The concept of private property and the pursuit of material riches had reached a frenzied pitch in 15th-century Europe.
It was at this point in time that his bravery had begun to shift to sheer brutality. His transition is captured in many of the notes that he had sent to the King and Queen of Spain to bolster expectations. Soon thereafter he and his men kidnapped a number of the Arawaks and forced them to identify other sources of gold throughout the region.
Upon arrival, the sheer magnitude of gold, which was readily available, set into motion a relentless wave of murder, rape, pillaging, and slavery that would forever alter the course of human history. Love Irish history? Share your favorite stories with other history buffs in the IrishCentral History Facebook group. The fact that such crimes could potentially go unnoticed by future generations was deeply troubling to him. Who in future generations will believe this?
I myself writing it as a knowledgeable eyewitness can hardly believe it. Such words offer the reader a firsthand account of the state-sponsored genocide that the Spanish Empire had financed through Columbus.
Clearly, the intent of the Spanish Empire was to eradicate the islands of indigenous people through slavery and violence. In a matter of years, Columbus and his men decimated the indigenous people of the Caribbean islands. The fact that Columbus Day is celebrated each October is a testament to the intellectual dishonesty that has stemmed from the likes of academics, teachers, and politicians.
It has become an annual ritual to sanitize history and present half-truths as absolutes. In , Columbus Day was officially established as a federal holiday in the United States; however, to this day it is not observed in Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, and South Dakota. The other 46 states that observe the holiday acknowledge Christopher Columbus as a superior mariner who had unknowingly found himself in the Caribbean Sea after departing from Europe. Unfortunately, such an unpleasant truth has been relegated to the background of history.
The shame in all of this is that people living in countries throughout the Western Hemisphere, including the United States, have been indoctrinated into believing such fallacies and have been intentionally miseducated. His own words, and those of contemporary observers, provide overwhelming evidence of his depredations. Those who wish to venerate and commemorate Columbus as an intrepid explorer must face up to his extensive, well-documented, and gruesome dark side.
Italian Americans, and all Americans, can easily find much more worthy historical figures to put on pedestals. Home Editorials Letters Columns. The Progressive Inc. Skip to main content. Portrait of a man said to be Christopher Columbus by Sebastiano del Piombo — Back to Search Results. Get the latest Progressive news Sign up for our free email newsletter! After he moved to Spain, he married Beatriz de Arana in His son Fernando was born the following year. Yes, the Vikings and others before him came and visited these lands.
However, to discover means to uncover, or make known. The illiterate Vikings never wrote about or told others of their travels. Knowledge of cartography, navigation, and wind patterns in America did not exist until Columbus came and discovered. The Indians were ignorant of the extent of the lands they occupied and the world at large.
Columbus deserves credit for establishing lasting contact between the continents. On his third and fourth voyages, Columbus wrote about finding something new. He spent his last voyage trying to find a passage between North and South America. Only after Columbus opened the way did others have the courage to sail to the Americas.
What Columbus did was risky. He spent years finding money for the voyage. Despite many obstacles, he never gave up. He firmly believed it was his God-given mission to explore new lands and bring the light of the Gospel.
His first prayer on reaching land was:. Yes, Columbus sought gold and other valuables, but not for personal gain. After he founded La Navidad on the island of Hispaniola on December 25, , he writes:. I have already petitioned Your Highnesses to see that all the profits of my enterprise should be spent on the conquest of Jerusalem, and Your Highnesses smiled and said that even without the expedition they had the inclination to do it.
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