The Positive And Negative Effects Of Christopher Columbus

Michael Memis In 1492, Christopher Columbus sailed from Spain to try to find a route by sea to East Asia but instead “discovered” America. This led to many positive and negative effects, some of which were intended and some of which were not. While people can’t argue the effects of Columbus’ discovery, many people have different opinions on whether Columbus should be celebrated for discovering America, like he is in the United States, or reveled for the heinous acts he committed. They also argue about whether European’s horrible treatment of Native Americans was worth the progress that resulted from it. In Amsco’s United States History, there is a neutral stance towards Christopher Columbus and the European discovery of the Americas since

Newman and John M. Schmalbach) have different opinions on Columbus’ role in world history. Zinn thinks Columbus got lucky in discovering America. He writes “Columbus would have never made it to Asia, which was thousands of miles farther away than he had calculated imagining a smaller world. He would have been doomed by that great expanse of sea. But he was lucky. One-fourth of the way there he came upon an unknown, uncharted land that lay between Europe and Asia-the Americas.” He believes that Columbus had a big error and he would have died from his error if it wasn’t for some good fortune. Newman and Schmalbach acknowledge the opinion of Columbus being lucky but it isn’t their opinion. They write “Since the 1990s, however, revisionist histories and biographies have been highly critical of Columbus. His detractors argue that Columbus was simply in the right place at the right time. Europe at the end of the 15th century was ready to expand. If Columbus had not crossed the Atlantic in 1492, some other explorer-perhaps [Amerigo] Vespucci or [John] Cabot-would have done so a few years later. According to this interpretation, Columbus was little more than a good navigator and a self-promoter who exploited an opportunity.” They let the reader know that this is from a critic of Columbus and not them as they are supposed to discuss the different views, positive and negative, that people have of Columbus. Zinn also argues that Columbus only discovered the new world for his own personal gain while using religion as an excuse that he had the right to it. Zinn writes that “The information that Columbus wanted most was where is the gold? He had persuaded the king and queen of Spain to finance an expedition to the lands, the wealth, he expected would be on the other side of the Atlantic-the Indies and Asia, gold and spices...He Concluded his report by asking for a little help from their