Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus: Hero or Murderer?
The way in which a history class would teach the story of Christopher Columbus is very biased as opposed to the stories of what actually happened that were recorded. Some people would classify Columbus in the category of a hero. I, on the other hand, would term him more as a murderer. Columbus stumbled upon America, while trying to find a route to India. Staying at the new found land mass is acceptable and predictable. However, taking over the new land in a vicious and aggressive manor was in no way called for. He erased the natives that inhabited the land prior to his arrival. He believed that since they were unattractive, and unclothed that that represented that they lacked culture, customs and religion. Columbus figured since they were “defenseless” that they would be easy to conquer. When Columbus arrived at the islands, he never once stopped to consider the fact that the islands were not his to take, and neither were the fellow natives that inhabited them already. He even went as far to rename them all and make them his own. His exploitation regarding slaves began soon. Ferdinand and Isabella ordered that the slaves be treated with respect. Columbus instead, ignored the request and began exporting them as slaves in 1494. The Indians that were not exported to Spain were put into slavery on the islands. There was no way for the Indians to escape the slavery. He did not stop at slavery. Columbus also terrorized and tortured them, sometimes to the point of killing them. Since he was in charge, he felt that he was in the right position to treat them however he felt necessary. These very actions easily title Christopher Columbus as a murderer. Although he did indeed found the country that us Americans now call home, the way in which he eliminated the Indians can disregard his title as a
The way in which a history class would teach the story of Christopher Columbus is very biased as opposed to the stories of what actually happened that were recorded. Some people would classify Columbus in the category of a hero. I, on the other hand, would term him more as a murderer. Columbus stumbled upon America, while trying to find a route to India. Staying at the new found land mass is acceptable and predictable. However, taking over the new land in a vicious and aggressive manor was in no way called for. He erased the natives that inhabited the land prior to his arrival. He believed that since they were unattractive, and unclothed that that represented that they lacked culture, customs and religion. Columbus figured since they were “defenseless” that they would be easy to conquer. When Columbus arrived at the islands, he never once stopped to consider the fact that the islands were not his to take, and neither were the fellow natives that inhabited them already. He even went as far to rename them all and make them his own. His exploitation regarding slaves began soon. Ferdinand and Isabella ordered that the slaves be treated with respect. Columbus instead, ignored the request and began exporting them as slaves in 1494. The Indians that were not exported to Spain were put into slavery on the islands. There was no way for the Indians to escape the slavery. He did not stop at slavery. Columbus also terrorized and tortured them, sometimes to the point of killing them. Since he was in charge, he felt that he was in the right position to treat them however he felt necessary. These very actions easily title Christopher Columbus as a murderer. Although he did indeed found the country that us Americans now call home, the way in which he eliminated the Indians can disregard his title as a