Christopher Columbus Reviled for Expanding Western Civilization

‘Seeking for the roots of order,” Russell Kirk wrote in The Roots of American Order, “we are led to four cities: Jerusalem, Athens, Rome, and London.” The city from where the ideas of Jerusalem, Athens, Rome, and London found their way to Philadelphia gets lost in discussion — and on the map, too.

Christopher Columbus persevered for about a decade before finally obtaining in Santa Fe, Spain, the backing for his westward expedition to Asia. King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella granted Columbus the title of admiral of the seas, named him governor and viceroy over any conquered lands, and agreed to a 90-10 split (in their favor) on the material Columbus extracted on his journey. As he later reflected in gratitude to the sovereigns, “All who knew of my enterprise rejected it with mockery and laughter.”

About the Author

Daniel J. Flynn

Daniel J. Flynn, the author of The Man Who Invented Conservatism: The Unlikely Life of Frank S. Meyer, is an American Spectator senior editor, visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution, and YouTuber @RightWingWilderness.

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‘Seeking for the roots of order,” Russell Kirk wrote in The Roots of American Order, “we are led to four cities: Jerusalem, Athens, Rome, and London.” The city from where the ideas of Jerusalem, Athens, Rome, and London found their way to Philadelphia gets lost in discussion — and on the map, too.

Christopher Columbus persevered for about a decade before finally obtaining in Santa Fe, Spain, the backing for his westward expedition to Asia. King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella granted Columbus the title of admiral of the seas, named him governor and viceroy over any conquered lands, and agreed to a 90-10 split (in their favor) on the material Columbus extracted on his journey. As he later reflected in gratitude to the sovereigns, “All who knew of my enterprise rejected it with mockery and laughter.”