Mrs. Nasser
World History 11, Period 8
3 December 2014
The traits of a hero should be altruistic and have a good moral, not posses cruelty and engage in violent actions. Christopher Columbus set out on his voyage for the New World in 1492 in order to explore new lands, however he enslaved the Natives of America. The esteemed and scholarly people of the Connecticut Board of Education should take into consideration why Christopher Columbus should not be celebrated into one holiday, but the indigenous people be praised. Christopher Columbus, a hostile explorer, should not be celebrated because of the mass genocide caused, the brutality demonstrated, along with the deterioration of other countries. So …show more content…
The same renowned author, James Loewen reveals in a different article, “As soon as the 1493 expedition got to the Caribbean, before it even reached Haiti, Columbus was rewarding his lieutenant with native women to rape” (Loewen 6). The quote explains why Columbus could be considered inhumane because he is taking advantage of the natives he had enslaved. He hadn’t cared for their opinion and punished them at their will with sexual advances from his men. Moreover, Loewen continues on this topic of Columbus’ negative influences, and discloses Columbus’ actions such as, “When an Indian committed even a minor offense, the Spanish cut of his ears or nose” (Loewen 6). This quote displays the brutality of Columbus when he had severed parts of the Indian, even when it was a minor offense. A true hero that should be rejoiced because of his feats that triumph his offenses. The so called hero, Christopher Columbus, should not be celebrated because of his inhumane and brutal actions toward the Indians, which include raping the natives and cutting of various body to control and instill …show more content…
A leading Catholic historian, Warren H. Carroll, tells the reader about Columbus’ unnecessary voyage. Carroll conveys in his work dedicated to the five hundredth anniversary of the discovery of Americas by Christopher Columbus, “...the Indians of the Caribbean islands had disappeared as a distinct population, the greater part of them dying from diseases brought first by the white men” (Carroll 9). This quote matters because it shows the effect of Columbus’ voyage on the population of the Caribbean islands’ population and how it had diminished after he had introduced disease to the people. Consequently, Hans Konning, a veteran of the British Army who has spent the remainder of his career as a journalist and author, tells the the truth about the legacy of this historical figure. Taken from an interview, Konning acknowledges the fact that “‘All the gold and silver stolen and shipped to Spain did not make the Spanish people richer… They ended up with… a deadly inflation, a starving population, the richer richer, the poor poorer, and a ruined peasant class’” (Konning 1). This quote is important because it explains how Columbus tried to help Spain by shipping and sending over gold, however, he had ruined Spain’s economic class by destroying the peasants and starting an inflation. Christopher Columbus tried to benefit the world with his discover and voyage to