Christopher Columbus: A Tragic Hero

Every child knows the saying “in 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue,” however, the story of Columbus is much more complex. Inspired by Marco Polo’s exploits and his dying words “I never told the half of what I saw,” Christopher Columbus was a recipient of the patronage of Queen Isabella of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon and westward to the Holy Land (Marco Polo). His failed career of Governorship of Hispaniola, the atrocities committed under his leadership have created conflict throughout history, over shadowing his Catholic mission and his nautical achievements. While the myth of Columbus “discovering America” has been associated with slavery and mass murder, evidence shows that his mission was a Holy Crusade on behalf of Spain, and while his poor leadership deserves a strong rebuff, his accomplishments and religious motivations do not justify his erasure from history.

First, at the time of his first voyage, Christopher Columbus was experienced navigating treacherous waters, keeping meticulous journals mapping direction of travel, winds

Columbus and his brothers showed faith and skilled seamanship in the face of doubt and death, mapping uncharted waters and while they were removed from their political post they were released in less time than it takes to sail from Hispaniola to Spain, and funded by the Crown to undertake a fourth voyage westward. In military command, a leader pays for the actions of those under their command and that is the case of Columbus’s. In the absence of supporting evidence and further study of De Bobadilla’s report, Columbus remains an explorer in need of truthful recognition of his faults and his successes, and not to be whipped from