Why Is Christopher Columbus Wrong

Most people in the United States celebrate a national holiday on October 9th in memory of Christopher Columbus, the man often credited with “discovering” America. The day is becoming increasingly controversial, however. Many argue the man himself is not worthy of commemoration. Columbus was not actually the first to cross the Atlantic, they said. The holiday is seen as a celebration of colonialism, and offensive to the continents indigenous people. Although people glorify him as being one of the best explorer that ever lived, he does not deserve this recognition as he was responsible for murder and enslavement, and was a brutal viceroy and governor of the territories under his control. Even though some people might argue that Christopher Columbus was a great explorer who was the first person to discover America, this is not the case because he encountered a native group called the Taino already living there. The Tribe was a friendly group, that willingly traded jewelry, animals, and supplies with the sailors. “They were very well built, with very …show more content…
Give him respect as he bravely went west without a map, trusting his instincts and calculations. But, what they don’t talk about is what he did when he landed in the New World. Throughout his years in the New World, Columbus enacted policies of forced labor in which natives were put to work for the sake of profits. Later, Columbus sent thousands of peaceful Taino “Indians” from the island of Hispaniola to Spain to be sold. Many died in route. Those left behind were forced to search for gold in mines and on plantations. Within 60 years after Columbus landed, only a few hundred of what may have been 250,000 Taino were left on their island. This information reveals the truth about why Christopher Columbus should be considered a villain as he was a brutal viceroy and governor of the territories under his