Slavery, Cruelty and Death - The Dark Side of Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus is a historical personality whose life is defined, for most, by words such as courage, impetuosity and strength of character. It is true that the explorer had the courage to venture where few have dared, but this can not erase history from the cruelty and greed that Christopher Columbus has shown.

The official story of Christopher Columbus' expeditions in America-as well as the one we learn at school-is full of half-truths and cosmetic works that give the explorer an aura of glory. In this article we present some less known things that will show you the inhuman, often ignored, side of this famous explorer.

Nothing special: Christopher Columbus, greedy for money

Of course, Christopher Columbus was an extremely skilled and courageous sailor, but the mission he started in 1492 did not have a humanitarian purpose at all. With the blessing of Queen Isabelle I of Castile, Columbus went west looking for wealth and resources.

In the contract signed with the Spanish royal family it was mentioned that Christopher Columbus was to become viceroy over any territory discovered. In addition, the seafarer would receive 10% of all the precious metals discovered under his jurisdiction.
No one knew that Columbus, in an attempt to enrich himself, would commit acts of unimaginable cruelty to the natives he would meet. That he would use them as slaves, to force women to prostitute and to rob everything in their path.

Christopher Columbus was a brutal man, even for the standards of his time. His behavior led Bartolome de las Casas, who accompanied him in the expeditions, to report:

"I have witnessed these acts of unprecedented cruelty and violence. My eyes have seen facts so foreign to human nature that even now, when I write these memories, I tremble ... "- Bartolome de las Casas, History of the Indies.

The henchmen, a sure source of enrichment

So, the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the New World on October 12, 1492, was not auspicious for people who had until then lived peacefully and quietly. When he arrived in the Bahamas, the explorer and his team met the first indigenous people, called arawak.

The misfortunes to follow were somehow prefigured by Christopher Columbus in his diary:

"They have no weapons, and they do not even know the guns, because I have shown them a sword, which they have grabbed and injured, so ignorant they are. They have no iron. Their spheres are made of rattan. They would be very good servants. With fifty people, we could subdue them and make them do what we want, "Columbus wrote.

As an independent "entrepreneur," Christopher Columbus immediately recognized the unlimited economic potential of the territory he had discovered.

From courage to brutality

This was the moment when the explorer's courage began to turn into brutality. The transition of Christopher Columbus is reflected in several letters he sent to the King and Queen of Spain.

In one of these letters, the navigator promised the monarchs "no matter how gold is needed, and no matter how many slaves you will ask."

Seeing that the arawak people are "so naive and daring", but also with a considerable amount of gold, Columbus took advantage. He asked the natives to take him to where they got the gold, and so he came to Cuba and Haiti.

Here they discovered gold, but not so much as the navigator expected. However, he wrote in Spain, saying that "there are many spices and me filled with gold and other metals."

Thanks to this report, Columbus was funded a second trip, this time with 13 ships and 1,200 people. Though he failed to fill the golden ships, Christopher Columbus filled them with another exchange currency - slaves.

In 1495, Columbus returned to the New World and immediately took 1,500 prisoners from the arawak population. Of these, he chose 500, whom he sent to Spain as slaves (nearly 200 died during the trip), setting the basis for transatlantic slave trade.

How to kill a whole population slowly

The rest of them put them to work, forcing them to find gold. According to historian Howard Zinn, all people over 14 years old were forced to reach a golden share. If they did not find enough, they would cut their hands.

In the end, realizing that there is not much gold in the region, Cristopher Columbus has slavewers to work on newly-built spheres for the Spaniards.

Many natives died, and the population fell massively. In the fifteenth century, there were about 300,000 Arawak, and at the beginning of the sixteenth century there were only 50,000. In 1531 the population had fallen to 600 people, and a century later it completely disappeared.

European Metehne for New Luma - prostitution and rape

The way Christopher Columbus and his people treated the women and children of these populations was even worse. To reward his lieutenants, Columbus let them ruin the natives.

And, as he never forgot the money, the explorer used to sell women to the traffickers. Ulteror, they were forced to prostitute.

Barbarian actions of Christopher Columbus have, however, come to the ears of the King and Queen of Spain. Concerned, the monarchs instructed Francisco Bobadilla to investigate the explorer.

A report by Bobadilla, recently discovered in the Spanish archives, mentions the brutal way Columbus used to be with the natives. A woman who insulted Columbus' family was stripped and walked through a rowing colony on a donkey.

After that, Bartholomew, Columbus's brother, cut off his tongue, being congratulated by the explorer for defending
family honor.

Dozens of such deeds led the investigator to remove Christopher Columbus from power and send him back to Spain in chains.

Unfortunately, after the removal of Columbus, the Spaniards continued their violence and slavery, almost completely destroying native populations unable to defend themselves. There are many historical writings and research that show one thing: after setting foot in the New World, Christopher Columbus has radically changed, becoming a man despicable.

Of course, no one is perfect and no one can challenge Columbus' abilities and courage. But history should also not forget that this man, driven by the desire to enrich himself, was the one that set off the New World catastrophes.

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