The Complex Legacy of Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus is one of the most famous — and most controversial — figures in world

history. For centuries, he was celebrated as the man who “discovered America.” Today,

historians see him in a far more complex and critical light. To understand who Columbus really

was, we need to look past the myths and examine his life, his ambitions,

and the lasting consequences of his voyages. Christopher Columbus was born in fourteen

fifty-one in the port city of Genoa, in what is now Italy. At the time, Italy did not exist

as a single country. It was divided into independent city-states such as Genoa, Venice,

and Florence. Genoa was a major maritime trading power, and the sea dominated