Friday, September 27, 2013
Columbus: Hero or Villain?
Based on what you have learned about Christopher Columbus, do you feel he was a hero or villain of history? Give facts and examples to support your opinion! (Post as anonymous, but type your first name, last initial and class period at the end of your post!) You may also reply to your peers' posts!
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Based on all of the things I have learned about Christopher Columbus, I think that he is nothing close to a hero. Once he in what is now the Dominican Republic, he cared about nothing but gold. He cared so much about gold that he began to work the millions of natives to mine for gold. Those who didn't get enough gold would be tortured. Eventually, the Natives were completely wiped out. No one who did anything like that should be thought of a hero to history.
ReplyDeleteTyler G.
Period 2-3 A
Christopher Columbus was a villain. He was nothing like a hero. He killed innocent Tainos by cutting their hands off and setting dog off on infants. Also the population went from 3 million to zero in time. On the other hand he wanted gold so Tainos if they didn't collect gold they only had three months to live. There was no running dogs would be set on them. There should not be a holiday after him and no one should ever be thought as a hero if you are like Columbus.
ReplyDeleteDylan Oriundo 10-11
ReplyDeleteChristopher Columbus was a villain. Due to facts and research, he killed thousands and thousands of Taino Indians.They were innocent Indians. Columbus had the nerve to just cut of their hands. That wasn't right.
ReplyDeleteHe was no hero. He killed thousands of Native Americans just because he couldn't find gold. So he made all those Native Americans try to find gold, and if they couldn't they had their hands chopped off. Do i really need to say more.
ReplyDeleteColumbus was not a hero. He killed millions of Indians just because they couldn't find gold. Also he took back slaves to Spain. Columbus also put tokens on them and if they caught them with an expired one they got there hands chopped off.
ReplyDeleteI think Columbus was not a hero because he enslaved thousands of Tainos. Isabella M
ReplyDeleteI feel like he was a hero because if he didn't hit what he thought was Asia which was actually America, we would probably speak spanish today. also if he didn't hit it there might not be an America today because other people would of gone there to name it America.
ReplyDeleteI think that Columbus was a villian. I think this because he wasn't a very good leader. Also he killed a lot of Indians. In addittion he never found what he was looking for. Also he wanted gold and he never found it.
ReplyDeleteJuliet Garrison 5-9(A)
Columbus is far from a hero. He ordered the death of thousands of native. He made natives work long hours and if they did not find enough valuables Columbus put them to death. He also gave other Europeans a bad image. Therefore natives were hostile to foreigners. He enslaved thousands of Indians. Columbus is not a hero in my eyes,but a monster at heart.
ReplyDeleteAlthough, I do slightly agree with you, we have to think about where we are now and if we would be here without him. Maybe, if he wasn't in the picture, we wouldn't be in America. SO, looking on the bright side he should have a holiday because he had such a huge part in shaping the way we look, live, and speak. Perhaps, one day some people will realize this.
DeleteBELLA M
period 5-9 (a)
Through out all the things I have learned and heard about Christopher Columbus he shouldn't be called a hero. Christopher Columbus basically stepped one foot on the Dominican Republic islands and just took over and claimed the entire land for himself and England. He also slaughtered 1-3 million Indians and inflected slave work to the natives. Columbus ordered the Indians to find him gold in 2 weeks or else he would behead them. In a short time the population of the the island went from 3 million Indians to none. So my conclusion is that Christopher Columbus is a Villain. Stephen 2-3a
ReplyDeleteChristopher Columbus was not a hero. He was nothing like a hero. He killed innocent Native Americans by cutting their hands off and setting dog off on infants. Also the population of the Tainos went from 3 to 5 million people to zero in a matter of years. He also wanted to send some back to Spain and have them be slaves. Columbus had no reason for this and I don't know why he would do something like that. He just took over the Natives land and gave it to Europe. He even made the natives work. He was not close to a hero at all. He is more a villain
ReplyDeleteJoey L. 5-9 A
Christopher Columbus is a villain because he got the Indians hands cut off and also he got the Indians heads cut off if they didn't find gold.The dogs he had would go after the Indians that tried to run away, the dogs would soon kill them and the Indians died off.
ReplyDeleteBased on what I’ve learned about Christopher Columbus, I feel that he was a villain of history. I think that Columbus is a villain because he caused a genocide against the Tainos, wiping out the whole population of them on the island. Columbus made his men kill and torture the Tainos, and he did nothing. Furthermore, even though Columbus “discovered” America, he thought he had reached the Indies, so why should he even be called a hero? Columbus was a bad man, and if he didn’t exist, people would have still found America, and a genocide would never had been caused.
ReplyDeleteMary M.
10-11 A
I believe that Columbus was a villain. He gave the Europeans a bad name a therefore the Indians were hostile towards foreigners. Columbus killed thousands of Indians and wiped tribes off the map some even to extinction. I believe Columbus is not as hero,but a monster at heart.
ReplyDeleteAnthony Palmeri 5-7A
I think Christopher Columbus was a villain. He and his men killed thousands of Native Americans. He was so greedy, he didn’t care what he did. The population of the Taino indians became 3,000,000 to 0. He also brought back some of the Native Americans as slaves. He also believed North America and South America was the Indies and Asia.
ReplyDeleteAmy W,.
Period 1/2 B
I believe that Christopher Columbus was a hero. I think this because if it was not for him we would be speaking Spanish right now. This is because if he had not discovered what he thought was India then no other European Country may have found the New World for a while. I do not agree with many of the things that Columbus did but I am happy he made it to America or our lives may have been very different. They would have been different because we may have a different culture, government, and a national religion for all we know. Columbus' voyage occurred 521 years ago yet he still had such a huge impact on our lives today. I think Columbus days is well deserved and that he had good intentions. I just think that he killed the Taino Indians because he was misguided. Ultimately, I think he was our continent's hero.
ReplyDeleteCharles L
DeleteI feel that Columbus isn't a hero or a villain,I feel that he is just an explorer. Even though his men basically killed of a race most of us wouldn't be the people we are today without him discovering America. Alot of us wouldn't even be alive right now if it wasn't for Christopher Columbus! To me that's enough reason to back up my statement.
ReplyDeletePierson W
Period 5-9
I believe that Christopher Columbus was a hero. I think this because if it was not for him we would be speaking Spanish right now. This is because if he had not discovered what he thought was India then no other European Country may have found the New World for a while. I do not agree with many of the things that Columbus did but I am happy he made it to America or our lives may have been very different. They would have been different because we may have a different culture, government, and a national religion for all we know. Columbus' voyage occurred 521 years ago yet he still had such a huge impact on our lives today. I think Columbus days is well deserved and that he had good intentions. I just think that he killed the Taino Indians because he was misguided. Ultimately, I think he was our continent's hero.
ReplyDeleteCharles L. Period: 5-9B
In my opinion,the one and only Christopher Columbus was a villain.Why,because him and his men made the Tinos make all the food,get the water,and most of all...finding the gold.Not only the men and women had to work,however,children were forced to work too.Also,if a slave made a mistake,his or her's hand would be cut off.Following that,if a Taino would try to escape,he or her will be hunted down and will be killed.I believe,even though a lot of people think that Columbus is a good person or hero,but,Columbus killed about five million Tainos for no reason.
ReplyDeleteZach P. Per.5-9B
I think Christopher Columbus was a villain. I think he was a villain because he and his men went to the new world made friends with the Tianos then in the end ended up slaughtering all of the Tianos. His men and him would cut off the Tianos ears and hands if they didn't find enough gold or refused to work.
ReplyDeleteJamie I
Christopher Columbus was the complete opposite of a hero.
ReplyDeleteAlthough he started what was soon to be the country of America by finding the Bahamas. This led to countless battles and a couple wars in which millions died. Along with that. Columbus allowed his crew to murder millions of Native Americans. Columbus was NOT a hero.
Gabriel C
Period 10-11 B
I think Christopher Columbus wasn't a villain. I believe this because Christopher Columbus didn't do the crimes himself. Yes Columbus could have told his men not to do what there were doing but Must of the time he was not in charge of the people on the island. The King and Queen of Spain also could have stopped the men but they also didn't. Those are the reason why I think Columbus is innocent of being a villain.
ReplyDeleteMadelynn S. Period 10-11 B
I think that Columbus is a villain. He enslaved and killed many Indians. He also made his men chop off Indians hands to slowly kill them. He could have been peaceful but he did not. He killed many Indians and now there are no more left.
ReplyDeleteMatthew H Period 2-3A
I think that Columbus is a villain because he killed so many people. He made his men chop off peoples body parts and kill them. Columbus did not kill the Native Americans himself he had people kill them for him. Michael G period 5-9A
ReplyDeleteI think that Columbus was a Villain. This is because although Columbus had traveled and been on voyages, he invaded Native American's land and took over. The Native Americans were kind to him and in return he took control of them. He made them search for gold because he was greedy and wanted wealth. Columbus also cut their hands after their "token" expired. On top of that, he caused a genocide of them and wiped the whole tribe out. Columbus had only discovered some parts of the east of America while he thought he was in Asia. He didn't have his facts right and he took out a tribe.
ReplyDeleteVictoria Z.
period 5-9A
I think Columbus is a villain because he killed millions of people. The Indians were kind people but Columbus tortered them. And instead of him doing the bloody work he had his men do it. Columbus was a rotten man and that fact that he did that made me sick.
ReplyDeleteMichael P 5-9 A
I think Columbus was a Hero even though he tortured the Natives. Any other explorer or person in that time period would have done the same thing to Natives. If Columbus hadn't came to America we all would be speaking Spanish because Spain would had came.
ReplyDeleteBy: Antenucci D Period 1-2
I think that Columbus is a villain and not a hero. I believe this because he took over the Indians land. He also killed many Indians for his own selfish reasons. For example, if the Indians came back empty handed from not finding gold he would cut of there hands. He was the opposite of a hero
ReplyDeleteAlex Rivera
11/1/13
2/3 A
In my opinion Columbus was a villain, not a hero. i believe this because he took over the Indians land for no reason. The Indians were welcoming and helpful to Columbus, he took advantage of them. He made them dig for gold for him because he was a self absorbed greedy man. For punishment for not listening to Columbus he would cut off their hands,feet, nose or ears. As you can see in this case he should be found guilty of being a villain.
ReplyDeletemiranda badrick
10/11a
I think Christopher Columbus was a villain because if the Indians did not find gold he would have his crew chop their hands off and possibly sab out some of the peoples eyes and he wasn't the first person to discover America.
ReplyDeleteCatherine H 2/3 A
I think Christopher Columbus was a villain. Christopher Columbus pretty much just barged into the natives land and told them to find gold or else he would kill them. Also he would give natives a token and if they were caught with an expired token or without a token they would be killed. Sometimes Columbus would order his men to cut off the natives hands as a punishment which would kill them slowly. So I think Christopher Columbus is a villain.
ReplyDeleteChris L.
Pr 2-3
The fact that Columbus started the whole war in the first place. Makes him a complete and utter villain. Starting a mass genocide over land just spells crazy. He seemed to have no feeling for the natives whatsoever. Yes I know that they only had feelings for Christians. But he showed no remorse at all so he is up there with Hitler on the crazy scale.
ReplyDeleteMatthew K.
Period 5-9
Based on the historical evidence and my own opinion, I do not feel that Columbus was a hero. Although Columbus discovered America, that does not mean he was nice to the people who already lived there. He was a very cruel and vicious man who tortured the Taino Indians. He would make them work day and night for a certain amount of gold, and if they did not have this gold by a certain date and time, they were punished. The punishments were either being killed, or getting their hands or nose chopped off; which would eventually kill them anyway because they would not be able to collect gold with no hands. He would also starve them to death. The result was that the population of the Taino Indians decreased extremely fast. Columbus continued to make the Native Americans suffer for a long time. When he died, Europeans sailed to America and spread diseases to the Tainos causing them to die, leaving the Taino Indians to extinction. As you can see, I do not think Columbus is a hero because he was not a good leader nor role model and he did not have a good heart.
ReplyDeleteKaty M. Period: 5-9A
I would call Columbus a villian because he died think he reached the indies which means he had barely had any useful information. He killed all of the indians in brutal ways. He is no man to be remebered in history.
ReplyDelete-Olivia D.
In my opinion I would call Christopher Columbus a villain for many reasons. Firstly, many other people came to North America such as Leif Erickson, all of the native Americans and many more. Secondly, Columbus killed many Indians and made them mine for gold from sunrise to sunset. Thirdly, if the Indians did not bring back enough gold dust to fill a bell he would order his men to chop both hands off of the Indians and let them bleed to death. That is one of the most painful deaths. I'm guessing he really wanted them to suffer. Finally, he never actually reached the indies which was his goal. When he died he actually still thought that he reached the indies. Christopher Columbus should be referred to as a murderer and a bad person that did horrible things to this world
ReplyDelete-Miles E.
1-2B
ReplyDeleteAfter learning about Columbus I think he is a villain.I think this because first of all he wasn't even the first person to come to what is now present day America!There is evidence that Vikings were had been there before him.Also Columbus had his men kill all of the Tainos Indians and had them cut off their hands in they didn't find him gold he also brought some of them back to Spain to use as slaves. That is why in my opinion I think Columbus is not a hero but a villain.
Kate W Period 5-9B
I think Columbus was indeed a villain more than he was a hero. Sure he was the first person to discover America, but he had tons of Natives killed! Columbus had them work as slaves in gold mines. If they didn't work fast enough, he would cut off their hands and noses.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteJake Rusbarsky 1-2B
ReplyDeleteIn my own personal opinion, I believe Columbus is leaning more towards the villain side. The reason I think this is for a couple of reasons. First, he physically and mentally abused the natives by giving them cruel punishments (such as cutting off a body part and still forcing them to work, removing an eye, etc.) for even the slightest mistake. Secondly, they harshly taxed the natives because they overpowered the Indians. If they didn't pay the taxes, they would probably be killed. Finally, he shouldn't have claimed the land at all! It is the Indians property, and it should stay that way.
ReplyDeleteSpencer Deuidicibus 10-11B