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Christopher columbus essay on why he is a horrible person
Stereotypes of Native Americans in the 19th century
Stereotypes of Native Americans in the 19th century
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In the beginning of the story, Columbus did not resist naming the first few islands he discovered. He then proceeds to discover another island that was “most fertile to an excessive degree” in his perspective (pg. 543). This seems to surprise him upon encountering the Indian people when he discovers them naked, no weapons, and no iron or steel. The reason for this is not because they are poor or well-formed people. However, Columbus says the people were fearful and felt they were suffering from being on the island with no authority. However, the Natives seemed positive and compassionate after they became more assured of Columbus’ presence on the island. Columbus mentioned anything that they have, even if it be asked for, the Natives would
Christopher Columbus does not deserve to be honored as a hero with his own holiday. Close to 500 years, people have praised Christopher Columbus and also celebrated him as though he was the one who truly founded America. Teachers teach students that he was a great man, also how he found treasures and land known as America. Students are also taught about the names of his three ships he used on his first voyage. However, they did not teach us the truth about Christopher Columbus, and his so called “discovery”.
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.
In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue. And, when he reached his destination he killed, raped and enslaved innocent natives. Was Columbus a villain? The answer to that question, in my opinion, would be yes. Christopher Columbus was a cruel, self-centered, delusional man who does not deserve to be praised for the discovery of America.
For more than five centuries Americans have lifted Christopher Columbus to heights of greatness and god-like. We celebrate his life as though he was a man that had done us a great favor. In resent years Christopher Columbus has come under scrutiny, his life and works being questioned more than celebrated. There have be many great men and women that contributed to the building of our great nation but they do not receive anywhere as much recognition as Columbus. When a person begins to study the actual accounts of the "finding of the New World" they begin to wonder if Columbus should adored or hated for his actions. As a child I was taught that Columbus was a great man that had accomplished great things for the sake of humanity, but in reality his agenda was not to better humanity but to better himself. He found the Americas by mere chance and he did not even know of what he found. We give him credit for "finding" the Americas but history tells of the people, that he called Indians, already inhabiting the foreign land. So you decide whether or not Christopher Columbus should be revered a hero.
My personal opinion? Villain. Christopher Columbus was a nasty man who was motivated by greed. “The information that Columbus wanted most was: Where is the Gold” (Zinn 4)? He logged in his journal his first encounter with the Arawak people, stating “As soon as I arrived in the Indies, I took some of the natives by force in order that they might give me information of whatever there is in these parts” (Zinn 4). Their crime? “They wore tiny gold ornaments in their ears” (Zinn 5). Columbus would stop at nothing to gain what he most desired. Horrible as he was, he ultimately paved the way for America as we know it. All things happen for a reason, right?
All heroes have flaws, but if those flaws include murder, rape, and kidnapping, that person is really a villain disguised as a hero. Most people look fondly on Christopher Columbus since he traveled to the unknown and started the colonization of America that lead to the countries that we know today. Columbus is not a hero, however, since he did not discover the Americas, he treated the Native Americans inhumanly, and even in his own time, Columbus was a criminal.
Christopher Columbus, was he a hero, or villain? For about 500 years, people have praised him and celebrated his life as though he was someone who did good for us. Schools teach students that Columbus was a great man, found gold and pearls, and discovered new lands. Students are even taught the names of Christopher Columbus' three ships he used on his first voyage. However, they grow up not knowing the truth about Christopher Columbus, what he really did to 'accomplish' his tasks. I simply believe that schools should show both sides of Columbus' story, so that students can be aware of the facts behind the 'discovery' of Early America.
There have been circular arguments,internaionally, concerning whether Columbus discoverd or invaded the west Indies. through this essay I will explore all counter arguments for this particular topic. Its complex yet simple, one step at a time.
Published in 1493, Luis Santangel received the embellished journal of Christopher Columbus as validation for the much-promised riches in the Indies. Centered around an era of power and conquest, Columbus tapered his writings and findings to pacify his Royal sponsors for the voyage. Santangel was also one such wealthy sponsor. Although the tone of the letter was vastly hyperbolic, Christopher Columbus still managed to document the labeling of the numerous islands and its topography. Yet even the size and measurement is a bit exaggerated as well referring to one island being twice as large as that of Great Britain and Scotland. Columbus did his best to acknowledge various “thousands upon thousands” in this letter with that of spiceries and gold mines with mountains in a “thousand shapes...full of trees of a thousand kinds” as well as deeming the exotic islands incomparable to any other islands that “there could be no believing without seeing” firsthand. Colu...
This arrogance would have profound effects on these natives to last throughout all time, including the present. Let us begin our search for truth by asking ourselves this question: Why are native peoples in the Americas referred to as Indians? The naming of these peoples is credited to Columbus. It was "Columbus, who gave to the peaceable multitude of the islands the name, indios - because he considered their habitat to be "the Indies", of course, but perhaps also because he thought of them as living "in God". (Sanders p. 95)
The idea that a person can be purely good and altruistic does not exist due to society’s acceptance and embrace of the selfishness and greed of human beings. People these days are some of the most selfish beings to ever exist but they are not ashamed of their actions because of how the world around them welcomes their self-centered nature with open arms. Selfishness comes is many ways, shapes, and forms. Many businesses need to utilize the greed of mankind in order to make money and prosper; “Greed-for lack of a better word-is good. Greed is right. Greed works” (Wall Street). Even politicians use their greed to run campaigns for themselves in order to win the hearts of Americans. As well as fulfill their ultimate selfish goal to be the man
Columbus described the people as being timid and unfitted to use weapons. He wrote, “They have no iron or steel or weapons, nor are they fitted to use them. This is not because they are not very well built and of handsome stature, but because they are very marvellously timorous.” Columbus described them as though they will not provide any resistance because they do not have the skill to use weapons, and that they very timid people. However, as shown in the first quote, Columbus wrote that they did not put up any opposition; he later wrote in the letter that he took some of the natives by force. If the natives did not put up any opposition to Columbus, why would he need to take them by force? Columbus also notes that they had been very serviceable, and would very much be open to evangelization. An important note, Columbus wrote more and provided more detail about the vast islands he had “discovered” compared to the indigenous people, of which he wrote, “ In all these islands, I saw no great diversity in the appearance of the people or in their manners and language.” In the end, Columbus’s description of the Indigenous people was that are serviceable people would make adequate slaves. Columbus’s letter paints a good picture into his imperialistic mind, as opposed to providing information about the
When Columbus and Hariot first came into contact with these natives, they seemed different (even strange) at times because they lived almost completely naked. For a long period of time, the Native Americans lives had to change as they adapted too many different environments. As a matter of fact, the American Indians were very creative. They were able to found ways on to how to live in deserts, forests, along the oceans, and on grassy prairies. The Natives people were great hunters and productive farmers, for they built towns and traded over large distances with other tribes. The Native Americans also believed they were one with nature, and that the gods of land and water controlled what they got if they didn’t sacrifice and worship them. The Europeans however, viewed the natives to be a region inhabited by salvages, who did not how to live. They believed the natives had no laws, no religion, no property (for they all shared it), no kingdom or king because they have no system of government. All these two explorers saw was new land, with plants, and animals to be discovered. As well as, new people with fascinating lifeways that Europeans have never seen before, that would soon be conquered and governor to help personal ambitions, like the Spanish monarchs who also wanted to strengthen their legal claim on the New World, in case the Portugal’s decided to send ships across the Atlantic and eventually become a
They did seem more primitive than the people of Spain because of their lack of clothing. When Columbus says, “…, and all of them I have taken possession for their highnesses,” (Brophy, pg. 383) he is saying that the people of the Canary Islands do not have the same appreciation for wealth, land, and possessions like the people of Spain do. In the letter he relays to the King and Queen of Spain how the islands look. He tells other factual information like the demographic of people on the new islands and the high population of natives he encountered. He states that the people of the islands are not that diverse, that means that physically they all share common features such as skin color and hair color. He also states factual information when he talks about the physical geographical features and climates of the new land. He talks about the mountains and sierras that exists and also talks about the harsh sun and tropical climate. He writes in his letter that the “Indians” do not wear clothes and do not have any iron weapons. He refers to the natives as Indians various times in his letter, so I think that he thought that he landed in India. I am surprised that at this point that India was not explored enough for Christopher Columbus and his crew to not realize that he was in a whole different area. At first I was surprised that he had anything positive to say about the natives who he viewed as primitive, there was various times when he referred to the natives as generous. Columbus said, “And this does not come because they are ignorant; on the contrary, they are of a very acute intelligence and are men who navigate all those seas… ” (Brophy, pg. 383), that was surprising because in certain parts of the letter it seems that he was looking down on the natives. It was surprising that he actually
For example, in Columbus’ first Voyage he states, “I passed from the Canary Islands to the Indies with the fleet which the most illustrious king and queen our sovereigns gave to me. And there I found very many islands filled with people innumerable, and of them all I have taken possession for their highnesses, by proclamation made and with the royal standard unfurled, and no opposition was offered to me”(P.35). This Passage explains how Columbus finds islands that indigenous people have already settled on and uses complete domination to claim the land his. Columbus would only take over an island if it was something worthy to him. Columbus states, “I determined not to wait for a change in the weather and retraced my paths as far as a certain harbor known to me. And from that point I sent two men inland to learn if there were a king or great cities. They traveled three days’ journey and found an infinity of small hamlets and people without number, but nothing of importance. For this reason the returned” (P.36). In “Discovery of America”, the land looks very high with very lofty mountains. The lands also seem to have great wildlife for hunting, and eating. This is why in the picture the European