Land ho!

October 12, 1492
Christopher Columbus reaches the New World

On October 12, 1492, Christopher Columbus and his three small ships landed in a small island in the Caribbean to mark one of, if not the, most important events in history. He left on three ships - the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria - from the Spanish port of Palos (he himself was Italian) on  August 3, 1492 in the employment of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain to find a new route to Asia. Although he did not realize it at the time,  This was the first time any European, or anybody not born in the American continents, had made contact with Native Americans. It was an event that would shape the whole of history for the entire world.

Whether or not this event was "good" remains a debate today. Columbus has been celebrated in the past for being the discoverer of the New World, and he has been given much credit for his brave endeavor. However, evidence shows that Columbus was not the nicest of men. In fact, he was often quite cruel to the Indians (a misnomer that represents his lasting influence) who refused to convert to Christianity. He did make friends with tribal leaders, who were impressed by the Europeans' superior technology and fancy clothes. He also did not forget that his journey's purpose was economic, and he took several slaves and attempted to establish a slave trade with the natives as the slaves. Some people also claim that he is responsible for the mass genocide that resulted from the new germs that were introduced to the Native American's vulnerable immune systems, but I doubt he really meant for that to happen.

This event obviously changed everything about the world and marked a new area in human history. With the discovery of these continents, enormous civilizations were destroyed and developed, resulting in the huge variety of nations and people that inhabit these continents and influence the rest of the world today.

My personal opinion of this event is not too extreme. I think that Columbus should be culturally recognized for discovering the land we now live in, but he probably shouldn't be celebrated because he wasn't all that great of a guy, especially in his relationship with the native population. When we celebrate Columbus Day, we should be celebrating the discovery of our land and not the man who discovered it.