a pretty good guy, actually…

Hard disagree, there. Whatever his intent, he did terrible damage.

"When he returned to the Caribbean, in February 1495, Columbus took by force 1600 Taíno to be enslaved. 560 slaves were shipped to Spain; 200 died en route, probably of disease and or abuse. After legal proceedings, the survivors were released and ordered to be shipped home. Others of the 1600 who were enslaved by Columbus and his men were distributed among the Spanish-colonial settlers."

According to his diaries, and other contemporary supporters of native rights, Colombus did not support the taking of slaves from the natives. He actually condemned those who did as being “unworthy to drink water.” The idea that columbus wanted to take slaves is a mistranslation of what Columbus said. Columbus’ words from his journal read: “I thought, and still think, that people from the mainland come here to take them prisoner. They must be good servants, and intelligent, for I can see that they quickly repeat everything said to them. I believe they would readily become Christians; it appeared to me that they have no religion. With God's will, I will take six of them with me for Your Majesties when I leave this place, so that they may learn Spanish.” (The Voyage of Christopher Columbus: Columbus’ Own Journal of Discovery Newly Restored and Translated) Columbus is not saying he wants to enslave them, but that these are a people used to serving their neighbors, the cannibalistic Carib peoples. According to documents written at the time by supporters of native rights, Columbus was not a slave trader or abuser.