Should Christopher Columbus be considered a hero or villian?
When we were younger we were taught that Christopher Columbus discovered America, and because of that I thought very highly of him. As my schooling progressed, I began to learn that Columbus wasn't all that I thought he was. Through his awful actions towards natives he proved himself to be more of a villain than a hero. To a great extent, Christopher Columbus is a villain, and to a lesser extent he is a hero.
To a greater extent, Christopher Columbus is considered a villain. When Columbus and his men first arrived in the New World, they brought with them many diseases such as small pox. Since the natives did not have resistance to these diseases, millions died as a result. Columbus also spoke about the natives and how they would "...make fine servants..." Columbus exploited the Indians, making them into slaves and taking over their land. His discovery of the Americas opened doors to future conquistadors who would continue to exploit natives, loot and slaughter villages such as the Aztecs and Incas. As governor of Santa Domingo on Hispaniola, he was a despot who kept all profits for himself and his brothers, and was loathed by the colonists whose lives he controlled.
To a much lesser extent, Christopher Columbus is considered a hero. Columbus was an experienced and talented sailor, navigator and ship captain. He bravely set off to the west without a map, trusting his instincts and calculations to guide him forward. Despite looking for a faster route to the west, he stumbled upon the Americas, beginning the movement to the west that changed the future forever.
Overall, Christopher Columbus should be recognized as a villain more than a hero, both because of his actions and the outcomes that came from them.
To a greater extent, Christopher Columbus is considered a villain. When Columbus and his men first arrived in the New World, they brought with them many diseases such as small pox. Since the natives did not have resistance to these diseases, millions died as a result. Columbus also spoke about the natives and how they would "...make fine servants..." Columbus exploited the Indians, making them into slaves and taking over their land. His discovery of the Americas opened doors to future conquistadors who would continue to exploit natives, loot and slaughter villages such as the Aztecs and Incas. As governor of Santa Domingo on Hispaniola, he was a despot who kept all profits for himself and his brothers, and was loathed by the colonists whose lives he controlled.
To a much lesser extent, Christopher Columbus is considered a hero. Columbus was an experienced and talented sailor, navigator and ship captain. He bravely set off to the west without a map, trusting his instincts and calculations to guide him forward. Despite looking for a faster route to the west, he stumbled upon the Americas, beginning the movement to the west that changed the future forever.
Overall, Christopher Columbus should be recognized as a villain more than a hero, both because of his actions and the outcomes that came from them.
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