Courtney Cook

9/4/12
U.S. History
Christopher Columbus: A good influence
People have remembered Christopher Columbus as being a great explorer who paved the
way for exploration and colonization of the New World. Some, however have remembered him
as bringing destruction to the natives. Columbus'legacyisamixedone.Hehasbeencredited
foropeninguptheAmericastoEuropeancolonizationaswellasblamedforthedestructionof
thenativepeoplesoftheislandsheexplored(Bio.com). His influences of trade and interaction
with the natives have benefits that outweigh the harm he may have caused.
If it werent for Columbus, trade would not be as widespread. He introduced the popular
triangle trade route which allowed for more goods such as tobacco, cotton, and timber to be
exchanged for slaves. Some people would say that trading slaves was not proper treatment of a
person. They blame Columbus for the beginning of the slave trade because he brought back some
of the natives from the New World. William J. Bennet, author of America: The Last Best Hope,
counters that, Slavery was a pervasive fact of life among the Europeans, but also particularly
among the Arabs, the Africans, and the Indians themselves. In Asia slavery had always existed
(Bennet 9). It seems unfair to blame Christopher Columbus, while the rest of the world was
practicing slavery already. The trade routes that Columbus opened were actually of advantage to
much of the world. FoodsfromtheAmericassuchaspotatoes,tomatoesandcornbecame
staplesofEuropeansandhelpedincreasetheirpopulations(Bio.com). As cash crops were
traded, Europe was able to gain dominance, which would be a major factor in the timeline of
history.
Columbus may not have found any riches like gold or jewels, but he was able to have a

2
lot of interaction with the natives. Some people have blamed Columbus and the Spaniards for
bringing disease to the natives and the New World, but as Bennet puts it, The very frightful
consequences of smallpox and measles-which would continue to take their toll among Indians
well into the nineteenth century-could hardly have been known by the European explorers of
Columbuss day (Bennet 9). Even another article states that, Europeans didnt know anything
about germs until Italian physicist Girolamo Fracastoro proposed the theory 40 years after
Columbus died (De Seno). The spreading of disease through contact with the native people was
less significant than the relationships that Columbus gained through his interactions. He took
seriously his first name, which means bearer of Christ. He pleaded for the chance to carry
Christianity to the lands beyond the sea (Bennet 3). His efforts to reach the natives with
Christianity would lead to much of the New World being concerned with religion. Even when
America would be established years later, they would found it upon Christian principles.
Christopher Columbus may have brought some harm to the natives including slavery and
disease, but the effects from his influence of trade and interaction with the native people brought
a greater good to the world. Even today many developments are due to the efforts of Christopher
Columbus and his discoveries.

3
Works Cited
Bennett, William J. America: The Last Best Hope. Nashville, TN: Nelson Current, 2006. Print.
De Seno, Tommy. "The Truth About Christopher Columbus." Fox News. FOX News Network, 11
Oct. 2010. Web. 02 Sept. 2012. <http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2010/10/11/tommy-senocolumbus-day-francisco-bobadilla-native-americans-howard-zinn-noam/>.
"Christopher Columbus Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 02 Sept.
2012. <http://www.biography.com/people/christopher-columbus-9254209>.