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Christopher Columbus: The Myth Of The New World

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“Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492,” goes the motto nearly every child in America recites to remember Christopher Columbus, the Italian sailor who allegedly discovered the New World. In elementary school history books, Columbus is described as a fantastic gentleman who sailed around the earth and discovered the New World; however, what children are not taught in school is that Columbus not only did not discover America, but was also brash and stubborn, in addition to treating the natives very poorly. In school, we learn about Columbus Day, which commemorates the day Columbus landed in the New World. Columbus’s birthday is estimated to be on the twelfth of October, the day on which we observe, as Dr. Engel states in his lecture. I have never held much praise for Columbus; I was taught that he was looking for India for spices, and discovering a new land was purely accidental, so my thoughts were on how he has been …show more content…

According to Dr. Engel’s lecture on the famed explorer and the editorial “Columbus Not Worth Honoring” by David Thundershield Queen, Columbus was not the commendable man we thought him to be. Columbus did not in fact discover America; Native Americans have thrived in the New World long before Columbus was even born. Columbus was also not looking for India. Yes, he was looking for spices, mainly pepper, but it was China he was bound for. He was very stubborn as well, refusing to accept he had not found China but a different land, and he died still believing he had reached China. What surprised me most, however, was his treatment of the natives. Dr. Engel states in his lecture that when Columbus first met the native people, he writes in his journal that “no white man will ever have to work

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Throughout many historical interpretations of the explorer, Christopher Columbus, many included his voyage of seeking for a new route from Europe to the land of the riches, Asia. Although Columbus never set foot in Asia, he had traveled west and discovered the New World, and led many influential impacts. From Columbus’s exploration, it created several questionings along with controversies, debating whether people should celebrate Columbus Day. Nevertheless, Columbus Day should not be a national holiday, because the honor presented by the holiday does not suit many of Columbus’s despicable actions. Columbus had received the wrong title for his journey, his discovery lead to massive amounts of murders, and his greed for valuables and fame was also part of Columbus’s

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For over 80 years we have glorified, heroized, and celebrated Christopher Columbus for accomplishments that he never accomplished. While at the same time we have forgotten the things that he actually did do, some of which were not very heroic nor ethical. So why, on every second Monday in October, do we miss school and work just to remember a man who wasn’t who we think he was? The answer is simple, we shouldn’t be. So let's all board the Boat of Answers, then hoist our Flag of Truth, and finally set sail to find out who the real Christopher Columbus was.

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Loewen argues, “The authors of history textbooks have taken us on a trip of their own, away from the facts of history, into the realm of myth.” As historical events regress further into the past, writers may misinterpret facts that they may have studied. A story of discovery and friendship or a tale of conquest, murder, and greed, which of these are Christopher Columbus’ true stories? I believe the best method to teach American high school students about Christopher Columbus’ story is through historiography because historiography teaches students to compare and distinguish different outlooks from different writers’ point of views instead of just remembering misinterpreted facts. Historiography would guide and force students to study and learn history through a diverse set of historians who focused on the same subject and come to different conclusions.

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Christopher Columbus was the man that sailed the Atlantic ocean, but was not the man that most people think he was. Most people believe that Christopher Columbus was the man who discovered America. However, others say he was a murderer, he kept slaves, and that he was not as successful as everyone thought he was. Christopher Columbus was not who historians say he is. In fact, he is much worse.

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Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue in fourteen hundred ninety-two. When one hears the name Christopher Columbus, they tend to think about his discovery of America. What they don’t consider is how his discovery changed and affected America. First of all, Columbus’ discovery provided the start of a long term colonization, which created what we know today as America. People, who immigrated from another country, traveled all over the world to make it to America in hopes of getting land in “The New World”.

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