To be honest he wasn't that murderous and inhumane by the standards of that time. Back then Europe was ruled by royals who were happy to kill countless of lives in useless wars. Columbus was no better or worse than average ruler/warlord or whatever of the era.
The act of sailing over the Atlantic and discovering the new world was pretty cool, what happened after that not. There is no need to make a hero or villain out of him.
This is a deliberate misinterpretation of his accomplishments colored by his treatment of the people of Hispaniola.
What else did he achieve? You can’t be that stupid to ask that question in honesty.
The native tribes of the western hemisphere already lived there, but a place is “discovered” if another people become aware of it now, much like we “discover” new tribes in the Amazon with no previous contact with the Brazilian society at large. Likewise such tribes “discovered” Europeans when they first encountered them.
“Deliberate misinterpretation”-? “Colored by his treatment”-? such an interesting choice of words. You’re very good at this euphemism dance.
Bravo.
So if I “discover” a house down the street I’ve never seen before, I “achieved” the title of “discoverer” as well! Ok so I guess he did “accomplish” something, I stand corrected.:
He “discovered” the place that was not called Hispaniola by any of the people that called it home.
He “discovered” the gold that those people were literally wearing at their home. I guess that means he can keep that too?
He “discovered” that he could force those at gun point to bring him all the gold they could find from their home.
He “discovered” that he could coerce the people into doing that by beheading the leaders of their home.
He “discovered” he and his crew could rape the women they found in their home.
Such an interesting choice of words you were taught to describe home invasion, rape, murder, robbery.
> So if I “discover” a house down the street I’ve never seen before, I “achieved” the title of “discoverer” as well!
No, but if you find a house nobody else in the city, country and even the content you live in have ever seen or aware of then yes you can yourself a “discoverer”.
e.g. if humans somehow found sentient aliens somewhere in the galaxy you wouldn't consider that a discovery either? Whether or not they later enslave or murder them doesn't really change that...
