Christopher Columbus : American History

Christopher Columbus is an internationally celebrated explorer, due to his voyages to Central America during the Age of Discovery, a period between the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries when explorers were sponsored by eastern countries to claim land. Columbus was an Italian explorer, on a conquest for gold and riches, who was sponsored by the monarchs of Spain, Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile, to travel to Southern Asia. Columbus proposed the idea of traveling from East to West, rather than traveling along the borders of countries and continents, such as Africa and Asia, to eastern countries for gold, spices, and other riches for the monarchs. When Columbus succeeded in landing in the New World, he believed he landed in Southern Asia, but rather he landed in Hispaniola, modern day Haiti and Dominican Republic. The “New World” was a term used for the area Columbus landed in, on October 12, 1492. When Columbus landed in the New World, it was inhabited by native people, who were used by the Spaniards to help navigate and understand the landscape of the islands and as workers to find gold. Columbus has a mixed legacy because he had positive and negative attributes; he made the Columbian Exchange, which increased biodiversity in the New World, and is an important explorer in American history, but also began the African slave trade and caused population devastation due to slavery and diseases in the native populations. The legacy of Christopher Columbus should be remembered as a villain because he was greedy for wealth and power, he introduced diseases to the New World, and enslaved and used violence against the natives.

Christopher Columbus was an explorer that discovered new land. His goal was to find a new trade route to Asia. Columbus had to find someone to pay for his trip. He asked many Kings and Queens finally, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain paid for his trip. Columbus set sail towards Asia and landed in the present day country of the Bahamas. Columbus discovered new land for the Europeans and many celebrate him for the discovery. In recent years, some question how good of a person Columbus was. Christopher Columbus is not a good leader because of the poor choices he made.

All across the United States, students learn that Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492 and “discovered” North America. This common misconception creates a false narrative for Americans learning about Christopher Columbus’ legacy - and indeed about the country’s early post-European history. When Christopher Columbus came ashore, North America was already inhabited by hundreds of thousands of native peoples so the concept of Christopher Columbus somehow “discovering” what is now the United States of America is inaccurate. He did, however, set off a process of conquering the land and its people for the Western World. He did so through brutal tactics including forced labor, enslavement, violence, and widespread killing.

After his voyage to San Salvador, he then made 3 other voyages to Cuba, The Bahamas, and Hispaniola. Although he was searching for unexplored land, he was also looking for gold which he was unsuccessful in finding. Also in his travels he planned on converting the Indians to Christianity. In Columbus’s entire life he never believed that he had found a new continent. His final voyage was to Jamaica which ended because of a ship wreck. When he was rescued, he was delusional and once he arrived back in Europe, he soon passed away.

It is thought by many that Christopher Columbus was a skilled sailor on a mission of greed. Many think that he in fact did it all for the money, honor and the status that comes with an explorer, but this is not the case entirely. Columbus was an adventurer and was enthused by the thrill of the quest of the unknown. “Columbus had a firm religious faith and a scientific curiosity, a zest for life, the felling for beauty and the striving for novelty that we associate with the advancement of learning”. He had heard of the legendary Atlantic voyages and sailors reports of land to the west of Madeira and the Azores. He believed that Japan was about 4,800 km to the west of Portugal. In 1484, Columbus wanted support for an exploratory

Using basic knowledge of geography Christopher Columbus proposed a voyage to Asian trading posts by traveling west. The Spanish monarchy decidedly financed this mission in hopes of expanding Spanish influence in the Asian trading community. Thus, in 1492 Columbus set off on his mission to the West Indies. However, his journey did not lead to the West Indies, but rather to the Americas. This is considered to be a blessing in disguise for the Spanish because, not only were they able to discover other tradable goods but also fertile land for the

Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer who received credit for the discovery of the Americas in 1492. His goal was to discover another route to India instead, he sailed across the Atlantic Ocean and arrived in Hispaniola which is present day Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Although, historians argue he did not technically discover the Americas, he opened trade routes between the Old World and the New World. He influenced later explorers and impacted the development of the Columbian Exchange. The historians present their attitudes towards the consequences and outcomes of Christopher Columbus and his discovery. They also state their argument on his controversial legacy about whether Christopher Columbus should be perceived as a hero or a villain.

All throughout history, whether present or past, books are filled page to page with people we consider heroes, as well as villans. Some quick people that come to mind when thinking of the fall of their legacy lead me to people like Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Andrew Jackson and Napoleon Bonaparte. No matter what the subject; whether it be considered history of a sport, US history or even some celebrities lives, there will always be the one who was a hero in the spotlight and then the real truth comes out. Herofication dates back to the times of the beginning of America where Christopher Columbus, the man who we celebrate on Columbus Day to the public eye today is seen in a positive light. Contrary to popular belief, Columbus wasn't the nicest

Christopher Columbus is mainly known for being the one to uncover America. He had been labeled as a brave voyager who discovered new land, and started settlement there.

In America, Christopher Columbus is undoubtedly regarded as a hero who captained a courageous voyage to the West Indies and accidentally discovered America. He led a conquest throughout North America, fighting off natives and seeking riches. While there is some truth to this tale, most of it is embarrassingly false. Although Columbus was a brilliant navigator and an intelligent explorer, he was also a harsh governor who harshly ruled the land he claimed in the name of Spain. Most textbooks omit the fact that the beloved explorer, who has the same reputation among American children as Gandhi or Martin Luther King, started a slave trade. His actions led to millions of Native American deaths; he inadvertently paved the road leading to the destruction

After five centuries, Christopher Columbus remains a mysterious and controversial figure. He has been described as one of the greatest mariners in history, a visionary genius, a mystic, a national hero, a failed administrator, a naпve entrepreneur, a symbol of slavery and genocide, and a ruthless and greedy imperialist.

Everyone knows the saying Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492. However, there is a lot more to Christopher Columbus than what everyone was taught in elementary school through high school. Columbus is thought to be a hero, but just being classified as a hero is a fallacy. Several works including Christopher Columbus and the Enterprise of the Indies and The Lies my Teacher Told Me have been published about the real Christopher Columbus and his legacy.

In high school we learned the basis of what Christopher Columbus did, which was discover America. Imagine telling the controversial issues to kids in elementary school? It would confuse them. I think that he became a hero because over time he had to. We had to sell something until more research was conducted and discoveries were found. Do I personally think he is a hero? Not particularly. I think he had a mission and would not stand for distractions. His actions were that of someone with no empathy for others. He used people to get what he wanted and that is still common today. A hero by definition is "a person, typically a man, who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities" none of three sources of controversy

Christopher Columbus is most widely known for being the first to discover the Americas. He actually wasn’t the first. Many know him as a hero, but he was far from one. Today we will be digging deeper into who Christopher Columbus really was, what his struggles were, and how Columbus’ discovery impacted the decade.

Christopher Columbus set sail in 1492 on a mission to find an all water route to the western Indies, instead Columbus reached North America where he continued his search for gold and trade.