The Christopher Columbus Controversy

Need assistance with a few questions on this topic?  

• If Columbus was not the first explorer to sail to the New World, why is he given credit for its discovery?
• We now know that there were several million people established on the North American continent before Columbus supposedly discovered the New World.  We also know that those people who lived on the continent had built civilizations far surpassing the Europe of the time; i.e., Cahokia as an example.  Since Columbus is given the credit for discovering the New World, how can someone discover a land that is already inhabited and further advanced?
• Was Columbus involved in the genocide of the native inhabitants of the island that he landed on?  If he was involved in genocide, do the inhabitants of these islands now consider him to be a hero or a  villain and why?

 

• Formulate your opinion on the issues given above, ensuring that you cite your Internet sources in your post.