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Howard Zinn: Understanding And Perspective Of Christopher Columbus

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“To what extent did Howard Zinn change your understanding and perspective of Christopher Columbus?”
Shea Pridgen August 25th, 2015 4th period Christopher Columbus was malicious and had more evil intent than we were taught as young children. Howard Zinn’s book, A People’s History of the United States, has the power to open minds on the topic of American history, more specifically Christopher Columbus. Zinn explores topics that people would be genuinely surprised that actually happened. It’s not our fault for not being aware of our history. If we had a full awareness of what this country is actually built on, then the perceptions that others have built about this country would be ruined. We are introduced to the history of this country around the first grade, so most of us are around the age of six and seven. The first person we learn about is the “founder of this country”, Christopher Columbus. We are taught that the trip was originally …show more content…

“My eyes have seen these acts so foreign to human nature and now I tremble as I write.”. "[There are] endless testimonies [that] prove the pacific and temperament of the natives... but our work was to ravage, kill and destroy." He was so determined to meet the needs of Spain 's royal family that he disregarded basic human nature. "The admiral was so blind as those who came after him and he was so anxious to please them [royal family] that he committed irreparable crimes against the Indians".
Columbus was quite more devious and had more malicious intent than we are previously taught. The testimonies of beheadings, the beginning of the slave trade and the equivalence of Indians to mules can prove this. Being unaware of Christopher Columbus 's horrific actions and then reading Zinn 's book, is really an eye opener for not just Christopher Columbus but for American history as a

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In the book Zinn, The author gives a point of view of Christopher Columbus that is usually not given. Most of the time the story of Christopher Columbus is told from a historian point of view. They usually tell you of his mission, and of the three ships that he takes in order to find gold and other new riches. Zinn informs us that he is not the hero that, that we all think that he is. It shows us that he tortured, abused, and overwhelmingly embarrasses the Arwark Indians.

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Many people when they were younger, including myself, were taught that Columbus is a hero and an amazing person who discover the New World. We were all told that Columbus’s purpose for sailing thousands of miles across the Atlantic was to come here in search of undiscovered land. Columbus DID want land but he was expecting to get that land from

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Christopher Columbus Hero or Villain ? Christopher Columbus is a Villain. On some accounts he can be a Hero. But on many other accounts he's a vicious Villain. Yes he discovered America ;

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The viewpoint is wrong because it is written from the the point of view of the upper class and ignores millions Howard Zinn shows of the whole columbus not just the european side of history of him. We see the slatter not just the glory we see the human toll not just the conquest. We see the colonisation of the Americas and all the blood that was shredded for it. Columbus was even quoted in saying as soon as he got of the ship he was forcing the natives to tell him what they had and to give him all of their possessions. Howard zinn says history books as an explorer and the cause one of the world's worst genocides in history.

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Many people heard of Christopher Columbus, mainly because we celebrate his holiday the second Monday of October every year, but is he the man we praise for finding the “New World” we believe he is? Many people debate if the national holiday is even appropriate to celebrate. Mostly, because how cruel and harsh he behaved, but many people don't know this side of this story. Students get taught about Columbus foundings and voyages but very rarely on how he treated the Natives or what he did to be able to be known as being the first man to find the Americas. Columbus treated people horribly and should not be rewarded for his horrible behavior.

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The first chapter of both A​People’s History of the United States (​Zinn, 1980) and​A Patriot’s History of the United States​(Schweikart and Allen, 2004) tells the story of the discovery of the New World. Beginning with the landing of Columbus in the Bahamas, these accounts are told from two separate perspectives. Zinn often refers to the telling of history as a tale between victims and executioners, saying that in the “inevitable taking of sides which comes from selection and emphasis in History” he prefers to stand on the side of the victim, whereas Schweikart and Allen tend to stand behind the executioner. Much of A​Patriot’s History​is spent arguing the accuracy of the number of natives murdered by invading European entities, attempting to minimize the blame reflected on these executioners.

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Howard Zinn takes the perspective that Christopher Columbus is not the hero that many people perceive him to be. He views him as a cruel and greedy leader who went to the Americas causes death in his wake for his unquenchable search for gold. Columbus took advantage of the Native Americans because at first they were "so naive and so free with their possessions"() by forcing them to collect gold for him else face the punishment of death. While Columbus may or may have not been as heartless as he is made out to be, he is not truly the one to blame for the harsh treatment of the natives on the Caribbean Islands. Almost every other European (at that time) that could have been in his position would have undoubtedly done the same things as Columbus.

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“Columbus, the Indians, and Human Progress”, chapter one of “A People’s History of the United States”, written by professor and historian Howard Zinn, concentrates on a different perspective of major events in American history. It begins with the native Bahamian tribe of Arawaks welcoming the Spanish to their shores with gifts and kindness, only then for the reader to be disturbed by a log from Columbus himself – “They willingly traded everything they owned… They would make fine servants… With fifty men we could subjugate them all and make them do whatever we want.” (Zinn pg.1) In the work, Zinn continues explaining the unnecessary evils Columbus and his men committed unto the unsuspecting natives.

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