Christopher Columbus Good Or Bad Essay

Why is Christopher Columbus such a controversial topic? Some believe he was great; others feel he was pure evil. Either way, it is undeniable that Christopher Columbus changed the way people were used to living into how we do things today. Although he was not the first European to voyage across the Atlantic Ocean and discover America, Christopher Columbus’s exploration had a lasting effect on the narrative of World History.

Christopher Columbus was born in Genoa, Italy in 1451. He began sailing in his teenage years, and took voyages in the Mediterranean Sea and Africa. He wanted to find a quicker and safer way to get to Asia, and he began to come up with an idea. He wanted to sail west all the way, instead of going south and around Africa.

Some experts disagreed, but Columbus did not give up and only needed to find someone to sponsor his expedition (Christopher).
Christopher Columbus was not the only person looking to explore and find new routes to Asia.

In fact, majority of Europe was looking to explore. Europe was in search for three g’s, gold, God, and glory, and one way they would get them was exploring. Although kings were looking to explore, Columbus was rejected by Portugal, Genoa, and Venice before getting a sponsor. After a wait, the Spanish monarchy, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, agreed to sponsor Columbus’ three-ship voyage (Christopher).

Across the ocean, there is a Native American group known as the Taino. The Taino is a large, subgroup of the Arawakan Indians (Rivera). They traveled from South America and landed on their new home more than 2,000 years earlier. Occupying the Lesser Antilles and Puerto Rico and pushing into the Greater Antilles-Hispaniola, Jamaica, and Cuba by 700 C.E., their population was increasing. (Ojibwa). In 1492, 100 million people are estimated to be living the Americas (Ojibwa). Of that 100 million people, the Taino population that stretch across the Caribbean Islands, was between 20,000 and 50,000 people

(Rivera).
Government in Europe at this time and in America were different and similar. The Taino’s government powers stemmed from three aspects, the mother’s ancestry, a distinct relationship with a supernatural, and political intelligence (Ojibwa). The Taino people were divided into a three social classes hierarchy, who lived in a theocratic kingdom. At the top, was the caciques or chiefs. Under the caciques, were the mtainos or sub-chiefs and noblemen; made up of the priest and medicine men. At the bottom, were the naborias or working class (Rivera). Besides a difference in government, there is a big difference in religion, for most Europeans are Christian which is monotheistic and the Tainos are polytheistic.
Similar to their ancestors, the Arawakan Indians, their way of living was focused on the islands and sea. They did things like growing manioc and other root crops, haunting, fishing, and gather wild plants (Ojibwa). The Taino enjoyed playing games, one played on courts using a rubber ball and your hips, was very important and played at religious festivals, feasts, during trade, intermarriage, and was a way to resolve conflict peacefully (Ojibwa). Although shapes were not the same, all Taino huts were built the same way. While the caciques lived in rectangular huts and naborias lived in round huts, they were both strong enough to resist hurricanes with their wooden frames and straw roofs (Rivera).
Christopher Columbus and his crew began their journey to find a quicker route to Asia for Spain, in 1492. Leaving on the Santa Maria, the Pinta and Nina sailed beside him during the thirty-six day’s journey (Christopher). These ships were advanced for their day, but would not be acceptable for today. They were leaky, only able to communicate with the other ships by lanterns, no real accurate clocks or compasses, a limited option to what food was served, and seasickness seemed to be contagious (Soule p.40-41). This left crew members working all day and night, and mostly wanting to get of the boat.
After seeing light in the distance, Columbus knew land was not far away. Columbus and his crew approached the new land with their flags and banners, and claimed the island in King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella’s name. Christopher Columbus wrote in his diary,
“They all go naked as their mothers bore them…They should be good and intelligent servants, for I see that they say very quickly everything that is said to them; and I believe they would become Christians very easily, for it seemed to me that they had no religion.”
This quote says that from the beginning, Columbus was looking to make the Taino slaves. Not only slaves, but he knows he wants to convert them Christianity because from the time they spent together it seemed like they did not believe in a religion.
After the arrival of Christopher Columbus and his crew, the Tainos only began to weaken. Contrary to Columbus’s first belief, the Taino did have a religion, and unfortunately religious tolerance is not something the Europeans were known for (Ojibwa). European had a difficult time accepting the native people because they cannot be discovered in Christian bible, therefore did not fit in “the orthodox explanation of the moral universe” (Ojibwa). Pope Alexander VI stated “barbarous nation be overthrown and brought to the faith itself.” This led the European people to believe that it was their legal right to rule over the Taino, or any non- Christian nation for that matter (Ojibwa). Fulfilling his legal right to rule over the Taino, Columbus took control and enslaves the native people (Meltzer p.93 para.3).
The large numbers of the Taino were growing impatient and annoyed with the invaders. By 1495, Guarionex and other leaders had had enough of the Spanish. Tens of thousands of Taino people came together to fight in a battle like they have never been in before. They faced 200 Spanish fighters that brought their European way of fighting with them. This was to kill as many Taino as possible, which was nothing like what the Taino were used to (Ojibwa). With multiple defeats, the Taino gave in and accepted that fact that they were Spanish subjects.
There are two views to the effect of Columbus’ expedition. One of them is a negative effect. With the defeat of battle, the Taino had no other choice but to accept the fact that they no longer have the power they once did. They are now Spanish Subjects and have to pay the price of being one. The Spanish led the Taino to food shortages and starvation by eating majority of their food, the Taino also had to pay them in gold and cotton (Ojibwa).
Christopher Columbus was also the reason for the traumatic decrease in the Taino population.

This decrease was mainly cause by death. Due to the food shortages because of the Spanish, starvation led to death. European diseases new to the native people, had a large influence on the population. Also battles and violence with the Spanish caused the number of Taino people to decrease (Ojibwa). However, slavery had a huge impact on the population and even led to the effects of population listed above.

The second effect of Columbus was positive. Across the Atlantic Ocean, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, along with the rest of Spain, were thriving. The expedition brought an enormous amount of wealth to the country. Not only were they the wealthiest nation, they became the most powerful as well. Along with Spain, this expedition led other nations to explore across the ocean to build colonies in the New World. It gave people hope and confidence to look for new things all around them.

Why is Christopher Columbus such a controversial topic? This is because he was a conqueror. With this title, it brings the word death and control to mind. However, he is also an explorer. He is the first European explorer to settle in the Americas, who brought wealth and power to Europe, and more settlements in the Americas. Whether an individual thinks he was great or evil, there is something no one can deny. This is that Christopher Columbus had a lasting effect on World

History.