The Indian Removal Act was passed in the year 1830 and by 1837 46,000 Native Americans were forced from their lands. “Long time we travel on way to new land. People feel bad when we leave old nation. Women cry and make sad wails. Children cry and many men cry, and all look sad like when friends die, but they say nothing and keep on going towards west. Many days pass and people die very much. We bury close by trail.” (Lynn Peppas pg 4) A Trail of Tears survivor described it like this, imagine walking not really knowing when you are going to stop and watching people, your friends and family, die right in front of you.
Throughout the Age of Exploration, trade and colonialist desires ruled the world. After Christopher Columbus's journey to the New World in 1492, the Columbian exchange progressed rapidly, bringing enormous changes to both the old and new worlds. Despite the positive contributions such as horses and new types of food, the Columbian exchange also brought a multitude of illnesses including the deadly smallpox (1). Although Thomas Bailey argued in the American Pageant that the “Black Legend” is inaccurate, it is clear that the devastation brought upon the Native Americans proves its accuracy through the erasure of identity, the spread of epidemics, and the immoral crimes that the Spaniard colonialists committed against the native population.
Columbus accidently started the Columbian exchange by discovering America while looking for economic opportunity. He was looking for a way to sail and trade directly with Asia. After he realized that the place he landed wasn 't Asia he realized the natives had gold, so he took it back to Spain. One major effect of the Columbian Exchange was the spread of diseases. When Columbus and other explorers ventured to the Americas they spread European diseases to the natives. These diseases destroyed America 's population because the natives had no natural immunities. Robert W. Strayer explains in his book Ways of the World how disease devastated the native population. "When they came in contact with European or African diseases, Native American peoples died in appalling numbers, in many cases up to 90 percent of the population. The densely settled peoples of Caribbean islands virtually vanished within fifty years of Columbus 's arrival."1 (ways of the world p 622-623) And because there were few natives, vast amounts of Europeans sailed
Looking through the perspective of Native American Micmac chief, Agwachiwagan. We can see that Agwachiwagan knew that the French colonized faith is causing devastating impacts onto the Native American tribes. In his monolog, he speaks to his fellow natives of their interested in the French people faith of Christianity, warning them of the troubles it brings. However, he explains that he himself has seen and learned about it culture. Yet during his travels to Quebec and the Three Rivers Agwachiwagan did not see any good the faith had given to its people, instead the faith had changed its people into “a house full of one-eyed, lame, crippled and blind persons”. Agwachiwagan encountered much destruction onto the Natives lives such as disease,
Columbus Day has been celebrated in the US for generations, but it is not something America should be proud of. Christopher Columbus carried out a genocide, yet (inexplicably) this information is excluded from textbooks throughout elementary and some of middle school. Columbus Day should not be celebrated because it is glorifying the abuse of indigenous people and mistreatment of those who are different from oneself.
The Colombian Exchange was a trade between the Eastern and Western Hemisphere of plants,animals,ideas,and diseases. In the exchange, the Eastern Hemisphere got the “best deal”. For instance, document 2 states “ They brought smallpox,malaria,measles,influenza,and bubonic plague. These diseases completely wiped out the 10 million or so Native Americans on the islands and at least ½ of the more than 100 million on the mainland of North America.” The Europeans that came brought diseases that killed many Native Americans and destroyed entire empires. This
Thank you for taking the time to read my letter. I am writing to you, because I believe that the European explorers, conquistadors, and settlers from the Age of Exploration should no longer be glorified and celebrated in modern times. I do not deem it appropriate, considering the wrongs that were committed against the Native Americans during that time.
Anthropologist David Vine, details in his book Island of shame, the hidden history of the how the Chagossian people were exiled from their homeland by the United States during the creation of the military base on the Indian Ocean Island Diego Garcia. The story is told from the perspective of both the United States government and the exiled Chagossians, this is done to show both sides of the story and to narrate a fair represented story. The book’s purpose is to expose how the United States and Britain conspired to forcibly remove the native people in order to build a major military base. David Vine reports the secret history of the United States military base and the reactions that it had on the native people. The book is aimed towards an audience
In 1492, a Spaniard called Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean seeking the new world or the Indies and found modern day country Dominican Republic. When he got there the inhabitants, the Native Americans, spoke a different language and had a different culture. Columbus decided to call them “Indians” since he thought he had found India. When he got to know and understand the “Indians”, he started enslaving and using them to find gold and goods and steal them to take it to the Queen of Spain(nationalgeographic). Columbus told the King and Queen he had converted the natives to Catholicism so that they thought he was progressing in his trip and would donate more funds for more expeditions. These historical events in the new world relate to the
Christopher Columbus, the renowned and celebrated fifteenth century, Italian explorer, best known for his discovery of America. He is less commonly known however, for his ‘discovery’ of the people of the New World and how he dramatically changed their lives forever. Columbus’ impact on the people of the New World was a ghastly one, to say the least, that permanently altered their lives for the worst. He stumbled upon their existence by accident which lead to the unfortunate and unforeseen manipulation and enslavement of the natives of the New World. Although this treatment was not supported by all Europeans, it never ceased for the native people. They were exploited,
In 1942 Christopher Columbus set sail from spain in an effort to find a western root to the East Indies. After ten weeks of sailing he finally found land. He landed on the modern day nations of the Dominican republic and Haiti but he called the island Hispaniola. On the island he found the native population, he called them indians because the thought he had reached asia. The native believed that he was divine.The natives welcomed Columbus and his men onto their island but Columbus was only drive by greed. Columbus sent a letter back to spain over exaggerating the amount of resources on the island.
Hello all, my name is Bartolome de Casas, and I have something to say about the treatments of Native Americans. Well, more than just something to say. I honestly and truly believe that the Spanish conquistadors are horribly mistreating the Native Americans. I in fact that think they are getting
The Indians, known to be peaceful and loving people; suddenly after the arrival of the prominent Christopher Columbus in the New World became faced with the ultimate challenge to conquer, or to be conquered. Columbus imposed his quest on them, although they had already established their own colony. This group of natives that faced enslavement, misery and death, were often wanted and needed for the success of many colonists. While Columbus and the Spaniards motive was to obtain wealth from the Indians, their ultimate goal along with the English who supervened in 1607, followed by the French, was to increase their superiority through European colonization. The hardworking, resourceful, independent Indians reacted in different ways towards colonization
The amount of courage and determination to sail across the seven seas is unbelieveable. It was a race between spain and portugal to see who could find some land and gold first. The gold was the main motivation for the voyage. Although Christopher Columbus went before any of us he didn’t find any gold which is why we were funded. The voyage was tiring and tedious but the gold, hope, and discovering new people is what kept us going.
The European expansion into the Americas is easily one of the most important events of the last 1000 years. The enormous amounts of wealth generated from the New World helped shape European politics for centuries after the discovery by Columbus. Should we celebrate this this influx of wealth and land to the colonial powers?