There is a big difference between the first voyage and the fourth voyage. In his first letter to he talks a lot about scenery and his thoughts on what will be. Columbus is very proud and wants Luis de Santangel to know what land he discovered. he first came upon the main land and thought it was India, but it was the Carribeans. he started naming islands on after the other He described them as, "All are most beautiful" (33), Columbas mainly talks about how happy he is and nature.
The fourth letter to Isabella and Ferdinand is a complete turn around. I was surprised to read that he was kidnapped and made a prisoner. A lot of never think that ok maybe this person is jut like everyone else. regardless of the what period. It is awful how the same people Columbus left there were the same people that turned everything upside down. Control became and issue. What I felt bad about was the end, when Columbus reaches out to Isabella to help him and get him out of there, and in return the Holy Trinity will preserve her life. If you are a believer, that might work. lol
I think the narrator was very powerful and believe able. He was factual as well. Good synopsis of Columbus voyages. It puts things into persepctive
Jen Marchese
I agree with Jen's post on Christopher Columbus, the reading was insightful and it does put a different spin on what we thought we knew about him. In history classes we are taught to view him as an explorer whose only motive was to discover an alternate trade route to Asia and in the process conquered and exploited the lands he discovered. I used to see his expeditions as only business ventures and not personal ones. After reading the text I see a human being with a daunting task. I think that in the letters written to Luis de Santangel and Ferdinand and Isabella, Columbus's life is depicted from a more personal/humane point of view. From this angle, I see a man whose intentions were noble. From the text it is evident that he did set out to explore and discover new lands and to document his findings for the economic benefit of Spain. This appears to be the purpose of his first voyage according to his letter however, by his fourth voyage; things appeared to have gone completely awry. He seemed to have had many critics, rivals and enemies. In the letter to Ferdinand and Isabelle I think that he is disappointed that the monarchy granted permission very easily to anyone “down to the tailors” who would bring back riches to Spain while using Christianity as a cover for their ill intentions. He also seemed saddened by these very men who pillaged the new worlds and exploited the people. Like Jen, I too am surprised by the physical deterioration and mental toll the voyages had on Christopher Columbus.
ReplyDeleteVedi Ramdhanie
Like Jen, i was also surprise to learn of all the maltreatment that Christopher Columbus was but through. I was not aware that such an important figure of the world history was treated in such a cruel way by his fellow countrymen. I wonder if maybe they did not know whom he was? if they ignore all that he had done for the queen and their country? if all was done due to jealousy or ignorance? It is rather funny that Christopher Columbus was surprised by the way he was being treated after all the Native Indians received the same treatment by the same people. Though I believe Christopher Columbus himself was not part of the cruel and maltreatment that the native american were put through and like Vedi Ramhanie's comment i do believe that when he set out to explore the Americas he did not have such inhuman like behavior as part of his agenda. While reading his letter to the queen i almost felt his desperate attempt to get help from her.
ReplyDeleteIt is incredible how history seems to be somewhat repeating itself with all that is going on right now in the world (Wars, inequality).
-Vanessa Martinez
When we first read about Christopher Columbus, it seems to be a typical lesson of history as we read about Christopher Columbus' life through the author. It just reminds us of facts about him that we learned in high school. However, once I begin to read the letters that are written by Columbus on his voyages, and read about everything from his viewpoint, it becomes more of a reality and entices me to read on.
ReplyDeleteThere is so much feeling and emotion that he expresses through his letters that give an exact sense of what is happening. As he begins his letter to Ferdinand and Isabella with the words, "Of Espanola, Paria, and other lands, I never think without weeping," I can truly feel his sadness. At the end of the fourth letter, as he describes the horrid conditions that exist for him and begs to leave, I can almost feel his intense anguish as he descries himself as "alone, sick, in daily expectation of death and encompassed about by a million savages".
It is certainly honorable that after all that he went through, he still had so much respect and devotion for Ferdinand and Isabella. It is ironic, though, that there were so many things I never knew about his life and all the cruelties he had to endure. Maybe its time that I did.
Eva Rosengarten
The documents concerning Columbus represent finality to his explorations and experiences within a new land and culture. I agree with Jen’s explanations of both letters. The first letter draws you in as believing how wonderful the first voyage went and his explanation of his experience visually and emotionally depicts a promising new land for exploration and windows of opportunity for commerce. Columbus seems jovial and truly anxious about his arrival and explains his “[…] great victory with which Our Lord has crowned my voyage […]” (32). However, the second document to Isabella and Ferdinand is quite troublesome to me.
ReplyDeleteIn grade school, Columbus is represented as hero to our culture and his expedition granted the Spanish opportunities to gain rare spices directly from the source rather than going through other outlets. However, the hardships that he faced and how he begs for a pardon and forgiveness is extremely disconcerting. He is forthright and honest about what his expectations were, which were to do good for his supporters, “I did not sail upon this voyage to gain honor or wealth” (35). The fact that these documents actually exist is amazing to me and brings me a different perspective about Columbus. I no longer view him as just someone who wished to gain notoriety for finding a better route to the West Indies, he actually wanted to make something of himself and he did so with the best intentions for his financial backers and he kept the common people and his men in mind.
-Tiffany Smith
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