(See the 2007 post for Columbus and the New World Revolutions)
Columbus is an paradox. Great sailor, horrible administrator. The most celebrated and most hatted explorer of the New World. He was not the first European to come to the Americas. Finally, Columbus claimed a small Earth existed and thought he discovered Asian islands for the longest time. The continents are not even named after him.
However, Columbus' journey showed to the Europe that there was a New World. That the Europeans with their technology and Crusader-mindset could conquer it if they applied themselves. Saints and damned sinners came to the Americas and left their mark on the land and on the people, including the European colonists, American Indians, and Africans.
No one can deny Columbus changed the world. In evaluating whether or not this was a "good thing" one must remember history is still on going. All Americans, Northern and Southern, are children of Columbus and the rest of the world effects us and is affected by us. Continental Americans must play a direct and indirect role in bettering the world if Columbus' legacy is to be good.
3 comments:
actually lots of south americans are not children of columbus. unlike the isolated pockets of natives in north america, south america is full of native blood.
I would assume that "all Americans" does not include the natives that lived throughout the new world before Columbus arrived. To most Americans since Columbus he is a "good", but to the natives he is a "bad". I guess everyone will have a different viewpoint on different issues. Nothing wrong with that.
Undustrial,
Good point on the South American Indians. But what I meant to say was that even Indians are children of Columbus because they have been deeply impacted by his discovery.
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