Upon reaching the New World, Christopher Columbus' men committed many atrocities against the indigenous peoples. As their leader, he should be held responsible for the human rights violations his men committed, even if he was not physically involved in the acts. Leaders set the tone for how a mission will be carried out. Had Columbus had concern for the treatment of the indigenous peoples, he would have set very clear expectations for how his men would treat them and punishments for violating those expectations. Instead, he gave his men license to behave badly and did not punish them when they did so (although in many other respects he was a very strict leader). Columbus receives credit for the achievements which would not have been possible without his men (most notably orchestrating the first permanent European presence in the New World), so it is only fair that he should receive blame for the failure of his men to treat the indigenous Americans with dignity.
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