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Christopher Columbus

Page history last edited by WilliamPhips02 11 years, 7 months ago

Overview(williamphips02)      Christopher Columbus was born in 1451, In what was known as the Republic of Genoa. The Republic of Genoa was located in what is now northern Italy, near the fashionable city of Milan. As a young man, Christopher made occasional trips out to sea on-board merchant ships, which would frequent many Mediterranean ports in search of new trade opportunities. In addition to these few trips to Greece, Columbus also participated in expeditions to Africa. During these trips to Africa Columbus began to dream of an easier route to get to spice and silk rich Asia. At the time the trade routes leading to Asia had to go through the middle east, which at the time were in control of the Muslims. Eventually Columbus began to think that sailing to the west of Europe would lead him to India and China. Initially Columbus took his idea of sailing east to the king of Portugal, but was quickly rejected there, as well as being rejected by the doge of Venice, and by his home country of Genoa. Eventually Columbus took his bold idea to the Spanish crown in hopes of finally being funded. However he was also initially put down by Ferdinand and Isabella, until they finished their war with the Muslims. After the war the king and queen finally agreed to fund his voyage, and sent him on his way in 1492, with three ships called the Pinta, Nina, and the Santa Maria. Finally after thirty-six days of sailing, Columbus arrived at an island in what is now the present day Bahamas.

     

     When the natives of the island came to investigate, Columbus called them indians, due to the fact that he thought that he and his men had reached the east indies. Relationships with the Natives started off more or less friendly, with the spanish trading metals and other goods inexchange for gold and exotic animals. Columbus would later return to Spain after establishing a small colony, composed mostly of ship wrecked men, and would tell the crown of the prospects of gold and other riches. Columbus would return several times to the Bahamas and each time he would impose strict forced labour policies on the natives, in order to build new settlements, and dig for precious metals such as gold and silver. This forced labour policy would become increasingly worse for the native Arwaks, when on his second voyage, Columbus would discover a good sized gold vein in Haiti,and force the natives to mine it. Columbus's would later impose a tribute system, in which Natvies would be forced to bring a specific amount of gold or be forced to bring 25 pounds of cotton to their Spanish masters. In return they would recive a token that would protect them for three months, in which time they would be forced to gather more gold or cotton.  Unfortunetly, hundreds of natives would die off within the years following Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New world due to harsh forced labour practices imposed by the Spanish, and from European diseases such as smallpox. Finally in 1506 Columbus would die, having opend up the way for future explorers, and conquerors to claim the New world for the old one.    williamphips02- (child with the smallpox disease.) http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/smallpox/smallpox-images/smallpox3.htm Williamphips02- (Portrait of Christopher Columbus.) http://www.nndb.com/people/033/000045895/. Information from- http://www.biography.com/people/christopher-columbus-9254209   (Loewen, James W. Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong. New York: New, 2008. Print.)

 

 

 

                                                           ( Child with smallpox.)Williamphips02        

 (portrait of Christopher Columbus) Williamphips02

 

 

georgiaokeeffe02 -      Christopher Columbus made more then the one voyage to the new world, In fact after Columbus visited the Samana Peninsula (this was the only place where he faced a violent resistance on his first voyage) he headed back home to Spain.  He reached Spain in 1493 and gave the royal court a glowing, yet somewhat exaggerated report that was warmly received.  That same year he took to the seas on his second expedition with 17 ships and around 1200 men, he explored more islands in the Caribbean Ocean looking for a place to establish some permanent colonies.  Upon arrival at Hispaniola (modern day island of Haiti and the Dominican Republic), Columbus and his crew discovered their Navidad settlement had been destroyed with all the sailors massacred.  Columbus then, as punishment, established a forced labor policy over the native population to rebuild the settlement and explore for gold, hoping it would prove to be profitable. His efforts produced small amounts of gold and great hatred among the native population. Before returning to Spain, Columbus left his brothers Bartholomew and Diego to govern the settlement on Hispaniola.

 

     In 1498 Columbus set sail for his third voyage to the New World.  Accompanying him was a team of six ships, three of which went straight to Hispaniola, in their holds some much needed supplies.  The other three went with Columbus to explore what lay south of Hispaniola, hoping for a passage to take them to mainland Asia.  Instead Columbus actually reached mainland South America exploring the Orinoco River in present-day Venezuela.  Sadly because of poor health Columbus returned back to Hispaniola. Unfortunately, conditions at the Hispaniola settlement had deteriorated to the point of near-mutiny with settlers claiming they had been misled by Columbus' claims of riches and complaining about the poor management of his brothers. The Spanish Crown sent a royal official who arrested Columbus and stripped him of his authority. He returned to Spain in chains to face the royal court. The charges were later dropped but Columbus lost his titles as governor of the Indies and for a time, much of the riches made during his voyages.

 

    In 1502 Columbus convinced King Ferdinand that one more voyage would bring home the abundant riches promised. Columbus then went on what would be his fourth and final voyage, traveling along the eastern coast of Central America in an unsuccessful search for a route to the Indian Ocean. A storm wrecked one of his ships stranding the captain and his sailors on the island of Cuba. During this time, local islanders, tired of the Spaniards poor treatment and obsession with gold, refused to give them food. Columbus then had an inspiration, consulted an almanac, and devised a plan to "punish" the islanders by taking away the moon. On February 29, 1504, a lunar eclipse he predicted alarmed the natives enough to re-established trade with the Spaniards. A rescue party finally arrived, sent by the royal governor of Hispaniola in July and Columbus and his men were taken back to Spain in November of 1504.

 

Info. from -  http://www.biography.com/people/christopher-columbus-9254209 and http://geography.about.com/od/christophercolumbus/a/columbus.htm

 

                                                                               

(georgiaokeeffe02) Columbus' three ships                                                                                (georgiaokeeffe02) Columbus' four journeys that he made to

landing on mainland South America on his third voyage                                                              the New World mapped.

http://www.ehow.com/info_8727289_were-christopher-columbus-experiences-explorer.html      (picture above-left)

http://www.zonu.com/detail-en/2009-12-10-11406/Voyages-of-Christopher-Columbus-in-1492-1493-1498-and-1502.html (picture above-right)

 

margaretsanger02: Christopher Columbus, known to many as America’s first great hero, was born in 1451. There are disputes as to where in particular he was born but the most common sources will tell you it was Genoa, Italy while others argue that it was in fact Spain, Portugal, or other locations. During Columbus’ young adulthood he was very involved in seagoing affairs. He was a part of numerous trading journeys. In 1476 Christopher almost lost his life during a voyage into the Atlantic Ocean. In short, his ship was burned and he had to make way to the shore of Portugal. This is where Columbus would meet his future wife. He met his wife Felipa Perstrello e Moniz in 1479 and soon after their son named Diego was born.  Columbus later formed a relationship with Beatriz Enriquez de Harana of Cordoba and had a second son, Ferdinand after his wife’s death in 1485. Columbus had become an exceptional sea navigator and was constantly learning new information regarding sea travel. During some of his voyages to Africa he learned about the currents that flow in the area. Columbus was very educated in regards to seafaring and as a result came up with a new notion. He figured that if he sailed west that he would in turn end up in the east. Traveling to places such as China and India were difficult at the time because of the Muslim dominance over the trade routes through the middle east. After being rejected multiple times the Spanish monarchy agreed to sponsor his voyage.  August 1492, Columbus left Spain on the Santa Maria in a fleet including the Pinta and the Nina.  He made stops at present day Bahamas, Cuba, Hati, and Dominican Republic while meeting and trading with the natives he encountered. He was sure he had reached Asia and then he began his journey back home. He made three more similar voyages west further explained in Georgiaokeeffe02’s overview. Christopher Columbus had basically paved the way for European countries to explore, colonize, and even exploit the New World. While yes Columbus was not the first to discover, visit, etc. this land we recognize him because without him Europe would have not colonized this land. Well perhaps they would of at a later time… but the point is understood. There is a far more negative side to this story though which is often debated. Now many people are becoming more educated and with this no longer look at Columbus as a hero in our American history. To be quite frank, many negative things are associated with his very name. For example the horrible effect of the slave trade, the pandemic of various diseases, etc. It is now widely agreed that Columbus is not to be looked at like a hero, but most definitely not a villain either. Very few believe that Columbus had any negative motives or means during his life and most everyone understands how he was a phenomenal man of the water. As you study his life you are left with the impression that he died unhappy, some would describe it as disappointed. He died May 20, 1506 in Valladolid Spain. 

 

Above: A photo of a statue of Columbus as seen here he is a very honored man.

"Hartford Daily Photo: A Better Christopher Columbus." Hartford Daily Photo. Web. 24 Aug. 2012. <http://hartforddailyphoto.blogspot.com/2010/09/better-christopher-columbus.html>.

 

Above: A cartoon image which expresses the negative views of many in regards to Columbus.

"Christopher Columbus." Columbus Day. Web. 22 Aug. 2012. <http://img154.imageshack.us/img154/848/400_ColumbusDay-CelebrationofGenocide.jpg>.

*cited information at the bottom in the works cited section for the research*

 

margaretsanger02 end

 

 

danquayle02  

     While it is the widely accepted belief that Christopher Columbus was born in Genoa, Italy, there is evidence that suggests otherwise. Linguistic research suggests that Spanish, and not Italian, was the explorer’s principle language, both written and spoken. It is believed that Columbus could have been a Marrano, a Jew in Spain who tried to smother any proof of his heritage/religion to escape the atrocious religious persecution of the Spanish Inquisition plaguing the country. Further hints at a Jewish heritage can be found in his will, signed in 1506, where money was left to different causes associated with Jewish custom, as well as Jewish prayers cleverly hidden in cryptic symbols. Indeed, Columbus’ first two letters back to Europe upon landing in the “New World” was sent back to Santangel and Sanchez, two former Jews forced to convert to Catholicism under the Inquisition, who had provided funding for his expedition. In these letters, he shared his discoveries and expressed gratitude for their support. This eye-opening data, naturally, leaves us to question what Columbus’ true intentions were when he set sail across the Atlantic, and what his background really was.

http://us.cnn.com/2012/05/20/opinion/garcia-columbus-jewish/index.html?hpt=hp_c2

     In 1479 Columbus married Portuguese Doña Felipa Perestrello e Moniz, whose family served the Portuguese crown, and whose nobleman father was in possession of some very noteworthy information about Atlantic exploration. This marriage suggests to us two things: firstly, that Columbus came from a heritage respectable enough to deserve the hand of a knight’s daughter, and, secondly, that Columbus could have been more interested in his future father-in-law’s library than his future wife. Of course, we are not able to prove absolutely that either are true, but we are still free to speculate. The couple later went on to have a son, Diego, and possibly a daughter (http://www.bilerico.com/2011/10/the_forgotten_wife_of_christopher_columbus.php). After his wife's death (sometime between 1481-1485), he had a mistress by the name of Beatriz Enríquez de Arana, who gave birth to another son, Fernando, in 1488 (http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/caribarch/columbus.htm#hero).

     While we know that Columbus was by no means the first to "discover" North America (strong evidence supports multiple previous explorations, in addition to the Vikings), his expedition was easily the most influential to European and American life at the time. After his journey(s) to the "New World", plants, animals, and diseases, were exchanged between the two hemispheres; this is referred to as the "Colombian Exchange". Although this cultural exchange and its effects were not the most striking or immediate at first, it is easily the most lasting. The Native Americans introduced their European invaders to such crops as maize (corn), potatoes, peanuts, and tomatoes, among others. Likewise, the Europeans brought crops such as rice, wheat, tobacco, barley, oats, and sugar to North America. Crops were important for newcomers to North America primarily for survival and sustenance, as well as for profit-making cash crops. People in both Western and Eastern hemispheres began to enjoy a more varied diet. The interchange of domesticated animals was perhaps more uneven, as Europeans clearly had a longer list animals to bring "across the pond". The dogs, horses, pigs, cattle, goats, and sheep we commonly see in our country today all came from Europe. Many Native Americans' lives would come to be dramatically changed by these new animals, particularly as the only domesticated animals they had to offer the settlers were dogs, llamas, guinea pigs, and a few species of fowl. And, of course, diseases were swapped between the two continents; once again, Europeans had much more to offer the Americans than vise-verse, partly in thanks to the large numbers and variety of livestock they possessed. Smallpox, malaria, measles, cholera, typhoid, and bubonic plague wiped out native population, as previously mentioned, while syphilis and (possibly) tuberculosis were part of the very short list that Americans brought to Europeans.
http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/tserve/nattrans/ntecoindian/essays/columbianb.htm

 

 

 

Giesslev, Library of Congress, 1804, plants cultivated by Native Americans and introduced to Europe after 1492

Crops that were brought to Europe after Columbus'
first expedition to the New World in 1492. (danquayle02)

(http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/tserve/nattrans/ntecoindian/essays/columbianb.htm

 


Portrait of Doña Felipa Perestrello e Moniz, Columbus' wife and mother of his first-born son, Diego. (danquayle02)

(http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?gl=ROOT_CATEGORY&rank=1&new=1&so=3&MSAV=1&msT=1&gss=ms_r_f-2_s&gsfn=Filipa+Moniz&gsln=Perestrelo&msbdy=1455&msbpn__ftp=Madeira&msddy=1484&msdpn__ftp=Portugal&cpxt=0&catBucket=p&uidh=ir7&cp=0&mssng0=Christopher+&mssns0=Colon)

 

 

normanmailer02 

                 Christopher Columbus was born in a town called Genoa in Northern Italy. Growing up, Columbus became a seafarer, traveling all over the world seeing many different places. North Africa, the Middle East, and the Far East are a few of the places he visited. Columbus wanted to find a faster trade route to the West Indies by sailing west. Europe and Asia had been trading goods for hundreds of years prior to this. Before Columbus came, this time period is called Pre-Columbian. Columbus heard stories about the earth being flat.  Many people also believed that if you traveled west, you would fall off the earth; as well as other myths about strange sea monsters, such as giant squid and mermaids. Taking the risk, Columbus needed money for his adventure. After many failed attempts of getting money from many European monarchs, Columbus went to Spain to ask the king and queen for help.  The monarchs of Spain gave him money, three ships, and crew. Those three ships were the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. On his first trip, Columbus took off heading west on August 3, 1492 with full wind and good seas.  On October 11, 1492, the caravan spotted an archipelago what is today known as the Caribbean Islands. They landed on an island called Hispaniola. Columbus renamed it San Salvador shortly after.  They were met by the Natives who lived on the island. Columbus, thinking he was in the West Indies, called them Indians.

                 Columbus, like most if not all Explorers after him, wanted to do three things: find gold, spread Christianity, as well as find and conquer new lands to glorify their country. These are also known as the three “G’s”. When Christopher Columbus returned to Spain in 1504, he left a governor in charge of the lands that he conquered. Stories of his discoveries flew through Europe. In mid- 1500s and early 1600s every nation wanted to be a part of these findings. Spain, France, and England were the main nations who sent explores to the New World. Following Columbus’s example, the Spanish sought new lands and conquered them. They captured the natives and forced them into slavery. When the natives died, they would enslave more workers. When the native population was wiped out, they brought Africans (who were captured by other Africans) to trade for goods made in Europe. Eventually, a Triangular Trade was created. Due to Columbus’s legacy, he brought slavery to the New World. Overall, Columbus is viewed in history as a hero and founder of the New World.

 

Loewen, James. Lies My Teaacher Told Me . New York City : The New Press, 2007. 444. Print.

 

Christopher Columbus: Explorer. Enchanted Learning , n.d. Web. 26 Aug 2012. <http://www.enchantedlearning.com/explorers/page/c/columbus.shtml>.

 


 

 

Analysis-  williamphips02- Over real drama- When reading the textbook it was quite obvious that they had clearly over exaggerated the glory of Columbus's voyage to the new world. It talks about how his ship's sails unfurled and took to the wind in such a grand way, that really it almost becomes laughable, and brings back memories of watching pocahontas, as john smith and his crew gloriously cast off from a dock leaving behind a gaint fairwell party. In addition to this grand fairwell the textbook mentions that the sailors were superstitious, and scared. However in Loewen's book he tells a different story, in which the crew is fairly more confident, and he even claims that most, if not all of the sailors were starting to grasp the concept that the earth was round and not flat. Many textbooks also mention that Columbus and his crew had to endure rough and stormy seas. However, Columbus's own journal accounts that it was fairly smooth sailing and that most days the crew enjoyed the winds and the sunshine. Also the textbook says that Columbus, " stepped onto the stage..."(Cohen 14). In all reality it was more like a slow crawl from monarch to monarch, until he finally caught the eye of the Spanish crown who were reluctent at first to fund his voyage, but eventually came around to the idea. Although too much drama added to something may ruin it ( as we all know from high school), I do think that is was somewhat necessary to add something dramatic to Columbus's voyage in order to intrigue the reader and not put them to sleep. 

(Cohen, Lizabeth. "Chapter 1." The American Pageant. 12th ed. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2002. 13-15. Print.) (Loewen, James W. Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong. New York: New, 2008. Print.)

 

 

williamphips02- Heroification- As discussed by Loewen, is a major theme in most modern and classical literature. From Hercules to Superman heroification has persisted since the ancient greeks. In the textbook, Christopher Columbus is portrayed as in a mostly heroic way. They talk about how he daringly braved the seas, and only hint ever so slightly on the fact that Christopher's crew almost threw a mutaniy. In addition to this many people view him as a hero for "discovering" the new world, when in reality he was almost a complete  failure. He had originally set out to find the water way to the west that would lead him to Asia, but instead he failed and found the Bahamas. Going back to his one other "success" of discovering the new world, the Vikings were the first to discover North America centuries before Columbus was even born. Never the less thanks to false portrayals, Columbus is still viewed as the man who found America, and we even have a holiday in his name. This blatant heroification has led us to look past the darker things Columbus did, like impose forced labour policies on natives and ultimately becoming the harbinger for the down fall of countless native civilizations.

 http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/vikings.htm

(Cohen, Lizabeth. "Chapter 1." The American Pageant. 12th ed. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2002. 13-15. Print.)

 

 williamphips02-(Columbus claiming the New world for Spain) http://www.sonofthesouth.net/revolutionary-war/lithographs/columbus-landing-new-world.htm

  williamphips02-( Columbus in the Spanish court.) http://www.fotolibra.com/gallery/638648/columbus-at-spanish-court/

 

 

 (georgiaokeeffe02)- Heroification-  When I read the textbook it was clear that the authors thought Columbus to be completely flawless and his discoveries, sensational.  This completely went against Loewen's interpretation of what Christopher Columbus' actual significance in the "discovery" of the new world was, and in the end I found myself in complete agreement with Loewen on the bias that presents itself in the various textbooks that we gather knowledge from.  The fact of the matter is that it was only because Christopher Columbus was white that we glorify him into being our country's "first great hero".  In actuality he was pretty much one giant failure in the sense that he never found his route to India and his "discovery" of the new world was purely accidental.  He may have made a lot of money but so had lots of businessmen in his time, so that alone wouldn't make him memorable.  Despite all of societies misconceptions about Columbus he did do one thing that I believe Loewen overlooked, and that is he made the new world (America) matter.  Think about it, all of the explorers before Columbus who came to America got here, but after that didn't do much on the global scale.  Columbus on the other hand turned the peaceful woodlands of America into a money making haven for the European powers which really put America on the map, and in the end, through time turned America into the globes leading power.  So in conclusion I believe that Columbus should be glorified as he is now because without him, or a man like him in our past, there wouldn't have been a future for America. (Cohen, Lizabeth. "Chapter 1." The American Pageant. 12th ed. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2002. 13-16. Print.) (Loewen, James W. Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong. New York: New, 2008. Print.) 

georgiaokeeffe02 - (a glorified view of Columbus standing atop Indians and holding a globe, symbolizing him as a conqueror)  

http://www.studiomatters.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/ART4189261.jpg

 

(danquayle02) 

     Throughout the novel, Loewen points out to the reader bland, vague statements textbooks make as a way to explain events in history. Not only do the textbooks avoid making any kind of solid point with these glossy statements, but often they are not even based off of facts. I chose to classify these as "Meaningless Affirmations", and American History textbooks appear to be full of them.  Describing the European 'readiness' for Columbus'  'discovery', the The American Pageant claims that "The dawn of the Renaissance...nurtured an ambitious spirit of optimism and adventure". While this may coincide with general opinion, there is no hard factual evidence to support such a claim. What historian living today (though, I now know that historians generally do not write history textbooks) could hope to measure and quantify the level of  "optimism and adventure" that Europe, an entire continent, was experiencing six centuries ago? A statement like this is clearly made without confidence in its validity, because any research into the general levels of "optimism" and "adventure" of an entire continent of nations is utterly impossible.

     Furthermore, discussing the Colombian Exchange, the textbook describes the European animals brought over to North America as "a virtual Noah's Arch of cattle, swine, and horses." While it is certainly true that the number of Old World animals brought over was significant and much greater than the number of animals the Old World had to offer, again, this statement doesn't say much, and what is does say is misleading. Additionally, it lists Columbus as the sole bringer of this "Noah's Arch" of animals, regardless of the fact that it would have taken many more individuals to bring animals over to have the kind of impact it did on Native American life so soon. Additionally, Columbus' voyages to the Americas were all in the Caribbean and the shore of present-day Mexico. How, then, did the plains Indians in the central mainland receive the horses that so altered their lives? No other mention of European animals brought to the Americas is mentioned, though there certainly must have been, therefore Columbus appears to be the "hero" to the Native Americans, bringing them the tools to revolutionize their culture and way of life. There is also a sense of melodrama--the total number of different animals introduced by the Europeans (somewhere between 10 and 20, from my research) hardly compares to the fabled animals of Noah's Arch that were, supposedly, enough to repopulate an entire planet. But "a virtual Noah's Arch" sounds so much more dramatic, right? Yet for this exaggeration, it only lists three animals brought over, leaving out several other important animals. In this way, the sentence appears to be somewhat of an oxymoron, comparing a Noah's Arch, which (supposedly) housed every single species on earth (today's estimates are somewhere between 5 to 30 million) to a ship full of only three species: cows, pigs, and horses. 

 

(Cohen, Lizabeth. "Chapter 1." The American Pageant. 12th ed. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2002. 13-16. Print.)

(current species estimate: http://www.enviroliteracy.org/article.php/58.html)

 

 

Map of Columbus' four separate voyages to the Americas.
(http://www.chroniclesofamerica.com/spanish-conquerors/columbus_subsequent_voyages.htm)

 

margaretsanger02:

When I compared my research to my textbook I was literally amazed at how much the themes in Loewen’s books apply. I feel like ever since I was young I had the textbook version of Columbus’ story practically drilled into my head and I find it almost difficult to come to terms with the reality. The textbook displays prime examples of heroification, textbook biases, enhancing, and exaggeration of the true history. Columbus is played up to be a true American hero who alone discovered America. First off, there are many strong sources of evidence stating that many discoverers had reached America years before he had. The textbook leaves out information I found on many websites regarding the way Columbus treated the natives. It would seem that they don’t want to bring attention to it because it would lead the reader away from the assumption that Columbus had no flaws and was just a perfect hero who did nothing but great things. The textbook exaggerated how difficult the journey was spending time on writing about the harsh conditions and how his sailors were superstitious (which many sources deny) but doesn’t bother to spend time on more pressing part of the history. I’m not saying what Columbus achieved is something small, in fact it is huge, but I think that the textbook authors have the responsibility to limit the use of heroification, social archetype, biases, over exaggeration, and down playing parts of history. The textbook doesn't really go in depth with Columbus besides a few remarks laced with complimentary words such as sensational, successful, etc. How are we supposed to learn from our history if we are fed the twisted truth about what has happened?

 

Above: Children's book about Christopher Columbus supporting my claims in this section.

Schulze, Bianca . "Christopher Columbus." Children's Book Reviews. Web. 24 Aug. 2012. <http://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/ChristopherColumbus-300x300.jpg>.

 

margaretsanger02 end

 

normanmailer02

          While most, if not all textbooks in America, portray Columbus to be a good person and history-making explorer, James Loewen’s book “Lies My Teacher Told Me” says the opposite. Christopher Columbus was not the person everyone said he was. In fact, according to Loewen when Columbus was on the island, he enslaved the Native tribes, depleted resources and punished those who did not comply with his plans.  Plus, he did it all in the name of Christianity.  At first, Columbus made peace with the Arawak’s, but eventually, commerce came before community. Loewen goes on to say there were even acounts of Columbus writing letters to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella about his “business practices.”   These are events that most history textbooks leave out.   History textbooks leave out “the bad things” about its heroes says Loewen because they only want to glorify the good.   Slavery has been going on in one form or another for thousands of years, before and after Christopher Columbus.  Nations all over the world enslaved Native Americans, Africans, and even their own people through conquest or trade.  Loewen’s book covers the truth that history textbooks do not. Columbus made slaves mine for gold and other riches. He would work them literally to death. Attempts to rebel against Columbus and his men were made, but were to no use. Besides working them to death, wars, rebellions, and diseases that were introduced into the native population killed as well.   History books do tend to mention diseases because they, for the most part, are introduced naturally or accidentally into a population.  Diseases don’t slaughter whole populations in the name of Christianity and commerce.  Christopher Columbus and his men set out to find a new way to reach to the West Indies by sailing west, carrying inside of them the plague and/or Small Pox, eventually killing more natives than the sword.  According to Loewen, the unintentional death of natives portrayed in textbooks is a much more gentle way of looking at historic tragedy than having to face the truth of outright genocide.      

 

Loewen, James. Lies My Teaacher Told Me . New York City : The New Press, 2007. 444. Print.

 

Christopher Columbus: Explorer. Enchanted Learning , n.d. Web. 26 Aug 2012. <http://www.enchantedlearning.com/explorers/page/c/columbus.shtml>.


 

 

Critical Thinking After reading Loewen's book, I believe that I have come away with a better understanding of how research should really be done. I agree with Loewen in the sense that no one textbook or book should be trusted when doing research on a topic, more often than not many authors are quite biased in their writing. Also I will now view history not from just one point of view, but form multiple. It is important to see all sides of history, which in the case of Columbus, could be viewed from the eyes of the Europeans, or the eyes of the Natives. However I was somewhat disapointed that Loewen's book contained a somewhat strong liberal bias in its writing. It is somewhat ironic that Loewen incorporates his own liberal bias in his writing, when in his book he talks about how bias often clouds the truth from the reader.   

 

margaretsanger02:

My newfound understanding of Loewen’s concepts covered in his novel will actually make an impact in my life. I came into the assignment thinking that I wouldn’t really be affected by what I read and the research I conducted to complete this assignment but that couldn’t be farther than the truth. The study of history can easily be skewed and I am really glad that I know that now. I used to take everything in my textbook so literally and practically as a firm grasp of the truth. I am not saying that I don’t trust textbooks now or something absurd but merely stating that with my new knowledge I am inspired to do some of my own research while learning new topics whether at school or home. I think the key is to not just take one source as the absolute truth. You have to really get into research and look into various sources from different types of authors. Also I now have a further in depth understanding in regards to biases. I mean imagine if the Natives wrote the history book about Columbus… I can assure you things would be much different. I am left with a rewarding appreciation and understanding of history, which I certainly did not start out with.

 

margaretsanger02 end

    

(danquayle02)

     Since reading Lies My Teacher Told Me, my eyes have been opened to the incredible bias and falsehoods that are allowed to be printed in textbooks, which (until now) I had always considered as a dependable reference book. From now on, when reading history textbooks, I will be careful to read with a sort of filter, knowing the bias, heroification, and lies of omission that I am likely to encounter in my reading. I have learned that it is just as important to question the material presented to me in history class as I naturally question in, say, math class. Additionally, I carry with me now a greater understanding that a true study of history will, oftentimes, include a great deal of educated guesswork. Simply because our history is behind us does not mean that we are "done" with it-- there is still a great deal that we do not know, that we are forced to still speculate and offer theories on. And now that I know that though the textbook may present everything as decided fact, I am free to make my own speculations and surmises on the how''s, when's, and why's of historical events, because it is entirely possible that distinguished historians are still debating the matter today. 

 

georgiaokeeffe02 -Before reading Lies My Teacher Told Me by: James Loewen, I always took my history textbooks for granted.  I accepted all of the bias and falsehoods to be the truth and nothing but the truth, but now I must recheck my steps before venturing into the secondhand sources from which I gather my knowledge about the history of our world. Loewen opened my eyes to my mistakes in my approach to the study of history about how I never questioned the information that i was receiving, I always thought of what the textbook had to say equivalent to a mathematical algorithm in the sense that each could not be false in our day in age.  With all of our technology available to us it would be pretty easy to find out if a historical fact is in fact a fact. I was wrong, because even though some sources outwardly still say the truth, they misconstrue it in a way that makes their respected bias' factual in our minds.  Now i shall be sure to check the author's background, to find out the bias that he or she contains so I can receive a more accurate summary of our history instead of receiving the summary that is clouded with the author's lies.  This act will allow me to truly understand and appreciate our planet's history.

 

 

Works Cited-

 

margaretsanger02:

<http://geography.about.com/od/christophercolumbus/a/columbus.htm>.

<http://www.biography.com/people/christopher-columbus-9254209?page=1>.

<http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/127070/Christopher-Columbus>.

<http://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/ChristopherColumbus-300x300.jpg>.

Loewen, James W.. Lies my teacher told me: everything your American history textbook got wrong. New York: New Press       1995.Print.

Kennedy, David M., Lizabeth Cohen, and Thomas Andrew Bailey. The American pageant: a history of the American          people. 14th ed. Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2010. Print.

 

margaretsanger02 end

 

 

Work  Cited- Williamphips02 and Georgiaokeeffe02

 

http://www.studiomatters.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/ART4189261.jpg

http://geography.about.com/od/christophercolumbus/a/columbus.htm

http://www.ehow.com/info_8727289_were-christopher-columbus-experiences-explorer.html

http://www.zonu.com/detail-en/2009-12-10-11406/Voyages-of-Christopher-Columbus-in-1492-1493-1498-and-1502.html

 

(Loewen, James W. Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong. New York: New, 2008. Print.)

 

(Cohen, Lizabeth. "Chapter 1." The American Pageant. 12th ed. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2002. 13-15. Print.)   http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/vikings.htm

 

http://www.fotolibra.com/gallery/638648/columbus-at-spanish-court/            http://www.sonofthesouth.net/revolutionary-war/lithographs/columbus-landing-new-world.htm

 

 

robertmcnamara02

On October 31, 1451, Domenico Colombo, a common wool-weaver, and Susanna Fontanarossa gave birth to Christopher Columbus in Genoa, Italy.  Columbus was well educated at a young age in several different languages and in literature.  He first set out to sea when he was only fourteen years old and he continued to go out and explore the oceans. Many think Columbus’s voyages out to sea were relaxing and free of peril, but that is not entirely correct.  For example, in Columbus’s earlier voyages, he nearly lost his life when the ship he was on was attacked and burned by French sailors near Portugal. Although this seemed like a huge misfortune in his life, it turned out to be a chance meeting with his future wife.  He got married toFilipa Moniz and had a son Diego in the year 1480. His wife died and from then on Christopher and his son decided to move to Spain.  The reason he wanted to go there was because he wanted to get a grant for exploring the western trading routes.

 

Columbus had many theories and ideas about the world and exploring.  During his life time he was influenced by the works of many, like Ptolemy, Marco Polo, and Eratosthenes. He believed that there was a quicker route to Asia by sailing west instead of the well-established trade route controlled by Muslims in the Middle East. He decided to travel out to sea and prove people wrong that sailing to China and Japan via the Atlantic Ocean was possible.

 

Different from the other explorers, Christopher had many different ideas about the geography of the Earth.  Christopher believed that the world was a sphere and not flat and also believed that the world was approximately 63% smaller than the believed actual size at the time.  Experts believed that the circumference of the earth was approximately 25,000 miles, which is close to the actual circumference, 24,901 miles. Therefore Columbus’s theory of the earth’s distance was wrong, but regardless he made an extraordinary new discovery of the New World and he had a lasting impact on world history.

 

 

(robertmcnamara02) Textbook bias- In The American Pageant, the writers chose to convey an imbalanced view of the life of Christopher Columbus. In the textbook Christopher is portrayed as a great discoverer of the new world but the textbook does not really elaborate on what Christopher did in the Americas when he arrived there or how he treated the natives. The textbook does not go into detail how he made the natives into slaves. He also forced them to convert to Christianity; he abused them with violence to search for riches. I think the writers of the textbook left this part out because they wanted to portray him as a hero. To keep the readers interested, the writers tend to leave out important details about a person’s life to make him or her seem more appealing.

 

(robertmcnamara02) picture showing how Christopher Columbus treated the natives

 

columbus-taino. 2007. Photograph. real-dream-catchers.com, n/a . Web. 25 Aug 2012. <http://www.real-dream-     catchers.com/Native_American_Holocaust/christopher_columbus_and_the_indians.htm>.

 

(robertmcnamara02) Christopher's voyage to America

Christopher's Forth Voyage. n/a. Photograph. Favorable Impressions , n/a. Web. 25 Aug 2012. http://www.favimp.com/Expsamp.html.

 

(robertmcnamara02) Critical Thinking- Loewen made me realize that not all the information can be true in a textbook. The writers exaggerated and stretch the truth to make the readers more interested. I am now going to be more careful and do more research instead of focusing on one source. I strongly agree with Loewen when he says, "If you truly want students to take an interest in American history, then stop lying to them (Lowen XII)." The reason why teenagers do not like history is because there is no direct source to believe. We do not like having to research several places to get one piece of information. If one source had just the details we need to know instead of useless knowledge we do not have to know, I think teenagers would be more interested to learn about history and the people in it. From reading Loewen's book, I have learned that history is very important to us. Even though it is something that happened in the past we can still apply it to our lives we are living now. Many people ignore the past, but we cannot ignore the past. We learn from our pervious experiences, so therefore we should learn from our past history to make our world a better place to live in.

 

Loewen, James. Lies My Teacher Told Me. n/a. n/a. New York: Simon & Schuster, Inc., 2007. 444. Print.

 

Cohen, Lizabeth. "Chapter 1." The American Pageant. 12th ed. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2002. 13-     15. Print.

 

 

(robertmcnamara02) Works Cited-Anne Hutchinson Anne Hutchinson Anne Hutchinson

"Christopher Columbus." A E Television Networks. n/a.n/a (1996): 3. Web. 25 Aug. 2012. <http://www.biography.com/people/christopher-columbus-     9254209?page=3>.

 

Briney, Amanda. "Christopher Columbus A Biography of the Explorer of the Americas." n/a. n/a.n/a (2012): 1. Web. 25 Aug.       

     2012.<http://geography.about.com/od/christophercolumbus/a/columbus.htm>.

 

"Biography of Christopher Columbus." Mcgraw Hill Education. n/a.n/a (n/a): n/a. Web. 25 Aug.      

     2012. <http://www.glencoe.com/sec/socialstudies/btt/columbus/before_the_voyage.shtml>.

 

"Christopher Columbus." n/a. n/a.n/a (n/a): 1. Web. 25 Aug. 2012. <http://www.christopher-columbus.eu/>.

 

"Interesting Facts on Christopher Columbus!." ThinkQuest. n/a.n/a (n/a): 1. Web. 25 Aug.       

     2012. <http://library.thinkquest.org/5150/html/ifoncc.html>.

  

"Christopher Columbus: The Untold Story." Social Psychology Network. n/a.n/a (2002): 1. Web. 25 Aug.

     2012. http://www.understandingprejudice.org/nativeiq/columbus.htm.

 

Loewen, James. Lies My Teacher Told Me. n/a. n/a. New York: Simon & Schuster, Inc., 2007. 444. Print.

 

Cohen, Lizabeth. "Chapter 1." The American Pageant. 12th ed. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2002. 13- 15. Print.

 

 

 normanmailer02 

           While reading “Lies My teacher Told Me” by James Loewen, I realized the fact that he reveals history and those who made it for what it really is.   At the risk of offending readers, he states facts that textbooks leave out.  He tells us what really happened and why.  He also tells us what he really thinks of the “great” American heroes. Two good examples are in the first chapter.  Loewen tells us about Helen Keller and Woodrow Wilson. Loewen tells us that Helen Keller embraced communism and its views. The book says that she could recite the Soviet Union’s national anthem.  Loewen writes that President Woodrow Wilson was a racist.  He states that Wilson kicked out his black cabinet members, posts that were specifically reserved for them, and gave their spots to white congressmen. He also sent troops to Russia to fight the Red Army after World War I, which the majority of Americans did not support.  In all, James Loewen tells us how certain events in history really occurred.  I feel at times his detailed accounts are strong and a little unfair, but they are factual and definitely not “sugar-coated.”    It is said that all history really is are events that people agree on and write down.  That said, the real question is not if and how the events happened, but can these historical events be described in a way that finds the balance between truth and fact without offending the reader or the subject.   I think that Loewen could make his case without such harsh words.  Christopher Columbus was not the historical figure history textbooks say he is, but he does not need to keep repeating himself.

 

Loewen, James. Lies My Teaacher Told Me . New York City : The New Press, 2007. 444. Print.

 

Christopher Columbus: Explorer. Enchanted Learning , n.d. Web. 26 Aug 2012. <http://www.enchantedlearning.com/explorers/page/c/columbus.shtml>.

 

Comments (Show all 42)

JohnRandolph05 said

at 10:58 am on Aug 2, 2012

Perhaps the reason that Columbus was heroified after his death is that his legacy continued to grow after his death. Columbus died in 1506, a good 13 years before Cortes landed in Mexico. The European impact on America has only increased since.

WilliamPhips02 said

at 4:00 pm on Aug 2, 2012

true as it may be that his legacy did continue to grow after he died, I believe that the bulk of his heroification came from the fact that he was the "first" to discover the New world, just like we remember Neil Armstrong for being the first on the moon, not for as much as his overall impact on science. Loewen talks about this in his book when he mentions that many famous people are remembered for being the first, not for their overall contribution to society.

JohnRandolph05 said

at 8:15 pm on Aug 2, 2012

May I make a recommendation? Work on your grammar.
You have a valid point there. It's impossible to determine which ice age Asian discovered America first, so it is much easier to cite one man for discovering America.

WilliamPhips02 said

at 5:09 pm on Aug 3, 2012

Haha, sorry I was at work and in the middle of something when I wrote this.( last time I checked it wasn't english class.) And yes it is much easier to cite one man. My use of quotation marks simply means that others were there before him, such as the Native americans , and the Vikings. My point being when we look at the re-discovery of America by Columbus, we should see the bigger picture of how he and other explorers helped create a more open world.

Pocahontas07 said

at 7:02 pm on Aug 10, 2012

I feel as though you are trying to say that the legacy of Columbus is a waste, that he is only "revered" because he stumbled upon the Caribbean accidentally and that he should not be admired at all. Is that true? If so, I find it invalid due to his contributions to history are quite extent as he started the Colombian Exchange and founded what would become the Americas. I am not arguing that Christopher Columbus does have a dark shadow clouding his glorified legacy, but are you arguing that the bad far out weighs the good? We do celebrate the legacy of ol' Chris every October here.

FrancisPerkins13 said

at 9:49 pm on Aug 5, 2012

On the instruction sheet, it says you get graded on grammar and spelling.

WilliamPhips02 said

at 11:16 pm on Aug 5, 2012

Uhh... Thanks. I think that he/she was referring to the grammar in my comment, which I already explained.

JohnRandolph05 said

at 5:31 pm on Aug 13, 2012

To Pocahontas07: I suspect when we celebrate Columbus Day , we're not celebrating the downfall of Native America,but the spirit of discovery and determination that Columbus exhibited during his lifetime. The fact is we admire Columbus as a pioneer, not a plunderer. If it was not for Columbus, there would be no United States of America as we know it, and the world's history would have been very different indeed.

AndrewMellon04 said

at 12:37 am on Sep 3, 2012

Why is the history that followed Columbus's discovery better than what may have happened if he had never made it? Of course I understand that there is no way to know for sure, but just imagine, if his failure discouraged other explorers, or simply did not encourage other Europeans to sail for the Americas to colonize, exploit, enslave, and murder the Natives in order to steal their land/jewels/gold/women/labor, then whole cultures and advanced civilizations may not have been wiped off the face of the earth. The Mayans were brilliant astronomers and mathematicians, the Aztecs had cities rivaling the most developed in Europe, and their disappearance is a loss of culture and knowledge, and thus a loss to humanity. Western civilization would still live on, develop, and improve--just in Europe, not in the Americas. If the Native Americans had come to Europe, wiped out the Europeans in the most brutal, savage, and shameful genocide in history, then you can bet that Europeans (westerners including us, basically) would definitely not be saying it was for the better. We would point out all the good things in our culture and society, and grieve its loss. The only reason we can't see this the other way around is because we are still trapped, as Loewen said, in a eurocentric view; we automatically assume what happened in the past is right because it is our history. The annihilation near the point of extinction was not fate or an accident; Europeans did it, it was inherently wrong, and yes, it would have been for the better of the entire peoples inhabiting two vast continents (nor would it have severely damaged Europe) had they never colonized the Americas.

JohnRandolph05 said

at 6:25 pm on Sep 3, 2012

First off, the Mayan city-states collapsed even before Columbus arrived. Moreover, in my (non-native American) eyes, the Aztecs did not disappear. They were replaced by Mexicans, and passed on their better traits to Mexico. The reason that a post-Colombian world is better is that European AKA western/modern medical information would have never made it to America, and with a more connected worlds, the balance of power is easier to maintain. Think of that, in a post-Colombian world, if a Lakota tribesman catches the seasonal flu, the chance remains that his immune system will combat it better due to vaccination. In a pre-Columbian world, that wouldn't happen. Instead of idealizing the past, you have vilified it. Of course, there are downsides to a post-Colombian world, but there are also upsides. If you believed Lowen's message that the past is more complicated than you think, you would recognize this.
Don't get me wrong, native America was wronged by Europe. However, that does not change the fact that native civilizations that were encountered by Europeans with the except of the Aztec and Inca were on the same level of development as the Huns and Vikings. I believe that it was unlikely that they would ever reach the level of technology that is available today.

ChristieMcAuliffe09 said

at 5:07 pm on Aug 14, 2012

i find it interesting the possibility of columbus being a spanish jew hiding his heritage. i really like that they have some proven posibilitys of it such as his personal will and the to supporters of his voyages. the only thing wrong is that its not enough to porve it completly right.

ElvisPresley16 said

at 7:48 pm on Aug 14, 2012

At first, I felt that Columbus shouldn't be praised for finding America because it was already found by others. But after reading georgiaokeeffe02 analysis of Christopher Columbus my perception of him changed. The writer opened my eyes to see that Christopher Columbus did in fact have a big part of America. I still, however, don't think people should say he found American but instead say he helped or started the creation of America.

JanetReno12 said

at 5:41 pm on Aug 15, 2012

I dont hink textbooks do or should portray columbus as a failure Heroification is used anytime Christopher columbus is addressed. He is credited for discover the Americas and doing wonders for spain. Even though the man completely missed his destination and accidentaly discoverd the americas he is portrayed as a great Navigator and pioneer. But i beleive that expescially in this case textbooks have good reason for painting Columbus as a total hero. He discovered the land that we live in today, and whos to say where we would be now if he hadnt discovered it when and how he did.

JohnScopes09 said

at 2:00 pm on Aug 16, 2012

I liked how you put your visuals throughout the wiki page instead of at the end unlike many of the groups. This page gave me a lot of new information I didnt know about him, like his cotton/gold system with the Indians. georgiaokeeffe02 did a fantastic job throwing a light on the truth of the herofication of Christopher Columbus. He did discover America but it was a mistake so to say. Good organization and teamwork.

ThomasNast14 said

at 2:13 pm on Aug 16, 2012

I do like the focus put on heroification throughout this page. I still think it's accurate to characterize Columbus as a "successful failure." Columbus did ultimately fail at his original goal: to find a new route to Asia. Yes, his contributions were still significant (though he technically didn't "discover" anything) but his endeavor to find another route to Asia failed. Columbus may be called a failure much like Sir Walter Raleigh's early colonization efforts could be called failures; the Roanoke colony was a failed attempt to settle the new world, even if it was a significant event from which the future settlers could learn.

GeorgePatton09 said

at 2:12 pm on Aug 18, 2012

I really like this groups wiki page! I find that it is almost like reading a textbook, that has been edited by James Loewen himself. The organization was brilliant and I really like how factual you went into detail. Glorification was spelled out very well through out your page. Including in the picture of Christopher Columbus in his glory of his discovery. I also like how you dedicated a space to a work cited. Who ever thought of it, GOOD THINKING! I am going to add one to my teams page. Well done all of you 02's!

ChesterNimitz15 said

at 9:09 am on Aug 20, 2012

I like how williamphips02 told how Columbus came to be sponsored by the Spanish when in fact he was Italian. That fact has kept me pondering about Columbus so thanks again for that piece of that information.

WalterReed09 said

at 10:15 am on Aug 20, 2012

I find it interesting how everyone has a different opinion on Christopher Clumbus's achievements. Some believe that he was nessassary in creating the modern world, while others believe that historians put to much importance on his impact in Europe instead of his downfalls and mistreatments of the Natives

RossPerot14 said

at 8:07 pm on Aug 20, 2012

I agree with the fact that Columbus is portrayed as a hero depsite his accidental discovery and his cruel treatment towards Native Americans, but I will never understand why we are taught that he discovered the U.S. From a young age we learn, "Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492," and celebrate with a holiday. However, with deeper and deeper research it just doesn't make any sense why he is such a well-known hero.

LouisPasteur07 said

at 1:02 pm on Aug 21, 2012

Columbus's achievements are more than what most here are saying about getting rich and finding the new world. Sure those are ground breaking for the time but he also opened up a new window for exploration by crossing the atlantic in which many others would follow and join in the great expedition for land and glory.

JPierpontMorgan10 said

at 3:07 pm on Aug 21, 2012

When I learned about Columbus throughout elementary and middle school, I never thought of him as a murderer. I always saw him as an explorer that accidently discovered America. I never really thought of the numerous lives that were lost because of him, but i never thought of him as a failure either. It is interesting to see his story from multiple points of view.

TheodoreRoethke01 said

at 1:49 am on Aug 23, 2012

While yes, it is interesting to hear of these points of view, but what I identify with most is the fact that Columbus did not 'discover' anything. People were already in North America for many generation prior to Columbus's arrival there. His arrival did bring about many negative repercussions, and that is overlooked by many textbooks, but never entirely omitted. I'm almost positive everyone knows that Europeans are responsible for the accidental, and sometimes intentional, massacre of many natives due to diseases they carried. But, I don't think it's right to attribute that entirely to Christopher Columbus, for he was not a bio-terrorist. His hero status is equally befuddling once one ponders the reasons he is idolized, but we will always need someone to glorify, and that is not liable to change.

TerrencePowderly13 said

at 6:26 pm on Aug 23, 2012

Like williamphips, i agree with how the textbook gives Columbus heroification. The textbook discusses how Columbus' discovery is such a grand achievement. It is an achievement, don't get me wrong, but it doesnt emphasize how Columbus was a failure. He didnt find a pathway to India, he found the Bahamas.

OliverHazardPerry16 said

at 10:25 am on Aug 25, 2012

In addition to reading all of the great information about Christopher Columbus on this page, I really enjoyed hearing margaretsanger02’s thoughts within the critical thinking section. I agree completely with their views, and I can relate to them. I never used to even consider doubting the validity of the information within history textbooks. But now, just like margaretsanger02, I will want to look at more than one source in order to make sure that I am learning the full truth, and not just the biased information. This was very well written. Great job!

MargaretSanger02 said

at 6:42 pm on Aug 25, 2012

Thank You!

WilliamPrescott15 said

at 1:55 pm on Aug 25, 2012

This page gave me new and shocking information that is quite contradictory to the herofication of Columbus that I grew up with. Although Columbus paved the way for settlement in the Americas, he never "discovered" America. As if that is not shocking enough, he also forced the natives to do his dirty work, brought over terrible deseases, and killed those carrying diseases. The real Columbus had much more of a negative impact than the possitive one I had grown up learning about.

Good job to those who worked on this page!

ArthurMiller05 said

at 10:09 pm on Aug 29, 2012

I found this page to give a clear story about Christopher Columbus and his voyages. I agree that the textbook gives examples of heroification by including words such as daring, and skillful. I found the textbook to give a basic overview of Columbus's expeditions, leaving me surprised to find out that he was arrested but later pardoned. Your page has given me a new perspective on Columbus's voyages, and I really enjoyed reading your page.

JohnRandolph05 said

at 11:05 am on Aug 30, 2012

The image of Europeans overlooking natives being attacked by dogs really adds to the article. I wonder if it was painted by someone who witnessed in event like it, or it was an English propaganda piece.

JamesMonroe08 said

at 10:02 pm on Aug 30, 2012

This is a remarkably in-depth and detailed wiki page. I originally thought that Christopher Columbus would be the easiest topic to do but I now see how wrong I am. There are so many new aspects of Columbus that you have managed to introduce to me. Nice job on discussing many of the small details both positive and negative about Columbus. Good job, your page is deservedly praiseworthy.

JeannetteRankin06 said

at 1:04 pm on Aug 31, 2012

Although Columbus was was not the first to discover the New World, he was the first to bridge the Old and New world. I think it's interesting how, as children, we were never acquainted with people that might have "discovered" the New World and the natives living there.

JohnMarshall06 said

at 1:02 pm on Sep 1, 2012

I don't really remember much of what I was taught of Columbus when I was smaller, but I definitely didn't learn about what happened after he landed in America. As children, we learned about Columbus and his voyage there, but never anything about killing and enslaving the natives. Columbus was taught as a role model and hero to young children, but between this page and "Lies my Teacher Told Me", it becomes apparent that he isn't anything like what he's said to be. Of course you can't tell small children that their role model was connected to all of the Native deaths in America, but to never teach it at any age is wrong. Anyone who doesn't find this out is never going to know because it isn't taught in school, save for a few things here and there.

YitzhakRabin03 said

at 8:02 pm on Sep 1, 2012

This article allowed me to have an outside perspective. Instead of now seeing a man and his wondrous explorations, I see a greedy and pompous man that opened a window to destroy an entire population of people. Somehow he managed t lead the erasing of the native people on two entire continents. I never really knew that people generically hated Columbus, I knew some of the true facts, but nevertheless he discovered half of the world pretty much.This was a downright amazing page guys, thanks for the new information, it really opened my eyes.

JamesMadison01 said

at 1:36 pm on Sep 2, 2012

I feel like when Columbus discovered the new world, he made a bad impression on the native americans. I had read that these natives were advanced in their own way but Columbus saw nothing but many small, uncivilized tribes.He had the want to control and only attacked them for their incompetence.

JuliusPratt14 said

at 7:58 pm on Sep 2, 2012

I like how well you identified the way the authors of the textbook made it seem like columbus was a hero. It continues to impress me how the culture in America includes shielding our youth from embarrassing events in history that make America seem like the "bad guy."

Sequoia12 said

at 4:56 pm on Sep 3, 2012

Everyone's overviews were very detailed and provided a lot of insight to Columbus' life and the voyages he took. I think thrre could have been more insight on his first inpressions when he landed in the "new world." overall it was really good

WilliamMcKinley01 said

at 5:18 pm on Sep 3, 2012

I think it is very interesting to read how Columbus the knowledga and other aspects in order to get the native americans to do what he wanted such as the trick with the almanac. And even though it was wrong I think it shows how the Europeans felt about other nations and the fact that they were more advanced than them. I think the only thing that might have improved this is if there had been more input about what occured when he arrived and even maybe the way that he came into realizing that he was not in fact in India.

WilliamPitt04 said

at 5:31 pm on Sep 3, 2012

I agree with JohnMarshall06 about how we never learned about all the killing that happened after the colonist got to the Americas, and this page definitely explains that Columbus was really not who he is explained to be in the textbook.

JohnRockefeller15 said

at 6:33 pm on Sep 3, 2012

i find it very interesting that Christopher's accomplishments with the Americas are being questioned as good or bad. After reading this my opinion of his exploration has changed because this page gave alot of insight that i was unaware of.

BuzzAldrin12 said

at 7:39 pm on Sep 3, 2012

I enjoyed the information that was given about Columbus. There was so much I didn't know until i read over this page. I think it is amazing how young, and heroic he was when he began sailing. Although it is stated he sailed to find a faster route to Asia, I believe he wanted to be viewed as a higher figure and wanted the riches that came along with it. I have always thought of Columbus as a hero because he "found" the New World, but after reading this information my perspective has changed because of all the negative things he was involved in, including the slave trade. Overall, I learned a lot of information about him I didn't know because of this research.

JosephMcCarthy14 said

at 8:00 pm on Sep 3, 2012

This page did very well in describing Columbus's life! I had no idea that he made several voyages to the New World before he eventually came upon the area for which he was made famous for. Also, I fell into the common textbook trap of believing in all the heroification of characters, including Columbus. After he discovered the New World, my knowledge ended there because that's all Columbus was famous for. It turns out, he forced the natives into slavery and stole their riches. That definitely changed my perspective of him since before reading this page I thought he was a common sailor who chanced upon the New World and became a hero!

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