When I was in school, Christopher Columbus was studied with excitement. we were taught bout his discovery of the New World and the chain reaction it sent across the world.
However, since the 1980s, the narrative has shifted from him being a hero to him being a villain. Now, he is often accused of mistreatment of the natives who lived in what is now Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
Jump to:
- What is Christopher Columbus Known For?
- Did Christopher Columbus Discover America?
- How Many Voyages did Christopher Columbus Make?
- What were the Ships that Christopher Columbus Used?
- Did Christopher Columbus Mistreat the Indians?
- Where was Christopher Columbus From?
- What is Columbus Day and Why is it Controversial?
Unfortunately, many things have become political, and historical information that is supposed to be neutral and fact-based has become twisted to fit into a narrative.
This is my attempt to answer basic questions that many have about Christopher Columbus. I intend to answer these common questions honestly and with no agenda.
What is Christopher Columbus Known For?
Christopher Columbus is known for discovering the New World.
Some argue that Leif Ericson and the Vikings were the first to discover the New World. While it is true that the Vikings saw a new continent around the year 1,000, they did not share it with any other country, and after a brief period of exploration, they did not pursue any exploitation of the land.
Columbus' goal was to find a new route to Asia in order to establish trade and become wealthy. When his discovery was made known in Europe, it set off a chain reaction throughout Europe that would launch many expeditions by famous explorers. Soon, other European powers began to pursue trade through the new route.
It was not yet known that Columbus had come across a new continent.
Did Christopher Columbus Discover America?
Yes and No.
The Vikings were the first to sail to the New World. They took a northern route, but they did not colonize and did not tell anyone, so the discovery was never realized until much later.
Christopher Columbus discovered the Caribbean Sea and never set foot on the Continent of North America. He did see the coast of South America and, on his last voyage, landed in modern-day Panama.
However, he died believing that he had discovered a new route to Asia and never realized he discovered a new continent.
He technically did not discover America, but it was his voyage that began the Age of Exploration.
How Many Voyages did Christopher Columbus Make?
Columbus made 4 voyages to the New World.
First Voyage: Discovered the Bahamas and explored the islands of Cuba and Hispaniola. Left sailors behind and established the Villa de la Navidad settlement with the remains of the Santa Maria that had wrecked off the coast.
Second Voyage: Returned to the Villa de la Navidad settlement to find it destroyed, and the sailors that were left behind had been massacred by the natives. He again explored Cuba before returning to Spain and leaving his brothers in charge of Hispaniola.
Third Voyage: Reached the mainland of South America and explored the Orinoco River. It was short-lived as he returned to Hispaniola to find a near mutinous situation. Columbus was arrested and sent back to Spain, where the charges were dropped.
Fourth Voyage: He reached the shores of Panama, which would be the farthest west he would sail. He returned to Spain, where he would die in 1506.
What were the Ships that Christopher Columbus Used?
Columbus sailed in three ships for his infamous first voyage:
Nina: carried 26 men, captained by Vicente Yáñez Pinzón. She was a standard caravel-type vessel.
Pinta: another caravel-type vessel with a crew size of 26 men under Captain Martín Alonso Pinzón.
Santa Maria: the largest of the three Spanish ships and the flagship of Columbus. It was shipwrecked, and its remains were used to build the first Spanish settlement in the New World.
Did Christopher Columbus Mistreat the Indians?
This may surprise many students, but...
WE DO NOT KNOW!
There is only one primary source that exists about his voyages. It is a letter that Columbus wrote to Ferdinand and Isabel in 1493 after he had returned to Europe. In this letter, he talks about his initial discoveries, and he does speak of the people he came in contact with. He makes note of their appearance, culture, religion, military, and overall attitude toward him.
The most aggressive piece of his letter about the natives is as follows:
As soon as I had some into this sea, I took by force some Indians from the first island in order that they might learn from us and, at the same time, tell us what they knew about affairs in these regions. This succeeded admirably, or in a short time, we understood them, and they us both by gesture and signs and words, and they were of great service to us.
There is no mention of Columbus chopping off their hands, enslaving an entire population of natives, or committing widespread genocide.
Is it possible he is lying? It is possible, but we can not prove it.
It is clear that the natives thought he was sent from heaven, and it is clear that Columbus took advantage of that belief to further his own agenda and become wealthy.
However, it is also clear throughout his letter that he believed these natives were inferior to fighters. His disregard for them as a military force is often expressed throughout the letter, and he did not see any reason to fear them or use deadly force against them.
There was possibly a trial that took place in which Columbus said he mistreated Indians. However, the sources for that trial are not reliable.
It is also known that his brother did mistreat and enslaved the natives.
So, while it is possible that Columbus did mistreat the Indians, it is not known if he did or not.
As a historian, I can only report what I do know and not speculate on what I don't know.
Where was Christopher Columbus From?
Christopher Columbus was an Italian that sailed under the Spanish flag.
King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella sponsored his voyage to the New World. Columbus believed that he could find a new route to Asia and proposed his idea to multiple countries, including Italy. The Spanish rulers initially did not sponsor him. However, after weighing the risk/reward, they decided to take the risk.
The risk would pay off and would quickly make Spain the wealthiest country in Europe.
These events and the passage of time have made many believe that Columbus was Spanish, but he was actually Italian.
The reason Columbus Day is celebrated is to celebrate Italian Americans.
What is Columbus Day and Why is it Controversial?
Columbus Day is a holiday that was recognized in 1792 and was primarily recognized by Italian Americans since Columbus was Italian born.
Growing up in the 1980s and 1990s, Columbus Day was not controversial and was often just viewed as another day off. However, times have changed, and a loud, small minority has decided that America is an evil country and speaks against our history.
They believe the Europeans committed genocide against the natives, and since Columbus was the first white male to land in the New World, he gets the blame.
I would argue that the Native Americans were conquered, decimated by disease, and made foolish decisions when creating alliances.
They were treated no differently than any other culture that has been conquered by other countries throughout history.