April 19, 2005
OPPOSITION? IT WAS THE BEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO THEM:
Americans expressed no opposition when conquered, Columbus reported (Carl Hartman, April 19, 2005, Associated Press)
When Christopher Columbus came home, he thanked King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain in a way that should have made them happy even though he didn't bring back the treasures of the Indies — just a few gold bracelets and a group of Arawak Indians.Posted by Orrin Judd at April 19, 2005 12:57 PMOne of the earliest printed copies of the letter that Columbus wrote goes on display Wednesday at the Library of Congress, appearing there with other sidelights on the history of the Americas that is not found in many school textbooks.
"There I found very many islands,'' Columbus wrote, describing the Bahamas and the Caribbean, "filled with innumerable people, and I have taken possession of them all for their Highnesses, done by proclamation and with the royal standard unfurled, and no opposition was offered to me.''
Well, duh. They didn't speak Spanish.
The Arawaks were, like many people untainted by monotheism, friendly.
The Spaniards reciprocated by exterminating them.
Columbus was not welcomed by the Caribs, and he and his followers made a point of staying out of their way.
Posted by: Harry Eagar at April 19, 2005 8:27 PMHarry:
We're I a "native", I would welcome you, befriend you, feed and shelter you, and insist that you stay and be the honored guest at our Temple's upcoming "Heart of the full Moon Festival". Oh yes, our "Intertribal Guest Workers' Project" could use some technical and logistical assistance as well, would your men please help us out?
Yeah, but you've been tainted by two centuries of secularism.
Your ancestors looked at it differently.
Posted by: Harry Eagar at April 21, 2005 4:58 PMharry:
No, we got rid of the aboriginals, that's why we look at things differently.
Posted by: oj at April 21, 2005 5:07 PM