Christopher Columbus: Hero or Villian?

Columbus was a hero and a villain. He is a hero because he found the Americas for the Old World (consisting of Africa, Europe, and Asia.) This discovery allowed for more trade between the two very different lands. On the other hand, he is a villain for treating the Natives ruthlessly, and for abusing them. Columbus is a hero because he discovered the Americas for the Old World and allowed the two "worlds" to meet. …

…he did make this heroic accomplishment, in my eyes his reputation is sullied by the atrocities that he committed. He abused and exploited the Natives as well as taking away their homes. The mark that Columbus has made in History will never be forgotten, but underneath the identity that we so commonly see depicted in children's books, lies the other side of a man thought to be so great in the eyes of the innocent.