How Did Christopher Columbus Affect Society

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Christopher Columbus, the Italian explorer who discovered the Americas, left behind a legacy greater than he would have ever imagined. His actions still have effects to this day. He sailed on four voyages to the Americas throughout his life, and paved the way for future explorers to colonize it. Christopher Columbus left behind a story remembered more than 500 years later, through his four voyages, as well as short and long-term effects. Columbus’ voyages were unique in that he traveled to places that the Old World did not even know existed. After pleading for funding with many high ranking people of different European countries, he was able to sail representing Spain in 1492 across the Atlantic Ocean in hopes of finding a westward route …show more content…
One that is present in the lives of many people every day is the name commonly used to refer to the indigenous people of the New World. Because Columbus thought he had landed in India, the name Indian was given to the indigenous population. This simple mistake is still reflected in today’s world. Another long-term effect that Columbus left was transforming American civilizations into European ones. If an African or Asian explorer had discovered the Americas first, North American and South American societies would be very different from the way they are today. In the article “Columbus’ Confusion About the New World,” Edmund S. Morgan states, “He began the European occupation of the New World, and here his European ideas and attitudes began their transformation of the land and people” (Morgan 5). The result is seen in the languages people speak, the religions that people follow, and the cultures in general. Lastly, Columbus brought slavery, oppression, and injustice into the New World. He decisively enslaved the first natives that he met, and sought to control all people that he came across. As a result, Columbus and explorers like him captured slaves for their own use. His slavery and oppression was experienced for hundreds of years to come in the Americas. It was not until the 1800s that slavery was outlawed in the Americas, and not until the mid 1900s, when the rights of the indigenous and African Americans
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