The Columbus debate To all the people who want to disparage Columbus and the Europeans, this information is presented to correct some false ideas about what really happened. (I know ..dont confuse me with the facts). It was written by a friend who has done extensive research in this area... Jerome, I hope you dont mind me reposting this. OK...here I take the unpopular view, mostly because I see people spouting off about Columbus and knowing diddly squat about what he actually did -- and tried to do -- in his four voyages to the New World. Case in point: the first recorded instance of genocide in the whole European/Taino contact (1st voyage) was directed against the Europeans. All of Columbuss 36,37,38, 39,40,41,or 42 men (depending on your source) that he left behind on his first voyage were systematically killed by the Taino (the chief Guacanagari blamed his neighboring chief Caonabo, but suspicion is high that it was, in fact, Guacanagari whose men killed the Europeans). A HUGE CAVEAT HERE: the only recorded history we have of this event is the one by the Spanish, but it is the ONLY account we have by which to present this narrative. Ninety-nine point nine percent of those spouting the genocide in the New World conveniently overlook the only historical document we have at the very onset of contact at the close of the 15th century. Case in point: Columbus ordered restraint against the natives on his second voyage -- AND IT WAS THE SEED OF UNREST THAT BECAME HIS PERSONAL DOWNFALL, SEWING UNREST WITH HIS OWN CREW(S), THAT WOULD PLAGUE HIM FOR YEARS, eventually sending him home to Spain in chains. That said, we cannot begin to fathom the changes (negative changes) that resulted from contact...I think Crosbys volume stands as the best summation. It is highly relevant, given that contact will occur again (given our propensity for space travel); its just unfortunate that generations to come will likely base their opinions on popular heresay rather than historical data.
Posted on: Tue, 15 Oct 2013 12:04:19 +0000
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