Columbus and the Native Americans: Two Perspectives of History
- Submitted by: victoriayoung
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- Category: History: American
- Date Submitted: 03/24/2011 04:59 PM
- Pages: 4
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Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492. This is a well-known memory device learned in grade school that does not begin to tell the whole story. Columbus’ discovery of the New World led to both triumph and devastation. These two words best describe the situation even though they completely contradict one another. There are always two sides to a story, and in this instance the perspectives are that of the humble Native Americans of America and Columbus, the noble voyager who accidentally stumbled onto a land full of promise. Both viewpoints are discussed in the articles “Columbus, The Indians, and Human Progress” by Howard Zinn, “Hero making, Christopher Columbus” by James Leowen, and Chapter 1 in the American Pageant by David Kennedy. In reading both the textbook and the articles, several distinctions become apparent.
It is said that history is written by the victorious. Throughout our textbook it states that the Native Americans were massacred, but it only mentions this in passing. Rather, the textbook emphasizes the bigger picture. It talks more about the country that was discovered rather than the people who lived here. It talks of the Americas as a whole rather than zooming in to the people and separate nations that were once indigenous to the land. The textbook is written from the perspective of Columbus, the victorious explorer. In this way, Columbus is viewed as a hero and a celebrity to the European people. Columbus comes from a world of politics, power, money, rank and status, and a culture who considered itself elegant and refined. It is much easier for white historians to take on the perspective of Columbus because they share the same cultural heritage. This perspective is how the majority of textbooks are written, with Spain and Portugal officially victorious. But Kennedy does not only write about Columbus and the Native Americans. He talks about America’s history from its formation to every well-known crusader, explorer, and priest who stepped foot...
It is said that history is written by the victorious. Throughout our textbook it states that the Native Americans were massacred, but it only mentions this in passing. Rather, the textbook emphasizes the bigger picture. It talks more about the country that was discovered rather than the people who lived here. It talks of the Americas as a whole rather than zooming in to the people and separate nations that were once indigenous to the land. The textbook is written from the perspective of Columbus, the victorious explorer. In this way, Columbus is viewed as a hero and a celebrity to the European people. Columbus comes from a world of politics, power, money, rank and status, and a culture who considered itself elegant and refined. It is much easier for white historians to take on the perspective of Columbus because they share the same cultural heritage. This perspective is how the majority of textbooks are written, with Spain and Portugal officially victorious. But Kennedy does not only write about Columbus and the Native Americans. He talks about America’s history from its formation to every well-known crusader, explorer, and priest who stepped foot...