In search of India and its gold, Christopher Columbus, unintentionally came across the North American Continent, many today give him credit for the discovery of the Americas and consider him to be one of the greatest heroes in history. Others disagree and think that Columbus had ulterior motives and give him a villainous title. It is proven that Columbus was not first to find the "New World" actually Leif Erickson landed in Canada before Columbus ever became an adventurer. It is in my opinion that Christopher Columbus was a villain because first and for most he claimed land that was already inhabited by others. These "savages" that he forced of their own land to claim his as his own would later show more heroic qualities than Columbus ever did. Further more Columbus never actually set foot on the North American or South American continent, he actually ended up in the Caribbean Islands around the Bahamas. In the reading I have researched it is also very apparent that Columbus' only intentions were to obtain wealth from his voyages and he was very forceful with not only the inhabitants of the island but also his crew. Thursday, October 9, 2008
Was Columbus a hero or a villain?
In search of India and its gold, Christopher Columbus, unintentionally came across the North American Continent, many today give him credit for the discovery of the Americas and consider him to be one of the greatest heroes in history. Others disagree and think that Columbus had ulterior motives and give him a villainous title. It is proven that Columbus was not first to find the "New World" actually Leif Erickson landed in Canada before Columbus ever became an adventurer. It is in my opinion that Christopher Columbus was a villain because first and for most he claimed land that was already inhabited by others. These "savages" that he forced of their own land to claim his as his own would later show more heroic qualities than Columbus ever did. Further more Columbus never actually set foot on the North American or South American continent, he actually ended up in the Caribbean Islands around the Bahamas. In the reading I have researched it is also very apparent that Columbus' only intentions were to obtain wealth from his voyages and he was very forceful with not only the inhabitants of the island but also his crew. 
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3 comments:
I agree with you that many people consider Columbus to be one of the greatest heros in history - especially Americans. I also agree that Columbus became greedy. However, I dont think that he was greedy in the beginning. He was an explorer that was searching for a route that would benefit his country. When he saw the riches of the New World, he became greedy and turned into a villian. His original intentions changed and his reputation changed greatly.
I agree with what you said about Columbus and his greed and selfishness during his exploration. A lot of people consider him to be a great hero when he "found" land already inhabited by other people. He then proceeded to lie about what he had found on this new land making him a villian.
I like your point about Columbus becomming greedy with his new discovery. He is still a hero in my eyes, however, he did some pretty awful things to the native americans while he was taking control of America. But, most influential events in history have some comlications and sacrafices as well. I believe that Columbus did not know that these people were so gentle, so that is why he treated them like savages.
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