The Curious Case of Christopher Columbus

Did he actually discover America? Did he prove that Earth wasn’t flat? Was he really a hero?

Christopher Columbus is depicted landing in the West Indies, on an island that the natives called Guanahani and he named San Salvador, on October 12, 1492. (Artist: John Vanderlyn, Source: Wikipedia)

Heroic tales have always been a subject of fascination and intrigue for me as they mostly act as a source of enlightenment and motivation — especially in times of dismay and despair. However, there is one particular story — the famous folklore of an Italian sailor with the name of Christopher Columbus — that has made me scratch my head.

Not only there is a number of discrepancies in this story, which we all have been told, but also the whole idea that Christopher Columbus discovered America is wrong — mainly based on skewed and biased accounts of history. I mean, how come an individual — who didn’t even set foot on the mainland US — got such an eminent place in American history? Interesting, to say the least.

Moreover, when one looks at this concocted story in the context of Columbus’ legacy in the United States, it makes one even more surprised that an individual — responsible for the death of millions — not only ended up being hailed as a hero and also secured a permanent place in American…