Was Columbus an explorer?

One would have to go back to as far as the 1980’s and beyond to see the celebration of Columbus in its hey- day.
Vocalizing respect for the man who helped open the New World and discover a new land that has become our nation
was an acceptable act for Americans. Now Americans are taught to shun, despise, and disrespect much of what made us
what we are. From Columbus, to our founding fathers, leftist scholars and educators have successfully inculcated their
world views, and political agendas onto the rest of academia and popular culture. This revisionist history not only makes
scholars more money with book sales, and speaking engagements, and possible jobs at large scale Universities, if ones
work is creative and well done, it if pursued enough--revisionist history can change world views. As Dinesh D’Souza, in
1995 in First Things, the marked hatred and disrespect of Columbus tells us more of political battles than of historical
record.

Interestingly, Columbus may never have attempted his initial voyage had he not held several misconceptions about
global geography.  First, he underestimated the circumference of the earth. Many during that time truly did not know
the circumference of the earth, nor that there was unexplored land somewhere along the way. He was not only
unafraid to test his theories which were wrong, but to sail out into the unknown and take an ultimate risk.

Even a conservative view of history would have to admit that Columbus saw nothing wrong with putting native peoples
under Spanish rule.  He had little respect for the religions of native people, who he believed should become Christian.
However, he was a man of his times, and his actions were the actions of the world view of the times. Should we look up
to him for these traits? Of course not, but does that make the fact that he did indeed lead and navigate an exploration
to unknown regions unimportant or worthy of dismissal? Of course not, again.

Howard Zinn, a noted revisionist, Columbus hatter, and despiser of older American values, would call Columbus
something far from an explorer or a hero. As he stated in an essay, “ I prefer to tell of Columbus from standpoint of the
slaves, of Andrew Jackson as seen by the Cherokee…” Zinn, although a good scholar often tells a one sided story. (Zinn)
He neglects to see any good in anything European. Although an excellent writer and scholar, Zinn is in love with finding
fought in the European world view and aggrandizing everything else. Maybe Columbus found a land that may have
been visited by Vikings? Did the rest of Europe know of it during Columbus’s time? No. Zinn and others try to say that
Nubians discovered America with little to no archeological or historic proof. That is part of their argument of why
Columbus was not an explorer. Columbus found this land, he did indeed discover something that no one knew of
somewhere across the Atlantic Ocean. To lead and expedition and find something is indeed an exploration. To find
something that no else of your time is indeed a discovery of sort. To bring attention to it, is what allowed America to
begin to blossom. No one is saying, that this blossoming was completely moral and just, but to ignore the positive traits
because it does not agree with ones moral palate, political agenda, and ability to sell new books is just as irresponsible
as overselling Columbus as a perfect man and hero.

Zinn, H ( 2003) A People’s History of the United States. History is a Weapon,

http://www.historyisaweapon.com/zinnapeopleshistory.html