Columbus First Voyage

Although Christopher Columbus is perceived by some as a hero and pioneer for his discovery of America, it should be understood that he his initial destination was not America, the land he encountered was previously inhabited, and he resorted to extremely brutal measures in order to claim the already discovered land for Spain. This can be inferred when analyzing his document “Letter to Luis de Santagel Regarding the First Voyage,” in which he unrealistically paints a picture of beauty and cooperation in order to appease the Spanish Monarchy. This document is relevant in the national identity of the developing United States because it is the inception of characteristics that many Americans have exhibited throughout history, such as self-glorification,

Columbus chooses to distract the reader by leaving out any details of abusive discrimination in lieu of pretty descriptions of the landscape. He mentions the beauty and fertility of the island of Juana, describing its harbors, rivers, sierras, mountains, trees, foliage, flowers, fruit, birds, honey, and everything pleasant that can be mentioned. He states “All are most beautiful, of a thousand shapes, and all are accessible and filled with trees of a thousand kinds and tall, and they seem to touch the sky. And I am told they never lose their foliage, as I can understand, for I saw them as green and as lovely as they are in Spain in May.” He is painting an idealistic picture of what he saw, trying to make the land sound as attractive as possible to his homeland. He spends more time talking about this than he does the people he encountered. He feels that the Spanish are the only people that matter, and so there is no point in talking much about anyone else, because the only good he sees in them is slavery or helping him conquer. What is appealing to the Spanish is what they can do with the land, not how they can share it with the people already inhabiting it. This plays a part in the American identity because the United States has always twisted the truth when communicating messages to the public in order to maintain a sense of national pride, and that is what Columbus does here. Columbus has a

The racism that America would show for many years to come began with Columbus, and yet in this letter he talks as if he is doing what is right for the world. He describes it like he is on vacation, leaving our any hint of genocide. This is a major part of the American identity because it is something that many people of European descent show in everything they do. Columbus thinks that being Spanish is as pure as a person can get, and that anyone else is subhuman. He doesn’t write as if he is on the same level as the natives. He writes with the assumption that he is above them, that they exist to show him how to make the land his. Slavery, segregation, institutional racism, and much of America’s discrimination towards other countries can be traced back to what Columbus did to the natives. Even today, the xenophobia towards Muslims and the image of America as a country made for white people is rooted in the actions of Columbus. The fact that he chooses to instead create an idealistic picture with only the best intentions of the Spanish in mind shows the way Columbus’s mind worked when reporting the details of his voyage back to his homeland. When he is eventually captured, he pretends as if he did nothing wrong in order to deserve this fate. He depicts himself as a tragic hero who was wronged during this time in his life, and who