The writings of Columbus, Castillo, and de la Casas represented vastly different points of view of the Spanish conquests of the Americas. In his first letter, Christopher Columbus mostly focused on the political victory of the voyage and arriving in the Indies (p. 32), and the splendor of the landscape including palm trees, mountains, and beautiful birds (p. 33). In the subsequent letter to King Ferdinand of Spain, Columbus seems selfish and one-sided (somewhat understandable considering that he was begging Ferdinand for forgiveness of his crimes (p. 35). Bernal Diaz del Castillo's account, however, was not clouded by much bias or opinions at all. Because Castillo was just a simple foot soldier (Castillo p. 42) and was left to follow the commands of Cortes and his other officers, he wrote more of a journal that described in much detail the arrive and battles in Tenochtitlan (Castillo pp. 44-52). In comparison, Bartolome de las Casas did not stray from showing his personal convictions about the overall Spanish conquest and treatment of the Indians. After becoming a priest, he expressed that he believed those who were executing these atrocities out on the Indians for want of riches and gold were not in keeping with Catholic teachings that many Spaniards claimed to abide by (p. 36). Though vastly different, the viewpoints in these writings work to demonstrate the cases that each man is trying to make for the intended reader.
Christopher Columbus shows deep conflict and contradiction in the two letters that are presented in this piece. The first letter Columbus wrote to Luis de Santangel expresses much optimism about the victory of the voyage (p. 32). He also displayed gratefulness to the King and Queen for the opportunity to...
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...ettlers subordinated their rights to follow laws passed by their government to gain protection and ensure survival.
The early days in the Plymouth settlement were not easy for the Puritans. After creating the Mayflower Compact to unify the settlers and deter defiance from the non-Puritans on board, the Pilgrims faced even more difficult times ashore (pp. 120-121). During the first winter, Bradford recorded that half of the settlers perished, many from the lack of proper shelter from the elements and various diseases, such as scurvy, that they contracted aboard the Mayflower (pp. 121-122). The non-Puritans who had come to embrace the Pilgrims in their health, abandoned their former friends selfishly when disease struck the camp (p. 122). These difficulties in the beginning of the colony threatened to destroy the faith of the once spiritually enriched Puritans.
Columbus and de las Casas were both explorers of the new world. They both encountered Native Americans and their treatment of them was both similar and different. Columbus viewed the Native American as subhumans. He did not have much respect for the people of the land and treated them as such. In his letter to Luis de Santangel, Columbus says how he took possession of the native’s highnesses by proclamation. He also discloses how no one fought back which then made native Americans seem weak. He also states how he already took Indians aboard with him.At one instance Columbus had a dispute with Spainards and decided to give up Indians as a peace offering. Which he states in the letter to that tey were not his to give
These were told to me by your majesty as reasons to Columbus’s imprisonment . And i personally agree to all of this as i had went to Christopher after his first voyage to assist him , but instead he humiliated me by saying that the positions were already taken and then wanted to appoint me as a notary. But when i went there myself with permission from the king and queen , i collected lot of complaints against Diego and Cristobal, discovering they had made a bad administration, and serious abuses of authority, which ordered his arrest and transfer to Spain. In addition, it seized all assets of the Columbus brothers. For which i believe in reality I think he didn’t take me just because , i was a judge i would have banished him from the new world the moment I saw all this violation and misconduct he made with the power he possessed as the governor of the indies.
One question posed by the authors is “How did Columbus’s relationship with the Spanish crown change over time, and why?” In simple terms, Columbus’s relationship with the
During the early 1800s, two parties were developed having different perspectives on government and the Constitution. The Democratic Republicans, led by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, were always characterized by following the strict construction of the constitution. The Federalists, led by Alexander Hamilton, were characterized by following the broad construction of the constitution. The presidencies of Jefferson and Madison proved this characterization to be somewhat accurate. Although the Democratic Republicans and the Federalists did support their own ideas and views, they also did many things that contradicted them.
While residing in England, the Puritans and faithful Catholics faced prosecution, which led to their immigration to the New World. Most left England to avoid further harassment. Many groups and parishes applied for charters to America and, led by faithful ministers, the Pilgrims and Puritans made the long voyage to North America. Their religion became a unique element in the New England colonies by 1700. Before landing, the groups settled on agreements, signing laws and compacts to ensure a community effort towards survival when they came to shore, settling in New England. Their strong sense of community and faith in God led them to develop a hardworking society by year 1700, which Documents A and D express through the explanation of how the Pilgrims and Puritans plan to develop...
They both did as they were told and wrote letters on their findings. The explorers had similar findings, such as, new inhabitant plants, animals, and indigenous people. Also, they reported layouts of the land as they traveled along. However, there were differences with the letters from Columbus and the letter from Cortes. For example, Columbus wrote to Louis De Santangel how the indigenous people were completely naked and were less advanced than the Europeans. Furthermore, the lands Columbus explored were mostly islands and didn’t have much rugged terrain. While, Cortes in a different mountainous area from Columbus saw and wrote to Charles V that the natives were not naked and had a variety of structures with diverse uses, such as, temples and houses for the nobility. Columbus had envisioned the lands for the Spanish colonization, on the other hand, Cortes went for the riches, such as, gold, silver, and other precious metals. Even though their perspectives for the lands were different, however, their Euro-centric perspectives distorted their views on
In 1492, Christopher Columbus was a self-made man who worked his way up to being the Captain of a merchant vessel. He gained the support of the Spanish monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella, for an expedition to the Indies. With the support of the Spanish monarchy, he set off to find a new and faster trade route to the Indies. Upon the arrival of his first voyage, Columbus wrote a letter to Luis de Santangel, a “royal official and an early supporter of his venture,” in February 1493 (35). The epistle, letter, entitled “Letter to Luis de Santangel Regarding the First Voyage” was copied and then distributed in Spain before being translated and spread throughout Europe. The Letter is held in such regard with the people as it is considered the first printed description of the new world. Through his description of the nature of the islands, Columbus decided the future fate of the islands. His description of the vast beauty of the nature around him, declares both the economic and nationalistic motivations for colonizing the new world.
What he and his men did to the Indigenous people is told in horrifying detail by the Dominican priest Bartolome de Las Casas, “whose writings give the most thorough account of the Spanish-Indian encounter.” Las Casas witnessed firsthand Columbus’ soldiers stabbing Natives for sport, dashing babies’ heads on rocks, and sexually abusing Indigenous women. His testimony was corroborated by other eyewitnesses, such as a group of Dominican friars, who addressed the Spanish monarchy in 1519, hoping to bring an end to the atrocities. At the very least, Columbus was complicit in the actions of his men. He cared so little for the welfare of the Indigenous people that he let his soldiers commit reprehensible acts that would be considered crimes against humanity in the present day. Christopher Columbus’ actions suggest he had no issue with serving as an enabler of the horrifying actions committed by his men against the Indigenous
I had learned lots of new things this year and especially this semester in U.S. History Since 1877. This history course required all students to complete twenty hours of service learning or to write a term paper. After considering the two options, I decided to give the service learning a chance because I thought it would be an interesting experience. There were a variety of projects to choose from, but I felt that the Sustainability Project was the right fit for me.
Even before the eve of the Revolution, the colonists constantly had the image of independence lingering in the back of their heads. The colonists felt that they were first on a loose leash, and as that leash tightened over the years, the colonists began to understand their true culture and identity. As time passed, the colonists developed a greater sense of their identity and unity as Americans and by the eve of the Revolution, even though at first the colonists were unorganized and had problems with being united, they remained determined to gain their identity and unity as Americans.
As an American observes the life around him, noting the many advancements made in merely the last century, he must wonder how America climbed to such a level. The 21st century technology, the military and political power, education and ethics, all came from such meager beginnings, solidified by the Revolutionary War. The Revolutionary War proved to be a significant turning point in the history of our country, but what caused America to win? What were some of the most significant factors in the victory of these American patriots? By examining these three particular factors, America’s military assets, it’s aid from other countries, and its own spirit of independence, one’s understanding of the Revolutionary War, an essential root of this nation, is truly increased.
The years after the civil war left one half of America, the north, satisfied and the other half, the south, mostly dissatisfied. Therefore the last third of the nineteenth century, 1865-1900, was a time period in which America was mending, repairing, improving, reshaping, and reconstructing its society, economy, culture, and policies. Basically it was changing everything it stood for. This continual change can be seen in the following events that took place during this time. These events are both causes and effects of why America is what it is today. These are some examples: the reconstruction of the south, the great movement towards the west, the agricultural revolution, the rise of industrialism, the completion of the transcontinental railroad, and America's growth to gaining world power. All of these are reasons and events that characterize America as being an ever-changing nation.
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.
Everyday life in the United States is very different today than it was in the 1700's. Life was harder and the settlers did not have nearly as many luxuries as society has today. Some aspects of the colonial times that were different then are today include family, employment, and social activities. Life in the United States in the 1700's was filled with hard work, cooperation, and dedication to one’s land and family.
This is an analysis of Christopher Columbus’s Letter on His First Voyage on page 381. Christopher Columbus wrote a letter to his King and Queen of Spain, while he was in the West Indies. He wrote this letter in February 1493 reflecting on his voyage across the Atlantic in 1492. After reading this letter, I can tell that Columbus felt like he was better than the native people of the different islands he journeyed and that a lot of things they did were very strange to him. I can also tell that the world was a lot different to him and to people in 1492, than it is to people in 2014 because he referred to the native people of the various islands he traveled to as Indians, whereas most people in 2014 know that India and Latin American are not the