In the readings about Christopher Columbus there is nothing concrete that indicates Columbus’s views on Native Americans. There are only a few indications on how he may have viewed the Native Americans. The first being a statement that was made early in the introduction to Columbus that states, “Apparently friendly relations with the Taino Indians on the island of Hispaniola in 1492 turned sour as the settlers Columbus left behind demanded gold and sexual partners from their hosts” (P. 24-25). The same thing occurred when he left a second time after establishing a new settlement on the island. Columbus was able to create settlement on the island of Hispaniola and the readings have us believe that things were well on the island while Columbus was there. Only when he left the island did disorder and problems arise.
The second indication of Columbus’s views on Native Americans comes from the letter he sent to Luis de Santangel. In his letter Columbus writes, “And there I found very many islands filled with people innumerable, and of them all I have taken possession for their highnesses, by proclamation made and with the royal standard unfurled, and no opposition was offer to me” (P. 25). This statement makes us believe that Columbus had taken control over the island and that no one had opposed him. He was the ruler of the island and is governing under the royal standard. Columbus did what was best for Columbus. He took control over the Native Americans and then used them to his advantage. This was very apparent during his third voyage when he encountered hostile Spanish settlers and reached a truce by using the Taino Indians as leverage and making them Spanish slaves.
Thomas Harriot does not have a completely objective tone in his writing. His beliefs are shown when he talks about their technology compared to the Native Americans' and he goes on to write, "By so much the more is it probable that they should desire our friendship and love, and have the greater respect for pleasing and obeying us." (P. 38). He shows his belief that because they own things that the natives have never seen before the natives will see the colonists' superiority and become their servants. Another example of Harriot not being objective in his writing is when he mentions the Native Americans showing their appreciation for the Bible. He writes, "Yet would many be glad to touch it, to embrace it, to kiss it, to hold it to their breasts and heads, and stroke over all their body with it," (P. 40). Harriot is trying to spread the word of God as a part of his job and by writing this it shows he is doing an incredible job of changing the Native Americans to be followers of the new colonists.
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I think the views that you guys have address are supported by the quotes you have picked out. It's really nice to see other's views on the different quotes in the stories. I especially like the quote on Columbus that you picked out, "And there I found very many islands filled with people innumerable, and of them all I have taken possession for their highnesses..." Thank you for a different take on the story. Nice job!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that Columbus' interest was not really in the Native Americans, but in making a settlement and taking over the land. He writes that he didn't have any trouble with them in the first letter, but I wonder if he is telling all of the story. I think he was being very careful of what he told his friend in the first letter. In the end there was a lot of trouble with the explorers taking advantage of the Indians when Columbus was gone back home. I also agree with you when you explain about Columbus using his control over the Taino Indians to his advantage by making a deal with the hostile Spanish settlers against them. It showed that Columbus was protecting his own interests of trying to set up settlements in the new world instead of helping or protecting the Indians.
ReplyDeleteIn reading about Harriot, I think his letter is full of propaganda and is not objective at all. Most of the things he says I don't even believe. He makes it look like they have complete control and the Indians are just submissive to them They look at them like they are gods. The part you mention about them kissing the Bible, etc. is something I definitely don't believe. I have a hard time figuring out what is true and what is not in Harriot's letter. He is just writing what Raleigh wants to hear. The Indians may have been surprised about the items that the explorers had, but I think Harriot ruled with his guns in the end.
I like what you said about Harriot thinking the Natives would admire them and become their servants. I think it's interesting how someone would go on the exploration with that thought. I would think he would have been trying to be cautious when approching the natives to see how they react to the colonists and gain their trust. I agree that in the end he had done a great job of gaining the natives trust and spreading religion. The approach of thinking he was superior didn't seem like the best way to me but it worked.
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me that Harriot and Columbus had a lot in common because they both embellished in their writings in order to get what they wanted. Columbus wanted financial support for more voyages and to govern a new land and Harriot just sound egotistical. Harriot sounds like he had eurocentrism and Europe was the only way of life; therefore, the only way to make the Native Americans should live as well.
ReplyDeleteI also believe that Columbus did not have much of a view toward the Native Americans or at least he did not talk much about them. He very well could have chosen to not mention his thoughts for them in his writings for different reasons. I agree that Thomas Harriot has not much of an objective tone. He mostly just compared the Native Americans to us Americans throughout his writing. He had many negative things to say about the Indians.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your idea that Thomas Harriot does not have a completely objective tone in his writing. I think that his writing contains his values and beliefs, like many other authors of that time. For example, the sentence “Some religion they have already, which although it be far from the truth” (P.39) seems to show that Harriot deeply believes his religion is the only religion. As a scientist, maybe he should have observed the Indians’ behavior in an analytical way and presented the fact more objectively.
ReplyDeleteI'm in agreement with everyone with the fact that Columbus was not interested in who was on the land but in only the land itself. The more land he discovered and claimed to the Divine Majesty, the richer he was going to become. You are right, he was interested in himself and control. But how come things fell to disaster when he would leave? Although his writings make him to be sincere, I do believe that this man was something more than we have always thought.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your statement about Columbus not writing much about the Native Americans that he encountered in his travels. The tone of his letter to Luis de Santangel regarding his first voyage was vague when referring to the Native Americans. In one reference, he talks about "the people of which I could not have speach because they all fled immediately." (pg 26) He must have been referring to the natives, but he does not state that.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Harriot was not objective in his writings. He wrote propagandistic, apparently at Ralegh's direction as a new colony was being prepared under John White's command. He wrote about his religous teachings and how excited the Wiroans were about the contents of the Bible and the book itself and their "hungry desire of that knowledge which was spoken of". (pg 40) It's hard to believe that the natives would be so welcoming of this explorer and so willing to embrace his religious teachings.
I agree that there's not a lot on C's attitude towards Native Americans here, but I do think you make valuable inferences. Also, it's not just that Harriot is "not objective"--he is downright biased from his Christian perspective. His statement about the Native Americans' reaction to the Bible is probably one of the least credible things stated in all of the literature of exploration.
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