Columbus Blog

Should Christopher Columbus be considered a hero or a villain?

He should be considered as both to differing extents, but overall he seems to be more of a villain than a hero. I believe this because he never actually did discover America, he arrived at the Bahamas and millions of people had already been living in North America at the time. Also, when he arrived there, he enslaved many native people and used them for labor and whatever else he needed. He did not treat them well even though he had arrived on their land, instead he manipulated them to benefit himself. He was later arrested by the Spanish Government for his mistreatment of the Natives and he was stripped of his title as Governor which brought down his reputation. Although he did a lot of bad things and is known as a villain, he did help create a bridge between the old and new world in what became known as the Columbian Exchange. This was the exchange of plants, animals, culture and helped develop a new modern age that would transform the world.

Pictures: I chose a picture of Christopher Columbus and a picture of O.J. Simpson because it was debated whether he was a hero or a villain, as well. He was a football player and convicted felon who ended up going to jail and is still there. It was a very big debate whether he was guilty or not and people seemed to be split, either believing he was innocent, or guilty of the crime for killing people. This lead to controversy because he was loved by many football fans and is similar to Columbus because people seem to have opinions on both of them regarding whether they are considered heroes or villains.