At a moment when even George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Thomas Jefferson are under attack in America, it was inevitable that the unrest and radical criticism would also engulf Christopher Columbus. His case is unique because unlike the others, few people— least of all those who have vilified him and even pulled down his statues—know much about him. They assume that he brought slavery and genocide to the New World.
Europeans did commit many sins. But they did not introduce new evils; all of them—including slavery and genocide—already existed among Indigenous peoples, as they did throughout the world. This brief treatment—which should be supplemented by serious reading in a variety of sources—examines some of the charges against Columbus and the historical evidence—or lack thereof—for the most radical claims.
