Answer to Question #239410 in History for Doe

Question

Few historical figures have been as celebrated and demonized as Christopher Columbus--but how much of either is deserved? His impact on world events is unmistakable--but does it matter that what he set in motion for good or ill was unintentional, even accidental? As an Italian sailing for Spain in 1492, should he receive the credit or blame for being who he was in a certain time or place? 

 

 But what if those sources are incomplete, mistranslated, or otherwise faulty? And how we remember this sliver of the past is partly fueled by our own sensibilities, which in turn respond to the message 15th and 16th-century writers wanted their audiences to get--CC's journals, Bartolome de las Casas’ expose--all of it was geared toward convincing someone of something!

 

How do these historical figures in their own time use the past to shape perceptions in their present, and how does that in turn shape how we collectively remember contact history now? please explain

Answer 1

Christopher Columbus significance

As Columbus, one of history's most famous explorers, established history by discovering America, each of these historical people uses the past to shape perceptions in their own era. The daring sailor had circumnavigated the Atlantic four times in search of a straight ocean route between Europe and Asia. He never accomplished his goals and instead discovered the 'New World.'(Schuman et al., 2005). Columbus desired to uncover a means to circumnavigate the massive African continent by sailing west along the Atlantic. Columbus' notion was sound, but his calculations were erroneous due to his inaccurate estimate of the earth's diameter. Columbus presented his intentions to English and Portuguese leaders, who endorsed them. They embarked on three distinct vessels: the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. Two months after departing, the ships arrived at the Bahamas. Columbus then traveled to a number of islands in search of spice and jewels, but returned empty-handed. In January 1943, he embarked for Spain, leaving a few hundred troops on the island of Hispaniola, which is now Haiti and the Dominican Republic. To his dismay, six months later, Columbus discovered that the Hispaniola hamlet had been completely destroyed (Schuman et al., 2005).

While this benefited European powers economically and politically, it also resulted in the exploitation of indigenous peoples, which was frequently violent and had terrible consequences for many cultures. Columbus was imprisoned and fell out of favor with the Spanish monarch as a result of his involvement in such heinous acts (Schuman et al., 2005). Columbus Day is a federal holiday in the United States, although several states have replaced it with Indigenous Peoples' Day to remember the land's original inhabitants owing to the brutal deeds of European powers that came in waves in the Americas. Because Christopher Columbus is seen as a pivotal but divisive person, these individuals now recall their encounter history collectively. While his actions altered the new world and promoted commerce, they also laid the groundwork for a succession of crimes against indigenous peoples encountered by his fellow explorers.

Reference

Schuman, H., Schwartz, B., & d’Arcy, H. (2005). Elite revisionists and popular beliefs: Christopher Columbus, hero or villain?. Public Opinion Quarterly, 69(1), 2-29.