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Christopher Columbus... Hero or Villain? - Coggle Diagram
Christopher Columbus... Hero or Villain?
Hero?
He did what no one had been able to do before - successfully sailed the Atlantic and found "new" land
Someone may have been able to do it later on but he still made a positive change for the European colonies at the time
He had a lot of courage
He contributed to the long process by which people were brought together in a single network of communications
He had a vision and a defiant attitude
He wouldn't be expected to know that slavery was immoral at the time
He couldn't anticipate the consequences of his discovery
Villain?
His egotistical character
“loquacious and indefatigable self publicist who bored adversaries into submission”
Claimed he was "led by God"
Whinger - played the victim for all its worth
“Acted arbitrarily in the administration of justice, exceeded his powers in enforcing authority, usurped royal rights, and alienated crown property”
His actions/mistakes
Settled in an unhealthy area of Hispaniola
Misjudged the Native Americans to be friendly
Slavery
He traded Arawaks because they were "unnatural"
Although... through his perspective he was helping his colony grow and thrive by giving them more unpaid workers
Genocide
He exploited the native people
Although... from his perspective he was just utilizing their knowledge and ways to help his own colony thrive
His campaigns with his brother caused many deaths
Exploitation of the land
Robbing and destroying the land for greed and gold
Danger of deforestation
Well, what about both?
The article argues that he
became
a hero and a villain, and that he was ultimately well intentioned
Ultimately, Christopher Columbus was also just a human - he made mistakes and acted immorally at some points but he also had powerful accomplishments
However, it is important to realize and acknowledge that he had an immense impact on the Native Communities of America
Thesis: Christopher Columbus should be remembered as neither a hero nor a villain, but as a flawed human being whose legacy reflects both groundbreaking discoveries and tragic impacts.
Argument 1: Heroism
Point: He demonstrated courage and vision in his exploration, managing to accomplish something that no one before him had.
Proof: "Columbus deserves the credit or blame only for what he actually did: which was to discover a route that permanently linked the shores of the Atlantic and to contribute - more signally perhaps than any other individual - to the long process by which one sundered peoples of the world were brought together in a single network of communications"
This shows that it was not just personal ambition, he reshaped global history. His courage and vision had a transformative impact on communication and trade, demonstrating the heroic side of his legacy - even though the consequences remain complex.
Proof: "a man of extraordinary vision with a defiant attitude"
This proves that his success was not just luck - it was driven by his courage and determination. Even though he didn't predict the consequences, his exploration transformed history, making his accomplishments undeniably heroic.
Argument 2: Villainous
"In the past, people often said that Christopher Columbus "discovered" America. Today, however, it is clear that he and his men invaded other people's lands. We also know that the Spanish committed terrible crimes in the New World. Columbus enslaved the native people, forcing them to dig for gold and other precious materials under the threat of losing their hands."
https://go.gale.com/ps/retrieve.do?tabID=T003&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&searchResultsType=SingleTab&retrievalId=d0784ce6-38e8-4607-b4b4-2cf7acbae2a0&hitCount=17&searchType=BasicSearchForm¤tPosition=1&docId=GALE%7CA678393862&docType=Brief+article&sort=Relevance&contentSegment=ZGPP-MOD1&prodId=GPS&pageNum=1&contentSet=GALE%7CA678393862&searchId=R11&userGroupName=oakv28633&inPS=true
Proof: "Hundreds of thousands of Native Americans also died of diseases brought by the Europeans. Historian Samuel Eliot Morison said: "The cruel policy initiated by Columbus and pursued by his successors resulted in complete genocide."
This shows that his arrogance and pride had severe human costs. His voyages brought violence and exploitation to the communities already there, and eventually led to the transatlantic slave trade. His discoveries are historically significant but the consequences of his actions had an immense human costs, permanently altering history.
"He sailed around the Caribbean, enslaving the people of present-day Haiti, bringing violence and disease to the region and decimating the population. He opened up the Americas to European settlement at the expense of the indigenous population, paving the way for the European slave trade."
https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=GPS&u=oakv28633&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CA465991140&retrievalId=84af08f0-37b6-4345-b840-de7c1845c74a&inPS=true&linkSource=interlink&sid=bookmark-GPS
Point: Columbus actions caused immense suffering for Native Americans, highlighting the darker side of his legacy.
Conclusion
Christopher Columbus does not simply fall under the label of a villain or a hero. He shaped the future through both global connection and mass exploitation, demonstrating that... (add something about how we need to reevaluate how we view historical figures and how they are capable of both amazing and damaging things)