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Was Columbus a hero?
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Selected claim, opposing its parent
Columbus is to blame for the beginning of colonization and slavery in the Americas.
Pros
Cons
Pro claim 1, children below
Columbus's discoveries allowed European states to engage in trans-Atlantic colonization and slave trading.
Pro claim 2, children below
Columbus's cruelty was largely motivated by the goal of extracting as much wealth from the area as possible. This provided a model for later colonizers.
Con claim 1, children below
Slavery was already an
established practice
among European states, and around the world, before Columbus's voyages.
Con claim 2, children below
Even though Columbus started a history of colonization, cruelty was already prominent in the Americas before his arrival.
Con claim 3, children below
Most explorers before Columbus had
imperial motives
guiding their voyages. Therefore, Columbus was merely following the norms of his time.