Columbus in Retrospect What\'s Your

Columbus in Retrospect

What's your gut reaction to the reading?

My gut reaction to the reading is that it confirms the other literature detailing the brutality with which Western "explorers" actually established their respective place in European history. The historical narrative that regards them as heroic figures to be celebrated on the anniversaries of their birthdays or of their accomplishments obviously completely ignores the extent to which they would have been considered murderous genocidal villains by contemporary values and ethical standards of human conduct.

What was Columbus' background, his motivation for wanting to pursue finding a western route to the Indies and his ideology regarding non-European

non-Christians?

Columbus was of the generation that missed the initial bounties shared by the Genoese captains who explored North Africa several decades earlier. His principle motivation was to secure new trade routes and new remote sources of raw materials and merchantable markets. In particular, he hoped to find and exploit the shorter westward sea route to the East Indies that previous sailors had failed to locate. Like the other Spanish explorers of the age Columbus regarded the native peoples of the lands he discovered as savages who did not deserve the same assumptions of natural rights as God-fearing Christians. Therefore, he simply claimed their territories on behalf of the Spanish Crown and the Pope and disregarded any claim to sovereignty of those lands on the part of their indigenous inhabitants.

3. What are the origins of plantation slavery that Columbus brought to the Americas? How did Queen Isabella respond to Columbus enslaving Indians?

Columbus overestimated the riches he expected would be found in the new territories. He resorted to exporting slaves as a commodity and also exploited slave labor to extract whatever mineral and ores were to be found. Queen Isabella initially challenged the basis of Columbus' right to enslave the subjects entrusted to her by the Pope.

4. How did Spain explain the purpose of the Encomienda system?

According to their view, the Indians were to be rightfully Christianized by Spanish forces. Since they resisted their efforts, the Encomienda suggested that enslavement was a tool necessitated to overcome the Indians' reluctance to work and their "laziness." Their enslavement into forced labor was a means of imposing order on them and of disciplining them as part of the duty of the Spanish to motivate the Indians to convert to Christianity.

5. How did the Spanish colonists and the King respond to Montesinos' critique of their treatment of the Indians? Why did the King have this reaction?

The Spanish colonists and the King responded that the Indians had a natural obligation and duty to accept their Christian teachings. In the absence of their fulfillment of this duty, the Spanish had the right to compel the Christianizing of the Indians, by force if necessary.