Julie Borrego
English 48a
Journal for Christopher Columbus

"... by proclamation made and with royal standard unfurled, and no opposition was offered me."

"..found an infinity of small hamlets and people with out number, but nothing of importance."

Summary: Here Columbus is stating that he received no opposition to him and his armada taking position of the land.


My Ideas:

While I read Columbus’s account of taking over the natives and their land I was infuriated, with the audacity of Columbus thinking that he could take another human and own them.

Then I think that I have no Idea what they were thinking and really I have not right to judge. He may have thought he had to do something in order to keep his head. Not that it justifies his actions, but it might explain his need to show the crown that this land was of importance and that his voyage was not in vein.

I find it interesting that his own Gov. turned against him, when he was a celebrity of sorts. Its that old saying, that we love to see them fall.

I wonder, with the raping of the Native women and the abuse they endured, were all the European men some sort of sociopaths, were they all sick in the head? Why didn't they find their actions wrong at anytime. I know a few did stand up against the mistreatment of the Natives. When these were Men of God, how could they rape the women and abuse the Natives let alone, taking them as if they were animals and selling them.

I just can not wrap my head around it.