As a United States citizen the importance of our nation 's foundation is taught in early childhood, starting with the stories of Christopher Columbus and his significantly important journey across the Atlantic Ocean. Christopher Columbus was a man who believed that by sailing west he would land in Asia. He was searching for a quicker route to China. Columbus began lobbying for his travels nearly ten years before he gained the support of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella.
In August of 1492 Columbus set sail with the three ships provided, three months later land was discovered. Upon arrival Columbus and his men immediately came into contact with the people native to the land. After landing Columbus apprehended control of the land in the name of Spain, which ultimately led to the destruction of the civilization that existed. When Columbus assessed the natives he realized that because of the docile and naive nature that they expressed, the native people would make good servants and he took several captive as slaves. Using brutality was the way Columbus and his men ensured control of the native people. Many of the native people were forced into slavery or into forced labor because of the status Columbus was seeking to gain. Columbus had sent thousands of natives from Hispaniola, the land he discovered to Spain as slaves to be sold for profit. Because of the harsh conditions and the way the natives were treated many died en route to Spain. The natives left behind were used for farming and for mining, however within half a century only a few hundred natives were left. After his journey back to Spain, Columbus sought to appease King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. By claiming that there was an abundance of slaves and gold, he received further backing in the form of 17 ships and over 1,200 men for his next expedition. With the a renewed sense of confidence Columbus …show more content…
When the native people tried to rebel they faced an extreme level of brutality, rape, and murder. This control was publically displayed to ensure that the natives knew who had control. With a new motivation of fulfilling his promises to the king and queen, a new side of Columbus was born.
Columbus made the natives work in the gold mines until they were past the point of exhaustion. A quota of a thimble of gold dust was required with a three month time limit in order to ensure compliance. If the quota was not met, brutal consequences were enforced varying in degree from beheading to the removal of a limb. Many natives died from blood loss, over ten thousand died handless. In two years time approximately 250,000 natives were deceased due to the destruction and brutality Columbus created.
Trying desperately to fulfill the promises he made to the king and queen of Spain, Columbus may have found a new world but in the process he destroyed one that existed. Whether it was the direct result of his actions and supremacy or not, the end result was still the same. Brutality is never the answer to the growth of a good