No thank you sir, no thank you indeed. America was founded on those things but certainly not built upon them. It was built by a group of men wanting freedom for its people without persecution. it was originally built by the people and for the people.

soo yeah... O wait, were you talking about currently built on/ If so then yeah your right tell me a nation that isn't.

Wow, I did not know about the "sex slaves" part. Well, that doesn't sound too good. I guess all of the history books that I read were misinterpreted and omitted certain events.

Thats some craziness...but not the reason the country was started. Remember it was religious persecution...

kind of I guess, except if you were a woman, black, native american, or just plain not anglo-saxon... some of the ideals might have been there, just not all were applied...
basically Columbus was putting his balls on the line so he could reap reward through a trading route.. yeah he "found" the americas, hey microwaves weren't invented on purpose either.. but nevermind .. that is something, but hero I don't know..

Many controversies exist today about Chris Columbus. Ironically history proves a few facts which wold create another controversy but for some reason it is largely ignored. One of these facts is that he had a chart or map to the new world. HE is well known to have spent years trying to get financing for his proposed voyage and spent much of that time traveling and studying in obscure places where one could find reference material and maps. The point is many ignore the question. If he had a chart who drew it and did it not follow that he knew where he was going and had a guide to get there?


Those few who have addressed this do not find it much of a mystery the theory which this leads to is that he did not discover America by mistake he knew where he was going all along. Instead he used the story of a trade route to the far east as a cover story to convince the Spanish crown to foot the bill for his trip. This makes pretty good sense since risking money on a simple voyage of exploration would not have been seen in their best interests. However taking a small risk to open up a new and profitable trade route may ell have been seen as a good investment. Columbus was merely shrewd enough to figure this out.

I generally hate to equivocate but in the case of columbus I often feel I have to do so. Did he discover America? well this depends on HOW you man he discovered it.

Many many people discovered the lands of the western hemisphere before columbus in fact the Atlantic ocean was likely crossed and recrossed for thousands of years before him. The difference in columbus and others was the timing . Others who came here before him had no reason to make a big deal over it. Columbus made his voyage at a time when europe was crowded people were fed up with the status quo and looking for a way out. Many commoners were sick of the aristocracy and wanted a new place to cal there own without some duke prince king or whatever controlling them. So when he made his discovery people began paying attention and started migrating here. Slowly at first but picking up he pace as time went on.

To put it another way no he was not the first to discover america but was the first to discover america and then hold a press conference which people responded to. HE was responsible for the migration here to the north and south american continents.

Ironically many who came before him probablykicked themselves for not spuring their own migration which may ave made them the dminant culture in the world. The muslim moors of north africa for example were great seafarers who made any voyages to the lands here and kept detailed charts of those voyages ( perhaps the source of his map Cordoba Spain had a famous archive of the knowledge accumulated by the moors). When word of his "discovery" reached ireland the many fishermen who made a living at sea who lived on the emerald island scratched their heads and wondered how he claimed to have discovered what they referred to as greater ireland. The vikings were gone by he time he made his trip but they were here establishing small settlements long before him. In even more ancient times the Romans easily could have made the trip and likely did so some artifacts found in north america seem to support this idea. They however had enough on their hands dealing with their empire and probably did not care to pursue any detailed explorations of a distant land. There is evidence that even the phoenicians of biblical fame made regular trips here. These people were well known as traders throughout the ancient mediterranean world and they had goods they bartered in which seem to have come from south america . Goods such as wood from trees which grow no where else. The phoenicians were also well regarded sea going people and easily had the skill to cross the atlantic. In their case hey were likely just smart enough to keep it under wraps in order to protect their monopoly.

In the end I do not know if you can cal columbus a hero at least in he traditional sense of the word. He was however a very important figure in history and should be recognized as such He was the right guy at the right place at the right time to start the ball rolling and change the world.

One detail in your post is not accurate. History book writers DO document this all very clearly it is a well known part of history which is not ignored.

You cannot blame columbus , the conquistadors or any others for bringing these diseases because they simply had no idea. Medical science was still convinced bleeding a person could cure the flu they had yet to figure out viruses immunity etc.

What happened to the native Americans was tragic especially if you were one of them. However it is not so much a crime as simply what happens throughout nature.

Whenever two cultures or societies come into contact with each other the more efficient one will absorb or drive out the other one. In fact the same is true with animals and even plants.

ll in all the world is a better place as a result of the US and it all started with Columbus even if he did not intend it that way. SO is he a hero? I don't think he was at least not in the traditional sense but he was influential and important. Not some criminal as revisionists like to paint him.