- European Exploration of the Americas - Mr.
Burnett's Notes
- Lesson #2
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Lesson #3 - Exploring the Mainland |
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Guanahani
I. Arawaks
A. Communes
B. Corn, yams, cassava (root - source of tapioca)
C. Wove
D. No horses/work animals
E. No iron
F. Wore gold ornaments in ears
G. No marriage laws
H. Life in bell shaped buildings together - up to 600 per building
I. No buying and selling
II. First Contact
A. Arawaks brought food, water, gifts
B. Columbus brought swords
1. Arawaks cut selves on swords - no prior knowledge
C. Arawaks noted for sharing
D. First question - gold?
E. Didn’t speak Arabic
1. Columbus had brought an Arab interpreter - Luis de Torres
2. Arabic - considered by Columbus “the mother of all languages”
F. How would Columbus’s men appear to Arawak - 6 men came ashore
1. Pale
2. Colorful hair sprouting from everywhere
3. Shiny covering around entire body - like huge beetles
G. Planted flags in sand, one man took notes as Columbus laid claim
H. Gave trinkets (small jewelry) for cotton balls and parrots
III. Search for gold/Slavery
A. Took prisoners to look for gold
B. On Hisapaniola saw gold dust in river/given mask by local Indian chief
1. Columbus gets excited
C. Takes more Indian prisoners
D. Trades with Indians
1. Two refuse to trade - stabbed and bleed to death
E. From beginning thought of slavery
1. October 12 - "They must make good servants”
2. October 14 - “Your Highness may, whenever you so wish, have them all sent to
Castille or keep them all captives in the island, for with fifty armed men you will
keep them all under your sway and will make them do all you may desire."
3. "I say that Christendom shall make good business with them, especially Spain,
to which all must be subjected."
IV. Return to Spain
A. Tells of trip to Asia and China (we call them Cuba and Hispaniola)
B. Tells of vast wealth of gold
1. “many spices and great mines of gold and other metals”
V. Spanish rulers thrilled by news
A. Expedition #2 has 17 ships/1,200 men - a bit bigger than the first
B. Goal of trip - slaves and gold
1. Went from island to island looking for gold and taking captives
2. Many Indians fled villages knowing Columbus was coming
C. Couldn’t find gold - can’t return to Spain without prize
1. Put 1500 Arawaks in pen
2. Chose best 500 and loaded onto ships
3. Only 300 made it to Spain
a. Sold by archdeacon - surprised by lack of embarassment at being naked
D. Columbus - “Let us in the name of the Holy Trinity go on sending all the slaves that
can be sold.”
VI. Extreme Action - Columbus had to find gold
A. Mandate - Over 14 must collect gold quota
B. When filled quota received copper token for necklace
C. No necklace - hands cut off
D. Many fled/committed suicide/killed children to save their fate
E. In 2 years - 50% of Haiti’s population dead
F. Sent to encomiendas - worked land - by 1650 all dead on Haiti
VII. Columbus’s Contribution
A. Most amazing discovery with most far-reaching effects in all of human history
B. Opened up half of the globe, previously unknown to Europe
C. Made Atlantic Ocean primary center for trade and relegated Mediterranean to lesser
status
D. Spurred scientific advances
1. Ocean navigation tools
2. Encouraged exploration of actual dimensions of earth
3. Meterology - ocean currents, atmosphere circulation
a. Spurred learning of tradewinds/currents
b. Sargasso Sea - current travels clockwise around sea
c. Magnetic inconsistencies
4. Mapmaking
E. No one else at time was daring enough, persistent
F. Catalys for beacon of human freedom - United States
G. Food exchange
1. Tomatoes for Italian food
2. Corn - helped triple population of Africa
3. Potatoes
4. Coffee, sugar, rice, chocolate, squash, turkey, pumpkin
5. Helped balance diet of Europeans
H. Riches shared - yes not equally or fairly
I. Europe went global - left feudalism/sheltered Medieval philosophies
J. Not fair to use 21st century microscope/what hero would still
prevail under such scrutiny
VIII. Negative View of Columbus
A. Exploited and abused natives
B. Created African slave trade
C. Established precedent of plundering land for monetary gain
D. In 1892, talk of canonizing him (making him a saint)
1. Didn’t come to fruition - had illegitimate son
E. Became symbol for white European oppressing the colored masses
F. Bartolome de Las Casas
1. Friar - primary source of negative information about Columbus
2. Once owned encomienda - went on to be support Indians and expose Spanish
cruelty
3. Columbus’s treatment "was very far from the purpose of God and His Church."
G. Genocide through germ warfare
1. Germs from large domesticated animals > Europeans > developed immunities
2. Is it really genocide? How deliberate?
1992 Survey done by ICR Survey Research Group of Media, Pa
A. 64% Hero
B. 15% Villain
C. 9% Both
D. 12% Neither/Don’t Know
IX. Resource to hundreds of links on Columbus
A. Two sides of the Story
B. Were the Spanish any crueler than the rest of Europe?
C. Europe at the time of Columbus
D. List of articles
E. Debating Columbus in a New World