Christopher Columbus - David-Glen Smith · Christopher Columbus revised 07.07.12 || English 2327: American Literature I || D. Glen Smith, instructor They are all of a good size and

revised 07.07.12 || English 2327: American Literature I || D. Glen Smith, instructor

Christopher Columbus

2



Spanish Exploration of Americas

Early in the exploration of the Americas, Spain used divine sanction from

Pope Alexander VI to explore and conquer the New World.

• Ashistoryprogressed,theSpanishconquestofSouthAmericabecamefurther

fueledbythedesiretoregainthepoliticalandfinancialpoweritlostduringits

defeatin1588toQueenElizabethI.

• EditorsofthetextHistory of World Societiesnotethatbecauseofthe

expulsionofJewsandMuslimsduringtheFifteenthCentury,Spainlosta

strongmiddleclass,forcingitasasecond-rateworldpower,monetarily.

• ThePope’ssanctionin1493alsoopenedupotherfinancialinvestmentsinthe

NewWorld—inthebeginningoftheconquestoftheAmericasNativepeople

offeredaplausibleresourceforthedevelopingslavetradeindustry.

3



Letters and Diary of Christopher Columbus

MexicannovelistanddiplomatCarlosFuentescommentedintheNinetiesthat

Columbuswasthefirstwriterofmagic-realisminliterature.

•MagicrealismisagenreofliteraturewhichbeganintheSeventiesby

ColombiannovelistGabrielGarciaMarquez—itdealswithasurrealisticlookata

realistic situation.

•Thegenrepromotestheconceptthattheworldisfilledwithabsurdityand

withoutanysenseoflogic.Writersinthisgenreshowhowhistoryand

humaneventsdonotmakesenseandweshouldnottrytofindalogicinthe

development of what we call “reality.”

•Inotherwords,Columbusreinventedthescenesaroundhisvoyagesmerely

topromoteandembellishhisadventuresinordertogainmoneyandnotoriety

from the Spanish court, not to discover new territories.

4



ThefirstsectionofyourreadingopenswithaletterfromColumbusaddressed

toeitherRaphaelSanchezortoLuisdeSantangel—yourfootnotestellyouthey

wereofficialsinthecourtofIsabellaandFerdinand.

Usingwritingstylesandtrendsofthetime,theletterpromotesapositiveimage

ofthetripwhichtheSpanishcourtfunded.Fromahistoricalperspective,itdoes

givesomeslightinsightintothemind-setoftheexplorerhimself.Primarilythe

theme of the letter is the journey, not the man.

5



Inthefirstparagraphheopensimmediatelydeclaresthevoyageasuccess,

appropriatelycomplimentshispatronstheKingandQueen,anddeclareshe

haspossessednumerousislandsfortheSpanishkingdom.Mostimportantly,he

states “no opposition was offered to me” (Anthology of American Literature 15).

•Thisisacrucialstatementwhichsetsuptheillicitpatternofcolonizationand

appropriationbytheOldWorldforthenextfourhundredyears.

• Byshowinghowvulnerablethepeopleare,andbyshowingtheylack

knowledgeofOldWorldreligion,theNewWorldisopenforplundering.

Notice the names of the islands he mentions at the close of the first paragraph.

Can you make out a pattern of naming for the islands?

6



Set in a hierarchy:

San Salvador (Holy Savior)

IsladeSantaMariadeConcepcion (VirginMother)

Fernandina (theKing)

Isabella (theQueen)

Isla Juana (after Prince Juan of Asturias, the heir apparent)

• Ofthesefiveislands,onlythelastdoweknowforcertain—

itbecameeventuallynamedCuba.

7



Notice the construction of the opening paragraphs.

Hiswritingmirrorsastrongtravelogue,afterall,heisenticinghisinvestorswith

vividdescriptionsoftheterritoriesinordertoconfirmhisjourneywasasuccess.

•Hislanguageisrichwithdetailssoundinglikeavacationingresortbrochure.

• Inaddition,theletterisservingasaformofselfpromotion,apropaganda.

•HeshowstheSpanishrulerswhatisavailablefortheirartistic,esotericminds:

beautifulweather,pleasantatmospheres,availableagricultures—showing

theislandswithlivableconditionsfortheaverageEuropean,anEden of

possibilities.

• Noticetheconclusionofthethirdparagraph;hecasuallymentionsthefact

thatvaguemetalsexist:“Intheinterior(oftheisland)areminesofmetals”—

butthat’sallhewrites,ashortsentenceonly,asateaseofpotential,future

references in the remainder of the letter.

8



Laterinthefulldocument,heteasesthereaderfurtherbysidesteppingthe

evidenceofmetals,shiftsbacktothetopographicalconditions,tellshowthearea

isperfectforraisingcattle,forplantingandsowing...andthenhehitsthereader

withpromiseofmorevaluablemetals:“therivers,manyandgreat,andgood

waters,themajorityofwhichcontaingold”(Anthology of American Literature 16).

• Columbusisusingacommonployforhistime;earlyexplorersembellish

thispointasmuchaspossible,enticingotherpotentialinvestorstosupply

funds for their schemes.

• Hereconfirmsthestatementwithmoredetails:“Inthisisland,thereare

manyspicesandgreatminesofgoldandofothermetals”(16)—herelies

anotherobviousfiction.Thisonesentencebyitselfoverembellishesthe

possibilitiesforconquest.

9



In the developing paragraphs he switches his subject to the natives:

Thepeopleoftheisland,andofalltheotherislandswhichIfoundandof

whichIhaveinformation,allgonaked,menandwomen,astheirmothers

borethem,althoughsomewomencoverasingleplacewiththeleafofaplant

orwithnetofcottonwhichtheymakeforthepurpose.Theyhavenoironor

steelorweapons,noraretheyfittedtousethem,notbecausetheyare

notwellbuiltmenandhandsomestature,butbecausetheyaremarvelously

timorous.Theyhavenootherarmsthanweaponsmadeofcanes,cutin

seedingtime,totheendsofwhichtheyfixasmallsharpenedstick.Andthey

donotdaretomakeuseofthese,formanytimesithashappenedthatIhave

sent ashore two or three men to some town to have speech, and countless

people have come out to them, and as soon as they have seen my men

approachingtheyhavefled,evenafathernotwaitingforhisson.(16-17)

10



Columbusevengoestothetroubleofstatinghowgullibleandchildlikethe

peopleareintermsofbartering.

Theyneverrefuseanythingwhichtheypossess,ititbeaskedofthem;onthe

contrary, they invite anyone to share it, and display as much love as if they

wouldgivetheirhearts,andwhateverthethingbeofvalueorwhetheritbe

ofsmallprice,atoncewiththatevertrifleofwhateverkinditmaybethat

isgiventothem,withthattheyarecontent.Iforbadethattheyshouldbe

giventhingssoworthlessasfragmentsofbrokencrockeryandscrapsof

brokenglass,andendsofstraps,althoughwhentheywereabletogetthem,

theyfanciedthattheypossessedthebestjewelintheworld.Soitwasfound

thatasailorforastrapreceivedgoldtotheweightoftwoandahalf

castellanos,andothersmuchmoreforotherthingswhichwereworth

muchless.(17)

11



The two scenes in particular are carefully crafted.

• Columbusshowshowvulnerablethepeopleareinrelationtotheirsupposed

wealth.

• Furthermore,theyareshownnaked,withoutarmorandwithoutguns.

• Theirmaindefensesarelimitedtoprimitivewar-gear.

• Theylackknowledgeofthevalueofthemetalswhichexistinabundance

around them.

12



After his first voyage to the Americas, Columbus presented a copy of

his private journal to Ferdinand and Isabella as a gift.

• Thedocumentoutlinesinfurtherdetailtheextentofhisjourneys.

• Originalcopiesoftheworkarenowlost.

•AccordingtoThe Anthology of American Literature (9th Edition):

“Theonlyversionofthediaryknowntoexistisacopymadeby

BartholomédelasCasasinthe1530’s.LasCasasinpartcopiedandinpart

summarizedColumbus’personalcopyoftheoriginaljournal”(n.1,19).

•ThejournalcopydetailsacloserinsighttoColumbus’overallplans.

ThroughLasCasas,thejournalshowsaslightlydifferentimageof

theexplorer’sgoals.LasCasas’intentionsarenotselfrewardingforhimself.

NorisheaimingtodefameColumbus.

13



• TheentrydatedOctober 11, 1492decribeseventsofwhenhefirstapproaches

theislandhelaternamesSanSalvador.LasCasasstatesasColumbusexplored

theland:

Numbersofthepeopleoftheislandstraightwaycollectedtogether.Here

followtheprecisewordsoftheAdmiral:“AsIsawthattheywerevery

friendly to us, and perceived that theycouldbemuchmoreeasilyconverted

toourholyfaithbygentlemeansthanbyforce, I presented them with some

redcaps,andstringsofbeadstowearupontheneck,andmanyothertrifles

of small value, wherewiththeyweremuchdelighted,andbecame

wonderfully attached to us.Afterwardstheycameswimmingtotheboats,

bringingparrots,ballsofcottonthread,javelins,andmanyotherthings

whichtheyexchangedforarticleswegavethem,suchasglassbeads,and

hawk’sbells;whichtradewascarriedonwiththeutmostgoodwill.

14



Buttheyseemedonthewholetome,tobeaverypoorpeople.Theyallgo

completelynaked,eventhewomen,thoughIsawbutonegirl. All whom I

sawwereyoung,notabovethirtyyearsofage,wellmade,withfineshapes

andfaces;theirhairshort,andcoarselikethatofahorse’stail,combed

towardtheforehead,exceptasmallportionwhichtheysuffertohangdown

behind,andnevercut.Somepaintthemselveswithblack,whichmakesthem

appearlikethoseoftheCanaries,neitherblacknorwhite;otherswithwhite,

otherswithred,andotherswithsuchcolorsastheycanfind.Somepaint

theface,andsomethewholebody;othersonlytheeyes,andothersthe

nose. Weapons they have none, nor are acquainted with them, for I showed

themswordswhichtheygraspedbytheblades,andcutthemselvesthrough

ignorance.Theyhavenoiron,theirjavelinsbeingwithoutit,andnothing

morethansticks,thoughsomehavefish-bonesorotherthingsattheends.

15



Theyareallofagoodsizeandstature,andhandsomelyformed. I saw some

withscarsofwoundsupontheirbodies,anddemandedbysignsthe[sic]

ofthem;theyansweredmeinthesameway,thattherecamepeoplefromthe

otherislandsintheneighborhoodwhoendeavoredtomakeprisonersof

them,andtheydefendedthemselves.Ithoughtthen,andstillbelieve,that

these were from the continent. It appears to me, that the people are

ingenious,andwouldbegoodservantsandIamofopinionthattheywould

veryreadilybecomeChristians,astheyappeartohavenoreligion.Theyvery

quicklylearnsuchwordsasarespokentothem.IfitpleaseourLord,I

intendatmyreturntocarryhomesixofthemtoyourHighnesses,thatthey

maylearnourlanguage.Isawnobeastsintheisland,noranysortofanimals

exceptparrots.”ThesearethewordsoftheAdmiral.

(Internet Medieval Source Book)http://www.fordham.edu/Halsall/index.asp

16



Contrasting the journal writing with the letter, some distinctions

should be noted:

• inthejournalColumbusportraysthepeopleinapositive,friendlymanner

• thepeoplearenotshowncowardly;theydonotrunandhideatthesightofthe

ships and people as he states they do later on the island Juana

•thepeoplewouldbeeasilyconvertedtotheTrueFaith;theyhavetheskillsand

capabilitiesofbecoming lower thantheworkingclasscitizensforSpain,once

theyrealizedthetruepowerandsuperiorityofthewhite-Europeans

• thejournalshowsthenativesinmorehuman-likequalities,lessanimalistic

orbarbaric

• healsoshowsmorepositiveobservationsregardingtheirphysical

characteristics;inthismanner,byappearances,theycarryanexoticappeal

toonewantingpropertyofextraordinaryorigins

17



In comparison, over-all a majority of the material echoes the letter.

• bothdocumentsshowhowpoorthenativesare

• howtheylackasenseofcivilizationbyEuropeandefinitions:

>lackofclothing

>lackmilitaristicarmsandarmor

>lackofunderstandingofvalueforworldlygoods

>noevidenceoflargecitiesorindustriessuchasshipbuilding

• Althoughinthejournalsheimpliesthenativesareintelligentandharmonious,

Columbusislookingforslave-labor,orinamorepositivesense,servants.

Insometranslationsthematerialreadsthat:“Iwilltake six of them—”

(Anthology of American Literature, 9th Ed.21)presumablyagainsttheirwill,

to display them as trophies of his accomplishments.

Documents

Christopher Columbus - David-Glen Smith · Christopher Columbus revised 07.07.12 || English 2327: American Literature I || D. Glen Smith, instructor They are all of a good size and