The Encounter
So Columbus primarily invaded South America?
Columbus sighted Jamaica in 1494 and set up colonies on the island in 1509 in which ruled up until 1655. Jamaica was then captured by a British expedition and transformed to British rule in 1670. By this time, the remaining Arawak tribes had mixed in with the Spanish and British. The Arawaks that did not mix were slaughtered. Columbus captured the island of Haiti in 1492. The Spanish settled in the Eastern half of the island and the Western land was left unclaimed. French pirates then arrived and took the Western half of the island in which they named Haiti. The Eastern Island was then named “Dominican.” The French established a flourishing slave plantation of Arawak Native Americans. The plantation became the world’s richest colony. The plantation held Arawaks and African Moors in bondage up until the 1800s in which the slave population had reached 450,000 slaves. The Arawaks and Moors who mixed in became known as “Haitians”, while those who mixed in with the French and Spanish became known as “Dominicans.”
Columbus sighted Jamaica in 1494 and set up colonies on the island in 1509 in which ruled up until 1655. Jamaica was then captured by a British expedition and transformed to British rule in 1670. By this time, the remaining Arawak tribes had mixed in with the Spanish and British. The Arawaks that did not mix were slaughtered. Columbus captured the island of Haiti in 1492. The Spanish settled in the Eastern half of the island and the Western land was left unclaimed. French pirates then arrived and took the Western half of the island in which they named Haiti. The Eastern Island was then named “Dominican.” The French established a flourishing slave plantation of Arawak Native Americans. The plantation became the world’s richest colony. The plantation held Arawaks and African Moors in bondage up until the 1800s in which the slave population had reached 450,000 slaves. The Arawaks and Moors who mixed in became known as “Haitians”, while those who mixed in with the French and Spanish became known as “Dominicans.”
Many Arawaks mixed in with the French and were called “Mulattos” and were shipped out to areas of Louisiana where they became known as French “Creole.” Columbus landed in the Bahamas in 1492, but did not conquer. The Spanish did not lay claim on the Bahamas until 1648 where they battled the English for the land. Puerto Rico was visited by Columbus in 1493 in which he allowed fellow explorer Juan Ponce De Leon to conquer in 1508. Puerto Rico was originally named, “San Juan Bautista” and renamed, “Rich Port” in 1508 when African Moors were brought in as slaves to work the sugar mills. When Columbus arrived in Trinidad in 1498, it was inhabited by two tribes, the Arawaks and Caribs. Columbus named the island “Trin-i-dad” because of three large rocks in which he claims he named after “Trinity.” Columbus gave the island of Barbados to the Portuguese as payment. Barbados means “Bearded” which refers to the African Moors who was on the land. The Moors were Muslims and there was a law that Muslims were not to trim their beard or the corner of their heads.
Excerpts from Columbus’ logs
They...brought us parrots and balls of cotton and spears and many other things, which they exchanged for the glass beads and hawks' bells. They willingly traded everything they owned...They do not bear arms, and do not know them, for I showed them a sword, they took it by the edge and cut themselves out of ignorance...They would make fine servants...With fifty men we could subjugate them all and make them do whatever we want.
As soon as I arrived in the Indies, on the first Island which I found, I took some of the natives by force in order that they might learn and might give me information of whatever there is in these parts.
I implore you to recognize the Church as a lady and in the name of the Pope take the King as lord of this land and obey his mandates. If you do not do it, I tell you that with the help of God I will enter powerfully against you all. I will make war everywhere and every way that I can. I will subject you to the yoke and obedience to the Church and to his majesty. I will take your women and children and make them slaves. The deaths and injuries that you will receive from here on will be your own fault and not that of his majesty nor of the gentlemen that accompany me.
After a while they refused to walk any distance. They "rode the backs of Indians" or were carried on hammocks by Indians running in relays (they also had Indians carry large leaves to shade them from the sun and others fan them with goose wings.)
"they suffered and died in the mines and other labors in desperate silence, knowing not a soul in the world to whom they could turn for help."
What happened to Columbus after the third journey?
Columbus returned to Spain broken in health and spirit. He was not received at court. The King refused to restore his privileges and honors. He was, however, far from poor. He had brought back gold and he shared in the gold mined in Hispaniola. He died in Valladolid, Spain, on May 20, 1506. In 1513, Columbus' remains were transferred to a monastery in Seville, where his son Diego had been buried. Their bodies were taken to the Cathedral of Santo Domingo at Hispaniola in 1542. In 1795, a box believed to contain the bones of the father was taken to Havana, then removed to Seville in 1899. In 1877, however, another casket bearing the Admiral's name had been found entombed in the Cathedral of Santo Domingo.
Interesting Facts and Controversies about Columbus
Most of the money to finance subsequent exploitation was confiscated by the Spanish Monarchs from Jewish sources, but neither the Jews or the Moslems were permitted to settle in the New World until after 1502.
Why did Columbus take an interpreter of Hebrew with him? The only possible explanation must be that he expected to be reaching countries in which Jewish people lived and governed. After the landfall, we do know that Columbus sent his interpreter to communicate with the natives and among the first words addressed to them were words in Hebrew.
He kept two logs. One a true log and a second, falsified to keep his crew unaware of how far they had traveled.
Historians, however, generally have accepted the account of his birth place as Genoa in 1451, BUT THERE ARE NO RECORDS TO VERIFY THIS.
He never wrote in Italian which could indicate that he was illiterate when he left Italy. Most of his letters were written in Spanish.
No portrait of him was painted in his lifetime as the age of Spanish portraiture was yet to come. However, no less than 71 originals or copies were exhibited at the Chicago Colombian Exposition in 1893. Many of these, especially those painted by Christians, gave his nose essentially a JEWISH SHAPE.
Should we celebrate Columbus Day?
That depends on who you ask. The Italians would like to celebrate the occasion as a great achievement of a native son. The Spanish would like to celebrate the event as evidence of their superior culture and their crusading spirit, as a Christian enterprise. Even the Portuguese are proud of the event because, after all, Columbus' success was a direct result of the Portuguese naval experiences in the Atlantic, the offshore islands of the Azores and the Canaries and a full century of voyages along the Western Coast of Africa. Most of the best navigators were Portuguese and Genoese.
However, as one looks at the bloody facts and the effects that Columbus had on native people in regards to death, disease, torture, slavery, suicides among the natives, killing of new born babies, species extinction, termination of livestock, natural resources and agriculture, one wonders who in their right mind would commemorate such a man and such a bloody chapter in the world’s history. Only a warmonger or a fool would celebrate Columbus Day. Should we also celebrate the Jewish Holocaust? Native Americans, Blacks and Black Native Americans hold different views than Europeans concerning Columbus. To the Native Americans, the European discovery of America was nothing less than an "INVASION,” and conquering of yet once again, land that was not theirs! To date, no other ethnic group has experienced a genocide such as that of the American Indian at the hands of the European invaders. The Spanish conquistadors regarded the Indians as subhuman upon whom they were conferring a blessing by converting them to Christianity. If they resisted, they were slaughtered. The Indians were regarded as having no property rights and all their land, possessions and women belonged to the Spanish conquerors.
The Spaniards invaded our culture and forced us into colonial subjugation. The 5th Centennial should not be considered as a triumph of Spain or the West, rather, it is one of the darkest chapters in history. Europe forced us to prostitute ourselves, after they poisoned our minds and filled us with lies, they committed unspeakable atrocities. Columbus himself raped our women and raped our men! He was not the devout Christian that he portrayed and as historians claim. Columbus was ruthless and he was a liar and a thief and whoever celebrates this man’s holiday is very ignorant and very evil. Should we participate in a celebration to honor the initiation and continuation of genocide, colonization and exploitation of our people? Spain ought to beg us for a pardon. Columbus was an assassin, and to celebrate Columbus Day would be assisting in the degradation of our people at the hands of the Euros. It is a disgrace and a slap in the face of our people to celebrate the slaughter of our people on our land.