Christopher Columbus good or bad?

Is Christopher Columbus hero or villain?

Christopher Columbus was born on 31 October 1451. He lived in an impoverished childhood. During his childhood, he studied geography and developed skills for sailing, which he loved. When he became cartographer, Queen Isabella help him to set sail. Christopher Columbus arrived at the island called Bahamas (which is very close to America) on 12 October 1492. Christopher Columbus is known to be “the founder” of America and many Americans think him as a hero because he motivated people in Europe to visit America. However Christopher Columbus does not fit the title of hero since he has committed number of sins.

Back in 14 Century, people believed that Earth was flat and at the edge of Earth, everything will fall down. This is the reason why people in Europe could not dare to sail farther than Asia. However when Christopher Columbus became a cartographer, he believed that Earth was round. Also Marco Polo who had traveled to China and India and brought the spices to Europe and inspired him. He wanted to find a shortcut to reach India more quickly. Christopher Columbus wanted to prove that he is right and wanted to set sail as fast as he can. He asked kings and queens to give him the permission and lend him some help. However Christopher wasted his five years until Queen Isabella gave him permission and three ships: Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria, and about hundred men to follow him. On August third 1496, he set sail to sea. Men in the ship started to get scared because the voyage was taking more than what Christopher Columbus thought. Despite Columbus’s men in depression, they finally arrived at the island called Bahamas on October 12, 1492. Columbus thought that the land was India. He sailed back to Europe with the gold and rich jewelry from the land he found.

When Columbus arrived at Spain, many people were surprised because his voyage proved that the world is round. Also when people saw what Columbus had brought from the land that he found, many sailors decided to sail down to the Bahamas. The rich jewelry had motivated people to visit America. More and more people started to settle down at America and the land was getting crowded. Christopher Columbus was very brave, skilled boatman and he had tenacity. Even if he thought that the world is round, without his tenacity, he could have not gotten the permission from Queen Isabella. Also he could have given up during the sail because the voyage took more than what Christopher he thought. Then America could have not found until other man found it.

Although Christopher Columbus has played an important role to motivate and raise the awareness to people in Europe to visit America, he was a cruel man. In 14 Century in Europe, slavery was legal and the slave trade was very lucrative. In his second voyage to America, Queen Isabella told him to treat the native people kindly. In opposition of Queen’s order, Columbus began to export slaves in a great number. When the slaves arrived at Spain, about third of slaves had died. When the sailors were going back to Europe, they did not have to use the compass or other equipment to find their ways. They simply followed the floating dead body of Indians who had been tossed overboard when they died. Columbus had made the native people slaves and so many slaves were export to Spain, people have to force him to stop the slave exporting. However the slavery was not finished. The slaves that were not exported were put in the slavery in the island. Christopher Columbus let the settlers choose which slaves they wanted and bought. Columbus has made the native men to work and he sold many women as the sex slaves.

Slavery was not the only thing that Christopher Columbus was brutal about. He was torturing and killing the native people. He had murdered thousands of native people because of gold. Many native people decided to kill their children and commit suicide because Columbus was devilish and they thought that death is better than living in a live of slave. The one thing that Columbus was mad about was gold. He sent his men and native people to search for the gold. The chief of native people said that European would cut their stomach even if they swallowed their “god.” The “god” refers to the gold. The native people decided to threw gold in the river so Columbus could not find it.

Christopher Columbus wanted the native people to change their religion to Christian. At one point of time, Columbus have sent five hundreds of his men into the hill to search for gold. Upon the hill, native people were prepared to attack them and there was a big fight. When Columbus heard this news, he sent another four hundreds men who were armed, to show how strong he was. He thought that he would not lose because he is Christian and the Christian will never lose to the person who does not believe the same god. He believed that god will only punish the non-Christian people and he will be forgiven. At the end of the battle, thousands of native people had died and Columbus had punished the survivors.

The other sins that were committed by Columbus were informed by one of his sailor called Michele de Cuneo. According to him one slave was trying to escape from the ship. Unfortunately, that slave was caught and Columbus chopped off the slave’s head with an axe and threw the dead body into the ocean. Michele de Cuneo also described about the sex slaves. Columbus believed that there was nothing wrong with capturing the women for men. He believed that he does not need women’ consent. The native women could not understand the environment because they have not experience or heard about the raping.

Christopher Columbus was an innovator. He was braver than anyone in Europe. He sailed all the way down to America. However that does not make him a hero. The men who followed Columbus had cut the hands of the native people and tied it around their neck. They massacre the entire village, unconcerned about the sex or age. All of these actions are lead by the Christopher Columbus, so called hero because he is “the founder” of America. I think people have to learn and educated about the sins that he committed and the true nature of Christopher Columbus.

References:

Anthony W. Hager. (September 10, 2013). Christopher Columbus: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Available: http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2010/10/christopher_columbus_the_good.html. Last accessed 12 Nov 2013.

BBC. (2013). Christopher Columbus . Available: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryhistory/famouspeople/christopher_columbus/. Last accessed 12 Nov 2013.

Christopher Minster. (2013). The Truth About Christopher Columbus. Available: http://latinamericanhistory.about.com/od/thevoyagesofcolumbus/a/09columbustruth.htm. Last accessed 12 Nov 2013.

Whitney DeWitt. (2013). Christopher Columbus: Hero or Murderer?. Available: http://campuspages.cvcc.vccs.edu/polis/2003/nonfiction/whitney%20dewitt.amlit.htm. Last accessed 12 Nov 2013.

Rich Kleinfeldt. (2007). A Clash of Cultures in the New World.Available: http://www.manythings.org/voa/history/5.html. Last accessed 12 Nov 2013.

References: Anthony W. Hager. (September 10, 2013). Christopher Columbus: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Available: http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2010/10/christopher_columbus_the_good.html. Last accessed 12 Nov 2013. BBC. (2013). Christopher Columbus . Available: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryhistory/famouspeople/christopher_columbus/. Last accessed 12 Nov 2013. Christopher Minster. (2013). The Truth About Christopher Columbus. Available: http://latinamericanhistory.about.com/od/thevoyagesofcolumbus/a/09columbustruth.htm. Last accessed 12 Nov 2013. Whitney DeWitt. (2013). Christopher Columbus: Hero or Murderer?. Available: http://campuspages.cvcc.vccs.edu/polis/2003/nonfiction/whitney%20dewitt.amlit.htm. Last accessed 12 Nov 2013. Rich Kleinfeldt. (2007). A Clash of Cultures in the New World.Available: http://www.manythings.org/voa/history/5.html. Last accessed 12 Nov 2013.