Do you see Columbus as a big hero and discoverer or big villain and murderer?

Question

Do you see Columbus as your big hero who led to the creation of your country or the big villain who slaughtered millions and stole their land?

I especially want to know what Latinos or Native Americans think because this affect you most.

PS: If you have only read "sanitized" history in high school text books you have missed out a lot of horrifying details that our educators don't want you to learn about. Please read more objective materials before you comment:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Columbus

Whether he was good or bad, he was certainly very influential in history nevertheless. What really bothers me is not whether he was good or evil, but the fact that our education system selectively screens out information that they don't want us to know and create a version of events to suit their political agenda. Reading the Wiki article should be a wake up call for those who think that text books are trustworthy and neutral.

Answer 1

Columbus was no hero. He was in it for the money. The history books that are used in our high schools are so distorted that it is almost ridiculous. No wonder history is hated in HS; the books make everyone out to be so wonderful and great. There are books out there that clear this up and that are actually interesting. I just finished "Lies my teacher told me: everything your American history textbook got wrong" by James Loewen.
Here is a quote from the book, "One is astonished in the study of history at the recurrence of the idea that evil must be forgotten, distorted, skimmed over. We must not remember that Daniel Webster got drunk but only remember that he was a splendid constitutional lawyer. We must forget that George Washington was a slave owner ... and simply remember the things we regard as credible and inspiring. The difficulty, of course, with this philosophy is that history loses it value as an incentive and example; it paints perfect men and noble nations, but it does not tell the truth." W. E. B. Du Bois
The best teachers go beyond the text book and get the real story to pass on to the students.
I hated history until I got to college. I had an excellent professor that brought it to life.

Answer 2

I think everyone over twelve knows. They just don't talk about it.

Face it. When one group of people comes in contact with another, one of them will eventually dominate. No matter when or how the New World was discovered, there was going to be a war over it. Does that make it right? No. But it was pretty much inevitable, especially in that time period.

Columbus, and Europeans in general, were neither heroes nor villains. They acted in their own best interests, which is human nature. Had the Native Americans had better luck and technology, they could have taken over Europe and the situation would be reversed (and I doubt they would have passed up the opportunity. No group of people would.)

Answer 3

As a Native man who cannot change history, I feel that he did do a lot for his people by making the discovery. He brought new riches and discovered a beautiful land. I know what happened to the Natives back then and to be angry about it would be futile. I am sure that whatever happened, it would only have been before long that someone else would have come along to torment the inhabitants of this land. Colombus only reacted badly because he didn't know any better. The only thing that peeves me off is that Natives are still called Indians because of him. I don't understand why. I know he was looking for India but do we have to suffer because of his blunder. The name makes me hurt inside because I know it will never ever change.

Answer 4

Columbus himself did not kill anyone by making his discovery. If people got greedy later and decided to massacre Indians then that's not his fault. But I don't think he was a great discoverer either, he chanced upon America by mistake and he wasn't the first to discover it.

Answer 5

He was a bumbling oaf that swindled the royalty out of cash for a boat and just got lucky enought to find land somewhere...

Even though the India that he set out to find was on the other side of the world !!!

Answer 6

Colombus fue un ladron quien le robo la historia, y la dignidad a los nativos de las americas. Los enseño a mentir y a robar.

Answer 7

I think its bull that he is considered the man who discovered America. My ancestors where here first and he didn't even really discover america. he found the Caribbean first which then led to someone else discovering America.

Answer 8

Columbus was a government official who was at the right time right place.

Answer 9

the second one

Answer 10

I'd say closer to the latter.