Now that theTurks had conquered Constantinople and the eastern Mediterranean, and controlled the land routesto Asia, a sea route was needed. There was gold in Asia, it was thought, and certainly silks and spices, for Marco Polo and othershad brought back marvelous things from their overland expeditions centuries before. Like other states of the modern world, Spain sought gold, whichwas becoming the new mark of wealth, more useful than land because it could buy anything. Spain had tied itself to the Catholic Church, expelledall the Jews, driven out the Moors. Its population, mostly poor peasants, worked for the nobility, who were 2 percent of thepopulation and owned 95 percent of the land. Spain was recently unified, one of the new modern nation-states, like France, England, andPortugal. For, like other informed people ofhis time, he knew the world was round and he could sail west in order to get to the Far East. The information that Columbus wanted most was: Where is the gold? He had persuaded the kingand queen of Spain to finance an expedition to the lands, the wealth, he expected would be on theother side of the Atlantic-the Indies and Asia, gold and spices. These traits did not stand out in the Europe of the Renaissance, dominated as it was by thereligion of popes, the government of kings, the frenzy for money that marked Western civilizationand its first messenger to the Americas, Christopher Columbus.Ĭolumbus ⿻ wrote: As soon as I arrived in the Indies, on the first Island which I found, I took some of the natives byforce in order that they might learn and might give me information of whatever there is in theseparts. These Arawaks of the Bahama Islands were much like Indians on the mainland, who wereremarkable (European observers were to say again and again) for their hospitality, their belief insharing. They would make fine servants.With fifty men we could subjugate them all and make them do whatever we want. They do not bear arms, and donot know them, for I showed them a sword, they took it by the edge and cut themselves out ofignorance. They willingly traded everything they owned.They were well-built, with good bodies and handsome features. brought us parrots and balls of cotton and spears and many other things, which theyexchanged for the glass beads and hawks' bells. When Columbus and hissailors came ashore, carrying swords, speaking oddly, the Arawaks ran to greet them, brought themfood, water, gifts.
One spirit native progress full#
Arawak men and women, naked, tawny, and full of wonder, emerged from their villages onto theisland's beaches and swam out to get a closer look at the strange big boat.
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