Columbus Case

1492 was an important time in History and is one of the most remarkable discoveries that has ever happened. Christopher Columbus was sent from Spain to ship around the world to get to India. Little did they know, the unknown world we call America today was soon to be known by many. It would be unlike any other place that these major countries have seen. Howard Zinn's chapter "Columbus, the Indians, and Human Progress" recounts the progress from where America was found and how business was done. What school books have failed to tell students about Columbus and his discoveries, Zinn now has in this chapter. Someone who has been called a hero for years is now a coward in my eyes.

First of all, students are taught from a young age about Christopher Columbus and how great he was for the discovery of America. In Howard Zinn's chapter I learned a whole new aspect on Columbus and the type of man he was. I have learned many different things that I never knew about Columbus from this reading. For example, it says in the reading Columbus was truly not the first to spot land of America, but Rodrigo (a sailor) was. However, Rodrigo did not get the credit because Columbus lied. This already shows Columbus's dishonest side.

Furthermore, I do believe Howard Zinn's reading is the truth about Columbus. I have come to learn that not everything is as perfect as they are put out to be. Many things are covered up about a lot of famous people in History. I was already taught about how Indians were treated back in this era. Yet, I did not know they were treated this way since the very beginning of the discovery. Reading how the Arawak Indians were treated and taken advantage of by the Spaniards makes me sick. I never knew that Columbus and his men used Arawak woman as sex and house slaves. This makes me think of Columbus as a coward and far from a hero. I do not fully agree to exposing all of our history's political