The tale of Christopher Columbus as a grand explorer who “discovered” America is carved deeply in the pages of history texts. However, a re-examination of past testimonies reveals a more sinister and complex story.
As the debate about historical leaders evolves, the majority of individuals ask if it is appropriate to celebrate Columbus, an individual who enabled heinous brutality and initiated a path of devastating transatlantic slave trade, with a national holiday.
His actions began centuries of colonization, brutality, and disease that brought the Indigenous people of the Americas to the brink of annihilation.
Here are 10 facts that dispel the legendary hero and build the argument against his commemoration.
He Never Set Foot in North America
The common myth that Columbus “discovered” America is geographically inaccurate. Columbus did not set foot in modern-day America during his four voyages.
He sailed to parts of the Caribbean islands, including the Bahamas, Hispaniola (comprising Haiti and the Dominican Republic), and Cuba, as well as the shorelines of Central and South America.
The idea that he found a “New World” is also a myth because the continents were already inhabited by millions of inhabitants with advanced, sophisticated societies.
He Was a Cruel Tyrant as Governor
After his first voyage, Columbus was appointed governor of Hispaniola. His rule was marked with cruel tyranny and brutality. Anyone 14 or older was forced into an atrocious regime of tribute, where a set amount of gold was paid every three months.
The ones who failed had their hands cut off and were permitted to bleed to death slowly, a ghastly policy attested to by his own contemporary historian, Bartolomé de las Casas.
He Initiated the Transatlantic Slave Trade
Columbus was not just an explorer; he was also the first European to initiate the transatlantic slave trade. In his first voyage, he kidnapped some Native people to take back to Spain.
On his second voyage, he captured 1,500 Taíno men, women, and children, sending 500 of the “best” of them back to Spain as slaves. Hundreds died on the journey, and their bodies were hurled into the Atlantic.
What he did set the pattern for slavery and exploitation that would define European colonization for centuries to come.
His Arrival Led to Demographic Collapse
With the arrival of Columbus and his crew, it was diseases like smallpox, measles, and influenza that came to the Americas, of which there was no immunity among the Indigenous people.
This “Great Dying” witnessed a vast decline in numbers. Historians estimate that Hispaniola’s population, which may have been eight million even before Columbus’s arrival, dwindled to mere thousands within a few decades.
This biological catastrophe, added to enslavement and violence, destroyed cultures.
He Was Arrested and stripped of His Titles
His peers used the word “monstrous” to describe Columbus’s actions. Complaints against his tyrannical rule by fellow colonists were sent to the Spanish monarchy.
In 1500, the Spanish monarchy sent an investigator who was so shocked at what he found that he had Columbus and his brothers arrested, put in chains, and sent back to Spain to face trial.
Although he was eventually pardoned by King Ferdinand, his title as governor was revoked. His reputation was so tarnished that he was never given another role of power.
His Motivation Was Greed, Not Discovery
Instead of the man of science and vision that he is traditionally portrayed as, Columbus’s primary motivation was money. His own diaries are laden with references to gold.
He promised the Spanish monarch vast riches if they would support his expedition. The first thing on Columbus’s mind when he set foot in the Bahamas, according to historian Howard Zinn, was the natives’ gold ornaments and the ease with which they could be subjugated.
His quest for gold drove him into brutal exploitation of the land and people.
He Was a Poor Navigator Who Miscalculated Everything
Columbus believed he could reach Asia by traveling west, but he was mathematically incorrect. He overestimated the Earth’s circumference and was unaware of the Americas.
He believed that he had reached the East Indies, hence “Indians” when describing the Indigenous peoples. He died in 1506, still believing that he had discovered a new route to Asia, not a continent that Europeans were unaware of.
His Behavior Is Not Representative of Modern Values
Celebrating Columbus Day upholds a history of conquest, slavery, and genocide. Depicting him as a hero sends the message that the atrocious suffering and devastation that he inflicted are legitimate side effects of discovery.
Many cities and states in the U.S. have seen this and therefore celebrated Indigenous Peoples’ Day in honor of the victims of his legacy and celebration of cultures that long predate his arrival.
His Reign Saw the Taíno People Wiped Out
The Taíno were the first indigenous peoples Columbus encountered, and they were nearly wiped out within a generation of his landing. His policies of forced labor, brutal punishments, and slavery, combined with the diseases brought by his men, almost destroyed them.
What existing accounts there are of the period describe a peaceful and hospitable people horribly ravaged by unimaginable brutality. To pay tribute to Columbus is to ignore the Taíno genocide.
There Are Other Historical Figures to Commemorate
The argument to continue observing Columbus Day generally centers on Italian-American heritage. There are, nonetheless, countless other Italian and Italian-American women and men who have had profoundly positive influences on the world without a track record of atrocity.
Key Takeaways
Although Christopher Columbus is often praised for “discovering” America, the historical truth reveals that he does not deserve to be celebrated.
Columbus’s arrival, rather than marking discovery, signaled the beginning of exploitation and suffering for native communities. He enslaved Indigenous people, forced them into labor, and brutally punished those who failed to meet his demands.
His expeditions introduced deadly diseases and violence that wiped out large portions of native populations. Eventually, his extreme cruelty led to his arrest and removal from power. Yet centuries later, Columbus Day was established mainly for political and cultural recognition, not because of his actual deeds.
For many, honoring him represents the celebration of colonization, oppression, and the destruction of Indigenous cultures rather than a true spirit of exploration.
Also on MSN: Surprising Fossil Discoveries That Changed The Course of Science Forever
Disclaimer – This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information. It is not intended to be professional advice.
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