The Villianous Christopher Columbus

            The depiction of Christopher Columbus in the national media today is that of a charismatic leader and founder of the New World. According to Miller, it should be noted that Leif Erikson and his Viking comrades arrived in America some 500 years before Christopher Columbus even prepared for his voyage thus on practical terms, establishes them as the first pioneers to set foot on the New World from the European perspective (2014). But nevertheless, the right circumstances and sequence of events launched Christopher Columbus into the history books as the "Founder of the New World" and the forerunner of Western civilization in the Americas. Christopher Columbus was not a man of great integrity as the history books have alluded him to be. He was more concerned with his personal accolades and recognition, he had a slavery mentality that was quite vivid in his description of the Native Americans he encountered, and his greed and lust for gold prompted him to commit atrocious acts. .
             During the Enlightenment period in Europe, the financial prospect of trading with Asia had long been established but the only sensible way of traveling to China was along the southernmost tip of Africa. Furthermore, the idea of cutting out the middle man along the Silk Road and the prospect of avoiding the Ottoman Empire in the Middle East enticed many European countries to endeavor and find another trade route to Asia. This set the stage for the ambitious Christopher Columbus to gain support for his voyage and his eventual rediscovery of the New World. .
             Many scholars have argued over the true motives behind Columbus's eagerness to find a trade route to Asia through the Western corridor. What is known is the profit and personal gain Columbus set out to achieve. He demanded, "10 percent of all riches brought back by everyone, not just by himself. And he wanted this guaranteed forever, for him, for his children, for their children, in perpetuity," (Au 74).