Did Christopher Columbus own slaves?

As historians have continued to learn and write more about the real life of Christopher Columbus, controversy has arisen over the validity of honoring the explorer as a hero. ... read more

Christopher Columbus: The Untold Story Many people are surprised to learn that Christopher Columbus and his men enslaved native inhabitants of the West Indies, forced them to convert to Christianity, and subdued them with violence in an effort to seek riches. read more

Most of the slaves died in the ships or when they arrived to port and the Catholic Monarchs only authorized Columbus to send the slaves that were punished, like the ones that killed all the members of the first expedition (el Fuerte Navidad). read more

Christopher Columbus derived most of his income from slavery, De Las Casas noted. In fact, Columbus was the first slave trader in the Americas. As the native slaves died off, they were replaced with black slaves. read more