While we certainly learned about early America before, we really focused on it in fifth grade. We did a project as a class where something like six students were chosen to be different people in history who may have “discovered” America—and I was chosen to be Christopher Columbus. The other students in our class were meant to ask us questions and then vote on who they thought really “discovered” America. I remember going up, giving my speech, and answering questions, and during the voting, I was the only person who didn’t receive any votes. That’s probably a good sign for the deconstruction of Columbus’ discovery in the youth of America, but at the time I wasn’t thinking about that and I was mostly upset nobody voted for me.
Something that really shocked me was the fact that between 1492 and 1517, the population of Indigenous people in the Bahamas and Caribbean dropped from 250,000 people to only 14,000. I knew that the Indigenous people faced a genocide and their numbers must have dropped significantly, but I think what really got me was seeing actual numbers, and seeing how quickly the Europeans decided and succeeded in subjugating the Indigenous peoples of the Bahamas and Caribbean. That was reflected very clearly in Columbus’ diary, too—how little they considered these people to be human at all. He wrote “These people are very simple as regards the use of arms, as your Highnesses will see from the seven that I caused to be taken[…] unless your Highnesses should order them all to be brought to Castile, or to be kept as captives on the same island; for with fifty men they can all be subjugated and made to do what is required of them.” It’s one of those things that I knew to be true, but it’s different to see actual evidence of it.
I was sick for a lot of this week and I’m sad I missed the conversation about the painting of the Spanish castes. I looked at it and tried to parse what of it that I could but I would’ve loved to hear other people’s interpretations of some of the details!
Hi Daphne!
It’s funny how so many of us had some kind of reenactment component to the Columbus curriculum in school. Some other students reflected on a similar experience as well! I remember having a Thanksgiving play in 2nd grade and students were either pilgrims, Native Americans, or turkeys… I was a turkey thankfully!
Your post highlights a really important point about the value of using historical documents to re-shape our narrative. Even “colonial” documents like Columbus diary showcase important realities that help us deconstruct his own mythology. None of us had to read long before realizing his negative perception of Native peoples or that he believed they should be enslaved.
I’m sorry you had to miss the casta painting analysis!! Here is a brief video we watched in class about analyzing casta paintings if you’re interested!: https://smarthistory.org/seeing-america-2/francisco-clapera-set-sixteen-casta-paintings-c-1775/