Celebrating Columbus

Christopher Columbus, the most famous explorer in history, was once a celebrated hero. Now, many consider him a villain, a despoiler of paradise. So which version of Columbus is true? Michael Knowles answers this question and offers some much-needed historical perspective.

He ventured where no other man of his age dared to go. He saw things no other man of his age had ever seen. He discovered a New World.

For centuries, he was universally admired as a hero. Now he’s widely considered to be a despoiler of paradise, an enslaver, and a genocidal maniac.

I’m talking, of course, about Christopher Columbus. So which is true? Is he a hero—or a villain?

The truth is complicated, as the truth often is—especially when you have to go back 500 years to find it. But let’s try to get as close as we can.