Good And Villainous Deeds Of Christopher Columbus
How would you like it if someone simply came to your home and enslaved you. On October 12, 1492 Columbus saw land, and said “I claimed the island for Spain” he thought he was at the East Indies but he was at a small island called the Bahamas. Meanwhile, American Indians were there before him. Despite many villainous deeds such as introduced new diseases to Native Americans and killed and enslaved Native Americans, Columbus Day should be a holiday because he brought Columbian Exchange and The Beginning of European settlement in the Americas.
Columbus did a lot of good things, but sometimes to do good things like change the world, you have to do bad things. Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer, navigator, and colonists who completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean. However some consider Columbus to be a villain because he Introduced new diseases to Native Americans and killed and enslaved Native Americans. Besides according to McGraw-Hill the “Columbian Exchange introduced new plants and animals to the Americas. ” This is why the Columbian Exchange shaped the Cultures economies and geography of our present-day world. And according Joel Barlow (Doc C) Columbus “extended commerce and civilization” before European maps only include Europe and Asia.
Columbus was not perfect he made a lot of mistakes to get to where he is now, but was that necessary. Therefore despite these villainous deeds, Columbus is a hero because he brought the Columbian Exchange and the Beginning of European settlement in the Americas. According to McGraw-Hill when Columbus made contact with Europeans it introduced new diseases like smallpox and other diseases, it hit native populations extremely hard, more than 90 percent died. Diseases where also brought through the Columbian Exchange, it wiped out entire native American populations along with the culture. According to Howard Zinn from 1494 to 1508 over three million people had perished from war/slavery, and the mines. Columbus and the other Europeans who followed brought death and destruction to the natives.
Despite many villainous deeds such as Introduced new diseases to Native Americans and Killed and enslaved Native Americans, Columbus Day should be a holiday because He brought Columbian Exchange and The Beginning of European settlement in the Americas.
In conclusion Columbus Day should be a holiday because he brought The Columbian Exchange and the beginning of European settlement in the Americas. First, even though he introduced new diseases to Native Americans, The Columbian Exchange increased the biodiversity of both North America and Europe. Second, even though he killed and enslaved Native Americans, he brought the beginning of European settlement in the Americas that increase their wealth and broaden their influence over world affairs.
