Christopher Columbus: Worthy to be honored? In 1492, Christopher Columbus discovered the Americas. After a long, disheartening voyage, Columbus and his men arrived in Hispaniola. Columbus was revered, given credit for his discovery, and ultimately praised for it. Upon arrival, they were kindly greeted by the Arawak tribe. Gazing at faces strikingly different, Columbus looked at the Natives with admiration. He observed them- they had coarse hair, tan skin, and eyes like a work of art. All seemed picturesque; European explorers had found new lands and befriended the ones inhabiting it. However, our history books have done us an injustice, puzzling students around the world. Historians are now revealing a different story altogether, telling students that they have been lead to hold an ethnocentric view about exploration. I began formulating my opinion on Columbus in American History 1; however, reading the newspaper article Columbus: not a man worth honoring recently furthered that opinion. My original opinion of Columbus was that he had courage, sailing the ocean and greeting the Natives with kindness and consideration. From reading the editorial, however, I learned that Columbus had in fact done the opposite. As a result, I was inquisitive and thoughtful. How could a man live with himself after the deaths of millions at his …show more content…
They were eager to defend themselves, returning declarations of war when threatened. Columbus and his men intruded on the secluded lives of the Natives, declared war on them, and caused millions of deaths. The burning desire for land farther west took away many aspects of European morality; thus intensifying their drive to be violent in pursuit of what they wanted. This is what I suppose Columbus had in mind: to further expansion, no matter the cost. An ideology like this would have required a cold heart, but not one that lacked