Essay #1 Students begin to learn about Christopher Columbus at a very young age, usually starting in kindergarten. Teachers tell their students of how he discovered America, and he is the reason they sit in the classroom at the present. Students then place him on a pedestal for the magnificent achievement that he made, but they only view a sliver of the greater story. In the “Extracts from the Journal of Columbus” the reader sees Columbus in a more personal way. They see his thoughts, his actions, and the world around him all from his perspective. By looking at his personal journal, the reader sees the true motives behind Columbus’s journey, which, in turn, shapes their view of him. When Christopher Columbus first embarked on his journey