OPPapers.com

Christopher Columbus

Columbus – Hero or villain? Throughout the years Christopher Columbus’s image had changed drastically. Who Christopher Columbus was and what he did varies considerably depending on who you ask. It all really boils down to personal opinion. These personal opinions are usually a result of what is taught to an individual in school or by family members. Columbus is seen by some as an ambitious and skillful Christian explorer who discovered America bringing peace, freedom and knowledge to the natives. He is seen by others as a greedy villain who abused, raped and murdered natives bringing slavery and eventual genocide to the Americas. After much research, in my opinion Christopher Columbus was both a hero and a villain. I believe he could be considered a hero for Europe but as far as America and its natives are concerned, he was undeniably a villain. Much of what is known about Christopher Columbus tends to come from unreliable sources. Even his birth place and date have been in question. (Gibson) One thing that is very clear is the fact that Columbus did not discover America. North and South America had both been inhabited for tens of thousands of years before Columbus’s arrival. (Olson) There aremultiple accounts of the atrocities that ensued in the Americas upon and after Columbus’s arrival. It is now well known that Columbus brought diseases that nearly wiped out the entire native population. This was not an intentional act on Columbus’s part and he cannot fairly be blamed due to the fact that these diseases would have eventually made their way to the Americas from Spain with or without him. There are several acts that Columbus can and should be known accountable for. These include but are not limited to unrealistic demands leading to brutality, warfare and even murder of natives in his greedy quest for gold, spices, fame and fortune. Rape and forced marriages of natives was a common occurrence. Five hundred were kidnapped with the intent of taking them back to...