The Columbus Genocide led to the Death of Millions.

The Columbus Genocide led to the Death of Millions.

Genocide is defined as the systematic destruction of a race or group of people either in whole or in part.

Considering that Christopher Columbus led the way for the eventual European settlement of North America, the resulting destruction of the different native populations is his fault.

An estimated ninety to ninety five percent of the native population ended up dying due to diseases introduced by the Europeans and their African slaves.

When looked at over a long period in history, from the time Columbus touched down in America to the Sioux Indian massacre in 1890 at Wounded Knee an estimated one hundred million native Americans had been killed.

Brazil alone saw the indigenous population drop from over three million before Columbus showed up to less than 300,000 (in 1997) due to the Columbus genocide due to the Columbus genocide.

The majority of deaths were due to epidemic diseases such as the measles and small pox; it is hard to say how many died in armed conflict since there was never an accurate record kept of the casualties in those conflicts.

Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez took a stand in 2003 against the celebration of Columbus Day as a holiday, asked the people in his nation not to celebrate it since it was Columbus that led to the genocide of the native people.

The genocide committed by Columbus has been called the most destructive and deadly in world history by some historians.

However, the view taken by many scholars and leaders in the United States has had a somewhat different view and opinion of the event.

While no one denies the mass death and destruction of Native Americans was a tragedy, they still hold somewhat of a biased view in favor of the genocide- sort of an us or them policy.

Teddy Roosevelt is among the leaders who spoke out in favor of the genocide of the Native American Indian.

Day of Indigenous Resistance

Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez decided to make a change in 2003.

The genocide committed by Columbus had resulted in the death of thousands of the native population of his country- why on earth should the arrival of this man be celebrated?

In 2002 he signed an official decree putting an end to Columbus Day on October 12 and renaming it the Day of Indigenous Resistance.

Accidental Genocide

The Columbus genocide never should have actually happened.

Columbus had set sail looking for a better route to the Indies, but instead ending up touching down on a small remote island in the Caribbean populated by the peaceful Taino tribe.

Columbus had no trouble setting up a foothold on this island where had he landed anywhere else along the coast of the Americas he would have likely run into violent opposition thus altering what is now the history of the world.