Columbus Blog #8

Christopher Columbus was villain in that he took credit for the accomplishments of others and treated the natives poorly, although he did initiate European exploration of the New World. Columbus, although credited with the discovery of America, was not the first to find it. The Native Americans were already living there, and the Vikings had already explored it. Columbus also took advantage of the natives by exploiting and selling them. Ferdinand and Isabella had ordered that the natives be treated kindly, but Columbus wanted to make money and went against their orders and started a slave trade. Thousands of natives died from disease or transport, or were killed. His assumption of credit for finding America and his cruel treatment of the natives lead to him being more of a villain than a hero. However, Columbus did find America, and started European interest and colonization of it. Without him, Europeans may not have settled America until much later, or not at all. Christopher Columbus, although he took credit for the discovery of others and he treated the natives cruelly, did discover America and started European colonization of it.