Christian View of the Natives in the New World Essay examples

     Columbus was like a God in the eyes of the Native Americans and they believed that he could save them. They followed him around and wanted to find out more about these strage people who had landed on there territory. The natives saw no harm in Columbus and his men and offered them most of the things they had as gifts. They were willing to give the Europeans anything they wanted. All of the things the Europeans had were new to them. For example in Columbus’s own journal, I Take Possession for King and Queen, he states that:

Columbus viewed the culture of the native people of the islands as inferior to his own which resulted in a belief that he and his men have the right to harm and treat them harshly. ‘…On my arrival, I had taken some Indians by force from the first island that I came…’ By enslaving some of the Indians, Columbus showed that he believed that he had the right to enslave them because they were inferior to him in some way. ‘…to bear witness that he before all others took possession of that island for the King and Queen…’ With this statement, Columbus stated the belief that the Island did not even belong to the native people to begin

Columbus never even walked on what we now call the United States of America. Where ever he did land, he was motivated only by his own greed. Columbus came for the gold, spices, and slaves. In his diary, he mentioned gold 75 times just in the first two weeks, alone (Katz 13). Indians who weren’t able to find gold, were punished by having their hands cut off. Most slaves died en route to Spain. Many Indian females were taken as sex slaves, some as young as nine and ten years old. Columbus forced cooperation from the Indians by disfiguring them and using them as examples. Even worse, he used hunting dogs to tear the Indians apart. Many natives committed suicide, and murdered their own children to save them from such a horrible life. Those who survived the voyage were worked to death. Still, another huge portion of these Indians died from disease brought over by Columbus and his

Christopher Columbus was an Italian who worked on behalf of, King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella I. The Spanish monarchs’ ultimate goals were to find a trade routine to India, Asia and to spread the Catholic religion to others. They financed Columbus with the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria to find a western route to India. Thinking that it was India, Columbus found land. In his journal, Columbus described his first account of the natives as “they were very friendly to us, and perceived that they could be much more easily converted to our holy faith by gentle means than by force” (“Fordham University”). Also, he plans for them to be great servants so they “may learn our language” (“Fordham University”). He says

The natives that Christopher Columbus had come against were not in opposition of him but wanted to be able to hear him out and see what he could offer them. From his first voyage, Columbus had sent Indians back to Spain with him as a trophy to flaunt to the King and Queen of Spain for the recognition he should receive up on his return from the New World. In the Letter from Christopher Columbus (1493) he gives a description of how he gains their trust, “they are timid and full of fear… As soon as they see that they are safe, and have laid aside all fear, they are very simple and honest, and exceedingly liberal with all they have, none of them refusing anything he may possess when he is asked for it,” (Page 300). Columbus and his men were never

Christopher Columbus set out on his voyage in 1942 on the West Indian islands, to find a new world for the Europeans. When he landed on the Caribbean Island the Indian Natives that lived there were at first scared but greeted him in a friendly manner. The conquest and settlement of the Western Hemisphere opened new opportunities for other Europeans such as the French, Dutch, English and Spanish to come to the island and colonize the Indian's land. For the Europeans to colonize and move in on Native land they had to find a way to interact with the Indians. Through their interaction they found cultural understandings and confusions that were documented by both the Europeans and the Indians. In the book, "Major Problems in American Colonial

The settlement patterns and attitude towards nations among the Spanish, French, and English can be compared and contrasted through their social goals. Christopher Columbus arrived in the world in 1492, and his voyage marked a new era. Upon his contact with the natives, he tried to develop a friendly attitude with them and he attempted to exchange good with them peacefully (Doc 1). His purpose, at first, was to create a new and unique society with the natives in the mix of such a world he believed to be India.

When Christopher Columbus entered the Americas in 1942, one of his first tasks were to deal with the Indigenous people, who, compared to the Europeans, were much less advanced. Europe began waging wars of conquest to get resources for trade, and missionaries were brought in to teach the Indigenous people Christianity. Although some Europeans viewed the civilizing of the Native Americans and the new World necessary and just, many others believed that taking dominance over their culture was wrong.

The Spanish were the first European settlers in the Americas when Christopher Columbus in October 12, 1492 while searching for a new route to Asian Indies, discovered new land. Columbus wrote to the king of Spain telling him that the Americas was kind of heaven, full of thousand of different kind trees, with prosperous land. This letter has helped understand the motives of the Spaniards for colonizing the Americas, the virgin continent, untouched lands, full of gold and precious metals as Columbus described in his letter. Columbus also told King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella that the natives we simple, timid people who went about naked and lived simple lives in an environment like that of the Garden of Eden, and that they can also be made Christians. The monarchs saw this as an opportunity to impose their modes of civilization upon this vast population, justifying the colonization of the New World as the white man’s duty. Motivating and accelerating the occupation to the Americas. Since in fact the Spaniard kingdom initial motives to venture out into the oceans were richness and to acquire goods that were rarely available. The Monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella were also wanted to establish missionaries to purify and reform.

Columbus wrote that the natives would be great servants because they’re obedient, strong, healthy, young, and skilled. Columbus was one of the first European to suggest that the natives should become slaves. This indirectly led to the TransAtlantic Slave Trade. After many attacks on the natives, Chief Hatuey felt such a disgust for the Spaniards that when he and his people were offered eternal life and redemption in Heaven if they converted to Catholicism, they refused because the Spaniards were Catholic.

1. Discuss fully the consequences of contact between Europeans and Native Americans in the years after Columbus’ discovery of the New World.  How did Christian perspectives shape European attitudes towards the natives? Why was the outcome of contact doomed from the start?

Refusing the wishes of the queen Columbus forced a policy of slavery over the native population to rebuild the settlement and explore for gold believing it would benefit him but his efforts produced small gold and hatred from the whole population

Christopher Columbus was a greedy man. The deal that was made with Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand made it to where Columbus received 10% of all valuable ‘merchandise’ such as pearls, precious stones, gold, silver, spices, and any other objects that he ‘acquired’ in any territory that is claimed (https://www.biography.com/.amp/news/christopher-columbus-day-facts ). Columbus was also to be named admiral, Viceroy, and Governor or the land he claims for Spain. Columbus stood to gain wealth and power in this agreement. When Christopher Columbus sailed West, he might have been going on good intentions, however, when he got to the lands, Columbus had only saw his greed.

if he would have asked that question and treated the Native Americans differently there would not have been so much sorrow and death to his name. Christopher Columbus did not only force them to look for good out of their will but he kidnapped and made the Native Americans work under disgusting conditions in mines in the process to find gold. By this time Christopher Columbus had made his mark on the Native Americans it was too late to come back from the disturbing trauma he and his men had put on the Native Americans. He also assumed that they did not have a god they worshipped and he saw how quick the Native Americans were fast when it came to learning new things. So, in his mind he thought that the Native Americans would be good slaves and as well as good Christians. As Christopher Columbus did this he would enslave a few of Native Americans at a time and ship them back to where he belonged just to prove that he was doing something productive to the king and queen.

During the Age of Exploration in the 15th and 16th centuries, many people from European countries sailed across the Atlantic ocean in search of gold, spices, and other valuable materials. The value of these materials increased drastically when they were gathered straight from the source; this factor influenced many prominent explorers to seek out and bring back these goods on their own for personal gain. Examples of prominent explorers consist of Christopher Columbus of Spain, Vasco da Gama of Portugal who sailed in order to obtain spices, silk, and porcelain as well as wanting to spread Catholicism, and Walter Raleigh from England who explored purely for treasure. When exploring, Christopher Columbus and Vasco da Gama approached the indigenous people in a similar manner. They viewed the natives as conquerable and considered them to live in a simple society. Walter Raleigh addressed the indigenous people differently, however, rather than seeing them as inferior to him and his countrymen, he approached them with a neutral mindset and was often respectful in regards to their differing beliefs. The contrast in how Christopher Columbus and Vasco da Gama approach the native people in relation to Walter Raleigh is solely dependent on religion and how the spread of Catholicism was Christopher Columbus and Vasco da Gama’s main focus when on their exploration.