The Life and legacy of Christopher Columbus is a very controversial topic. People have differing views of him and his virtues. As we all know Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492, although there is a lot more to the story. Columbus, being extremely focused on his mission to find riches and conquer new lands, he and his teams treated the indigenous groups they came across as obstacles to their greater mission, rather actually humans. This caused them to treat these peoples harsh forcing them out of their homes. For example, on his first day on the island, he wrote in his journal about how he ordered 6 natives to be seized, because he believed they would be good servants. He then put the natives to work in sake of profit. He had them to labor in which many of them died. Those who lived, were sent to mines to mine for gold and work on plantations. These actions that Columbus displayed were unfair and controlling. There natives were simply going through their lives peacefully, this all changed when Christopher Columbus changed and manipulated their lives. Not only his treatment of the natives but Columbus also had the additional consequence of bringing new diseases to the New World which would, over time, devastate the native populations of many New World islands and communities. 

Historians have used the phrase “Columbian exchange” to describe the trade of plants, animals and goods between the East and West that his voyages began. Though the effects were widespread and cannot all be looked at as negative. Eventually, his actions got back to Columbus. A number of settlers lobbied against him at the Spanish court, resulting in Columbus being sent home. Columbus actions and methods were controlling and harsh, and not acceptable.