...figures who are being reconsidered is Christopher Columbus. Columbus Day is a federal holiday commemorating Christopher Columbus, who is remembered in American culture as the daring and brave explorer who discovered America. However, the celebration of Columbus Day in America perpetuates a narrative of colonial supremacy, overlooking the traditions Christopher Columbus started of abhorrent treatment of Indigenous Peoples and commodification of the land. The origins of Columbus Day are rooted in nationalism and a desire for acceptance rather than a celebration of exploration. The utilization of Columbus...
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...Christopher Columbus was a cruel, atrocious, and egotistic, man who should not be glorified for the discovery of America. Inaccurately known as the first person to think the Earth was round, a mass murderer, and a fabricator for being known as the first to “discover America”. Christopher Columbus is widely known as the first person to discover America, which is a false statement. He was not the first person to see the New World but took credit for the discovery, he promised a reward of gold to whoever first saw land, a sailor named Rodrigo de Tirana was the first person to see the New World but Columbus took credit for spotting it himself. Christopher Columbus did not believe the earth was flat, Ancient Greek mathematicians had already proven...
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...Christopher Columbus and Modern World History For centuries, October 12th is the day of the year that all around the country citizens celebrate what the infamous Christopher Columbus had provided for future settlement when he landed in the Americas in 1492. On Columbus Day in 1898, the United States President, George W. Bush, had a simple opinion about Christopher Columbus that stated, “He set an example for us all by showing what monumental feats can be accomplished through perseverance and faith” (Robinson). Columbus is most well known for his discovery of the Americas but with this came so much more. From 1492 many accomplishments, discoveries, and plagues had left a mark in history. Following the discovery, the entire world had been influenced from the Columbian Exchange where a new trade route started between the Western and Eastern Hemispheres. From the exchange, the chance to explore new cultures, foods and crops became a major opportunity. Though many people believe Columbus was a hero, there were some negative aspects about his voyages. Native American’s lifestyles changed drastically once the Spanish stepped foot on their territory. African and Native Americans were slaves that were forced to change their religion and culture. Also, the spread of diseases, no one thought existed, disrupted the population all over the world. Christopher Columbus is a controversial figure that impacted Modern World History. Many people debate if he is a hero or a villain. Whether people...
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...Christopher Columbus was born in 1451 at Genoa. Genoa was a seaport that was on the Ligurian sea. His name was Cristoforo Colombo and that was translated into English as Christopher Columbus. Christopher Columbus had two brothers, which he was older than both. Christopher Columbus had little schooling just like most of the people during that age. Genoa was a busy seaport and Christopher Columbus learned much from the sailors. Christopher Columbus’s father was a poor weaver. Christopher Columbus worked with his father for a while, but his heart was set on sailing. (“Christopher Columbus.” The book of knowledge, 2000.) As soon as Christopher Columbus possibly could he went to sea. Christopher Columbus started with short fishing trips and worked his way up to longer trips with merchants that traded along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Christopher Columbus was intrigued by map making and geography, which he studied between trips. In Christopher Columbus’s twenties he made his first trip out of the Mediterranean Sea into the Atlantic Ocean. During that trip Christopher Columbus’s boat was attacked and was set on fire. The only way out was to swim; Christopher Columbus swam six miles back to shore by clinging to wreckage. (“Christopher Columbus.” The book of knowledge, 2000.) In 1476 Christopher Columbus move to Portugal. In Portugal he met Felipa Perestrello e Moniz. Felipa Perestrello e Moniz was the daughter of a respected, but relatively poor family. Shortly after they...
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...Even though Christopher Columbus has a national holiday named after himself, he does not deserve the celebration. Columbus sailed to the Americas in 1492, Columbus found the Native americans and believed they'd be best when put into heavy labor. This investigation will show how the Columbus impacted the Natives.Many believe that Columbus was the first to discover the Americas, however many believe another may have found the land before, it's essential to look into the matter closely. The most reliable sources consist of credible online articles and websites. Christopher Columbus affected the daily lives of Native Americans by exploiting their abilities, their rights, and their freedom to be human. Columbus arrived at an island...
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...Columbus: Hero or Villain As children we learned that Christopher Columbus was a hero, the discoverer of America. Was he? Perhaps he found a land that had not yet been discovered by Europeans, and bought about trades we know of today, but is that enough to be deemed a hero? He has been acknowledged as the man who discovered the world was round, yet “the Greeks knew, five hundred years before Christ, that the world is a sphere”. (Koning 29) So why was he continually credited for discoveries others made before him? To learn about the real Columbus we must look at all accounts regarding his travels, his contributions and most importantly his downfalls. Many people believed Christopher Columbus to have had good intentions, yet in fact, he was deceitful, murderous, and an enslaver of the people inhabiting the so called New World. Christopher Columbus was born Cristoforo Colombo to a merchant and his wife in Genoa. He was a seaman and a chart maker, but he enjoyed being at sea the most. He married and had a son. When his first wife died, he had another son with a mistress. He was looking for funding to set sail on the Atlantic. The year was 1492 when Columbus was finally ready to sail in search of new lands. He had tried several times to get funding for his voyages and it wasn’t until early in 1492 that he received all that he wanted and needed to prepare for his voyage. Despite the uncertainty they felt regarding Columbus achieving his goal of traveling west and finding new...
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...An Ocean of Time and Space: Two Final Frontiers “In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue…” is the beginning of a poem we have all come to know and recognize as the story of Christopher Columbus’ expedition and their discovery of the Americas. It is the story of a new world, one that we can now call home, and one that continues to thrive as one of the most giving, fruitful, and defining lands on this planet. It is without a doubt the most important and revolutionizing moment in modern history. There are many theories to disprove that Columbus was actually the first discover the Americas, however it was his arrival that brought the Americas to the attention of all the European nations. Columbus was a pioneer who had the courage to venture into the unknown and find what was left to be discovered in a world that seems so small today, yet was so vast 500 years ago. Looking back upon his discovery today, it is easy to grasp and belittle the accomplishment he achieved as an inevitable conclusion, however when compared to a current unknown it is just as easy to grasp the magnitude of his finding. Today we refer to space as the “final frontier,” however, it seems unfair to refer to something as vast and limitless as outer space as one frontier. It is regarded as the last unknown to be conquered by human knowledge and innovation, and is by far the most puzzling mystery we have ever faced. There are infinite questions to be answered and a very few definite answers that can be given...
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...Mrs. Tinsley First Essay Columbus was an Italian explorer who was born in 1451 and died in 1506. He is one of the main explorers we should celebrate because he was first to discover the Americas. Another reason why we should celebrate is because he was sponsored by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. He was also a really great navigator too which is why we should celebrate him as well. Even though he was a great explorer, he still had some faults. For example, he failed the quest to travel to the Indies and found the Americas instead. Christopher Columbus was the first person to discover the Americas. This all started when King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella requested to travel to the Indies. When he was planning to figure out how to get to there he decides that sailing west would be the easiest route to the Indies. In August 1492, three ships ran by Columbus were set to sail. Throughout the whole voyage they didn’t believe that they would be able to find any land until October 1492 came around. By then it took exactly three months to get there. While Columbus and his crew members were discovering and getting to know the place better, they discovered local people that were called “Indies”. The Indies made them feel at home and helped them with whatever they needed. Columbus and his mates came back to Spain in March 1493....
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...other sources, Christopher Columbus is portrayed as a hero and a great explorer of North America. However, this is one of the great fallacies of history because he was not the first one to step foot in the Americas, and didn’t positively contribute to the advancement of the people in his era. His enslavement and torment of natives resulted in the decimation of many Indigenous people. Although, Christopher’s discovery of the New World opened up an age of exploration, Columbus Day should not be celebrated due to his several agonizing acts against Indigenous people. Christopher was a ruthless and cruel gold digger who is responsible for destructions, such as, the enslavement and torturing of native people. While enslavement was not unusual at the time, his level of disregard for their welfare exceeded even the loose standards of the time. He worked people to death, gave horrific punishments for the least of crimes, and had dead natives butchered and sold as dog food. This definitely should not be celebrated upon as it is an insult to the Indigenous people in the Americas that suffered from his actions. To begin with, Columbus was harsh with his own crew who supported him, and to the native people of America. In the book, ‘Columbus: The Four Voyages,’ Laurence Bergreen points out that Columbus didn’t even treat his own...
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...LeConte 9/17/2015 A Letter from Christopher Columbus to the King & Queen of Spain A letter by Christopher Columbus in the 1490’s written to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain, during Columbus’s time in the new world, depicts the rules and foundations Columbus had set to colonize the newly discovered island, named Espanola. These rules consist of how many colonists were to be allowed to enter said island, the establishment of towns, having colonists search the land for gold, and how the gold shall be divided between the towns, the townsfolk, and the Kingdom, which seems to be the primary reason for the letter being written. The document also goes into detail about setting up trade with the other islands, establishing churches, mayors, and future exploration. This letter was written in pertinence to the colonization of the Americas. Spain had its mind set on finding gold, and with the help of Columbus they might just do so. All colonists that wish to collect gold in the new land must file “colonists’ papers”, build their own homes in the towns that were assigned to them. But there are strict guidelines to how a settler can mine for gold. “None of the colonists shall go to seek gold without a license from the governor or Mayor of the town where he lives”. Each man that wished to search for gold had to file the colonist’s papers and receive a license from the towns Mayor. “He must first take oath to return to the place whence he sets...
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...Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus born in Genoa Italy was the son of a skilled weaver. Columbus earned his chance when the king and queen of Spain agreed to finance his voyage to discover a new trade route connecting Spain with Asia. In 1492 He sailed across the Atlantic arriving instead in the Caribbean where he raped, killed, and enslaved innocent Natives. America’s memories are filled with symbols of adventure and bravery associated with Columbus, yet the facts behind the fiction have somehow been lost in a haze of patriotism. Columbus set out with three ships; the Pinta, the Nina and the Santa Maria in search of Asia to find precious items such as gold and spices. Not realising that the Americas existed, Columbus first appeared in the Bahama Islands. When he first came in contact with the Arawak men and women, he entered into is log, “they would make fine servants… we could subjugate them all and make them do whatever they want” (pg 1). Columbus and his men coming from Spain had weapons that the Natives simply could not fight against, leaving them helpless and unable to fight they were mistreated and abused. Another example of Columbus abusing the natives is when he entered into his log, “as soon as I arrived… I took some of the natives by force” (pg 1). Columbus took some of the natives so that they might show him the land and where he might find gold, but instead of trying to communicate with these people he forcibly took them as slaves. “In...
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...The New World known today as America is a product of the meeting of two worlds, two different social, political and economic environments. America remained hidden for thousands of years and unknown to European explorers. Its discovery consisted of a clash of cultures, languages, traditions and history. Although they bear a similarity as they were both initially sponsored by monarchs in search of the Northwest Passage, the differences between the Spanish (1492 – 1548) and English (1584-1648) explorations are very clear. During the XV century the first marine expeditions that allowed having a better understanding of the world, were made. The major European explorers that were part of the Spanish and English explorations were Christopher Columbus, John Cabot, Nunez Balboa, Ferdinand Magellan, Juan Ponce De Leon, Hernan Cortes, Francisco Pizarro, Hernando De Soto, Francisco Coronado, and Sir Francis Drake. An important similarity on the explorations was that they were in search of the Northwest Passage , a route that the Far East could be achieved (India) from Europe traveling to the west. Other similarities included are the first voyages were made by Italian explorers and sponsored by monarchs. Christopher Columbus and John Cabot were from Italy. Columbus’ voyages were approved by Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile of Spain. John Cabot received approval by Henry VII of England. These are the similarities, but now we will see how clear the differences were. ...
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...forward the view that the New world was discovered by the Italian explorer Christopher Columbus. It is commonly thought and accepted that with the approval of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, Columbus went in search for India which was located in the East. However Columbus unknowingly sailed to the west across the Atlantic Ocean which led him to a land mass which was unknown to the Europeans at that time which he name “The Americas. Although this theory is commonly accepted as it has been popularized by the Europeans, there is significant physical evidence that suggest that Columbus was not the first to discover “The World”. Many Historians such as Ivan van Sertima believe that the West Africans discovered the Americas...
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...HIST101: American History to 1877 Christopher Columbus also known as Cristoforo Colombo, famous for his voyage of 1492 was born sometime in 1451 (exact date not documented) on Genoese territory (present day Italy). He was the son of Susanna Fontanarosssa and Demenico Colombo, a middle class wool weaver. Christopher Columbus being the son of a wool weaver did not come from wealthy family and was limited on his choices of profession. He chose, at the age of fourteen, to take a job on board a ship from then on the sea was his life. [1] Sometime during his voyages Columbus began to believe he could reach the Indies (Asia) by sailing west across the Atlantic Ocean completely avoiding the African continent. Based on the information observed and collected from his previous travels, he Columbus felt as if the Journey to Asia was not only shorter but also felt as if it would be easy. He presented his plan to officials in Portugal and England who both rejected him. [2] “Columbus then moved to Spain, winning the support of many influential people for his plan, and petitioned to Queen Isabella of Castile, Spain. Even though a Royal Commission there also rejected his plan, he tried again in 1492, and was given their consent. Ferdinand and Isabella, King and Queen, agreed to sponsor the expedition, under the terms that Columbus would become viceroy of all the lands located, and that he could keep a tenth of all valuables found.” [3] Columbus set sail from Palos de la Frontera...
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...Christopher Columbus: The Original American Hero? Was Columbus a hero or a villain? Maybe it’s neither. Columbus was brave and daring, and did things that were important to world history. But he wasn’t heroic in the sense of displaying great moral qualities. Courage, while generally a good character trait, isn’t necessarily heroic or even highly honorable and praiseworthy unless it’s deployed in certain kinds of actions or causes. But he also wasn’t especially villainous in the sense of displaying particular evil qualities. His arrival in the Americas caused a great deal of death to American Indians, chiefly from disease. And it caused the subjugation and literal or virtual enslavement of the Indians. But this didn’t stem from Columbus’s being an unusually evil person. It stemmed from the brutality of the time, coupled with the contact between one culture that was much more powerful than another (and that carried many communicable diseases to which members of the other culture lacked resistance). I’m inclined to say that we shouldn’t celebrate Columbus Day, precisely because such national celebrations should be focused on honoring people who did things that were both especially important and especially honorable (such as veterans, President Washington, or Martin Luther King, Jr.) and not just on people who did things that were especially important. This might conceivably include not-necessarily-good people who did things that were unambiguously good. But European expansion...
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