Historical legacy of Columbus’ voyages Essay Example

and emotional trauma, leading many slaves and settlers' land inhabitants to choose suicide as their only means of escape, as noted by O'Brien (15). The indigenous populations of Central Mexico, North America, and The Andes experienced the same devastating effects. Ultimately, this journey had a profound impact on the lives of those involved: population decline, loss of human dignity, and decreased life expectancy.

The Native Americans relied on the natural ecosystem for survival, but when Europeans arrived, it had detrimental effects. O'Brien (2014) states that rodents like rats, black rats, squirrels, muskrats, and long-legged guinea pigs were brought by Europeans and posed health risks. These rodents also caused a decrease in food production, resulting in poverty and food insecurity in the New World. Consequently, the disturbance of the ecosystem led to a decline in the freedom and productivity that Americans had previously experienced before Columbus's arrival (O'Brien, 22).

Overall, the Columbus Voyage had a predominantly negative impact on different facets of American life. The arrival and development of colonies like Virginia, Maryland, and Chesapeake in the early 17th century resulted in an increased need for land among the settlers. As a result of owning vast amounts of land, these colonizers required more labor to sustain agriculture under challenging circumstances. Consequently, the agricultural industry and plantations within these colonies expanded, resulting in a surge of enslaved individuals from both America and Africa. Unfortunately, this led to extensive suffering and exploitation for these unfortunate slaves.

During this time, slavery was widespread and there were no laws in place to protect slaves or grant them basic human rights such as property ownership or the ability to marry. Slaves also faced a

disregard for their right to life, as evidenced by the short life expectancy in the Chesapeake colonies. As labor demands increased, the African slave trade became prevalent after Columbus' voyage. The demand for black slaves grew alongside the expansion of sugar plantations in the New World. Initially, Native Americans were involved in free servitude but their numbers declined, leading to African-Americans becoming the preferred choice for labor in gold and silver mines as well as agriculture for their masters.

The existence of slavery is strongly connected with the anguish, degradation, and denial of essential needs and rights for humans. Therefore, from this perspective, Columbus' expedition can be perceived as more harmful than advantageous for the individuals residing at that period. It could be claimed that Columbus' journey contributed to the rise of racism in both America and Europe. Prior to Columbus' arrival, people's bodily characteristics and skin tone did not carry a substantial weight in determining possession or level of liberty.

The introduction of African slavery in America created a distinction between American and African slaves, as well as perpetuated the perception that blacks were inferior to whites. This led to the denial of quality services such as food and medical attention for African slaves. The mindset of racial superiority was fostered by Columbus' voyages, which established the belief that people of African and Native American descent were unequal to whites and did not deserve equal treatment. Consequently, the impact of Columbus' journeys had negative consequences for both the old and New Worlds, representing significant disruptions in human history (Irving, Washington; John, 27).

In simpler terms, the voyage of Columbus resulted in rape, plunder, genocide, and humiliation of

minority groups. One example of this inhumanity was the practice of sexual slavery on enslaved women during Columbus' voyage. Another example is how Spanish settlers in the new world used slaves as objects to test the sharpness and accuracy of their swords and blades (O'Brien, 24). Throughout the 17th century to the present, the voyage is seen as a reflection of violence and the forceful accumulation of property and capital for the European elite and ruling classes who currently occupy the United States.

Conclusion

From this analysis, it can be concluded that Columbus' voyages have had a historical legacy characterized by increased capitalism, which has fueled many of the problems we face today. For instance, Columbus laid the foundation for a society where a few individuals dominate at the expense of others (the current social hierarchy).

Furthermore, Columbus championed the slaughtering, enslaving, raping, and killing of minorities in order to establish their own capitalist empires (Irving, Washington & John, 33). As a result, Columbus's voyage had no tangible benefit for humanity, as it only perpetuated exploitation and cruelty towards innocent lives, which characterized the colonization of America and its people. The measure of humanity lies in the morality exhibited by individual characters or events. Therefore, Columbus's voyage was primarily driven by profit and super-profits for a select few individuals, ultimately leading to the destruction of humanity and its ecosystem.

Work Cited

• Bergreen, Laurence. Columbus: The Four Voyages. New York: Viking, 2011. Print.
• Irving, Washington, and John H. McElroy. The Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1981. Print.
• O'Brien, Cynthia. Explore with Christopher Columbus.

, 2014. Print.