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People
Pioneers
Christopher Columbus (1451-1506)
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Christóbal (Christopher) Colón (Columbus) (1451-1506). European explorer, born in Genoa, Italy. His voyages mark the beginning of continuous European efforts to explore and colonize the Americas.
During the 1980's and 1990's, the image of Columbus as a hero was tarnished by criticism from Native Americans and revisionist historians. With the 500th anniversary of his first voyage in 1992, interpretations of his motives and impact varied. Although he was always judged to be vain, ambitious, greedy, and ruthless, traditional historians viewed his voyages as opening the New World to Western civilization and Christianity.
For revisionist historians, however, his voyages symbolize the more brutal aspects of European colonization and represent the beginning of the destruction of Native American peoples and culture. One point of agreement among all interpretations is that his voyages were one of the turning points in history.
Christóbal (Christopher) Colón (Columbus) (1451-1506)
04-23-2004