Christopher Columbus - Gold, Glory, and Genocide: The Dark Side of Columbus's Legacy

the man immortalized in history as Christopher Columbus was born on 26 August 1451 in the Republic of Genoa Italy Christopher Columbus had three brothers bartalo Giovani and gako and a sister baneta his father domeno was a weaver and Tavern keeper whose love of sea travel would significantly influence young Columbus and his mother Susanna a housewife little is known of Columbus's early life but by the time he was 20 years old he was already experienced at seamanship having traveled to Iceland and the aian Sea and by 1476 he was entrusted with his command of a trading vessel he was married to the Portuguese Noble woman Philipa monise perestrello and had a son Diego by 1480 and by 1485 was piloting ships to areas along the coast of West Africa in the service of Portugal's trade interests the climate in which Columbus had grown up was significantly different from that of his parents in that the kinds of goods Europeans had grown used to were no longer available in the way they had once been the Overland trade routes to the east known in the modern era as the Silk Road had been in operation between Europe and China since 130 when it was opened under the Han Dynasty the Silk Road was comprised of numerous routs parts of which fell under the control of one group or nationality or another at various times in its history the European explorer Marco Polo traveled the Silk Road and dictated details of it in his book after he returned which provided later Travelers with a kind of guide and also helped them establish distances between Europe and the East the Silk Road was predominantly controlled by the Mongol Empire until its fall in 1368 after which the Byzantine Empire kept Goods flowing in both directions the byzantines fell to the ottoman Turks in 1453 however who then closed the Overland routes and cut European Merchants off from Eastern Goods to reestablish trade with the East European Merchants took to the Sea launching the so-called age of Discovery this is not to say that Europeans had no knowledge of sea travel at this time nor that European Merchants suddenly scrambled to build ships or hastily draw inaccurate Maps the magnetic compass was known in Europe by 1180 and using ancient texts such as strabo's GE graphy and plyy the elders natural history as well as long-established Maps European Pilots were able to navigate the waters and continue trade with the East Via the Black Sea the problem they faced however was Muslim Arab traders who controlled several significant sea roots to the east Portuguese Mariners began looking into other possible sea roots to the East and one contributor to this effort was the Florentine astrologer and mathematician Pao deloto toscanelli who who had transcribed a map of the world of the ancient geographer strabo and presented a copy to King Alfonso the 5 of Portugal suggesting sailing west to reach the China in the East Alonso 5if rejected toselli's proposal and so the latter sent the copy of the map to Columbus who by now had a reputation as an expert Navigator and Seaman in 1474 Columbus was still sailing in the interests of Portugal at this time and he and his brothers were also Al engaged in working out a sea route to China Columbus had taught himself Latin Spanish and Portuguese and so was able to access a wide range of documents and maps in developing his vision of a voyage across the Atlantic Ocean to establish a new trade route with China the Columbus Brothers put together a plan and in 1484 Columbus approached King John II of Portugal to request funding Columbus basing his calculations on toselli's map Mar Polo's work and other documents estimated the distance from the Canary Islands to China at around 3,700 km but King John II rejected the plan because Columbus's estimate of the distance was too low which proved to be true as the distance was 19600 Kil Columbus then brought his proposal to the governments of Genoa and Venice but was rejected by both he then turned to Ferdinand II and Isabella the of Spain who also rejected him but were intrigued enough by his plan that they kept him on retainer paying him a significant sum to keep him from proposing the expedition to any other government Ferdinand and Isabella were in the midst of their problems trying to drive the Muslim Arabs known as the Moors from their territory in the effort that has since come to be known as the Reconquista 7111 1492 the last stronghold of the Moors at Granada fell in 1492 and afterward Columbus was granted the three ships and funding he had requested Columbus left port on the 3rd August 1492 in his famous ships the Nina Pinta and Santa Maria his main objective was reaching China but it was also made clear that he was to claim any lands not already under a Sovereign Nation for Spain and to the honor of the Catholic Church to this end he was given two official documents one a contract between him and the crown promised the monarchy 90% of the profits of the Venture in return for funding and stipulated that Columbus was awarded the position of Viceroy or governor of any lands he took for the crown two a letter of introduction from Ferdinand and Isabella requesting any Monarch Columbus came in contact with to provide him safe passage and provision as his mission was in the service of the Christian faith first voyage 1492 1493 [Music] on October 12th 1492 Christopher Columbus reached a Caribbean island guanahani named San Salvador by him and encountered a large group of indigenous people on the shore accompanied by his trusted officers Columbus claimed the island for Spain believing it to be near his intended destination Asia though the natives reception is unrecorded an exchange of gifts followed after exploring other Islands Columbus established a settlement LAN aidad in Haiti with a local chieftain's permission leaving some crewman behind he also took captive natives back to Spain news of this discovery ignited excitement in Europe particularly for potential Christian conversion and riches Columbus returned in 1493 to capitalize on these possibilities second voyage 1493 1496 Columbus now Governor returned to the Americas with a grand Fleet 17 ships carried colonists and most ominously vicious Mastiffs War Dogs proven effective against the Moors these dogs became instruments of subjugation hunting down dissenters and crushing any resistance to Spanish rule a chilling example unfolded in 1494 upon Columbus's arrival in Jamaica facing initial Defiance he unleashed the Savage Mastiffs the terrified indigenous Force scattered their resolve shattered this second voyage marked the brutal dawn of the encomienda system colonists seized land forcing natives to work in exchange for scraps and a deceitful promise of safety balom de Lascassas a later chronicler documented a devastating loss of 50,000 indigenous lives within a year while modern Scholars debate the exact figure the true toll is undeniably horrific stripped of their culture and autonomy the natives were reduced to a subjugated clim pass torture execution and foreign diseases ravaged their populations to compound their suffering many were shipped off to Europe in shackles further shattering their communities third voyage 1498 1500 despite a firm European foothold in the Americas Columbus remained fixated on finding a passage to China through the islands he'd encountered believing his Spanish colonies were part of Asia he secured funding for a third voyage in 1496 to confirm this Theory instead he stumbled upon what is now Central and South America meanwhile Columbus's colonists descended into brutality enslaving and abusing the native population though Columbus opposed this treatment and punished the colonists harshly it backfired in 1499 accusations of tyranny and Corruption landed him and his brother Diego in Chains shipped back to Spain to face trial Ferdinand and Isabella however acquitted them provided new ships and allowed their return to the new world fourth voyage 1502 154 Columbus's Grand return with 30 ships turned into a disaster a storm near Santo Domingo sank 29 vessels leaving him unwelcomed by the regional Governors his defense of indigenous people and disruption of the slave trade which enriched both Traders and the crown were seen as mismanagement undeterred Columbus charted a course for exploration mapping parts of Honduras and Costa Rica however another storm Shipwrecked him in Jamaica there the locals already hostile and the governors mirroring that sentiment offered no assistance Columbus in a stroke of remarkable timing used his knowledge of astronomy to predict a lunar eclipse on February 29th 1504 he convinced the natives that he caused the eclipse and could withhold f fut light unless they helped this Ploy secured their aid allowing Columbus and his crew to be eventually rescued returning to Spain a broken man he died in valid in May 1506 [Music] [Music]