Columbus
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Sample:
In his journal, Columbus describes his initial arrival on the islands. He very clearly explains that when they first stepped on land, they performed a ceremony to claim the land as belonging to the Spaniards.
Columbus also makes clear that he is interested not only in claiming the land for Spain, but also in converting the native people to the Catholic faith when he writes that “they could be much more easily converted to our holy faith by gentle means than by force.”
In order to show the indigenous people there that they came to make positive changes and relationships, he gives them some gifts such as red caps and strings of beads. He writes that they were delighted by the gifts, starting things off on a positive note. What began their relationship was the exchange of goods between the groups.
He describes their appearance (naked, well-formed, hair coarse like horse hair, some paint their faces) and concludes that they seem to “be a very poor people.”
Columbus writes that although they have scars from surviving conflicts with other island peoples, they are not advanced in the area of weaponry. He describes this encounter: “They do not have weapons nor know anything about them, for I showed them swords, they grasped them by the blades, and cut themselves through ignorance.”
Sample:
This shows that Columbus’ intention was never to have an equal or peaceful relationship with the Tainos, but rather that he intended to take their land from them.
One of the ways in which the Spanish (and other Europeans) justified the ways in which they mistreated the indigenous population was that they were heathens, and from the first day, it is clear that Columbus views them as lacking in the true and right religion.
The forms of deception used by Columbus and his men is clearly shown through this exchange of goods. By giving these goods and beginning the relationship with such good will, Columbus was able to lure the indigenous people by convincing them that his intentions were positive, thus slyly making the indigenous people lower their defenses, making it easier to mistreat them later.
Columbus’ lack of respect and understanding of these people is evident from his first assessment of them. The perception that the Europeans had of these people whose culture was very different from their own made it easy for them to subject the indigenous people to such poor treatment later. Furthermore, his detailed descriptions of the strength of their bodies hints at his future plans of enslavement (also mentioned later in his journal).
In his journal, Columbus clearly