Christopher Columbus was a stubborn dumbass and a child of his times. You could describe him as brave, or perhaps he just stubbornly believed his own lies. However, he did literally change the world by bringing Europe in contact with the Americas, for better or for worse. How different was he from his contemporaries, especially from his friends in the Spanish empire who sponsored his business venture? The Spanish WERE NOT KIND. They all had a cruel way of doing business. However, it is unfair and just dishonest to single out Columbus in particular as a Stalin, a Mao, or a Hitler. Moreover, his voyages had an undeniable historical impact, sparking the great age of Atlantic exploration, trade and eventually colonization by Europeans. In a very real way, this era reshaped the world, the languages we speak, the religions we follow, the foods we eat and the diseases we catch. I dont know if thats a reason to have a school holiday, exactly, but its definitely worth remembering.
Posted on: Mon, 13 Oct 2014 14:05:45 +0000
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