On October 12, people across the United States celebrate Columbus Day. Regarded as a courageous, honorable, and intelligent sailor, Christopher Columbus is remembered as the man who discovered America. At a young age, it instilled in the minds of students that he was a hero, but when you learn the real story, it reveals a villain. Atrocities Columbus committed were the exploitation of land and indigenous people, the creation of the transatlantic slave trade, depopulation, and much more gained him the title of villain. First, we need to expand on the idea that Columbus was the one who “discovered America”, he never landed, or stepped foot in North America. In fact, his initial goal and destination was to reach India, and instead landed
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He wrote in his journal "I could conquer the whole of them with fifty men and govern them as I pleased.” (James W. Lowen, Source 1) Before leaving, Columbus kidnapped ten to twenty-five natives and took them back to Spain on his first voyage, which caused a stir, so Queen Isabella, and King Ferdinand supplied them with seventeen ships, 1,200 to 1,500 men, and weapons for a second voyage. When they returned to Haiti in 1493, he demanded them to give food, gold, cotton, whatever they wanted, and including sex with their women in return for nothing. To make sure they cooperated, he went as far as punishing them by cutting off their ears, or nose, showing the brutality the Spaniards were able to inflict on the innocent people of the islands. After being treated so badly, they resisted and fought back, but attempt were not effective against the advanced weapons the Spanish had, in response Columbus decided to wage war, "Since the Admiral perceived that daily the people of the land were taking up arms, ridiculous weapons in reality . . . he hastened to proceed to the country and disperse and subdue, by force of arms, the people of the entire island . . . For this he chose 200 foot soldiers and 20 cavalry, with many crossbows and small cannon, lances, and swords, and a still more terrible weapon against the Indians, in addition to the horses: this was 20 hunting dogs, who …show more content…
Columbus sent the first slaves across the Atlantic Ocean, creating the transatlantic slave trade, which destroyed whole “Indian” nations, and also led to bigger slave trade coming from Africa. “Columbus had to return some kind of dividend to Spain. In 1495 the Spanish on Haiti initiated a great slave raid. They rounded up 1,500 Arawaks, then selected the 500 best specimens (of whom 200 would die en route to Spain). Another 500 were chosen as slaves for the Spaniards staying on the island.” (James W. Lowen, Source 1) Countries followed in Columbus’ footsteps, selling and taking slaves from other countries, increasing the slave
He wrote in his journal "I could conquer the whole of them with fifty men and govern them as I pleased.” (James W. Lowen, Source 1) Before leaving, Columbus kidnapped ten to twenty-five natives and took them back to Spain on his first voyage, which caused a stir, so Queen Isabella, and King Ferdinand supplied them with seventeen ships, 1,200 to 1,500 men, and weapons for a second voyage. When they returned to Haiti in 1493, he demanded them to give food, gold, cotton, whatever they wanted, and including sex with their women in return for nothing. To make sure they cooperated, he went as far as punishing them by cutting off their ears, or nose, showing the brutality the Spaniards were able to inflict on the innocent people of the islands. After being treated so badly, they resisted and fought back, but attempt were not effective against the advanced weapons the Spanish had, in response Columbus decided to wage war, "Since the Admiral perceived that daily the people of the land were taking up arms, ridiculous weapons in reality . . . he hastened to proceed to the country and disperse and subdue, by force of arms, the people of the entire island . . . For this he chose 200 foot soldiers and 20 cavalry, with many crossbows and small cannon, lances, and swords, and a still more terrible weapon against the Indians, in addition to the horses: this was 20 hunting dogs, who …show more content…
Columbus sent the first slaves across the Atlantic Ocean, creating the transatlantic slave trade, which destroyed whole “Indian” nations, and also led to bigger slave trade coming from Africa. “Columbus had to return some kind of dividend to Spain. In 1495 the Spanish on Haiti initiated a great slave raid. They rounded up 1,500 Arawaks, then selected the 500 best specimens (of whom 200 would die en route to Spain). Another 500 were chosen as slaves for the Spaniards staying on the island.” (James W. Lowen, Source 1) Countries followed in Columbus’ footsteps, selling and taking slaves from other countries, increasing the slave