Columbus Blog #8

Is Christopher Columbus a hero, or a villain?

Christopher Columbus

     In elementary and middle school, I was taught about the greatness of this man who was the founder of America, and "sailed the ocean blue in 1492". I learned that he was the first person to discover this country I am so very happy to live in, but what teachers failed to teach me was the fact that he not only was arrogant  he was not the only person to get the credit for founding America. Yes, I do appreciate the man  for the mere fact that he "founded" this country, but also that I get a day off of school for him, but after reading about him, I learned that maybe we give him to much credit, and although he did have many accomplishments, so did many other people that do not get nearly enough credit as he did.
      Christopher Columbus, upon his arrival in the New World, did not treat the natives with respect. He had entered their land, and treated them as if they were inferior to him. He captured and sent many natives back to Spain as slaves and the ones he left alone, he traded with them very unfairly. This was the just the beginning of the poor treatment of the Native Americans. Although I do understand that it was the time period, some may blame Columbus for starting this poor treatment. The Spanish  including Columbus were so "gold-hungry" that they would do anything to get gold. This poor treatment led to, in the years to come, the caste system created by Spanish Conquistadors, so the Spanish could keep their supremacy. 
     On the contrary, Columbus did make many advancements that led to the faster development of the new world. Although other explorers had run in to the Continent before, Columbus was the first explorer to make a lasting European contact with America. Columbus was a very hard worker and stopped at nothing to reach his desires. For example, he worked very hard to get money from the queen to be able to travel to the New World because he believed that something good would come out of exploring new land in the west. Also he spread the Christian religion to America and the contact that he was able to create with the new natives, led to eventually the creation of the United States of America.
     Some may hate Columbus, but some may look up to him as a hero who benefited the American society. He killed, punished and overall, treated the natives so poorly that I believe his accomplishments cant be compared. If he were really a good man, and a hero, would he treat people so horribly?