When Christopher Columbus threw himself on the journey to cross the emptiness of the unknown west with the expectation that he would arrive in the Indies, he had no idea that he would end up finding the new world. When landing in San Salvador he was dazzled by the green landscape, by the fauna and the soft clean air, he was fascinated by ample source of nature around him. As soon as Columbus made contact with the locals he remarked on their appearance and how they walked around naked and exposed, emphasizing on how “simple” they were compared to them. He gave the natives red caps and string of beads, and various things of little values, which they were thrilled with, while they ran to grab everything anything they could in order to exchange. He showed them a sword, and remarked how they were ignorant towards it since they grasped the sharp edges and cut themselves with it. I believe this introduces one of the main reasons the Spaniards had such ease in the conquest for Latin America, in the sense that they had an advantage over what was considered the unknown for the natives. They had gunpowder, horses, and swords. This, unfortunately, immediately established superiority over the natives. Another thing that called my attention was when Christopher Columbus mentions; right after analyzing the man, the woman and the children, how “they would readily become Christians”. He then says it should be done “by love ‘rather’ than by coercion”, which many know is not how the story ends up unfolding once he returns. I believe that throughout history, religion has been used as a cover up and an excuse for deplorable acts, such as in this case, the exploitation of natural resources, specifically gold and silver in this period of time. Columbus spoke about conversion to the holy faith and following the word of god, and how they would be helping the native population – yet they went around enslaving people and executing unspeakable acts. What Latin America comes to suffer can be considered a genocide during the colonization era, and not only that, but Latin America was exploited for its natural resources to the point in which its wealth, that nourished the prosperity of the colonizers, was the one that generated its poverty.
The journey of Christopher Columbus (Cristobal Colon) was a very interesting journey indeed. Christopher’s use of Christianity to convert the Indians was somewhat unwarranted because it was done by force. Plus his journey was fraught with mutiny from his man, he was a lying about how it was taking to get to the new world. I say that his journal it very complicated to understand but the symbols are also interesting. He has in his journal a mazzaroth (Hebrew word for Horoscope), a picture of Mary with her child Jesus Christ and a compass.
I like what you state about the conversion to Christianity as Columbus makes it very clear that the native people will need to be converted. This is the central point of the debate which Bartoleme de las Casas will have with the Spanish thrown during the genocide of the peoples; a debate over the Devine Law and the Natural Law. Since the very arrival of the Spanish the native people lost their rights to their own beliefs.
I like your post, because the role of christianization as a part of colonization should be emphasized more. It was a genocide, it was a bloody robbery and destruction of a civilization. Spain as well as all rest of the great powers of that time are equally responsible for the crime towards the indigenous cultures of both Americas.