Was Columbus An Imperialist Essay Research Paper — страница 2

we must admit there are universal principles that also allow us to criticize improper European use of force, enslavement, and exploitation.” But society doesn’t condemn Aztec human sacrifice as wrong-we see it for what it is-a cultural difference, therefore, European use of force, enslavement and exploitation could also be seen as a cultural difference, not simply as imperialism. Robert Royal discusses things Columbus did that people question as imperialistic: “He immediately kidnapped some Tainos during his first voyage for questioning and use as interpreters. In that act he showed not only his contempt for Indian life but his belief that Spanish language, culture, and religion were superior and rightly to be imposed on native peoples.” “Though Columbus did kidnap some

Indians, two interpreters among them, he set one of them free immediately upon returning to Hispaniola during the second voyage. He hoped that the Indian set at liberty would tell others of Spain’s wonders and of Columbus’s good intentions. This was na?ve, crude, and manipulative on his part, but shows some perspicacity and good will.” I think that in doing this, Columbus wanted to show the Indians how good life in Spain was and hoped that they would change their lifestyle. Wanting the Indians to live as he did does not make him an imperialist. Royal also says, “ we should remember that Columbus was placed in unprecedented circumstances and should not be judged in the same way as we would a modern trained anthropologist.”. Columbus did not expect to find a New World on

his journey. He had never been in this type of situation before, being the leader of a colony in an unfamiliar place was new to him. I think Columbus did the best job that he was capable of. By definition Columbus was not an imperialist. He did not seek out to control a weaker country. He didn’t even know the country existed. He came upon it by chance. Some of his actions were less than admirable, but that only makes us question his skills as a leader. I believe that he could have been a better leader. He failed to live peacefully among the Indians as he may have intended to do upon arriving in this world. But he did succeed in discovering the world in which we now call home.