Paradigm Shift: Columbus did whaaaat?

I remember in the earlier grade levels, I always had the idea that Christopher Columbus was a pretty cool guy that discovered America.  In the later grade levels, new information was taught that he was in fact a cruel and selfish man.  He did not even discover America.  He landed on different islands in the pacific and enslaved, raped, and pillaged the previous land owners.  We even celebrated Columbus Day for this guy.  This was a big paradigm shift that I had to make because I really didn't want to think this new information was true.