Answer:
There is a lot of controversy as to whether these explorers should be called heroes due to some of their actions towards the indigenous people in the regions they supposedly "discovered". Christopher Columbus was responsible for the ra-pe, murder, enslavement of thousands of natives on the island of Hispaniola. Many died from smallpox spread to them by the crew.
They sold little girls and forced the natives to mine for gold or die. Over 50k committed mass sui-cide to avoid being killed or enslaved by the Spaniards.
Hispanola had approximately 300k inhabitants when he landed there. Within two years 100k were dead, in the next 50 years the number was down to 300. Each of these men has their own stories of treatment towards the people in the lands they explored. That is why there is question as to whether they should be considered heroes. The question just wants your opinion on the subject.
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