Christopher Columbus: Great Explorer and Hero, or Ruthless Villain?

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Christopher Columbus: Great Explorer and Hero, or Ruthless Villain? In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue, that we know for a fact, but there is so much controversy on how Christopher Columbus is portrayed. Many believe that he is a hero, the mighty discoverer of America, and others believe that he is no more than a murdering villain. The article Christopher Columbus Discovers America, 1492 favours the heroic side of Columbus. The author portrays Columbus in a positive light. Whenever Columbus’ story struggles or has an obstacle played against it, the author immediately follows this obstruction with a very convenient solution. For example, the author writes, “by October 10 the crew’s apprehension had increased to the point of near mutiny. Columbus headed off disaster by promising his crew that if land was not sighted in two days they would return home. The next day land was discovered.” Another example is when the author states that Columbus’ journal of his first voyage has been lost, luckily his biographer wrote an accurate abstract of his journal. The author clearly believes Columbus, is the discoverer of America and that he is very significant to American history. The title, gives way on how the author feels about his significance. Also in the author’s eyes, Columbus is a positive, praiseworthy member of American history. He’s constantly referred to as the Admiral, and once he arrived he was seen as gracious, immediately giving the native people gifts. The document does not elaborate on what happened after Columbus arrived, how he colonized and took over their land. The author tells Columbus’s story in his best light, giving him the title, discoverer of America. On the flip side, Examining the Reputation of Christopher Columbus by Jack Weatherford, Columbus is described as an incompetent, ruthless explorer. Weatherford’s

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