IAP 159: Conversations on Columbus: The Defense

Happy Italian American Heritage Month, Paesani!  We're kicking off our favorite month of the year by bringing you Part Five of our "Conversations on Columbus" series exploring the life and legacy of Christopher Columbus.  This week we're presenting the voices who've set out to defend the legacy of this complex Italian figure. We'll begin by running down the charges established in Part Three of our series, and then turn to a myriad of diverse voices who are calling for a reassessment of the anti-Columbus sentiment that has developed in recent decades. And we'll speak to some who believe the charges against Columbus are patently false, others who maintain Columbus deserves to be examined in the context of his own times, and some who see an ideologically driven witch hunt at the root of recent allegations against this once universally heralded navigator. In our quest to discover as much historical truth as possible, we've already given time to the detractors, so now sit down and join us for the view from the other side, as our panel of guests makes the case for Columbus the Hero!