I remember learning about Columbus’ “discovery” of the New World in 5th grade. We had to do a project on an explorer and present it to different classroom students. The project required us to dress up like the explorer and verbally explain who and what the explorer did. I remember asking my teacher, Ms. Vanna, if I could do my project on Christopher Columbus because I thought I knew a lot of information about him. I was bummed when she told me it would be too easy for me, so I had to choose a different explorer. I ended up presenting information to various students dressed up as Juan Ponce de Leon. At the time, it was fun to dress up and create a giant poster with facts about explorers, but I didn’t realize that most of the presentations were about explorers who were awful people. Being taught about the New World in elementary school is censored, and now, looking back at it, I had some teachers who would glorify Columbus.
I recall being happy about “Columbus Day,” now known as “Indigenous People’s Day,” because students would get the day off. Besides that, little me was not aware of all the violence that occurred during the Columbus “discovery” of the New World. It wasn’t until middle school that I learned a bit more about the real history in my Social Studies class. The discussions and readings from this week have expanded my knowledge of this history. After reading Columbus’ journal, it’s clearly obvious that he shouldn’t have been given the opportunity to travel to the Indies because not only did he arrive to the wrong place, he colonized the land of Native Americans, enslaved them, and treated them inhumanely.
Christopher Columbus’ journal provides insight into his initial encounters with the indigenous people of the Americas. He believed that through gifts and friendly interactions, the indigenous people could be easily won over and converted to Christianity. He had assumptions about power dynamics, and they demonstrate his way of thinking that the indigenous people can be easily controlled and made to do whatever is required of them. There’s a quote that stood out to me where Columbus describes the indigenous people as being “very well made, with very handsome bodies, and very good countenances.” I learned more about who he truly was as a person and it’s unfortunate that I didn’t find out earlier in elementary school.
The Journal of Christopher Columbus (During His First Voyage), and Documents Relating to the Voyages of John Cabot and Gaspar Corte Real, Clements R. Markham, ed. and trans. (London: 1893), 37-68.
Hi Leni!
I think we share very similar experiences in regards to how we learn about Columbus. The narrative that we are taught in elementary school (which as you rightly point out, often highlights a few other explorers) enshrines these individuals and innocent people fascinated with maritime exploration. It’s not until we are older that we learn about the conflict and violence wrought by explorers and the waves of colonists that followed. For me, it was also very useful to look at Columbus’ journals because the language of violence is literally on the page. It is equally important to look at how Indigenous people and scholars are trying to address the harms of the historical narrative that has stuck for so long.