Colonization

Thesis: Christopher Columbus was a man responsible for the decimation of three major civilizations, as well as the ultimate genocide of the indigenous peoples as a whole, one of the largest in human history. Columbus alone committed an array of horrific acts, using the Indians as sex slaves and extorting them for labor, stealing their land and goods, and hunting them for sport and dog food. His choices and treatment influenced how other would later view and deal with the Indians, eventually…

Document Response to Chapter 2 "The New World" After reading the required documents, I feel that I have a stronger grasp of what happened during Christopher Columbus arrival in America and the events that followed after. The first document are series of letters written by the king of Congo, Mzinga Afonzo, who converted to Christianity, to the king of Portugal. In the first few letters, king Afonzo expresses his concerns that the trade with Portuguese will eventually bring more harm than good to…

We know what happened in history by the evidence, whether it be written journals, documents of business transactions, oral tradition, or the physical evidence of bones, pottery, and weapons. This evidence does not lie, however, it does not necessarily tell the whole truth. Because bias can change the lense through which we see facts, factual history comes from a well-rounded point of view and includes accounts from opposing sides. Because it emphasizes European sources and leaves out Native…

According to Zinn, in traditional history textbooks, Columbus is portrayed as a heroic figure who discovered the New World and spread religion to the people already living there. While it might mention that he was not perfect and did some things that he should not have done, it simply brushes over these aspects and pushes forward things such as “what a great sailor he was”, etc. The way it is written makes what he did seem like an exciting adventure that should be celebrated on Columbus Day, yet…

Native Americans: Before and After European Settlement Nothing but a small strip of land stood amidst the seemingly endless sea. Here stood the eagle and the coyote. Coming briefly to the surface, the turtle was quickly sent back down to touch the earth beneath miles of water. He came back up again to see the earth in a pitiful washed out state. The coyote dug where he stood, finding a grain of earth, planting it once again and stretching the earth to the size it is today. The three together…

I get the impression that they didn’t treat the natives horribly, but like the French, they did not view them as equals either. From what the book says about colonists being reliant on natives, particularly relying on Tsenaccommacah corn, it is clear that they were trading. They at least had a working relationship. Later, when the Virginia Company demanded that Powhatan become a vassal a James I and he refused starting five years of altercations, this seemed like a clear sign that they did…

Over the course of history, Native Americans have become interpreted as the subject of periphery by cause of the ill assumptions of how the Christians described them as “Savages”. In the works of Christopher Columbus, Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, and Bartolomé de las Casas, the Natives characterized as positive views in such ways that they were as civilized as the Spaniards. However, negative contexts indicated that Indians created war and show no signs of respect. No matter the view, there will…

The Spanish invasion of Mesoamerica in the sixteenth century has been one of their most renowned victories. However, with a review of Restall’s work, as well as a closer look into the help that the Spanish had, reveals that the success of the Spanish was not merely their own. The Spaniards’ and natives’ common political goals, the natives’ army strength, knowledge of the land and the sharing of battle strategies and resources made the native allies a key asset to the conquest. The success of the…

The Disney movie Pocahontas offers the viewer a stark portrayal of how Englishmen viewed Indigenous American tribes upon their arrival to the United States. The movie features a song titled Savages where Pocahontas and her fellow Powhatan tribespeople are described by the English settlers as “barely even human” and “dirty shrieking devils”. In reality, the first European explorers had much more diverse accounts of their experiences with indigenous peoples in North and Central America. To…

The Devastation of American Indians Before the arrival of the Europeans in the 16th century, the American Indians in North America lived comfortable lives. They lived in harmony with the environment and had strong rules to abide by. The arrival of the Europeans brought different struggles to the indigenous. All of a sudden, they had to share territory with them and impart new methods to survive. Little did they know that the Europeans would use up their resources for themselves and become more…