The Impact of Columbus on the Taino Population

The Taino population in the Caribbean dropped from 500,000 to just 2,000 in 50 years.

This was the direct result of Columbus's arrival in 1492. He wasn't trying to find a new continent;

he was looking for a shortcut to India to get spices, and his entire plan was based on a map

that massively underestimated the Earth's size. While the Portuguese were cautiously sailing down the

coast of Africa, Columbus gambled on sailing west and accidentally ran into the Americas.

This kicked off the Columbian Exchange, but also led to colonialism, the destruction

of entire cultures, and the transatlantic slave trade.