had arrived in a new world. Thus it is even inaccurate to call Columbus’s findings a “discovery,” which the American Heritage Dictionary defines as the act of “noticing or learning, especially by making an effort,” and Columbus did not make an effort to find a new land. It is really more accurate to call it an “encounter,” defined as “a meeting, especially one that is unplanned and unexpected.” It would not be right to congratulate Columbus on something that he did accidentally. In addition, it was inevitable, with the growing technology and the curiosity about “other worlds” that someone would eventually stumble onto this huge continent; Columbus was simply the first to do so.
Even if Columbus was not a hero, it cannot be denied that his “discovery” proved to be of enormous importance and had huge impacts on America and Europe. As a result of his stumbling onto a new continent, Columbus led the way to changes in the economies of European countries and eventual colonization of the Americas, but also the mass killing and enslavement of millions of natives and the collapse of great and sophisticated civilizations. However, Columbus cannot be blamed for these things. He, once again, unintentionally killed huge numbers of people by bringing diseases from Europe that the natives’ immune systems could not cope with. He did not know that he was doing this, so he cannot be blamed for it. It was not his intention. He didn’t set out from Spain knowing that he would kill millions of people. He was simply looking for a route to Asia to bolster Spain’s wealth. He also did not personally kill the natives who were murdered. He may have been the first to arrive, but he cannot be held responsible for what happened after his voyages. He did not know that he would usher in people like Pizarro and Cortés, who would, years after Columbus’s first encounter, destroy the Incans and Aztecs. But, he is a villain for his cruelty toward the natives and enslaving them. According to Tirado, Columbus believed that the natives “are fit to be ordered about and made to work,” and “in 1494, he shipped 550 Taínos to Spain for sale as slaves, fulfilling a promise he had made in a letter to a financial backer. Columbus looked upon slavery as an economic expedient as he began to despair of finding gold in sufficient quantity to satisfy the crown and support the colony. He proposed to make regular shipments of humans in exchange for cattle and provisions for the struggling outpost at La Isabella.” Columbus is responsible for selling hundreds of the natives into slavery, but we cannot pin the deaths of the millions on him.
Nevertheless, though he may not be a hero, we must acknowledge the historical significance of his actions and findings. He is truly an important figure in history: his actions had extremely significant effects on the course of European, African, and American history. We can give him credit for this, but he is not a hero. We can neither praise nor blame him for what he did not do.
On another note, I don’t mind getting a day off from school though =)
As a society of our times, we should not view Christopher Columbus as a hero or a villain yet a man who achieved both through his discoveries. Christopher Columbus’ discoveries changed the course of the age of exploration. Although historians say someone at sometime after Columbus would have found the “New World” anyway, the way Columbus handled the discovery has helped map the way our world is today. While his discoveries are important and should be recognized for the impact they have had on our world, we should also recognize the horrific actions that were allowed to take place. Columbus and many other European explorers practiced working the indigenous people to death in order to gain everything they could from the new resources discovered in the “New World”. Historians have stated the amount of deaths that occurred due to the age of exploration at the hands of the European explorers, exceeds greatly the number of deaths that took place during any other genocide. This being said, it must be presented again that Columbus’ discoveries have even been compared to have an impact on the world as great as the internet. These statements and facts of the great things that came out of Columbus’ discovery must be remembered. We can not paint Columbus as either a hero or a villain.
Living in today’s society I believe that we need to give Christopher Columbus his due credit for what he did and nothing else. He did not go out looking for a new world; he set out in search of a new way to fine an old one. He accidentally stumbled upon a new continent, but even in his deathbed he still believed that he had landed in the East, despite what science was proving. He was an ignorant and stubborn man, who was at first, adored, but when the truth was revealed, he was ridiculed for his blindness. It was only by sheer dumb luck that he happened to find the America’s, Columbus had never known they were there, and if he had spent some time looking over his calculations he would have been able to determine that there was no way humanly possible for him to reach the East if the world was calculated to the correct size. As far as Columbus knew, the world was a much smaller place where he would be glorified for helping Europe’s trade with the east.
Columbus is taught to the youth of America as early as pre-school, and with the help of rhymes and reinforcement, it is instilled in our minds that Columbus is this great hero who discovered the Americas and therefore deserves a big celebration. As I grew older, however, and more facts came to light, I began to see that he was not the brave and pioneering Columbus that I knew and celebrated. He was a deceptive man, and although he was brave enough to take on the seas, he had little tolerance for people who were not like him, and when he first encountered the Natives, he used them and, under false pretences, befriended them. As time went on he killed many leaders who only wanted to help and understand him. Columbus did not take the time to even try to understand or accept the indigenous people, instead he was only interested in gaining fame and fortune, and if that meant that he had to step on a few toes, or kill a couple thousand people along the way, it was fine with him.
Columbus single-handedly wiped out almost an entire race, and while he might not have directly delivered the blow to kill each person, he invaded a land that was uncharted by Europeans, and assumed that he could take it because of his arrogance. He contaminated a perfectly content society and hundreds of years of history were lost due to his ambition to become rich and famous, which ironically lead to his demise as he was to proud to admit that he was wrong.
Christopher Columbus was an extraordinary man whose greatest accomplishment, his voyage to the New World, has been glorified as a great feat, while at the same time criticized for some of its horrific consequences. In my opinion, the actions of Europeans in the Americas should certainly not be glorified, but the stain of this encounter between cultures should not alter the image of Columbus.
Christopher Columbus does not deserve to be labeled as a villain by society. His actions and intentions were those of a money minded explorer searching for the riches of the Indies. There is no evidence showing that he wanted to brutally suppress the cultures of the various native tribes in the Americas. Nor is there evidence showing that Columbus endorsed the harsh treatment of the natives in the New World.
It is evident, however, that many Europeans treated the natives cruelly. Native Americans were forced into labor on plantations, murdered, and even fed to the dogs of the Europeans. Millions of natives died within years of the Europeans’ arrival. Most of these deaths, however, were inadvertent because they were the result of disease. It is true that this disease was brought by the Europeans, but they did not purposely infect the natives.
Overall, the brutal treatment of natives by the Europeans should certainly impact how the discovery of America is perceived, but it should not affect the image of Columbus. Christopher Columbus was a great man who accomplished one of the greatest feats in history by “discovering” America. This ranks among the most important events of all time because of its impact on history. Although the encounter between Europeans and Native Americans should be viewed as a terrible episode of human cruelty, the actions of heartless Europeans should not tarnish the reputation of Columbus.
I believe that Christopher Columbus should still be celebrated. In the past twenty or so years, people have begun to say that Columbus was a "mass murderer" and that he created the biggest holocaust in history. One of the many definitions of genocide is that it is a one-sided mass killing with the intent to destroy a certain group of people. Genocide is the term used today to describe the notorious Nazi's concentration camps during World War II. I don't think that Christopher should be compared to Adolf Hitler, like many are trying to do. When Christopher Columbus sailed to the Americas, he and his crew brought over many illnesses that the Native Americans weren't immune to. Many Native Americans were killed by sickness. Columbus and his crew didn't intentionally bring the diseases over. Christopher Columbus discovered the Americas, and for that I believe that he should be celebrated. As more and more information on his explorations is being discovered, peoples' opinions of him are changing. Many people have completely different views of him. This is evident from the three articles we read for class. The idea that Columbus should be celebrated or vilified is based solely on personal opinion, rather than solid factual evidence. My personal opinion about Christopher Columbus is that he should still be celebrated, after all he discovered the place in which we live today.
As a society, we should view Christopher Columbus simply as a great explorer and a sailor. He was motivated by money and that was how he wound up discovering America. He was smart in the water, but had no ability to control and create a successful colony. He was intellectually a product of the middle ages and far from a Renaissance man.
He should neither be celebrated or vilified. His achievements as an explorer were very important in the history of America. If it wasn't for him the world we live in today would be very different. However, to go along with his accomplishments there were many problems he caused. He was responsible for a massive amount of deaths of Native Americans. Columbus has been accused of starting a genocide similar to the Holocaust. I believe what he did to the Native Americans can in no way be compared to the Holocaust. Hitler went around deliberately killing millions of Jews, homosexuals, and gypsies. Most of the Native American deaths were because of European diseases that Columbus didn't even know he brought over. Columbus did force many Native Americans into slavery where he worked them to death. Columbus is guilty for the deaths of all of these Native Americans, but his success as an explorer can not be denied.
Columbus Day is a national holiday where citizens can commend Christopher Columbus on his efforts of finding a New World and celebrating his genius as a navigator. One would say he would be a historical icon that should be recognized for generations to come. I would take a different approach and say that he was a villain who did more harm than good.
According to the reading “When Worlds Collide”, Tirado explains that Father Barolomẻ de las Casas (along with Queen Isabella) saw first that Columbus was a tyrant. He admired Columbus’s navigational skills but still saw that he was brutal to the Indians that inhabited the New World. In one of his journals, Columbus wrote, “They are fit to be ordered about and made to work.” Columbus believed that these Indians were not citizens but slaves in his new colony. In fact, “In 1494, he shipped 550 Tainos to Spain to sell as slaves, fulfilling a promise he had made in a letter to a financial backer.” says Tirado. David E. Stannard also wrote about how Columbus was said to have started genocide in the New World. He says that 50,000 natives died within months after he established the first Spanish colony (Stannard 430). Many caught diseases that were brought from the explorers and transferred to the Indians. The Native Americans lived in the Americas first and they deserved to be treated like equals instead of savages. Instead, they were considered more like beasts instead of real humans in Columbus’s eyes.
Most people celebrate Columbus because he connected two worlds and expanded our earth. He used his exceptional navigational skills to sail across the Atlantic in hopes of finding the Indies for new trade and money. Little did he know that he had reached a new continent entirely, and he still didn’t accept that idea. Tirado says that Columbus was extremely stubborn and couldn’t come to terms with the fact that this wasn’t Marco Polo’s world. In 1502, Amerigo Vespucci came along and accepted the fact that this new land wasn’t China or the Indies, but the Americas. Columbus reminds me of a two year old in this situation where everything has to be his way or else. He was not open to new ideas and the fact that he discovered a New World scared him. Vespucci was the mature, older adult that voyaged to the New World and came to terms that it was a different place than the Indies. Even if Columbus hadn’t made the voyage, someone else would have found the America’s (like Vespucci or Cortes).
Of course, Columbus made a significant discovery and should be remembered for the first approach to the New World. But, students should be taught about both sides to this historical figure and recognize loss of culture and people he has brought.
Ever since the days of our early childhood Christopher Columbus has been known as the man who “discovered” the Americas and planted the seeds for future nations such as the United States. In light of learning that Columbus was a slave driver and a delivery boy for a disease that would wipe out 97 – 99 percent of the native american population, we are forced to reconsider our views on this historical figure.
Truth be told, Christopher Columbus was not a very bright man, or a very good sailor. How a man could land on the shores of the Americas and claim it to be India leaves me baffled. His discovering the New World was most certainly a fluke, and should not be regarded as anything more.
It was not his intent to carry a disease from Europe to this new world, but it happened, and so we must deal with that fact. Also, singling him out, and vilifying this man because he owned slaves is an unfair judgement of his character. Others may argue that Columbus was ruthless in his treatment of his slaves. Sometimes people must be ruthless in order to attain what they want the most. History is stocked with men and women who owned, and worked, slaves to the death. If we were to compare him to other slave owners in our nation's history, surely we would think twice. The first five presidents of this great nation owned slaves. In fact, George Washington owned more than 200 slaves and yet he is revered as a great figure in our history. We have a president's day, do we not?
I believe we should celebrate Columbus day not to honor Christopher Columbus, but to honor the discovery and the roots of our nation. If he had never stumbled upon these shores, someone else might have, but he did find the Americas and we owe it to him to give one measly day of our year to honor his name.
I feel that people should celebrate the idea that Christopher Columbus represented, but not celebrate Christopher Columbus himself. Christopher Columbus, whether for economic reasons or not, discovered a continent unknown to Europe at that time. This discovery led to an interatcion between two groups of people which led to an exchange of ideas, culture, goods, and diseases. Whether this interaction led to good or bad things is besides the point. The thing that matters the most is that Columbus' discovery initiated a new idea into peoples' minds. People now realized that there was more than just the Eastern Hemisphere, and that there were new places, people, and things to discover. Whether economic reasons led to other countries attempting to discover new lands after Columbus, or not, at least people were now trying and discovering new things, and the idea of "something more" was inplanted in every European's mind.
Christopher Columbus himself should not be celebrated. He was ignorant and stubborn thinking that he had discovered the Indies despite all of the factual evidence proving him wrong. He was an inadaquete leader causing the Europeans to interact inappropriately with the indigenous peoples of the newly discovered lands. The Europeans treated the natives cruelly and uses their dominance to enslave them for cheap labor. The fact that Christopher Columbus disrespected many people during his time should not be celebrated for those people's descendents are living now, and to celebrate would be rude and inconsiderate.
I feel that instead of having a "Columbus Day" we should just have a day which celebrates all discoverers. By doing this, we would be promoting new things and ideas and more people may want to try new things. Columbus' actions in dealing with the indigenous people whom he crossed paths with should not be repeated and are a bad example on how to treat new aquaintances. Columbus' actions in discovering a new Hemisphere, however, should be admired and everyone should aspire to do as he did by trying something new even if it goes against the norm.
As a society I believe we should view Columbus as pioneer of exploration in the New World. Columbus can be celebrated because he connected two vastly different worlds. He ushered in the Modern Age, and his discovery was one of the high points of the Age of Discovery. To Europe, and especially Spain, Columbus’s achievement is viewed as a wonderful achievement. It led to wealth and glory. As stated in “When Worlds Collide” the word colonialismo comes from Colón itself. Are we not glorifying Columbus in that instance? Since Columbus found a new world, the European economy flourished. Europe expanded their trade, got involved in the spice trade and increased their power. Columbus can also be celebrated because by discovering this new world, he paved the way for better navigation and understanding of the earth. Columbus should get recognition for an intellectually changing Europe, going from accepting a geocentric model to a heliocentric model. Columbus paved the way for European dominance in trade and politics as well.
However, while being celebrated, Columbus can also be vilified by some. As a pioneer of exploration, Columbus has to be viewed in both lights, how much of the good outweighs the bad? Many accuse Columbus and his treatment of Indians as genocide. People accuse him of slavery and murder, and there is the fact that around 95% of the Indians in Mexico and Central America perished. Maybe Columbus’s actions can be viewed as this, but a huge factor was disease. Disease, not murder killed many Indians as well. Also it can’t really be considered genocide, as Columbus didn’t know these people existed before he set sail. He didn’t have a purpose to come and to execute as many Indians as possible. However any loss of life is regrettable and Columbus might have played a hand in it. We just can’t blame all these deaths on Columbus, there were other Europeans, disease, and intertribal wars. Columbus can’t be vilified for something we don’t have all the facts for. However I wouldn’t go as far as Charles Krauthammer went in stating, “mankind is better for it”. The loss of a population is not something to celebrate, its just can’t be used to vilify Columbus, the blame should be shared. Columbus though, does deserve blame for spreading the ideas of Indians as “barbarians”, since that was his first impression of this new society.
Therefore I believe Columbus should be celebrated for his discoveries and the lasting impact on Europe and the Age of Exploration. You can’t blame Columbus for starting a genocide either. He shouldn’t be celebrated for killing people, but it wasn’t all on his shoulders. We should look at Columbus for the lasting impact he left on the world and for all the explorations and discoveries that followed him.
As a society, we should celebrate Christopher Columbus just for being the first European to discover the New World. He should not be given more credit than what he did, but he also should not be blamed for things that occurred in the Americas after his death. Columbus was the first to attempt to reach India by sailing strait through the Atlantic Ocean rather than going around Africa. It was brave considering that he did not know what he was going to encounter, and that is something that people should recognize. When he found lands, he managed to return to the same general area three more times, and his findings led to the colonization of the area around the Caribbean where he landed and the rest of the Americas. His explorations were very important to the history of Europe and the New World.
Things occurred after Columbus that he is often blamed for. The populations of the natives, which he referred to as Indians, dropped dramatically. This was because of diseases brought by Europeans that the natives were not immune to, which the Europeans could not control. However, many of the deaths were due to the harsh treatment, which has been referred to as genocide and compared with the holocaust. Columbus should not be blamed for these things because it happened on voyages that he was not a part of. As James Axtel points out, we cannot blame whole societies or one person for the mistakes made by a few. Other Spaniards were the ones responsible for the genocide of the natives in America.
At the same time, Columbus should not be celebrated for things that he did not accomplish. Many people think of Columbus and associate him with the colonization of the New World, which is inaccurate. Columbus died still thinking he had reached India. He did not know that he had discovered new land and should not be given credit for colonizing the lands. He only found them and that is what we should remember him for and the reason we should celebrate him.
Despite the fact that Columbus’s expeditions resulted in the deaths of many Native Americans and other indigenous peoples, he should not be held completely accountable. He and his men did kill many of the natives, but it was mostly from diseases that they did not purposely wish to spread to these people. I feel like historians and others today are extremely critical of Columbus’s actions, but he was really just going along with what all of the other explorers did during the time. If someone got in their way, they felt that it was necessary to remove them so that they could continue on with their exploration. Obviously it wasn’t very kind of him to kill people, but he was doing what he thought was necessary, and what anyone else at the time would have done if they were in his position.
I think that it’s unfair for people to call Columbus evil, because he positively affected European exploration, and most of the harm caused was unintentional. I think it is complete bollucks for anyone to compare Columbus to Hitler, because they are so very different. While Hitler’s actions were completely and utterly intentional, Columbus was not aware that the natives were not immune to European disease. Hitler wanted to create a scapegoat for Germany’s failing economy, and have a reason to kill off a mass amount of people, but Columbus just wanted to explore the new lands that he had happened upon. He realized it after awhile that he and his crew were responsible for the pestilence, but he didn’t arrive on their land knowing that his presence would kill them.
Columbus was mainly a good man, who was extremely bright. I guess he was a little bit stubborn, because he never accepted that he wasn’t in Asia. Still, his influences and exploration helped in European expansion and intelligence.
Despite the fact that Columbus’s expeditions resulted in the deaths of many Native Americans and other indigenous peoples, he should not be held completely accountable. He and his men did kill many of the natives, but it was mostly from diseases that they did not purposely wish to spread to these people. I feel like historians and others today are extremely critical of Columbus’s actions, but he was really just going along with what all of the other explorers did during the time. If someone got in their way, they felt that it was necessary to remove them so that they could continue on with their exploration. Obviously it wasn’t very kind of him to kill people, but he was doing what he thought was necessary, and what anyone else at the time would have done if they were in his position.
I think that it’s unfair for people to call Columbus evil, because he positively affected European exploration, and most of the harm caused was unintentional. I think it is complete bollucks for anyone to compare Columbus to Hitler, because they are so very different. While Hitler’s actions were completely and utterly intentional, Columbus was not aware that the natives were not immune to European disease. Hitler wanted to create a scapegoat for Germany’s failing economy, and have a reason to kill off a mass amount of people, but Columbus just wanted to explore the new lands that he had happened upon. He realized it after awhile that he and his crew were responsible for the pestilence, but he didn’t arrive on their land knowing that his presence would kill them.
Columbus was mainly a good man, who was extremely bright. I guess he was a little bit stubborn, because he never accepted that he wasn’t in Asia. Still, his influences and exploration helped in European expansion and intelligence.
“In fourteen hundred ninety-two
Columbus sailed the ocean blue.
He had three ships and left from Spain;
He sailed through sunshine, wind and rain.”
The following quote is from a popular children’s poem describing the adventures of Christopher Columbus while he traveled the world. Christopher Columbus has been a major historical figure that we have learned about since a very young age, and he is renowned for discovering America and successfully uniting European culture with America. However, there are always two sides to every story, and as young children we did not learn the other side. Columbus was always portrayed as a brave explorer who had such a positive impact on the lives of the global society. Not only did he impact the world then by encouraging others to explore, but he still impacts the world today; after all, we do celebrate Columbus Day in his honor in America. But, at age sixteen I discovered that all of what I learned was one-sided. Apparently, Columbus was partially responsible for the “first holocaust” and brutally murdering Native Americans and other indigenous people of foreign lands. So now, after learning the other side of the story, I must decide how I feel about Columbus, and whether or not he should still be seen as the brave explorer or a villain.
Columbus’s intent was actually to explore India, but due to some miscalculations, he ended up in America. Although Columbus was not the first to discover America, his explorations were the first ones to make an impact. Without Columbus, would America have been what it was then and is today? Surely he should be celebrated for aiding in the early European establishment in our country. Even though Columbus brutally killed the natives when he arrived, he did it to protect himself and to help him explore land. His actions do not differ in the behavior of other explorers during the Age of Discovery. This being said, it is clear that Columbus was not the only explorer to kill natives, so the “first holocaust” and genocide cannot be entirely blamed on him. While Columbus had his fair share of wrong doings, he should not be vilified. To travel the world without certainty and in hopes to discover new worlds to expand our horizons is one of the bravest things a person can do. Should Columbus be stripped of his bravery, because he killed natives? Not completely, because the good appear to outweigh the bad.
Columbus was a man with a passion for adventure and wanted to explore new worlds. His actions led to economic success for Spain and Europe as a whole, but also partially made America what it is today. If Columbus, a European, did not have such a profound impact on America, what would have become of it? We may never know, but based on what we do know, I believe he should still be celebrated for helping establish the land in which we live in.
I think Christopher Columbus should be viewed as a hero. He didn't have the intention on bringing diseases to America and thats what people blame him for. I think its unfair to blame him for all those deaths. If it wasn't for Christopher Columbus America wouldn't be like it is today. Yes America would have been discovered sooner or later but if it was discovered by another country such as France or England, they might not have treated the Indians as the Spanish did. And if America was found by a different country they still would have brought diseases with them no matter what. So instead of Christopher Columbus being blamed for all the deaths, another explorer would have been blamed. I think that Christopher Columbus should be celebrated for discovering America, and not ridiculed for bringing diseases (which he never meant to bring) Now I'm not condoning his treatment of the Native Americans, i think it was very cruel what he did to them and i don't think he should be celebrated in that aspect whatsoever. It has been tradition that we celebrate the discovery of America and I think that it should continue. It is up to the person if they personally want to celebrate it or not. Columbus was an explorer and thats what he did he explored and found America. That is why he should be celebrated.
Christopher Columbus was a great explorer who should be viewed by our society just as he is now. Columbus is the founder of our homeland and for this reason we celebrate him. Through his voyage to the Americas, he inspired other people to sail out towards it as well. Without him, could it be said that our great country would be the same as it is today? It can’t. What is known, is that from his voyage, the America lived in today exists.
There is a reason that most children in the United States know Christopher Columbus’s name. Growing up, they are taught George Washington, the father of our country, Thomas Edison, the man who brought everyone an electric light bulb from which we live our lives, and Christopher Columbus. If Christopher Columbus were truly a man who should be vilified, why would the youngest generation of this country be singing songs of his name? He sailed out into an unknown world, not sure of what he would encounter, a sure show of bravery, which is yet another thing we celebrate about him.
It is said that he led the genocide of Native Americans. In many ways this is true. He killed mass amounts of the natives and is in large, a reason that they, as a population, began to die out. However, the morals and ideas that people today look back on him with are different than that of a man living in that day in age. Today, people know the outcome of the deaths of these innocent people, back then Columbus only saw the act as one for economic and political gain. This is why the comparison that is often done today of Columbus and Hitler is completely inaccurate. Hitler killed with the motive of killing out a population. Columbus killed for reasons that would better his people. While, still wrong, it really can’t be considered an act of cruelty such as Hitler’s.
While Christopher Columbus had his flaws, as any human being does, he was still a great explorer, and the founder of our country. He acted valiantly to travel the unknown world and came to find the place we call home today. For that reason, Columbus should be thought of no differently from how he is now, and should continue to be celebrated.
Although Columbus was horrible to the natives of the Americas, as well as brought others who were in fact even worse than he was, he personally, and alone, cannot be blamed for the poor treatment of the Native Americans. Columbus was an explorer and should have been treated as such, he was a good captain with the minor flaw of being narrow minded, for example believing, although all proof pointed otherwise, that the Americas were actually the East Indies. When Columbus was in the Caribbean, he was put in charge of a settlement, and chaos ensued. This was not his fault, he was put in charge of something he was not qualified to charge, he was a close minded sea captain, and that is all. Although because Columbus came to the Americas many Native Americans died, it can not be all on his shoulders. Yes, he was the “first” one to connect Europe and the Americas and did “discover” it, but it was not his fault that the Natives were not immune to the diseases he brought, and he was merely following a stereotype in enslaving the few that were enslaved. Those that were enslaved weren’t even done so by Columbus as much as the settlers who followed in his stead. That is not to say that Columbus does not deserve any of the blame, he was still a human and should have realized what was happening around him. He is merely a figurehead for both sides, on the one side, he discovered America, he was the one and only one who received credit for this discovery, but this is the hero side. On the other hand, he is also blamed for much more than was his fault, yes, he was the first one to discover America, which put him as the one who brought the disease and slavery to the Americas. Neither of these could have been possible without his crew, and the settlers that followed in his stead. Columbus was not a hero in his time, nor in ours, but he was also not a villain, he was just a good explorer who got lucky in his discovery of an unknown land, but also drew the short straw in receiving the blame for the deaths of so many of the natives of America. He was a good explorer who was not cut out for leadership other than on his boat, but got stuck being such a leader, which caused problems, not Columbus himself, but his actions due to his incompetence as a leader.
Christopher Columbus, the man himself, should be celebrated for his navigational prowess and success in being the first to effectively connect two areas of the world previously unknown to each other. Other aspects of the man, such as his ignorance of what he accomplished, poor governing skills, and atrocities against the native people, do not deserve to be celebrated; in fact some deserve to be vilified. Because of this mixed bag of Columbus’s attributes, the man deserves to be commemorated, not blindly celebrated or completely disparaged. This would be equivocal to praising the big picture of what he accomplished despite his personal flaws.
Growing up in the American school system, learning about Columbus and how he sailed the ocean blue is pretty much the first history-related thing anyone remembers being taught. This is reflective of the idea that Columbus’s legacy has risen to almost myth-like status. In our younger days, we were simply taught that Columbus with his three ships was a great explorer and discoverer of the “New World”—none of his negative traits or actions were brought to our attention. Now that one is knowledgeable about his beliefs and actions that continued (or set the mark for continuation in a New World) a pattern of atrocity towards “savage” non-Christians of the world, I am hesitant to think of him as a heroic figure.
I think it comes down to whether society thinks that the discovery of the New World, an enormous feat in terms of historical progression, is a big enough deal to overshadow the darker aspects of what Columbus did. At this point, the majority of society deems the accomplishment worthy of commemoration and a three-day weekend. Once again, Columbus’s navigational accomplishment in terms of its effect on history deserves to respected and remembered, but his character flaws should also be taken into account.
Christopher Columbus can be a very polarizing figure in history. Whenever he is brought up, most everyone has their own very strong opinion on him. Many believe that he was a hero, and should be remembered as the great explorer who discovered and began colonizing America. Others claim that he was nothing more than an ignorant product of the middle ages who miscalculated the size of the Earth, and whose cruel acts toward the indigenous people of America qualify as genocide. I feel that we should view Columbus as something between the two. Lavishing excessive praise on him for being the one to "discover" America is not truly fair. Historical evidence has shown that centuries before Columbus, many Vikings were fishing off the coast of Newfoundland, and most likely made contact with the Native Americans. This means Columbus was not the first European to find the Americas. Until the day he died, he was not even aware that he was in a "new" continent. He was, however, certainly the first European explorer to establish a permanent Colony in the Americas, which the Viking explorers of earlier centuries did not. It cannot be denied that the establishing of the first European Colony in America has had an astronomical effect on the course of events since then, whether or not one believes the colony should ever have been founded in the first place.
To consider Columbus as being on par with Hitler is also extreme, and for all intents and purposes, not accurate. He and his fellow colonists were, on an almost constant basis, very cruel to the Native Americans, enslaving them and even killed and maimed many for sport. However, their main goal was not to wipe out the entire race, but rather to use them for their own gains. I am not trying to justify the actions of the early colonists, or diminish their cruelty, but am merely stating that I don't think "genocide" is an appropriate label for what happened. Many who consider Columbus a man who committed genocide also label him as being stupid or ignorant for thinking that he was in Asia. While it is true that there was overwhelming evidence that should have been obvious after spending some time in America, there is no way he could have known immediately. Additionally, he was still somewhat ahead of his time in believing that the world was round, even if he did miscalculate its size.
It seems to me that the most fair way to view Columbus is as a man who had a very large impact on the course of history. The establishment of the first European colony in America is of obvious importance, as it lead to the eventual founding of the United States of America. He was also, however a stubborn and cruel man, who allowed and often took part in unspeakable cruelty towards the indigenous people of America. To forget either one of these things, or to exaggerate one and diminish the other, fundamentally alters the image of Columbus. It is essential to keep both the good and bad in mind when thinking of Columbus, just as one should with any significant historical figure.
Christopher Columbus has been a major historical figure in the United States for many years, no matter what way people look at him. It is undeniable that what he did played an extremely important role in the expansion of European countries and that he had a large impact on the indigenous peoples of these new lands. He was also very successful in carrying the European culture to the Americas and forming a new way of life. However, I feel that society’s view of Christopher Columbus’s achievements are largely dependent on the ethnic background of the people who are judging him. While most Americans view him as a hero and someone who should be celebrated, there are others who feel that what he did should be considered genocide and a crime against humanity. Descendants of the Native Americans and Aztec civilizations may express a feeling of hatred toward Columbus for the disease and enslavement that he brought with him to the Americas, leading to the deaths of thousands of inhabitants. On the other hand, Europeans and modern day Americans would celebrate Christopher Columbus’s legacy, as he helped make us what we are today. Personally, I feel that we should celebrate the expedition of Christopher Columbus because it was a necessary step that the world need to take if it wanted to grow and expand. If you think about it, if Columbus didn’t come to the America’s when he did, than someone else would have farther on down the road. It was inevitable that someone would stumble across this “new world”, and when they did there was no way that they could avoid bringing disease and hardship with them. It was something that came with the territory. That being said, I still think that we should respect the lives of the native inhabitants of our land and recognize their beliefs that Columbus destroyed their civilization. Overall, I think that we should commemorate Columbus for his courageous acts and realize that there wasn’t anything he could do about bringing disease and hardships.
To vilify or not to vilify Christopher Columbus, that is the question? But within this question lies the notion of should or should not a man be praised, who through his own obstinacy and anti-empiricism discovered a new world. I myself believe that society should not extol Christopher, but rather praise his symbolic representation as the origin of a less-primitive society and nation.
I believe that there is a major wall of separation dividing a person’s character and one’s accomplishments. In many reputable primary sources such as “When World’s Collide,” Tirado explains how Columbus had no incentive in finding a New World, but rather to find a new route to Asia, in order to indulge in its wealth and to evade Muslim intermediaries. He also goes on to explain how Columbus was an anti-empiricist, in that, he only accepted his own belief that he had found a new route to Asia and rejected those ideas contrary to his, which indeed amplifies great obstinacy. But although one may come to the epiphany that Columbus’s obstinacy and anti-empiricism may not conform to what society today may brand as a hero, the fact of the matter is, Columbus founded the America in which we live today, even if his character personifies stubbornness and a firm rejection of factual evidence. Therefore I believe not Columbus himself but rather his accomplishment should be solely revered by today’s society
Now on the notion that Columbus should be vilified, because of the genocide of Native Americans, I highly beg to differ. Even if Columbus did bring oppression to the Native Americans, the majority of their deaths was because of disease. But does it make sense that Columbus being a human being should be held accountable for something that is as relatively impalpable such as disease? I think not!
Now I myself am befuddled when Columbus is compared to Hitler. I am at awe at such an erroneous comparison. How can Hitler, a man who evidently loathed the Jews, be compared to a man who had no primary incentive to kill the Native Americans? Columbus’s motivation although intertwined with stubbornness was to find a new route to Asia and not slaughter an entire ethos or culture.
But although I disagree with those various ideas justifying Columbus’s vilification, I still believe that Christopher Columbus should not be solely venerated or revered by society, but rather his accomplishment and his symbolic representation as the origin of a less-primitive America, which today rightfully claims to be worthy as the embodiment of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
To ask whether Columbus should be celebrated or vilified is a hard question. There are many who would argue that Columbus, despite his many doubtful actions, indirectly led to the birth and settlement of the present-day Americas. However, looking not at the effect of Columbus's actions, but rather the cause, it is almost laughable that a country like the U.S.A., founded on determination, intelligence and skill, should have a Columbus Day. While not a villian, Columbus is most certainly not a hero or a daring explorer to be idolized and acclaimed. His discovery of America, as most authorities agree, was more dumb luck than any real sense of destination. In fact, Columbus, despite all evidence to the contrary, believed himself to be in Asia, and stubbornly refused to admit his obvious mistake. Upon settling in the Americas, Columbus further proved his incapability as a leader. For example, James Axtell states, in his article "The Moral Demensions of 1492", that such titles of genocide have been applied to Columbus and his contemporaries due to "the Spaniards' wanton killing of Tainos...during Columbus' inept governorship in 1494-95." Failing to recognize the natives that he encountered as anything other than slave labor, Columbus began a bloody legacy, that other Spanish settlers and conquistadors emulated. While he cannot be blamed for the following pattern of disease that wiped out a majority of the Native Americans, since this consquence would have come about regardless of who arrived in America, he can be blamed for establishing the natives as less-than-human. What is perhaps most frustrating, and therefore, least savory aspect of Columbus, is that he cannot be considered a villain. None of his actions suggest any purposeful malicious intent, but rather, a pig-headed ignorance, that led to the death of thousands. Columbus is no Hitler, but rather someone unable to recognize his actions and the results of them.
Although Columbus was not an amazing person he still changed the direction of our world as we know it. I believe that no matter what happened that discovery should be celebrated. It was thanks to Columbus that Europe moved into the age of exploration. Columbus did not treat the natives well, but still he did find the Americas and he did open a new part of the world to Europe. I believe that society should celebrate the finding of the new world by Columbus. It changed the course of history. Just because he didn’t treat the natives well, doesn’t mean that such an accomplishment should go uncelebrated.
There are many reasons as to why one may reflect on Christopher Columbus as a character with a heroic stature in society, due his discovery of the Americas in 1492. On the contrary however, one may denigrate and degrade Columbus for having an “un hero like” personality as well as being a poor administer of a colony. In my opinion Christopher Columbus should not be celebrated or vilified in society, instead be viewed as a historical figure who caused the clash of two worlds, and sparked the emergence of various expeditions of the Americas.
Columbus, to this day, is a man whom the children of America are taught to praise and celebrate from youth. This is by no means wrong- Columbus deserves recognition for his accomplishments. Though the fact that his discovery was unintentional is not necessarily relevant in questioning whether or not he deserves this praise; if he had not stumbled upon this big pile of dirt we now live on, someone else would have done so, most probably by accident. As we praise Columbus, we would praise whoever brought this land onto the European map of the world. On the same note, we should not diminish Columbus’s standing because he did not discover a route to the Asian mainland, as was his original agenda. One man can only do so much.
However, as we celebrate the accomplishments of Columbus, it is not right to ignore the fact that his discoveries had negative effects, especially on the lives of American Natives. A great number of natives died from the effects of Europe on their land- through disease, overwork, and other various causes. However, the Europeans did not come to the Americas on the intention of hurting the natives. And as Columbus did not even believe himself to be in the Americas, he cannot be blamed for the events that followed his discovery. Finally, as stated above, if Columbus had not landed in the Americas, then the discovery would be named to someone else sooner or later. This land is too big to be missing from the maps forever and so Europe would have trickled into the lives of these natives with or without Columbus.
In conclusion, Columbus deserves to be recognized for his accomplishment of unintentionally making Europe aware of the Americas, but should not be held responsible for the unavoidable effects of European contact with the natives.
When I was child, I learned about Christopher Columbus, the brave explorer who found a “New World”. It is true that he played a considerable role in European Exploration. However, now I am learning the other side of the story. I am learning about how Columbus, in fact, started centuries of slave trade, oppression, and even a mass murder against the Native Americans. There is a large controversy over whether Columbus was a hero, or a villain. I do not believe that Columbus can be described as a hero or a villain. He simply should be recognized for changing the world.
Christopher Columbus set out on a voyage to find a route to East Asia by way of the Atlantic Ocean. His calculation ended up being way off and he ended up traveling for longer than he had predicted. While a large portion of his crew wanted to quit and return home, Columbus was still determined, partly because he was a stubborn man. His braveness, stubbornness, and determination finally paid off when they reached land. He believed that he had finally reached East Asia, but later it was proved that he landed in present-day Haiti. Even though he did not reach his set destination, he still made a remarkable discovery for Europe. The purpose of his voyage was to explore new lands, and boost the economy Europe. He did indeed do this, so because of his braveness I believe that we should recognize his accomplishments. When he reached the “New World”, The Grand Exchange occurred between the natives and the Europeans. This was the exchange of plants, animals, foods, slaves, diseases, knowledge and ideas that occurred between the Eastern and Western hemispheres. Many people argue that he was a villain because he committed genocide, but I believe this is false. Although he killed many Native Americans, you can not consider it genocide because unlike Hitler, he did not have the intention of eliminating a whole race. His actions reflected his time period. Most of the other explorers would have treated the Native American’s the same way if they were in Columbus’ position. He killed the Native Americans for the benefit of Spain. In fact the majority of the Native Americans died because of disease unknowingly carried over by the Europeans.
Although Columbus didn’t commit genocide, he did kill a large amount of Native Americans, so I don’t believe he should be celebrated. The only other person who has a national holiday to celebrate them is Martin Luther King Jr. Isn’t it contradictory how we celebrate both Martin Luther King Jr. and Christopher Columbus? One tried to end all racism, a downfall of society stemming from slavery, while the other took part in the slave trade. It is wrong to say that we celebrate Columbus for his scientific discoveries, because his sailing calculations were completely wrong. It was by luck that he found land. Some people also credit him with proving that the earth was spherical, even though some educated people already knew this before him.
Although Columbus treated the Native Americans whom he encountered harshly, he accomplished something that dictated the future of Europe, and the rest of the world. He opened up Europe to a “New World”. If Columbus had not made his discoveries that he made, the world would be a different place today. The mass murder of Native Americans should not be blamed on Columbus, for he was reflecting his time period. He was a man who simply sought adventure, and because of this, impacted the world. Although he made these accomplishments, he should not be celebrated because of the terrible ways he treated the natives. Therefore, Columbus Day should simply be a day of remembrance.
I think we can safely say that the historical date known the most by American children is the fateful day that Columbus sailed the ocean blue. The children would probably not even know the day that this country became independent. He is the universal hero that founded our great nation. There is another side to this tale though, what would they think of their savior if the knew that he not only was the bearer of society annihilating viruses. Is it possible that they may be more appalled if they know that he may also be the originator of the skeleton in America’s closet, slavery?
When Columbus came to the West Indies he brought with him the European virus smallpox, the disease spread island by island wiping out entire villages. The devastation was catastrophic but was poorly recorded because of the Spanish bias. And likewise the start of slavery was fueled by the need of replacement of the rapidly dying Indian slaves for stronger healthier ones from Africa.
When faced with these facts I think that instead of taking Columbus Day off, we should spend it in school learning of the atrocities that fell upon the natives.
Christopher Columbus has always been celebrated as a hero, who found America. Recently people have looked at him and blamed him for the genocide of the native populations off the Americas. Both these views are somewhat distorted. We should look at Columbus not as a hero or a monster, but a man who simply wanted to better his nation, but was undoubtedly put in circumstances he was not qualified to deal with.
Christopher Columbus was born in Italy and raised to be a sailor. He was an educated man and was not a common sailor. Columbus’s purpose for this trip had always been to help better his nation. He had set forth to find away to the east across the ocean. This would have been extremely useful to Spain as they could have controlled that trade route. He was an educated man and was not a common sailor. He was smart enough to discard older beliefs that the world was flat and also to provide calculations to show its circumference. Though wrong they show that he was learned and knew a fair amount. Using this he was able to convince the queen of Spain to support his trip. With mathematics and the queen on his side Columbus was convinced he was correct. He meant to help bring wealth to his nation and spread its power. He should be looked at as a nationalist for this, as he risked his life to help better Spain. He sailed for 3 months without complete or moderately accurate sea charts. Were it not for his 3 voyages to the New World, Spain would have never risen to power. It also could have fallen as England and Portugal hade in the 1560s. His discoveries not only led to the Spanish "Golden Age", but also secured this state for years to come.
There are people who compare Columbus’s influence on the people and culture of native America as the first Holocaust or as “Genocide in the Americas.” But most of the blame can not be put on him. He was simply a sailor who was given power that he did not know how to control. When he was rewarded for his discovery with political power, and given the title of Governor of the Indies. He should not have been given this position, because he did not have the qualifications to run a settlement. Christopher had the qualities of a good captain but not a governor. It is true he was very active in the slave trade between the Americas and Europe, although this was never his original idea. His goal was to find silver and gold. When he did not find this, he tried to make up for it with the slave trade. This is a brash political move made by someone who doesn’t fully know they‘re doing. Columbus is also blamed for the deaths of many due to disease. Columbus is blamed for diseases brought to the New World. Columbus probably was not aware of the immune system’s ability to defend itself from infections. He had no idea that the natives’ had lack of this against European diseases, from being isolated. Columbus could not have possibly controlled the murder of many natives in the New World or the conquest of their lands. He also can’t be blamed for future attempts to use dieses against the natives. Columbus was not a man whose goal was to find a new world and destroy it; he was an explorer who simply was given too much power.
Christopher Columbus was not a Hitler, or orchestrater of mass genocide. He was simply an explorer. He sought to better his nation and bring it into power. He can’t be blamed for being awarded a position that he was not qualified to hold and the ensuing actions that he took. Columbus should be viewed as an explorer and nothing else.
Society as a whole has been taught to view Columbus as a hero. He found the americas right? WRONG! Columbus found Hispanola. Not the Americas. If anything, one could claim he barely reached the mainland. He was a bad governer, and a bad business man, and for these reasons, he shoud not be celebrated. However, if Columbus had done his math correctly, and had not believed that the world was round, he would never have found that there was something between Europe and Asia on the other side of the world. For these reasons, he SHOULD be celebrated. Should he be vilified? No, I do not believe that Columbus should be vilified. Yes, he did some bad things. He killed the majority of the natives on Hispanola. However, one needs to realize that Columbus didn’t know better. The Church did not even recognize these natives as people. How would one expect Columbus to think otherwise. Yes, he was sailing to find a trade route to Asia, however, he was a staunt catholic, and he trusted the church and their decisions. Also, Columbus himself did not kill as many people as disease did. As we said in class, could one consider the Black Death a genocide because muslim traders carried it with them on the Silk Road? No. It is not considered a genocide because it was not deliberate. Columbus did not dileberately bring Small Pox to the Americas. The European immune system could handle it, the natives immune system could not. Overall, there were good and bad things about Columbus, and every individual has a right to chose what they feel, but if I had to make a decision, I would say that he should be celebrated more than vilified.
I think that as a society we should view Columbus as no more than a smoking gun. Though what happened to the natives was atrocious, it was not Columbus's fault. He was just following the orders given to him by the King and Queen. If you read Privileges and Prerogatives Granted by Their Catholic Majesties to Christopher Columbus you would see just how true this is. It reads: "For as much of you, Christopher Columbus, are going by our command, with some of our vessels and men, to discover and subdue some Islands and Continent in the ocean, and it is hoped that by God's assistance, some of the said Islands and Continent in the ocean will be discovered and conquered by your means." As you can see, he was not just sent to discover, but also to "subdue" and to "conquer". The the smallpox epidemic is much the same. Although it was he who brought it to the New World, he did not make the decision to spread it around and kill millions of natives with it. The Europeans had no knowledge that their mere arrival in a new land would bring death, and had they been bestowed with this knowledge, I feel their actions would have been different. That is why Columbus is not a villain or a hero, but merely the messenger of a higher power, be it the King and Queen or even the power of nature and disease.
In today's society children grow up with the thought that Christopher Columbus is a hero and he single handy discovered the Americas. Christopher Columbus was given his own holiday which makes people think he was responsibly for the discovering the Americans and how he was a great leader of colonies. To give him credit he was an excellent sailor but there shouldn't be so much emphasis on his impact on the Americas.
Yes it's true that Christopher Columbus was a brave man who was able to sail across the Atlantic which at this time was rare. Although I don't think he should be looked at as a hero because he didn't even know were he was. He was in the Caribbean, the Americas and he believed he was in India! He happened to stumbled upon the Americas. Through out his life he believes he found India. This says he was not a sensible man because people where able to prove to him that the products coming out of the real India where not the same as the products coming out of the Americas. Such as sugars and spices which came form the Caribbean islands and not Asia. I also think most people don't know how he killed massive amounts of natives through European disease that he brought. Or the fact that he treated the natives poorly and killed any of them that stood in his way or didn't agree with his rules as a governor. It seems society doesn't teach Christopher Columbus's full story and that they enhance his actual contributions to the Americas. Christopher Columbus should be viewed as a European explorer that helped advance the Americas, not as a glorified hero in which we are brought up believing.
Christopher Columbus is widely acknowledged as the first man ever to reach the Americas. He is one of the best known navigators in history for his finding of the New World at a time in which the world was only known to consist of Europe, Africa, and Asia. In this day and age, society tends to view Columbus as a hero who set in motion everything that is North and South America today and as a villain who brought about many troubles upon the native peoples of the Caribbean and Central and South America. But, how should Columbus truly be viewed?
Columbus should be viewed as a man who did something great unintentionally. When Columbus set off on August 12, 1492 he was in search of a faster route to Asia not to a whole New World. When he arrived in the Caribbean he thought that he had reached Asia. In fact, in his reports to Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand he wrote about the natives as Indians. Also, Columbus never even realized that he had reached a new world and stubbornly refused to believe it until his death in 1506, 14 years after he reached the Caribbean. This showed that his great feat was completely unintentional.
Some people think that Columbus should be vilified. There is no denying the fact that he discovered the Americas, possibly one of the greatest discoveries in the history of the world, but people think that because of all of the monstrosities inflicted upon the natives that he should be seen as a villain. Although Columbus’s discovery brought smallpox and other European diseases as well as the conquistadors to the America’s he did not intentionally plan for all of this to happen. Also, in the case of his rule as governor, he was only following the rules laid out to him by his superiors. Therefore, I believe he should not be vilified but should be thought of as the bearer of many hardships upon a “simple and honest” group of people (Columbus’s letter to the treasurer to the King and Queen of Spain).
As can be seen, Columbus should not be viewed as either a hero or villain. He should be viewed as a man who unknowingly made a great discovery which led to many troubles for many people but also set in motion everything that is the Americas today.
Christopher Columbus is and should be considered one of the greatest discoverers of his them (King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain) his harsh treatment of natives day. Although his discoveries were largely inaccurate they were still groundbreaking and touched off a wave of colonization that would spread from the southern most tip to the northern most parts of the Americas. Although his discoveries eventually lead to great wealth for the monarchs who financed, not to mention the tremendous inaccuracy of his calculations when trying to determine the circumference of the earth is often left out of, or briefly mentioned in basic history. Although these aspects should not be the focus of the information learned about Columbus they should still be addressed. History of a person or region, is not true history unless all aspects and hidden information concerning the subject are revealed. Columbus’s successes as an explorer are crucial parts of European and American history. However, his geographical failures and unnecessarily harsh treatment of native peoples ought not to be overlooked.
The question of how we view Christopher Columbus is not a simple matter. Saying that he is either a hero or a villain is making this question into a black and white issue, when in fact there are all different shades of gray in between. The answer to this question lies in perspective. To Europeans, especially the Spanish and the Italians, Christopher Columbus was the quintessential hero during that time. He was a trailblazer, a man who basically sacrificed his life to find a route to India. He ushered in the age of exploration and caused a giant change in the economic, political and social system of Europe. However, looking at it from the Native American’s and African’s side of view, Columbus is considered villain. Both sides opinion is radically different and it shows how even in the modern day, the cultural divide that was caused more than 500 years ago is still a point of debate.
When Columbus finally hit land and thought he had found India, it became one of the most important events in the history of the world since the extinction of dinosaurs. He risked a great deal of time, money, and even his own life to find the coveted route to India by way of the Atlantic Ocean. Even thought he didn’t find India, Spain was still greatly helped by the amount of gold and other natural resources that was found in the Americas. After that moment, Christopher Columbus has become a pop culture icon. He is a representative of the superiority of Europeans at that time. He also combined the best of all worlds. He was a result of the middle ages, Italian born, funded by Spain, and also a Catholic. He was the symbol of exploration years after his actions. And maybe the most important aspect of his discovery of the Americas is that after about 450-55 years, America has risen to be one of the greatest nations in the world. And in response to those who say he is responsible for the genocide of the indigenous people of the Americas, it isn’t fair to place all the blame on him. He was a product of the ideology of white skin privilege, so he was brought up to be told that white men are the greatest race of people. If anyone is to take blame for the killing of all those ingenious people, it should be the society of Europe at that time. Also, much of the death was not caused by killing, as James Axtell states, “Gross demographical statistics--conjured from fragmentary figures and social-scientific assumptions and often inflated for moral or political reasons rather than historical necessity---are impossible to interpret clearly because they include the victims of intertribal warfare, migration and dislocation, and uncontrollable natural disasters, as well as overwork and other forms of colonial oppression.” (Axtell). This means, that murder was not the only reason the native population was killed. Columbus does have to share the blame because he did help in enslaving of the native people; however, he alone is not the culprit.
In one of Columbus’s journal, he talks about how he thought the native people were beautiful but, “They are fit to be ordered about and made to work". Clearly, Columbus also held a notion that the native people were in fact inferior to him and his European ways. He enslaved many Native Americans to help the struggling outpost that he created and also sent back slaves in return for supplies. He set a precedent for all others that would come to the “New World”. A century of abuse and murder caused basically an extinction of Native Americans in both present day USA and South America. The statistics that are used show the enormity of how many people were actually killed. It is said that between 97-99% of Native American’s were killed from the moment Columbus set foot on the shores of Hispaniola to the massacre at Wounded Knee in 1890. That means between 50-80 million native people died during that time. That’s 8 times more than the Holocaust and is it more people than all of the genocides combined. However, this fact is rarely every written about in history books, why, because Native Americans aren’t “worthy victims”. They aren’t white, they believe in pagan religions, and their existence is just proof of the genocide Europe created and is the reason you and me are alive in America. Native Americans are one of the most disregarded people in world, and the fact that it took 500 years for people to realize that amount of damage Columbus caused in his journey, is truly amazing. When one looks at Columbus’s discovery from the Native American’s point of view, it is impossible to see Columbus as a hero. Even people, who admired him, realized his faults in this situation. Father Bartolome de las Casas, the “Apostle of the Indies”, admired Columbus as a sea-faring man and a man of god, however he saw Columbus’s evils. He couldn’t understand how, “a man good by nature and of good intentions should have been so blind in so clear a matter". (Tirado) Overall, Columbus was the jump-off for the biggest killing of a people to ever occur, so he can be viewed as a villain.
Columbus’s discovery is a cataclysmic event in the history of the world. It set in motion, a chain of events that would eventually lead to the formation of maybe the greatest nation to grace the earth. But on the other hand, it also leads to the near extinction of a certain group of people and also helped in the rise of prejudice based on skin color. Though, Columbus’s helped Spain and Europe and eventually USA, he cannot be called a hero, he helped kill millions of Native Americans. However, he cannot be called a villain either. He was only an explorer, a sea-faring man. He wasn’t fit to be a governor of a settlement. He had no administrative experience, and he showed it in his poor-governing of La Isabella. Also, his treatment of Native Americans was a deep-seated prejudice that was placed in his mind by the education and the general views of European society at that time. Columbus should share part of the blame, but so should European society as a whole. Right now, Native American groups want to blame European countries for the atrocities which occurred in the “New World” but Europe wants no part in that, they just want to celebrate their great discovery. I believe the most logical step, is not to celebrate Columbus Day as the day when he discovered the Americas. It should be a day of commemoration of his encounter with the Americas, but also a day of remembrance of all the deaths of the native people. Also, European nations should apologize to the Native American communities, because we as people have to be able to be held accountable for all actions, right or wrong.
Ever since we were children, Columbus has been given to use on a silver platter. Those who grew up in America were told that Columbus was an amazing man that was to be admired and respected. This idea, however, becomes more strained as we grow older. Columbus was not the first man to “discover” America, nor did he even reach the main continent of North America. The name of the continents, as well, was named after a different explorer all together! Not only did treat the natives as slaves, he brought some of them back to Europe to prove that he found something of worth there. He plundered what gold he could find, which would later be shown in excess by the Spanish, and he essentially paved the way for the mass murders of the Indians living there. Whether it was intentional of him or not, the spread of European diseases such as small pox was a key part in the majority of deaths resulting from the “discovery” of America. There is one thing that I believe shows the true nature of Columbus more than anything else, and that is the same thing that makes me believe that he should not be celebrated in the least bit: Columbus utterly refused to believe that he had landed in an area other than the Western Pacific. Columbus should not be viewed as anything other than another explorer who was too ignorant to realize the consequences of his actions. We cannot glorify such a man, nor should we.
(Sorry my response is late, Mr. Kirby. I forgot to send this in last night after the football game.)
mr.kirby i sent my blog to you 2 days ago, but its not showing up? did my blog not get apporved or something?
Christopher Columbus, the explorer, is viewed by different people to be a different type of man. Some calls him the father of the Americas, the glorious explorer, while others knows him as the killer of the Americas, the satanic conqueror. One must accept, before establishing a view of the righteousness or the morality of Columbus, that most views of Columbus are biased. Obviously those who are affiliated with Native American origin, or other original American inhabitants would condemn the actions of Columbus and convict him of genocide, while white Americans, or European affiliated population would consider Columbus a glorious explorer who opened up and finally completed the world; by discovering the missing two continents.
My belief is that, Columbus can not be a villain, he simply was an unlucky lucky man. It is true that his discovery led to Spanish, and later European colonization of the Americas; which caused a wipe out of the Native American population, but he never set foot on continental America. Being the stubborn navigator that he was, he still believed that he had set his foot on a island off the coast of china, and insisted on calling the people “Indians”. Thus, if you think about it, Columbus not only did not have the intent of killing the natives on the island, the idea that he was in a complete new world had not even occurred to him. How can Columbus be convicted of genocide, when such a concept was not even remotely possible from what his intention was. I also called him unlucky and lucky due to the consequence at which the events that followed his discovery of America happened. He traveled to find a route to Asia, but ended up in Europe, not wanting to go home empty handed, he brought home some goods from the new land, and proclaimed its location and etc. This, however, little that Columbus knew, sparked a era of European colonization of the Americas.
In the end, Columbus should be celebrated for his discovery of the new land, but not for the colonization of America, or etc. It may be true his discovery was accidental, but many scientific discoveries are based on serendipity. He was destined to find this new land, and in result, even though he didn’t mean it, he shaped the world that is today.
heres a resumbmission anyways
Post a Comment