Who Was Columbus? Term Paper

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Christopher Columbus

Who was Columbus?

This essay attempts to answer the question, "Who was Columbus?" through a comparative analysis of documents discussing the historical context in which Christopher Columbus and his discovery of the "New World" (or Americas) were analyzed. The following discussion argues that Columbus is portrayed differently by different sectors of the society, but is primarily elucidated by members of the scholarly community of early American history. The documents discussed in this paper are Timothy Foote's "Where Columbus Was Coming From" and Joel Achenbach's "Debating Columbus in a New World."

Foote's historical analysis puts Columbus' character in the context of socio-historical changes and dynamics happening in Europe during his (Columbus') time. The author puts into background the development of the Renaissance period and the Dark Ages, two vital events in the history of Western civilization that ultimately determined the kind of society European nations are during these periods.

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Foote's analysis is an attempt to understand why Columbus is regarded by many people as a "boastful slave trader" rather than the 'great' founder/discoverer of the New World that was to become the United States. Indeed, Foote does concede on the fact that Columbus was indeed a 'slave trader,' but his article tries to explain why this has been the behavior and role of Columbus in 16th century Western history. One of the facts the author establishes is that Columbus was just playing a small role in the gradually increasing practice of slavery among European countries; this is in the midst of a continent (Europe) that was trying to win wars and gain power over vast territories and geo-political regions/areas. However, perhaps what truly shaped the behavior and actions of Columbus at that time is his strong Catholic belief and background, having….....

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