Essay on Latin America and Christopher Columbus

Submitted By jakeskisalot
Words: 361
Pages: 2

Jake Winward

Mr. Arsht

US History

4/21/14

Christopher Columbus

Most kids are taught that Christopher Columbus is an amazing explorer, which found the Americas and made friends with the Indians. But today my whole perspective on him was flipped. We learned that he slaughtered and objectified the Arawak Indians and took over their land. All I used to know about Christopher Columbus was that he sailed three ships to the Americas not knowing what to expect. He sailed there and found Native Americans inhabited it. Columbus learned and traded with the Indians and then went back to Spain and reported his findings.

Today we read that Spaniards enslaved the Native Americans, and slaughtered many of them. They brought Native Americans back to Spain with them and sold them as slaves to the farms. The ones that survived were put to work until they died. They used wood from the ship “Santa Maria”, to make the fort known as “Navidad” housing many Native Americans as prisoners. 37 of the Spaniard crew members there as prison guards.

Las Casas, a young priest, said that the Spaniards grew more conceited everyday. They would objectify the Indians much more than what was appropriate. They would have the Indians carry them when they were in a hurry, or have the Indians carry them in a hammock when walking long distances. Some Spaniards would make the Indians walk. behind them with big palm leaves for shade on hotter days. The Spaniards would stab tens to twenties of