The large ships drew in. The natives had no idea what was going on, but they were horrified. Then they saw them, men with pale faces, shiny metals on their breasts, giant horses, and weapons. The natives would become even more horrified once they learned the disturbing truth, but for many it was too late. Columbus and his men murdered thousands of Indians when they came to the New World. In America today, many people still believe Christopher Columbus is a great figure in our history. But what really happened when he came to the New World? Columbus committed genocide to the natives in South and North America. He came in search of gold, but his greed did not stop there; he enslaved many of the Indians. Americans must view Christopher Columbus in history not as a hero, but as a butcher.
             One must agree that Columbus did discover the New World. He was in fact the first European to make a complete passage to the Americas. Columbus's discovery did shape world history, without his contributions the United States would not exist. President Harrison described Columbus as "The pioneer of progress and enlightenment" (Falcoff, 260). Many sights have been named after Columbus in the United States, including its capitol. In 1492, Columbus did set foot on the New World, and that fact can not be changed (Siegel, Falcoff).
             Columbus did not set out on his journey to discover, he went to the New World for gold, and to exploit the natives and the resources of the land. Some believe Columbus was the first to think that the world was round, and that is one of the reasons he went on his journey. The historical fact is, however, that many educated people of Europe at that time knew that the earth was round (Marable, 280) . After Columbus made his voyage, more and more Europeans were settling in the New World. They would take the natives' land and enslave them. Columbus himself would send ship loads of s...