Poor Christopher Columbus. All the poor guy wanted to do was find a quicker route to China, something that would have been advantageous to both the Spanish Empire as well as the Ming Dynasty.
Keep in mind that both empires were technically and culturally advanced for their time, so it’s not a stretch to be of the opinion that Columbus fully expected the empires to treat each other with a certain amount of civility, if not fully as equals.
But you wouldn’t know that if you listen to the historical revisionists present day.
There is an upside to the prevailing so-called conventional wisdom. Good ol’ Chris went as far as to have two of his own crew EXECUTED for ill treatment of the native people.
Of course, don’t ever expect that to be taught in gubmint skoolz.
Even William Nardi of UMass noted of Professor Carol Delaney back in 2017;
Stanford professor emerita Carol Delaney, who taught at the university’s department of cultural and social anthropology for nearly 20 years, says Columbus did not condone many of the things he is accused of doing.
“Christopher Columbus writes very favorably about the natives he met and dealt with,” Delaney told The College Fix. “He continually told his men not to go marauding, raping, plundering and even executed two of his own men who did that.”
Columbus did not seek to cross the Atlantic to enslave people, Delaney said.
With all that aside, I see the current demonization of Columbus will one day befall American hero, namely one Neil Armstrong.
I’ll go as far as to predict that one day, the statues of Armstrong will eventually be vandalized, torn from their bases, maybe even decapitated. Who knows how far the madness will go?
Just for the sake of discussion, let’s say that one day in the near future humans may come into contact with otherworldly life, be they single-celled organisms or something that could stand on all six legs and hold a conversation with us.
Ahhh. but what if those same life forms found their collective demise at the hands of acute viral nasopharyngitis (AKA: “the common cold”)?
Hey, what if some of those multi-celled advanced alien plants or animals proved rather tasty?
Also, what if humans weave baskets from those same alien plants and/or utilize alien lesser animals for transportation or primitive farming (think the same way we use horses or pack mules)?
Of course, the future offended will blame Armstrong if and when those alien life forms die, get eaten, or even become domesticized.
After all, it was Armstrong that first set foot on terra incognita, right? That whole, “One small step for man… you know… the thing” quote said of Armstrong when he invaded the Moon.
Professional victims always need a villain, even if it’s a total smear job.