Christopher Columbus Beautiful Thesis

A letter of Christopher Columbus- Beautiful. Christopher Columbus’ discovery was beautiful and unforeseen. He talks about how he discovered this beautiful place, and all of the glorious greenery and farm land. But did Columbus actually discover the Americas? How is this considered a beautiful discovery, when the Americas were fully inhabited by the Native People? I chose the word beautiful because when Columbus wrote this letter to his people he spoke of how beautiful his discovery was. Columbus states, “They abound in the fineft variety of trees, fo lofty that they feem to reach the ftars, never, I believe, without foliage; for, when I faw them, they were as beautiful and green as our trees in Spain are in the month of May; fome in flower, others bearing fruit, others in a different ftate, but each moft funited to its quality.”(Columbus, 16) He goes on to talk specifically about the beauty of the trees, and meadows. He says, “There are pines too, of an admirable beauty, fields and meows, of the utmost extent, birds of many

The word Beauty in this section is more of an condescending insult. Columbus’ letter has a slight shift when he discuss the beauty of the objects that he used to manipulate the Natives. He states, “I however made a point that they fhould not be impofed upon by the very trifling and worthlefs articles which were apt to be given them, fuch as broken bits of earthenware, or of glafs, likewife nails; although the truth is, if they might but obtain thefe, they thought themfelves poffeffed of the most beautiful ornaments in the world.” (Columbus,17) At this point in his speech I thought that it was obvious that he did not have the intention of becoming a friend of the Natives, but to merely bribe them. He gave them trash as a peace offering. That is degrading and petty. He is making the natives seem unintelligent, and inferior to the European