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Columbus Character Analysis – Research Paper

Mackenzie Brown on

October 17, 2016

Abstract:

This purpose of this essay is to use my research to identify whether Christopher Columbus was a bad man or the courageous hero that people thought him to be for years. Historians and scholars have debated for a long time about the good and bad qualities of Columbus and his accomplishments, and I used what I have learned to clarify the reasons why I believe that Columbus’ accomplishments are outweighed by his brutality as a leader.

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Clever but deceitful, skilled but greedy, Columbus had a complex character that left historians and scholars trying to determine whether Columbus was a good or bad man. It is believed that Columbus is thought of so highly because Americans needed a non-English leader to idolize after the American Revolution, but there are many debatable points about Columbus’ character. After much study, this researcher concludes that Columbus was more bad than good.

This conclusion was reached after examining lecture notes, classroom discussions, historical documents, and credible websites.

Even though Columbus was more bad than good, he did possess some good qualities, including his navigational skills and his courage to sail across the ocean into the unknown. He initiated colonization in the Americas by inspiring others to follow in his footsteps, which led to the America we know today. However, Columbus’ bravery and dedication are outweighed by his less admirable actions and characteristics.

Christopher Columbus was not a symbol of courage but one of invasion and genocide. For instance, Columbus was known to mistreat and dehumanize the natives of the continent he ‘discovered.’ When Columbus and his men first arrived in the Carribeans, the natives were peaceful and helpful to his people. He immediately saw this as an opportunity to take advantage of them rather than to start a fair and healthy alliance. Knowing the Indians were kind and ignorant about iron weapons, he recognized that they would make good slaves. Only a few months later, Columbus began calling them savages and cannibals in order to justify treating them as less than human. After his first trip back to Spain, he returned to the New World to find chaos. He took this opportunity to kill many of the Indians. It is believed that his men had raped and killed natives while he was absent, but if they were hesitant about their actions at all, they certainly had Columbus’ consent to mistreat the natives when he came back and was openly violent instead of attempting to recreate any semblance of peace. Columbus’ men were barbaric towards not only the male Indians they began enslaving but also the women, children and infants. Though most Native American deaths are attributed to the accidental spread of disease, Columbus’ violent ruling and mistreatment contributed greatly to their genocide. Due to common execution of natives without trial, the Spanish monarchs requested that Columbus be investigated. He was eventually brought back to Spain, and although it was one of his political rivals that brought charges upon Columbus, he blatantly admitted that many of the accusations. Along with this, his own early records, such as diaries and letters, prove that he never even set sail for science but to gain personal wealth by seizing it from others. Whether he found the trade route he desired or not, it was designed that wherever he landed he would steal wealth by any means necessary. Although the diseases brought from Europe were believed to have originated in Asia, the blame for the barbaric conquering of indigenous people rests solely on Columbus’ shoulders. Even after he was stripped of his title as governor, the policies he set endorsing slavery and extermination remained. The entire population of Taino Indians [1] were reduced from about 8 million to 3 million during Columbus’ regime, but in the years following his absence, the last 3 million natives were pronounced extinct, and not all of these deaths can be attributed to disease.

Columbus was not a brave leader but a greedy and stubborn man. During his first voyage, he told his crew that whoever spotted land first would be provided with a sizable amount of money as a reward from the Spanish monarchs. When a man pointed out the land from the ship he was on, everyone gathered and agreed that the cliffs in the distance were indeed land. Columbus was notified and he congratulated the crew, but he then claimed he had already seen lights from that direction the night before and only told a few people. This of course meant that he would get the reward instead of the man who pointed out the cliffs. This was one of the first signs of his greediness, aside from his intent behind his voyage of finding gold and stealing riches. He also knew that the people he conquered were undeserving. In fact, in one of his letters to Santangel, Columbus said, “they are artless and generous with what they have, to such a degree as no one would believe but him who had seen it. Of anything they have, if it be asked for, they never say no, but do rather invite the person to accept it, and show as much lovingness as though they would give their hearts.” Columbus to far too greedy to pass up an opportunity to conquer a naive group of people. Actually, this writing from Columbus was recorded after the Santa Maria wrecked and the Arawak natives came to the rescue [2]. He also described Indians as “so naive and so free with their possessions that no one who has not witnessed them would believe it.” Still, in a separate letter to King Ferdinand, he reported that he took possession of a large town and made friends with a nearby king who was no match for his men if the king ever became hostile. Despite his description of an amicable people, he eventually began allowing his men to rape, kill and enslave Indians. Of course, he could have been lying about the generous nature of the natives like he lied about the amount of gold and spices he found [4]. Regardless, he was an invader of their land and he lied about many things in attempt to save his reputation and his mission.

As if cruelty and greed were not enough, Columbus also participated in both slave trade and the destruction of culture. Between not actually discovering a trade route to India, the wreck of the Santa Maria [3], and not finding enough gold, Columbus knew he had to compensate for his failures if he was to come out of the situation wealthier and successful. His relationship with the Indians was peaceful once, but at some point his bravery shifted to brutality. Columbus took his harsh rule a step further, rounding up over five hundred Indians [5] and entering the market of slave trading. He knew that selling Indian slaves would provide him and his sponsors with a large sum of riches, so he went ahead with it even though the Indians were undeserving of such treatment. After selling the Indians as slaves, Columbus required the remaining natives to pay tribute in gold and punished them if they couldn’t find enough [6]. Although Columbus might not have invented slave trade, he certainly contributed and encouraged it by initiating African slave trade. About two hundred of the Tainos slaves died at sea, and when there weren’t enough Indians to meet demands of labor in Europe and the Caribbean, Africans became the cheapest and easiest to transport for slavery. Along with this, Columbus had had no religious tolerance, seeing as how he assumed Indians were heathens. He initially said “I believe that they would become Christians very easily, for it seemed to me that they had no religion.” Eventually, the Pope gave America to the Spanish, and Spain soon gave Indians an ultimatum, which was partially enforced by Columbus. This declaration warned that if Indians did not convert to Christianity, they would “take you and your wives and your children, and shall make slaves of them, and as such shall sell and dispose of them as their Highnesses may command; and we shall take away your goods, and shall do all the harm and damage that we can.” Columbus participated in both religious intolerance and slave trade, which both contrast the freedoms that Americans are proud of today.

Columbus is only one of many historical figures who have been scrutinized for their major role in the development of our nation and the New World. His accomplishments include the advancement of European knowledge of the world, which led to colonization, and the advancement of his navigational skills and bravery, which encouraged others to follow in his footsteps. However, his brutality and greediness led him to do unspeakable things in order to reach his goals. Columbus mistreated and dehumanized Native Americans, revealed himself to be a greedy and stubborn governor, and took part in slave trade and the destruction of Native American culture.

 

Footnotes:

  1. Tainos Indians were a subgroup of the Arawakan Indians.
  2. Arawaks lived in Hispaniola, which is presently divided into the Republic of Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
  3. The ship hasn’t been found yet, but it was recorded that the Santa Maria wrecked off the coast of present-day Haiti, and the Arawak Indians living nearby assisted in the recovery of many crew members.
  4. When Columbus reported the findings to Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain, he usually exaggerated about the lack of Indian resistance and the amount of gold found.
  5. The number of Arawaks that Columbus sent to Spain varies by source. Some sources claim that Columbus sent at least one thousand Tainos Indians as slaves while others say it was five hundred.
  6. Records state that many of the Indians that could not turn in enough gold were punished by removal of hands, arms, or legs.

 

Bibliography:

Churchill, Ward. “Columbus’ History of Genocide.” Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Indians Are Us, 1994. Web. 15 Oct. 2016.

Columbus, Christopher. “Letter to King Ferdinand of Spain.” University of Virginia, n.d. Web. 15 Oct. 2016.

McCormack, Owen. “Columbus Was a Mass Killer and Father of the Slave Trade.” IrishCentral. IrishCentral LLC, 10 Oct. 2014. Web. 7 Oct. 2016.

Morgan, Edmund S. “Columbus’ Confusion About the New World.” Smithsonian Magazine. Smithsonian, Oct. 2009. Web. 7 Oct. 2016.

Ojibwa. “Native American Netroots.” Native American Netroots. WordPress, May-June 2011. Web. 12 Oct. 2016.

Olson, Julius E., and Edward Gaylord Bourne. The Northmen, Columbus and Cabot, 985-1503: The Voyages of the Northmen. New York: C. Scribner’s Sons, 1906. Print.

Plous. “Christopher Columbus: The Untold Story.” Understanding Prejudice. Social Psychology Network, n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2016.
“Slavery and Spanish Colonization.” Digital History. N.p., 2016. Web. 13 Oct. 2016.

“Letters from an American Farmer” References the American Dream

Mackenzie Brown on

October 12, 2016

Michel-Guillaume Jean de Crevecoeur’s epistle called Letters from an American Farmer represents the principles of the American dream. When written, the letters reached out to Europeans looking to take control of their lives and make it better for themselves and their families. The three main tenets of the American dream that de Crevecoeur references are possibilities of self-reliance, the opportunity of the ‘promised land,’ and the American birthright to make one’s life better and better.

At this point in time, most Europeans were working on land that they didn’t own and paying rent with money, labor, and a percent of their harvest. This is why the promise of self-reliance and success in America was so attractive to potential immigrants. Even if these people would be required to leave behind family and work hard to maintain their land, it would mean greater success and freedom than they had ever experienced before. When they brought in the rewards from their hard work, they could keep it for themselves and build a comfortable life instead of paying a landowner. De Crevecoeur believed that in America, “the rewards of his industry follow with equal steps the progress of his labor; his labor is founded on the basis of nature, self-interest.” This portrayed to his audience that as long as American immigrants were diligent and hard-working, personal success would follow. He also describes an American as a man who “has passed the toils of a very different nature, rewarded by ample subsistence- This is an American.” De Crevecoeur knows that to attract immigrants he must let everyone know that in America, their hard work can be rewarded.

The picture of America as a ‘promised land’ was also appealing to many people. Most of the Europeans working under a landowner had probably never left their country or even town before, so it would have been a scary notion to pick up and leave it all behind. However, de Crevecoeur questions whether these places can truly be called home when he writes “Can a wretch who wanders about, who works and starves… Can that man call England or any other kingdom his country? A country that has no bread for him, whose fields procured him no harvest, who met with nothing but the but the frowns of the rich, the severity of the laws, with jails and punishments…” De Crevecoeur goes on to explain that America will provide for people like no other country can, and that America is a place that can truly be called home.

Another tenant of the American dream that de Crevecoeur emphasized was optimism and the potential for life to continuously improve. He believed that every American had a birthright to progress, and he writes that Americans “receive ample rewards for their labors; these accumulated rewards procure them lands; those lands confer on them the title of freemen, and to that title every benefit is affixed which men can possibly acquire.” Unlike the countries that immigrants leave behind, America provides its citizens with the privilege to be optimistic, safe, and successful. In America, emigrants could become citizens with a country to call their own. According to de Crevecoeur, “Individuals of all nations are melted into a new race of men, whose labors and posterity will one day cause great changes in the world.” Americans could not only be optimistic about personal growth but the success of their new home.

De Crevecoeur knew that emigrants needed to see America as a ray of hope. In his epistle, he addressed the topics we now know as the American Dream. Optimism, self-reliance, and living in a “promised land” were all tenants of de Crevecoeur’s reality rather than his dream. It is not surprising that he wanted to share the American life with anyone else who needed a new start.

The Unknown Citizen & Richard Cory

Mackenzie Brown on

In “Richard Cory” and “the Unknown Citizen,” the subjects of the poems are perceived through public view in a way that differs from their true internal state of being. “Richard Cory” follows a wealthy man through the streets. Cory is perceived by the townspeople as royalty, but he later commits suicide, despite his idealistic and successful life. Similarly, Auden’s Unknown Citizen has a has a fittingly unacknowledged death after living a life of conformity that appears to be perfectly normal and organized. The importance of appearance and reputation is challenged by the lives and deaths of Richard Cory and the Unknown Citizen through their seclusion and lack of meaningful relationships, their idealistic status held together by conformity, and the outcomes of their supposedly perfect lives.

Both poems challenge the importance of reputation brought their apparent lack of meaningful relationships. In Robinson’s poem, the persona makes it clear to the reader that most citizens view Richard Cory as imperial, despite that “he was quietly arrayed” and “he was always human when he talked.” Cory avoiding drawing such attention to himself through his words or actions, and Richard Cory clearly lacked something important in his life, yet the citizens seem to both love and envy him. What Richard Cory lacked was a healthy and meaningful relationship with the people around him, which would have been more beneficial to his happiness than any amount of gawking. Similarly, the Unknown Citizen lacked anything more than insignificant, expected relationships. He had the appropriate number of friends. “was popular with his mates and liked a drink,” and “was married and added five children to the population… the right number for a parent of his generation.” However, no data or statistics about the man could have truthfully determined if his friends really cared about his happiness and well-being. Both men would have benefited more from having a few meaningful, passionate friends than they did from letting everyone believe that their lives were perfect.

Richard Cory and the Unknown Citizen both held ideal statuses that were held together by conscious conformity. The idolization of their lives by others challenges the idea that keeping up with society’s definition of success is healthy. In “the Unknown Citizen,” the man purposefully conformed to his community’s standards of success and happiness. The Bureau of Statistics believes that “in the modern sense of an old-fashioned word, he was a saint.” Any other citizen surely would have loved to live the life that the Unknown Citizen did. Every statistic said he should be satisfied, but the poet mocks this idea through the naivete of his persona. Likewise, Richard Cory seemed to have what was an ideal life in other citizens’ perspectives: “He was rich- Yes, richer than a king… In fine, we thought that he was everything… To make us wish that we were in his place.” In reality, he only conformed to the standards of the highest levels of success. He had wealth, but people need more than materials for happiness. Similar to the Unknown Citizen, this might have occurred to the others if they would have considered to him to be real person rather than a god. The Unknown Citizen’s reputation and Richard Cory’s social rank led to idolization, but neither of the two were truly happy, which challenges the idea that appearance is important.

The outcomes of their supposedly perfect lives is the most ironic challenger of the importance of appearance. Richard Cory “went home and put a bullet through his head,” and the Unknown Citizen’s death made his life anonymous. No one remembers anything about him except that he had a pristine record. According to citizens and statistics, each man was said to lead an ideal life of success. But despite their perfect lifestyles, they each died either in anonymity or from suicide. The wealthy man that everyone envied was not truly happy, and the ‘perfect’ citizen will go unremembered.

The idea that appearances and reputation are important is challenged by the deaths of Richard Cory and the Unknown Citizen through their lack of meaningful relationships, their idealized lives of conformity, and the outcomes of their supposedly perfect lives. No statistics, data, or opinions can truly determine a person’s happiness, success, or worth. Even though a person may appear to have a perfectly normal and organized life, they could have a perfectly normal and organized life, they do have personal situations that no one else knows about. Everyone has issues that they must deal with, and truthfully, the most important aspect of life is not a lucrative job or a normal social life. What every person needs is another person’s support.

The Importance of Learning to Read

Mackenzie Brown on

His calloused hands sting with each flip of a page. Threats of lashings hang over his head, weighing down his thoughts. Still, African American slave Frederick Douglass continues his task of learning how to read. With each letter learned, his vision clears, his mind grows more intuitive, and his perspective develops. Like Douglass, learning to read and taking advantage of this ability breaks our chains of monotonous thinking. Learning to read and developing this skill polishes our understanding of communication and enables us to form our own thoughts and opinions.

By learning to read, people also develop a better understanding of language and communication. For instance, in developing countries across the globe, illiteracy is linked to poverty. While learning to read couldn’t single-handedly fix economies or stop wars, having a basic education provides citizens with the ability to communicate and analyze, which is a strong foundation for improvement. Illiteracy creates instability, especially when nations fall behind regarding technological forms of communication, but learning to read opens the mind and leads to innovation. Developing the ability to read furthers our understanding of communication, which is a starting point to further understand people and social habits.

The ability to read also assists people in analyzing situations and forming opinions. Rather than accepting what everything peers, leaders, and the media believe, a person can analyze a situation. For example, a gym-hating hypochondriac who sees an advertisement about the newest, fastest, and cheapest way to lose weight might initially fall victim to the ad’s propaganda techniques. However, when he decides to research the product, he finds that it has a reputation for its unhealthy side effects. Instead of thinking in a conformed manner, we can all remain open-minded and recognize instances in which there are many different perspectives. Along with this, reading requires one to form images of characters on personality rather than physical appearances. When a young child with a growing mind visits the library, a book won’t supply her with much information about the characters’ appearances. For the most part, she is provided with their decisions and actions. She develops the habit of forming opinions about peers and elders based off of their personality, which is uncommon yet necessary in our society. Learning to read teaches us to think for ourselves and form individual opinions.

Through learning to read, Douglass was able to discover the injustices of slavery, and more importantly, that this oppression was so massive and atrocious that he’d been taught to think slavery was normal and acceptable. Learning to read gives people the opportunity to better understand communication and to leave behind monotonous or conformed thinking.