Christopher Columbus lived through the fifteenth century and completed four voyages through his lifetime which took him across the Atlantic Ocean. The history however is incomplete when it comes to his discoveries, and not empty of controversy on the subject of his accomplishments. The voyage that specifically connects to Columbus’s name is his discovery of America, but Alas! That claim has been under immense scrutiny as of late. Many historians contest that there was after all colonization in America prior to the time of Columbus’s legendary breakthrough. Some historians even go a step further to claim that the arrival of Columbus was far from a blessing to the people of America at the time. In the words of these historians, upon his arrival in 1492, Columbus tried to take control of the people residing in America and tried to shape them according to the European culture and customs. He is also known to have forced Christianity on the people who were living in America at the time.
There is however another side to the story. Despite all of the contentious claims, many people regard Columbus as a hero. They believe that even though America was known to populace before 1492, many Europeans were unaware of the existence of the continent at the time. In addition, Columbus’s voyage there paved the road to many other major travels made by the Europeans. These people are also of the view that Columbus had a very pivotal role in the introduction of technology in America, which further helped the people grow through use of this technology.
Regardless of whether or not Columbus had a role in introducing to the European world the existence of a new continent, his expedition is an important event in our history. His attempts encouraged communication and exchange of resources with the western part of the world, and this step was of great significance especially to the people living in America. Also, we can hardly find any history that pertains to the western world before Columbus’s journey there. During his lifetime, Columbus opened the eyes of many people to various sea routes that connected various colonies with one another and after his lifetime, voyages across the sea became a common practice. He, therefore, served a very important role for the benefit of mankind, and though his efforts may have been exaggerated by his supporters, they were not absolutely futile.
On the morning of August 3, 1492, Columbus set off from Spain in search of an all-water route that could carry him to Asia for the benefit of trade. On October 12, he miraculously landed on an island in the Bahamas. For an extended period of five months, Columbus explored many islands in the Caribbean, one of which was Cuba, and upon his return to Spain on March 15, 1943, Columbus wrote to the Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand giving them a full account of his findings. Within no time, the matter of the discovery of the new continent was made public all over Europe. In addition to the trip to America, Columbus also discovered an easier route to Asia, but his trip to this new continent was far beyond what he originally set out to do. So in terms of his tours, I’d say he did more than accomplish his goals. In addition to Columbus’s trip to this new continent, he also discovered a trading route across the Atlantic Ocean by making use of the winds that blow from east to west, and this route is still an important contributor to the trading via sea.
Works Cited
Answers. What were some of Christopher Columbus' accomplishments? n.d. http://www.answers.com/Q/What_were_some_of_Christopher_Columbus'_accomplishments.
Cirucci, Dan. The Accomplishments Of Columbus. 12 October 2009. http://dancirucci.blogspot.com/2009/10/accomplishments-of-columbus.html.
Dictionary, Your. What Are Some Facts About Christopher Columbus? n.d. http://biography.yourdictionary.com/articles/some-facts-about-christopher-columbus.html.
History, The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American. Columbus reports on his first voyage, 1493. n.d. http://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/exploration/resources/columbus-reports-his-first-voyage-1493.
