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Colonial America Dbq Essay

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Colonial America laid the foundation for the complicated country we call the United States. Historians debate many questions about that critical time period before the thirteen colonies declared and won independence from Great Britain. One of the most interesting questions is: What was the most significant major event preceding the founding of the nation? There is no ‘correct’ answer to this question. There are many possible responses, but the facts show that some arguments are stronger than others. After learning about it in class and researching it on my own, I argue that Christopher Columbus’ arrival in the ‘New World” is the most significant event because, while the eventual discovery of the Americas was inevitable, Columbus’ immediate cruelty towards the Native Americans set the …show more content…

On page 1 of “A young person’s history of the United States,” the text says: “They (the Indians) would make fine servants.” (excerpt from Christopher Columbus’ diary) This shows that, upon meeting the Native Americans, Columbus only had cruel things in mind, and he had no interest in making peace with them. In the 2nd paragraph of the website ‘historyisaweapon.com/defcon1/zinncol1.html,’ (in website list on newwestus.com) the text states: “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.” (another excerpt from Christopher Columbus’ diary) At this point, Christopher Columbus only had two things in mind: slaves and gold. His diary proves that he would do anything to get these things. After capturing them, Columbus realized that Native Americans provided a very inefficient workforce, and this led the way for African slaves and the rapid increase in the

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366 Words | 2 Pages

When Christopher Columbus sailed to the Americas in 1492 america was Discovered which he also took our gold and tried to take the native land. Document B is a letter that Columbus wrote when he discovered America “On the thirty-third day after leaving Cadiz I came into the Indian Sea, where I discovered many islands inhabited by numerous people. I took possession of all of them for our most fortunate King... no one making any resistance” this is part of the letter he wrote this means that when he discovered the Americas he found the natives and they all became friends article A backs this evidence up because they talk about how Columbus was happy to see Indians in the new land and how he was brave and cool but it wasn’t always like that.

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242 Words | 1 Pages

Christopher Columbus letter to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabel explained how his goal was to deceive the Native Americans and take away their valuable resources like their land and edible goods. In the early parts of the letter he is telling the king and queen how he has been renaming the new island that he came encountered with. This already shows the mindset he had going in to the new land his goal was to completely conquer every piece of land and convert every person to Christianity. He first tries to become friends with the natives. Learning their culture and what they had to offer so it can be able to benefit him and the Divine Majesty.

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407 Words | 2 Pages

On October 12, 1492, an Italian merchant by the name of Christopher Columbus landed on an island in the New World. With him he brought three ships and a small crew of Spaniards. After exploring other islands, Columbus came one that he called Hispaniola; here, they found seemingly primitive and naϊve natives that they immediately began to take advantage of. However, little did they know that this first meeting would bring exploration of South and Central America that would wreak havok among the Natives. Throughout the period of European Expansion, Natives were ripped from their home and forced to work day in and day out.

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94 Words | 1 Pages

Great Post! I believe Columbus could have worked alongside the natives rather than trying to enslave them especially when they were so avid in welcoming him. For example, today the U.S. is seen as a nation that takes what it wants (i.e. the scourge of the world), however, if we take the time to understand others and their traditions we might find ourselves alongside those we are working with to be happier people. Therefore, if Columbus could have understood this notion, he might have had more supportive individuals who welcomed his religion and

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598 Words | 3 Pages

Seeking religious freedom, more land and more raw materials, the Pilgrims from England set on a voyage to a new world. Arriving to a land already inhabited by Native Americans, the pilgrims were unwelcomed. Overcoming the differences and finding peace between each group, the Natives helped the Englanders prosper. The inference people can assume is from the numerous times Native Americans are mentioned in early American history such as “Of Plymouth Plantation” and “The Constitution of the Iroquois Nations” that the foundation of America began with the help of Natives. The Constitution of the Iroquois Nations was an inspiration for the American constitution.

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474 Words | 2 Pages

Christopher Columbus is portrayed as a hero in most discussions regarding him but in actuality he is a villain because of how changed the economic, religious, and social aspects of life in the New World with mass genocide of the native people, destruction of the native peoples’ homes, and the exploitation of the natives. With the arrival of Columbus in the New World came new economic opportunities for Columbus. Columbus exploited the curious natives by trading anything they chose for the resources of the Native Americans. Columbus was in search of gold in the New World and noticed that the natives indeed had it in their culture and wore it as simple jewelry.

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309 Words | 2 Pages

Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue in fourteen hundred ninety-two. When one hears the name Christopher Columbus, they tend to think about his discovery of America. What they don’t consider is how his discovery changed and affected America. First of all, Columbus’ discovery provided the start of a long term colonization, which created what we know today as America. People, who immigrated from another country, traveled all over the world to make it to America in hopes of getting land in “The New World”.

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815 Words | 4 Pages

Because Columbus had limited amounts of ships he could not take as many natives as he would have preferred and this could be an indication to why he wrote his letter the way he wrote it. Ultimately having the support of the crown worked in his favor to exploit the land and its people. Columbus’ discovery of this new land led to the Columbian Exchange where animals, plants, and humans were “products” of the New World and transported to the Old World. Another product he came across was gold something he seems to leave out of this document. The way Columbus took advantage of the native people was brutal not only by enslaving them but by colonialism which essentially is a takeover.

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469 Words | 2 Pages

Argumentative Essay Outline I. Claim: Celebration of Columbus Day should be abolished due to Columbus’ harsh treatment toward the Native Americans and fallacies in his exploration. II. Sub-Claims: A) Reason: Columbus’ exploration was not meant to discover America but to conquer and exploit existed American civilizations.

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479 Words | 2 Pages

Starting the 1700s , self-government in colonial America prior to 1776 was affected by both democracy and freedom of the press. To have self government means to have the government of a country be runned by it ’s people. The idea of self government has revolutionized since 1776 into what it has become today. The Mayflower Compact in Plymouth and The Trial of John Peter Zenger in New York are both major events that have sparked the beginning of self government in the colonies.

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757 Words | 4 Pages

Holidays around the world are celebrated to remember and commemorate certain times in history, and to keep those dates important. For quite some time, Columbus Day has been a questionable holiday. Some people say it should be a holiday because we are acknowledging the fact that he discovered the Americas. In contrast, others disagree because of the ways he treated the original inhabitants of the places he discovered. This paper will argue that Columbus Day should not be a holiday because he exploited, murdered, and enslaved many natives throughout his journeys.

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448 Words | 2 Pages

Northern colonies started as just state all bunched into one. They are now there own separate states now. The northern colonies are now the states of Plymouth,Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and finally New Hampshire. Plymouth Colony: Plymouth colony was an English colonial venture in North America from the years of 1620 to 1691. The first settlement of the Plymouth Colony was at New Plymouth, a location previously surveyed and named by Captain John Smith.

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841 Words | 4 Pages

According to Loewen, few textbooks explained how Columbus was involved in the slavery and the exploitation of Indians. Another error that we have learned in schools about Columbus is that he was the first person to “discover” America. However, this is an error because people from other continents had already reached America before 1492. In fact, we forget

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192 Words | 1 Pages

When I let Columbus go, I expected some spices and maybe gold. However, when he came back, he brought six foreign Indians, cages of multi-colored parrots, baskets of exotic plants, thread, and to my great happiness, gold. Obviously, Columbus was only trying to do good. He never intended to hurt

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1372 Words | 6 Pages

Many Americans were identified with their states instead of being identified with the nations they belonged to. The president of America George Washington with his colleagues were able to bring about sense of belonging, national unity, commitment and purpose to be able to achieve victory against the great Britain. This was a remarkable effort by the American people led by George Washington of which took a series of years to achieve the victory. In 1783, the American people after they achieved their formal independence did not immediately and automatically pronounced as American citizen but it took them many years for them to come up with their loyalty to the American nation rather than deciding loyalty to their state. The first American republic encountered overarching challenges due to the tension of forging the American identity.

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