America or shall he be considered a killer for what he did to the native? Why do historians give him so much credit for something he doesn't deserve and why are we write false things in textbooks? Do you agree or disagree, provide proof that either colombus is a man who deserves his holiday, or he is an *** who was saved by luck.... what do you guys think
2007-10-01 13:54:21 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Arts & Humanities ➔ History
he is getting credit for something he failed(supposed to go to India). no he doesn't deserve so much credit...
2007-10-01 14:01:03 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Well, he certainly wasn't a hero. His main goal was to acquire wealth and a title that could be passed on to his descendants. He did however, lead an extraordinarily eventful life. He excelled at map making and navigation and was a true explorer. Without a doubt, he is responsible for some major mistreatment of indigenous Americans. For starters, several of his captives committed suicide on his fourth voyage when they were unable to escape, and men under his command were responsible for countless rapes. While not defending his actions, I will say he was no different than most in his day, and the explorers who came later treated the indigenous far, far worse. He is certainly a man worthy of historical study, as his actions have shaped the course of Western civilization for the last 500 years, but I would agree with you that he is not truly deserving of a holiday in his honor.
2007-10-01 21:18:18 · answer #2 · answered by helloeveryone 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Regardless of his morals (reprehensible by our modern standards, but in line with those of his day), Columbus was an incredibly brave person who sailed into the complete unknown with three tiny ships (literally, RVs are longer than his caravels) not knowing if he would ever return. He set ashore on land where the natives outnumbered his men thousands to one not knowing if he would live. He at least deserves credit for bravery.
Also, it should be remembered that he did not go to "the New World" to oppress natives and spread disease- he was going there to trade and with no intention of taking over. He thought he was enroute to Asia, civilizations that Europeans knew were highly advanced. Most of the Indians died not due to his barbarism, but due to disease he and his men did not even know they carried (people did not know what germs or immunity were at this time).
As far as the natives, they definitely were treated horribly, but they're also romanticized a bit by history. They were not peace loving nature worshippers- many were indeed savages. The word 'carib', meaning one of the natives of these islands, is the root of the word "Caribbean", but it's also the root of the word "cannibal" (in some dialects it was pronounced as n instead of r) because they still practiced human sacrifice and cannibalism and they warred with each other constantly (some even allied with the Spanish invaders against their neighbors).
By our standards Columbus was evil and genocidal, but he cannot be judged by our standards; he must be judged by the standard of his own time, OR ELSE the natives he encountered must ALSO be judged by our standards for their own superstitions and violence. I do not believe we should celebrate Columbus Day (among other reasons, he never set foot in North America), but he does deserve to be taught in history and to at least be given credit for bravery and vision, and used as an example of how much human mindset has changed since a much darker time when death was all around and people were convinced that God was on their side and thus everything they did to those who did not share their beliefs was okay (an opinion some in power unfortunately still have).
2007-10-01 21:25:08 · answer #3 · answered by Jonathan D 5 · 2⤊ 3⤋
I always think Columbus Day is a joke. I laugh every year when it comes around, because we're celebrating a moron and a jackass! Personally I just see it as another excuse for the government and the banks to take a holiday.
2007-10-01 21:07:28 · answer #4 · answered by Chiba-san 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
He never landed in North America. My great ancestor, Leif Erickson did. And Leif did it at Lans Aux Meadows, Newfoundland around 984 A.D.
2007-10-01 22:58:48 · answer #5 · answered by desertviking_00 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I don't think Columbus was a man worth celebrating.
2007-10-01 20:58:58 · answer #6 · answered by redunicorn 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
he was the Axis of evil back then ...
2007-10-01 21:01:59 · answer #7 · answered by Erdnusslöckchen 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋