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The Arrest and Downfall of Christopher Columbus
Columbus wasn’t the hero that he was portrayed as
Most people are familiar with the basic story of Christopher Columbus. He sailed the oceans blue in 1492 and landed in the Caribbean thinking that he had made it to the East Indies. It quickly became apparent that Columbus had found a new land inhabited by new and unfamiliar people. A tragic tale of misunderstanding, disease, and exploitation ensued. For many centuries, Columbus was seen as a hero and a great explorer. Many things in the New World bear his name (including the name Columbia.)
But that is not the whole story. In fact, in most retellings, people forget to reach the end of the tale. Because Columbus did not end his life in valiant glory but rather in chains. The end of Columbus’s life was turbulent and controversial. There are many today who are uncomfortable with the glorification of Columbus due to his actions in the New World, but there were many in 1500 who felt the same way. Criticisms of Columbus’s conduct in the New World are not a new phenomenon. It is an old one.
After his heinous treatment of the natives was uncovered and his blatant disregard for the monarchs of Europe became apparent, Columbus was arrested and hauled back to Spain in irons. This is a part of the story that most people are not familiar with…