Columbus

These Arawaks of the Bahama Islands were much like Indians on the mainland, who were remarkable for their hospitality, their belief in sharing. These traits did not stand out in Renaissance Europe, dominated as it was by the religion of popes, the government of kings, the frenzy for money that marked Western civilization and its first messenger to the Americas, Christopher Columbus.
The author’s argument seems to be that Christopher Columbus is misrepresented in history. Howard Zinn provides the evidence that most of what we learned about Columbus is only half truths. Zinn explains how Columbus and his crew exploited the hospitality of the native people. He then explains how another author only mentions Columbus’ cruel actions as almost a footnote.
Although Columbus did do some awful things to the native people it was believed at the time that these were “lesser” people much because they were unashamed of their nakedness and because their culture was different then what Columbus and his men understood. It is also possible that the explorers may have believed that the native people would attack them if they showed a great deal of weakness. The men may have felt threatened by the mass numbers of natives that they encountered in their travels. It is possible that they felt a need to show their amount of power and their willingness to use force in an effort to maintain order.
I feel that Zinn’s argument is quite valid. I believe that it is absurd that in this country we celebrate a man who discovered his neighbor’s backyard and brought them nothing but disease, slavery, and death. Columbus stole the land and all it had to offer. Although Columbus did have a brilliant idea of a round earth what he did to the people he found on his journey was inhumane. Columbus should be credited with the first attempt to travel around the world, but as for him being the discoverer of America, one cannot discover a land that already has inhabitants.