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Christopher columbus background
Christopher Columbus voyage
Chapter 1: Columbus, The Indians, and Human Progress
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Since I was in elementary school, I was taught about various parts of history. A historical figure I remember learning about is the “magnificent” Christopher Columbus. He is in history books because he “discovered” the Americas. He even has an entire day dedicated to his name and “accomplishments”: the second Monday of October, Columbus Day. Columbus was an Italian explorer. Throughout his lifetime he went on four voyages. He proposed to find a westward sea route to Asia in order to have a route controlled by Europeans. Sponsored by the Spanish King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Aragon, Columbus set sail to the New World in 1492. However, he didn’t find a westward sea route to Asia. Instead, he landed on the Americas, and also encountered …show more content…
The Americas were home to many prosperous tribes. For example, the Taino. Tainos were skilled at agriculture, hunting, and sailing. They had no calendar or writing system, but they did have a language. When Columbus first reached their homes, he was friendly with them. Once Columbus and his crew found out that the island was not Asia, he was desperate not to look like a failure. In order for him to not look incompetent he wrote back to the queen saying he could bring Spain gold, riches, and slaves. To attain the riches he so desired he imposed a gold tribute system where every adult Taino had to collect a certain quota of gold dust every day. If the Taino completed the task they would receive a token to wear around their necks, but If they didn't they would lose a limb or be sentenced to death. Columbus’ name is now associated with discovery, but the only thing he discovered was people he could abuse for …show more content…
However, his intentions for all of his voyages were purely for his own benefit. On his first trip to the New World he had already made a contract with the monarchy of Spain. The contract, The Capitulations of Santa Fe, named Columbus the admiral, viceroy, and governor of any land he discovered. Also, the contract stated that he could keep ten percent of any jewels, spices, or other riches he found within the lands discovered. Columbus himself recorded ,” Your Highness commanded me that with a sufficient fleet I should go to India, and for this granted me many graces. My eldest son should succeed me, and thus from rank to rank forever.“(Bergreen, Laurence. Columbus: The Four Voyages) It seems as if riches and power were the only things that drove him to explore in the first place. When he was on his first voyage, he said he would give a reward to whoever spotted the island first. That person was Rodrigo de Triana. Triana never received the reward because, according to Columbus, he actually saw a light in the distance before Triana, so Columbus kept the reward for himself. In his first voyage Columbus kept two logbooks, one with the actual distance from Spain to the Bahamas and one where the distance was less, in order to avoid a revolt. Columbus wasn’t a good explorer or a good person; he was a selfish, lying, devilish man interested only in an own
Many Americans honor Christopher Columbus Day as a holiday that celebrates his discovery of the New World on October 12, 1492. Some make the argument that Columbus is not to be considered a hero because of his actions. However, this day celebrates his discovery but not his mistakes after. His findings brought new knowledge to the Old World, profited many countries, and improved life conditions of many people. Before his voyage some thought if sailing West all one would find is India, however Columbus’ expedition found
Columbus’s “intentions were far from selfless.” (Myint, 2015, Para. 5). The greed was immense as Columbus believed in the entitlement of ten percent of all the treasures that were plundered. Nothing was shared with the crew. Natives were also mutilated and enslaved. If the natives did no collect enough money they lost limbs, some also lost their lives. A hero would not hurt innocent people trying to survive.
In 1492, Christopher Columbus unintentionally discovered America, when he landed in the Caribbean Islands, while looking for a direct sea route to Asia. Despite the fact that Columbus believed he had found a direct sea route to India, he has been called the discoverer of America and hailed as a hero. More recently, however, he has been called a villain, with accusations saying that not only did he not discover America, but also that he was the cause of slavery and oppression in the Americas. These allegations are absurd and lack logical evidence.
This voyage and all that Columbus wrote seems to have been done in greed. Columbus flattered the King and Queen repeatedly to win them over for his desired future endeavors. The first letter written to the King and Queen of Spain began immediately with overly exaggerated praise. In this matter, he could have directly addressed them with one endearing term rather than “Most Christian, High, Excellent, and Powerful Princes, King and Queen of Spain” (Halsall). He then describes his intent to “perform the embassy…discharge the orders… [and] keep an account…Sovereign Princes” as he prepares to write his journal. With this in mind, the demand of writing a journal and keeping track of his journey will keep him from sleeping and cause “many trials” all for “Your Highness.” When land was found, Columbus was the one who “bore the royal standard” when he went to shore and “took possession…for the King and Queen.
Although, Columbus may have done some bad things to America, he helped England, Spain, and all people to this day. When he discovered America he made it known, allowing people to travel there and begin a new life. Lots of countries honor Columbus, especially Spain. For his discovery we wouldn’t be where we are now, we might have still believed the world was flat. From the author of “Sail On!” he says “Columbus’ voyage made America known to the people of Europe. This truly changed the world. It is why Columbus is honored.”He will be honored for the good things we don’t need to ponder on the
Columbus' original plan was to prove that early geographers were wrong and that the world was larger than computed (William Howarth). He had sponsorship from the King and Queen of Spain who were finally convinced by Columbus by his belief that he was a divine missionary, ordained by God to spread Christianity (P. J. Riga). When he got to the New World he had found that there was the possibility that there might be an abundance of gold, and gold was the commodity Columbus pursued with obsessive zeal (William Howarth). It would seem to be an item that he had a lust for more than anything. An elder on Tortuga described "within a hundred or more ...
I didn?t know much about Columbus, but when it was taught to us as a class, which was rarely, the lessons were brief and covered only the ?positive? things that he did. That is, from the eyes of those who believe Columbus was a noble man. It wasn?t until 6th grade when my teacher showed my class the book Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong by James W. Loewen that we opened our eyes and saw reality. We had been deceived. Deceived by videos. Deceived by books. Deceived by teachers. But at least it felt good to know the truth-finally.
It is thought by many that Christopher Columbus was a skilled sailor on a mission of greed. Many think that he in fact did it all for the money, honor and the status that comes with an explorer, but this is not the case entirely. Columbus was an adventurer and was enthused by the thrill of the quest of the unknown. “Columbus had a firm religious faith and a scientific curiosity, a zest for life, the felling for beauty and the striving for novelty that we associate with the advancement of learning”. He had heard of the legendary Atlantic voyages and sailors reports of land to the west of Madeira and the Azores. He believed that Japan was about 4,800 km to the west of Portugal. In 1484, Columbus wanted support for an exploratory voyage from King John II of Portugal, but he was refused. In 1485, Columbus took his son Diego and went to Spain to get some help.
Meanwhile, they make up all kinds of details to tell a better story and to humanize Columbus so that readers will identify with him” (1). On American textbooks, Christopher Columbus was portray as the first person who discovered America, but it is actually a lie that Columbus is the first America’s “great” hero. In my opinion, American textbooks put more emphasis on making significant heroic character rather than giving a true detail of history. Also, it provides a mythical hero and covers up anything that shows in the history of the America in a negative light and made them look bad. Explorers who reached America before Columbus are well underplayed. They should stick to the facts of what Columbus really did and should focus on as many accurate details of Columbus’ life, without overcompensating for his
[2] Columbus is a mainstay of American patriotism. He is the patron saint who planted the seeds of our nation. Our culture has been lulled into his heroic myth for hundreds of years and has celebrated this man with much pomp and circumstance. Columbus’ worthiness has been the subject of much controversy and is now being linked to such un-heroic terms as mass murder, holocaust, and genocide.
Christopher Columbus discoveries enlightened the globe and started a new age of exploration. Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand believed columbus would be very successful in discovering places that were rich in minerals and resources.They chose to sponsor and support Christopher Columbus’s voyage because of his capabilities and discoveries he could achieve. Christopher Columbus discoveries enlightened the globe and started a new age of exploration, changed the history of the whole globe. There was many advantage about working in between foreign affairs, one being Christopher Columbus skills and knowledge that gave Spain money and power. A disadvantage of working in between foreign affairs will be the other side not fulfilling their agreement. There are many qualifications Christopher Columbus had that made him a good candidate the voyage. Christopher Columbus was a brilliant vessel to the earth and left a legacy behind him for explorers and sailors around the
Among the many flaws American history textbooks have, one that stands out above the rest is heroification. Heroification is, according to Loewen "A generative process that makes people over into heroes.”(pg.19) Through heroification national heroes such as Christopher Columbus are always portrayed as perfect individuals, with only the best intentions and absolutely no flaws. Textbooks use heroification to inspire, and instate a sense of national pride in students. Though it may instate a sense of national pride in students, it does not present the truth. Heroification leaves out important details of these "heroes" lives, and only presents trivial melodramatic details. By doing this students will never really fully understand why our "heroes" did what they did, and will never know the truth.
Columbus and Champlain were both devoted to the success of their expeditions; however, Columbus had far more selfish intentions. Columbus was an Italian who sought aid for a journey that would travel across the Atlantic Ocean in search for riches in the East. His support did not come easy as he was rejected by the courts of Portugal, France, and England. Ultimately, Columbus was able to gain authorization and funding for a voyage to begin in 1492 by the Spanish monarchs King Ferdinand and Queen Isabel. After starting the long awaited expedition in April, Columbus was able to reach the West Indies by October of that year. Upon encountering the New World, Columbus immediately claimed the land along with its natives for his Spanish sovereigns.
Although this essay is historically accurate it lacks important details, which might paint a different view of Columbus. Boorstin writes favorable of Columbus and depicts him as a heroic and determined figure who helped shape history, but he neglects to include Columbus’ unethical acts committed in the world that was not supposed to exist, the Americas. When Columbus first discovered the New World, he took care that the royal standard had been brought ashore and he claimed the land for Spain in front of all, including the indigenous population who had been sighted even before Columbus made landfall. According to the medieval concepts of natural law, only those territories that are uninhabited can become the property of the first person to discover them. Clearly this was an unethical act. Thus, the first contact between European and non-European worlds was carried out through a decidedly European prism, which ensured Spanish claim to the islands of the Americas. Faced with a colony in an inhospitable area, the Spanish soon inaugurated the practice of sending regular military parties inland to subdue the increasingly hostile natives. Members of the indigenous population were captured and enslaved to support the fledgling colony. The object of Columbus’ desire changed from exploration and trade to conquest and subjugation.
He wanted to find gold and seize power for spain and the king. “ He was anxious to please the king that he committed irreparable crimes against the indians” (Excerpt 6). Christopher Columbus didn’t know it was America he thought it was India, so he killed to get his way and find gold. Columbus didn’t want to disappoint the king so he searched for gold. “ Columbus never forgot that his voyage was not one of exploration, but of economics.