Whether you call it Columbus Day or Indigenous Peoples’ Day, one thing is for sure—the holiday, held this year on October 13, churns up a sea of debate that could capsize even the Santa Maria . While many schoolbooks present Christopher Columbus as the famous explorer who discovered America, history has painted a much more complicated picture. Was the man from Genoa a brave explorer or greedy invader? A gifted navigator or reckless adventurer? Here are some facts to consider the next time you hear someone recite, “In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue...”

Columbus never discovered America but his voyage was no less courageous

Even if you were to overlook the not-so-minor fact that millions of people were already living in the Americas in 1492, the fact is that Columbus never set

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