Young People's History: Chapter 1
I have always known Christopher Columbus as the person who discovered America. The way my teachers spoke about him made him seem like this wise man who set voyage in search of an adventure. After reading this chapter, I am in shock. I have heard people say that the story of Christopher Columbus is not the real story but I never imagined what it was really like. I never took the time to even do my own research but now that I know I have so many questions. Why did my teachers not tell me the truth? I understand that it wasn't something pleasant to talk about but even when I got to high school none of teachers discussed this with me. I feel like once in high school, I would have been able to take the truth just like they spoke to me about slavery and the holocaust. Which is a very sad topic to discuss but they dit it.
Christopher Columbus was not even the first man who spotted land. There was another man on the ship named Rodrigo and he was the one who spotted it first, but Columbus claimed that he saw it first because there was a reward with it. Columbus was obviously money hungry. He wrote about how there were Indians who greeted him when he made it to land and how they gave him gifts. In reality, he captured the Indians who are Arawaks to get information out of them about the new land. He then went back to Spain and promised the king and queen more slaves and gold. The Indians were the salves and they were responsible for finding the gold. Columbus ordered Indians over the age of 13 to find gold, if they failed to do so their hands will get cut off and bleed to death. Columbus captured 500 Indians to take them back to Spain to serve his promise to the king and queen. On his was there, 200 died in voyage. The Indians became afraid because Columbus had asked for a task that was impossible, all they could find that was close to gold was gold dust. They planned to run away, but Columbus and caught them and hung them to death. Indians began to commit suicide with poison and so many died.
In the children history books this is a tale of heroic adventure. Now I see it as bloodshed, I understand why teachers don't let young children know what actually happened but I also feel like they have the right to know. But how do you tell young children this story?
Christopher Columbus was not even the first man who spotted land. There was another man on the ship named Rodrigo and he was the one who spotted it first, but Columbus claimed that he saw it first because there was a reward with it. Columbus was obviously money hungry. He wrote about how there were Indians who greeted him when he made it to land and how they gave him gifts. In reality, he captured the Indians who are Arawaks to get information out of them about the new land. He then went back to Spain and promised the king and queen more slaves and gold. The Indians were the salves and they were responsible for finding the gold. Columbus ordered Indians over the age of 13 to find gold, if they failed to do so their hands will get cut off and bleed to death. Columbus captured 500 Indians to take them back to Spain to serve his promise to the king and queen. On his was there, 200 died in voyage. The Indians became afraid because Columbus had asked for a task that was impossible, all they could find that was close to gold was gold dust. They planned to run away, but Columbus and caught them and hung them to death. Indians began to commit suicide with poison and so many died.
In the children history books this is a tale of heroic adventure. Now I see it as bloodshed, I understand why teachers don't let young children know what actually happened but I also feel like they have the right to know. But how do you tell young children this story?
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