A People 's History Of The Us

For more than five centuries, Christopher Columbus has been recognized and glorified as the founder of America in the US and Spain. As an adolescent, I learned that Columbus, an explorer with unrealistic beliefs about the earth being indeed round and not flat as it was once deemed to be, discovered America and named its natives “Indians.” However, I have grown to realize that this glorified hero Columbus is portrayed as is as realistic as the Easter bunny or tooth fairy. The actual truth about Columbus is far more complicated and less magical than what we have come to accept as fact. In fact, despite the tactics used to claim land that did not belong to them, I consider Christopher Columbus and Hernan Cortez savages whose agenda was not to

Howard Zinn not only introduced a new perspective on Christopher Columbus, but he changed the way I viewed things. I never knew how much killings, and torture was put upon the natives in the searching of the “New World”. I learned how the hero I thought Columbus was, in reality was more like a villain. He didn’t

Zinn first refers to the author Morrison and how he deals with who Columbus really was. Instead of “[lying] outright about the past” or “[omitting] facts, which might lead to unacceptable conclusions,” Morrison tells the

Throughout recorded human history, authors, leaders, and researchers, have documented the past from many different perspectives, and viewpoints. Not every historian has the same stance on a certain issue, therefore, differences in point of view occur in almost every writing. In the textbook The American Pageant, A People’s History of the United States by Larry Schweikart, and Michael Allen, and Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States, the reader can see many different perspectives throughout each reading. The infamous explorer known as Christopher Columbus, has been documented in many different ways. Depending on the reading, Columbus has be called everything from a “[...]symbol of the new age of hope”, to an inhuman tyrant who captured Indians and turned them into slaves.

The movie 1492: Conquest of Paradise tells the story of Christopher Columbus and his journey to the west to discover the “New World”. It also gives us a look into the life that he lived as a father and a husband both before and after his many voyages across the Atlantic. An example of some of the more personal and relatable parts in the film include the many trials and errors that Columbus must go through in order to begin his journey. Although this film gives us as viewers a rough idea of the many important points and occurrences that lead up to the exploration of the New World, the film fails to retain some of the more significant events that were crucial to the story of Columbus’s exploration west

In traditional books, Christopher Columbus is portrayed as a heroic figure. In the book A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn he gives an accurate portrayal of Christopher Columbus; a merciless conquistador who killed anyone that stood his way. And in the book Zinn is pleased to say how his book stands apart from many others stating “The mountain of history books under which we all stand leans so heavily in the other direction-so tremblingly respectful of states and statesmen and so disrespectful, by inattention, to people’s movements-that we need some counterforce to avoid being crushed into submission.” After all his purpose for writing this book was to give an accurate and detailed account of American history from the victim's point of view. And he explained that we shouldn't just grieve victims of torture but discredit those who have been written in a good light.

Howard Zinn doesn’t like Columbus. And he thinks his expedition was faulty and didn’t benefit anyone. Howard Zinn wrote in “ Columbus and

Brooke, you make a good point about that Columbus was a genius by venturing on his journey, and who dared to do the impossible for his century. However, he committed acts of violence and brutality with Native Americans, he became a murderer. The Native Americans especially the Arawak Indians were very good, warm, and friendly people who did everything that Columbus wanted. Unfortunately, for them they ran out of gold, and there had started their problems. All For the ambition of a man who is called Cristobal

Regarding the article, “Columbus, the Indians, and Human Progress, Dr. Howard Zinn argues that there is another perspective to consider as to Christopher Columbus’ adventures. Dr. Howard Zinn’s position is that history books have omissions of slavery, death and innocent bloodshed that accompanied the adventures of Christopher Columbus. In the following statements Dr. Howard Zinn describes his perspective; “The writer began the history, five hundred years ago, of the European invasion of the Indian Settlement in the Americas. That beginning, when you read Las Casas- even if his figures are exaggerations (were there 3 million Indians to begin with, as he says or 250,000, as modern historians calculate) is conquest, slavery, and death. When

Zinn’s thesis for pages 1-11 was that Christopher Columbus was not the storybook hero that many textbooks portray him as. Instead, he is more of a dishonest explorer who wasn’t truthful with those who supported him. Columbus wasn’t correct in his explorations either. He didn’t discover what he

History’s deceits must be uncovered, though they may cause our heroes to fall. To many, Christopher Columbus was the epitome of a hero; courageous, innovative, honorable and adventurous. To others, he is the essence of a villain, cowardly, arrogant, unintelligent and murderous. History, in the matter of Columbus, strongly lends itself to the latter- Columbus was not a hero, nor honorable. He was arrogant, unlearned, and cruel.

During the period of 1760’s to early 1900, due to the Europeans flourishing and growing economic power, their influence impacted the economic state globally. Through the first colonialism, natives discovered that in the “new world” they became known and greatly admired for exporting upscale goods. As time passed the Europeans views of non-European people and cultures reflected intellectual changes, there is a noticeable shift of characteristics, and complex of superiority towards other races. The majority of historical interpretations of Columbus for centuries has been an ideal role model and hero for bringing education to Spain, spreading religion, and new technologies, as a stumble of the discovery of the New World, however, in recent years a major shift has occurred as historians like Zinn and others have understood his actions to be tyrannical towards the natives. Additionally, a new interpretation has emerged challenging the work of Zinn and others because of alternative narrative accounts that had been ignored. However, this time period, mostly consisted of the growth nuance of the European superiority.

Columbus was far from the respected man that he was made out to be for a surplus of centuries. Columbus had originally tried to settle in Portugal where he was laughed at and was given no support for any of his projects. He would later find himself in Spain, which he was hit with many roadblocks but after many opportunities, and persuasive speech to Queen Isabel and King Fernando he was given the support he so urgently yearned for. Columbus had held a secret that he feared people would eventually find out which was how he was charged with being corrupt while holding a public office while his time in the indies. Columbus believed if this came out he would miss out on any chances of receiving the things promised to him by the King and Queen if he had a successful voyage. The great man we thought Columbus was is far

While Christopher Columbus was not the hero he is often portrayed as, he was still an important historical figure. In 1492 Columbus made a voyage across the Atlantic Ocean and “discovered” the New World. After ten hard weeks at sea he arrived on October twelfth, a day which is now celebrated as Columbus Day in honor of this fearless explorer and his accomplishments. His arrival not only marks the beginning of recorded history in America, but resulted in the events that ultimately formed the United States of America (The Americans pg 48). He founded the first European settlement in the New World and over the course of ten years traveled back and forth from the Americas and Spain numerous times to establish colonies. The explorer became an empire builder and his achievements proposed the birth of a new nation. History, however, is written by the winners and the atrocities committed behind such glorious achievements are often glossed over - the genocide of another race. Thus, the celebration of this day is brought into question.

Columbus’s use of Christianity, the introduction of new diseases, and use of violence upon the Native Americans sparked controversy among historians all around the world. “uncovered extensive evidence of the damage wreaked by Columbus and his teams, leading to outcry overemphasis placed upon studying and celebrating him in schools and public celebrations” [1.] In textbooks we learn the good things that Columbus did, that he discovered a new world, brought diseases, and Christianity to the New World. However, it did not go into depth of what he did to the Native Americans in the West Indies. His first day in the New World, he ordered six of the natives to be captured, writing in his journal that he believed they would be good servants. He