Drawing upon examples about the Americas and the various Native Americans from Chapters 1 & 2, contest/take issue with Columbus' claim in his letter to Luis de Santangel of 1493 (see link below) that, in his explorations of the New World, he found "nothing of importance."
DUE: Friday, August 31st by midnight.
Minimum Length: 200 words
Link: Letter to Luis de Santangel of 1493
70 comments:
Brynn Villa period 1&4
As an Indian and a citizen of Europe, Columbus’ claim would be incredibly incorrect. As an Indian everything found there is very important and needed. For them it is there home, and everyone’s home is very important no matter where the location. In the dictionary, home is defined as one’s dwelling place or place of retreat. So, according to the Indians this is their place of dwelling or retreat, making it very important for them. This place also has life living on it. For the citizens of Europe, this is very important to them as well because first; this is a land undiscovered that they didn’t even know existed let alone had life forms on it. Second, when something has life forms on it, it just as well means that there is water, different crops and creatures amongst them that could be used and/or exported. Third, this may as well be a place of “retreat” from the way things are in Europe and the finances. Also, as the King and Queen of Spain, they are always looking for a way to be seen as very important. For them, finding this land was HUGE! It was a great deal, yet once they receive a letter to hear that nothing is of importance to that voyagers eyes, it would cause them to rethink supporting this expedition. However, Columbus went on and on of all the things he found that were amazing and interesting, such as; LIVING people and great CROPS and CREATURES. Yet they were not of importance? If I were the queen, I wouldn’t rethink supporting the expedition, but rethink the voyager I sent out. He sounds a little crazy.
Amanda Jerd
Periods 3 and 6
For Columbus to say there was “nothing of importance” in the America’s is absurd. He himself observed many of the people, goods - such as the Aztec’s gold and silver - and fertile land that grew the nutritious food that eventually saved the colonies. Obviously, Columbus was not worried about his investors getting their money back, or pleasing the Ferdinand and Isabella with their new country. The letter specifically states that the Indian’s had an abundance of food – useful to the hungry sailors. It also says that the natives would trade precious metals and stones for items the Spanish used every day like belts. Columbus says that these people are handsome and smart, how is that worthless? The audacity Columbus has to call these unique people, expensive commodities, and bountiful land “nothing of importance” shows how arrogant and selfish he is. He also captures a few natives to be translators; they are obviously useful for something. By calling his translators and their people insignificant, it just sets the stage for the future wars against them (First and Second Anglo-Powhatan Wars) and the use of natives as slaves. Columbus’ brazen comment shows that the “worthless” Indians are not the savages at all, but rather he is.
Edith Chavez
Periods 1 and 6
Columbus was definitely wrong in saying he found “nothing of importance”. He was being arrogant and stupid when writing that part of the letter and the rest of the letter proves it. Columbus wrote of precious metals that the natives were willing to give up in exchange for practically anything, new birds, new plants, new trees, and land that would be good for agriculture. The Spanish wanted to have cheap trade with Asia so they could have exotic goods and what Columbus found would give the Spanish what they wanted regardless of whether or not he realized that he wasn’t in the West Indies. He obviously either thinks “nothing of importance” means “something of great importance” or “importance” explicitly means Asia. His letter also talks about handsome natives who viewed Columbus and his men as gods and were willing to do whatever they were told. He hadn’t found any of the great civilizations of the Americas so he didn’t know about them but he did find people and people are usually seen as important. Columbus proves himself to be racist and an idiot, even if he doesn’t see these people as equal he should have still recognized that these people could be good for mining their land for precious metals to give to the Spanish. Columbus should have also realized that his sponsors would probably want to be convinced that spending their money on his voyage was worth it so he could stay in the favor of the King and Queen.
Olivia Brophy
Periods 3&4
After Columbus landed in the new world, he reported back to Spain that he had found “nothing of importance”. This claim is preposterous. The Americas had many commodities that could have been discovered by Columbus himself, had he only exerted the effort necessary to discover them. These commodities include, but are certainly not limited to, gold, fertile land, and crops, which, after their discovery, became vital to Europeans. Additionally, the native peoples of the Americas had extensive knowledge of the land they inhabited, and might have proved to be of better use for exploration than for slave labor, had they been given a chance.
Gold, which was discovered by the Spanish through the conquest of various central and South American peoples, contributed hugely to the Spanish economy, as well as to the empire’s downfall. In addition to the gold of Central and South America, the fertile farm land of south-eastern North America, as discovered by English colonists, proved economically invaluable to the land owners and the English crown itself, through the cultivation of cash-crops such as cotton, rice, and tobacco. Furthermore, Native Americans had, long before the arrival of Europeans, perfected the growing of foodstuffs such as tomatoes, corn, and most importantly for Europe, the potato. The potato contributed largely to the population boom in Europe that succeeded the discovery of the Americas, but such heavy reliance on one crop would, in the future, prove fatal. A last important feature that Columbus overlooked in the Americas was that the native people knew more about the land that they lived on than just how to grow crops in it. If the European colonists had allowed natives a chance to serve as their guides in the New World, as Hernán Cortés made use of the native woman Malinche during his conquest of the Aztecs, perhaps the discoveries made by Europeans would have been made sooner. Additionally, the many native cultures that were destroyed through the colonization of the Americas might have been preserved.
Bella Crosson
Period 1&4
Christopher Columbus said that there was "nothing of importance" in the Americas, when in fact there were living human beings there. They were there long before the Europeans came, for this place had been their home for over five hundred years. These Indians were also plenty ready to start trading and living peaceful with the new white settlers. The Indians told him his location; that they were actually on an island off the coast of the mainland, making them smart enough to know the geography around them. They offered to trade precious metals to the Europeans for things as simple as everyday belts. Columbus said himself that these people would give them anything, and even offer things like food and water, for they “show so much love that they would give their very hearts.” He also observed their boats, called canoes, calling them ingenious. He also, by force, takes some of them to be his translators, showing that they have a spoken language and are able to converse with others around them. But still, these people have no importance to Christopher. He is too blind and arrogant to see the wealth and prosperity going on around him, something that would of made his king and queen pretty happy. This shows that he is only concerned with his own happiness, and not serving those who brought him there. He is cruel and unforgiving, and is the reason that the later Europeans show such cruelty to the natives, implanting disease and war (first and second Powhatan wars) into the society. Christopher Columbus said that he found almost no monsters in the new land, but if he would have looked a little closer, he would have found that the biggest monster there was himself.
Good responses so far. Olivia, you are new this year, you are also in 10th grade. I want to say that what you wrote was a SOLID response, precisely the kind of thinking and writing that I am looking for. Very glad to have you in AP this year!
Alissa Maggard
3rd and 4th period
As the prompt stated, Christopher Columbus deemed the lands of America to hold nothing of importance. One can only assume how many times the man has turned over in his grave with every “important” thing or person that was recognized with American origins, since then.
To respond to that man’s statement, there are two possible approaches. One would be addressing all of the physical and economical discoveries (if you could call them that, considering they were already discovered by the natives) that would not have required much convincing for the deluded explorer to see their significance, had he even known about them. Such factors would include all of the precious metals and minerals, as well as the foreign and innovative methods of agriculture. These metals of gold and silver completely transformed the economy back home. Meanwhile, the American food stuffs that also managed to make their way to Europe only increased the insatiable craving for exploration and foreign experiences. With such a positive image of the new world painted by all this trade and commerce, people seeking a new life saw the opportunity they were waiting for. Soon, this influence became one of the major causes for the formation of the American colonies. Therefore, such importance these previously listed items held for European benefit also transferred over to the future establishment of the United States of America.
The second approach would enlist more involvement of civil rights and other discussions of the like. Nowadays, it would be a sad thing to have to explain the importance of human life. So, when Columbus dismissed the very same native lives and cultures that developed all the methods and innovations formerly mentioned as “unimportant”, the majority of his mistake should be obvious. The rest of his mistake, however, is shown in how neglecting those lives also prevented more chances for them to prove their ingenuity. These chances could have also have proved to be of importance, but we may never know.
Annika Newman
Periods 1 & 4
Christopher Columbus' argument in his letter to Luis de Santangel of 1493 that he discovered “nothing of importance” could not be further from the truth. Prior to Columbus' voyage to the New World, Europeans yearned for products of less cost from land beyond the Mediterranean. Columbus originally attempted to find a new water route to the Indies, but after sailing westward for over six weeks, he and his crew became the first Europeans to discover the New World. The founding of this New World by Europeans led to the convulsion of Europe, Africa, and the two Americas. Many important discoveries were made due to Columbus' journey to the Americas, including precious metals, fertile land, and useful crops. The founding of the New World by Europeans allowed for the trading and exposure of precious metals, particularly gold and silver, to other nations. Gold largely contributed to the Spanish economy, including the empire's collapse. The fertile land of the New World was extremely important, in that sugar cane, an expensive and highly-desired crop, was easily grown there due to the warm, Caribbean environment. The enormous cultivation of sugar cane led to a “sugar revolution,” in which millions of migrated slaves, mainly from Africa, were forced to labor the sugar mills and canefields of the New World. Perhaps the most important of the discoveries made in the New World was the excessive amount of crops. It is estimated that three-fifths of globally-cultivated crops in the modern world originated in the Americas. Some of the most influential crops to the global economy and society during this time period were maize (corn), potatoes, tobacco, vanilla, chocolate, pineapples, tomatoes, and beans. The entering of Europeans into the New World also led to widespread disease, including smallpox and the bubonic plague, that wiped out hundreds of thousands of natives. However, the New World also exposed the Old World to syphilis, the first lethal sexually transmitted disease in Europe. In conclusion, the discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus and his men led to the spread of crops, precious metals, and diseases around the globe, as well as an opportunity for the cultivation of many crops in the fertile land.
For Christopher Columbus to state that he found "nothing of importance" could not possibly be farther from the truth. In the late 1400s, the experienced Italian sea voyager set sail attempting to find new land after managing to convince the Spanish monarchs to provide him with three small ships. He was absolutely astounded at what he witnessed before him, upon stumbling accidentally onto what he believed to be the “Indies”. After discovering countless minute individual societies, a bewildering extension of various natural commodities, and an innovative intuition regarding navigational skills, Columbus appeared to scrutinize the area with cleverly curious eyes. This was an entirely unprecedented turn of events, and Columbus made sure that every moment was utilized. First off, these “Indians” he soon found, were of a reserved nature in the beginning but later displayed themselves as trusting companions/friends of the Europeans after the Europeans showed the same generosity toward them by trading both discarded goods and valuable treasures. Even though they had no religion, the Indians felt as if they owed something to these allegedly beneficent and heavenly men. Second, the uncovering of a vast magnitude of natural products was the major turning point of the century. Goods and items such as gold, silver, corn, potatoes, tomatoes, tobacco, beans, vanilla, and chocolate were now available to the Old World from the New. Not only that, but the spread of foreign diseases originating from either landmass (there was a collective array of islands at that point in time) became apparent; for example: smallpox and the bubonic plague from the Old World, and Syphilis which is a type of STD from the New World. Finally, in addition to the diversity of the islands, the natives themselves were just as competent in Columbus’ eyes. He observes the canoes that are made from only one plank, as well as the speed and their inherent ability to discern all directions. Also, the communication skills they apply are neither complex nor sophisticated, yet they are highly apt and intelligible. This abundance of beauty and goods, small villages, and sense of location all eventually lead to the demise of these native peoples, and the rise of the Europeans. That being said, Columbus’ illogical conclusion stating that he found “nothing of importance” is nothing short of pretentiousness.
Krizelle DeGuzman
Periods 1 and 4
When landing in the America's Columbus stated that there was "nothing of importance" which is completely ridiculous. He himself admitted that he "discovered a great many islands, inhabited by numberless peoples." Also included in the letter Columbus said that many spices and mines of gold and other metals were found as well as new food that tasted amazing. How is all of this "nothing of importance"? All of these things became of the utmost importance in Europe. If they hadn't used the Native Americans as slaves then maybe they could have used them for their extensive knowledge on all these foreign things considering that they were already living there and have been for quite some time. I believe that there is a greater possibility that Columbus was completely aware of how valuable everything he discovered was, than him truly believing that there was "nothing of importance" in the Americas. If he truly did believe what he said then maybe in his eyes having vast mines of gold and silver, as well as precious food to feed his starving crew, plus the fact there are natives who aren't in any way being harmful just trying to be helpful is "nothing of importance" then there is something wrong with him.
Cori Brunet
Columbus' claim that there was "nothing of importance" in the Americas was absolutely and evidently false, as history has proven. But what is ridiculous is the fact that Columbus contradicted himself in his own letter. The tone of the writing as well as his personal opinions and observations suggest several very important matters regarding the land. He learned that the land was indeed inhabited, and contrary to popular belief, was not inhabited by monsters. Instead,the people there looked relatively normal with the exception of their hair style, texture, and skin color. The inhabitants were also very well educated according to their environment. They had learned how and where to raise their own crops and hunt for their meat. The Native Americans, according to Columbus, had built their own large, swift boats in which they traveled in and could carry up to 80 people. Obviously, information on the existance of inhabitants would be vital to anyone looking to settle in a land. Further proof is when Columbus stated that the seaports in the Americas were "incredibly fine, as also the magnificent rivers, most of which bear gold." He also described spices, food, potential slaves, crops, and mines of gold and other metals. Columbus also observed that the land was larger than Scotland and England combined. Columbus himself stated that the land was "worth having, and must on no account be given up." Now in my opinion, he sounded impressed. I think most people would be. But regardless, the discoveries made were certainly of importance. In the very least, the information gathered was worthy of being reported back to the recipitent of this letter.
Tristan Mauricio Periods 1 and 6
If i were Christopher Colombus i would have said something different than there was "Nothing of importance" and i know the Native Americans of the country would certainly take insult. First of all why would he go into the diversity of the Native species and the rich lay of the land and not expect the King and Queen to be excited. There was this untouched, pure land that would have been theirs and perhaps if he would have revised his letter to a more "We have a huge opprutunity in the land and you should get everybody over here right now" then the course of this country would be different and Spain would have become the most powerful country in the world. Second, if i were a Native American living in the Americas and this outsider comes in and says there is no big deal about this land i would be offended. This land took care of my ancestors that brought me into this world, this land is what feeds my children and village that keep us alive, and this land is my home and nobody can take that from me. Thirdly, if there was nothing of importance then why would there be plenty of resources that could be used for many things like building new ships, new trading partners with the Indians, or maybe the land that could become the sites of villages and towns that would turn up profit. Perhaps if Colombus had been more careful with his choice of words he would have been the Vice-roy of the America instead of losing everything. The monarchs of Spain were sadly mistakened when they chose Colombus as the leader of this expedition, i would have chosen someone who had the expierience to find new territories and someone who would realize how big of a catch they caught.
Moriah McKim
3 & 4 Period
Being a "mestizo" I take exception to Columbus' remark to Luis de Saint Angel, that in the New World there is "nothing of importance". My ancestors the Potawatomi and Ottawa indian tribes believed that their home was very important just like everybody believes that their home and traditions are important. I don't think anyone has the right to say that about anyones home. It seemed like Columbus was very nationalistic in his letter and he was also a proud Christian, so his home was obviously very important to him. It seems like most Eurpoeans had the belief that if you were not of Anglo Saxson descent then you and your land do not have equal rights as the white race.
In the year 1492, Christopher Columbus discovered the Americas by accident. Columbus, who during this time of elation was fueled by Spanish nationalism and arrogance, made the claim that there is nothing of importance in the New World even though Columbus had only explored a fraction of the 16 million square miles of unknown land. Columbus’ claim is profoundly short sighted at best, inexcusably arrogant and therefore fatal in the final analysis. Considering world trade alone, the claim is profoundly myopic. Until the discovery of the Americas, the Far East dominated the European luxury markets. The proximity of Europe to the Far East relegated Europe to an inferior role in world trade. The discovery of the New World created an influx of exotic commodities to European markets, but at prices lower than their counterparts from the East. The lower prices for luxury goods expanded the market base for exotic goods swelling profits greatly and the precious metal supplies in the Americas created vast fortunes in Europe. Europe surpassed the East in trading because the center of world trade had shifted from the Indian Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean, giving the Europeans a massive advantage over Eastern traders. The desire to make a profit in the New World led to the formation of Joint Stock Companies. These were privately funded companies that had the intent of reaping large profits. Modern capitalism was born out of the Joint Stock Companies. Christopher Columbus never imagined that the New World would catalyze a movement towards free market economics and capitalism. The foresight of Columbus’ was unfortunately, restricted to the exploiting of native populations; the natives were subjected to many tribulations at the expense of increasing profits. The economic ramification of Columbus’ discovery is enough to justify the importance of America but economics is only one of many aspects catalyzed by this discovery. Columbus’s statements are ironic and it shows how one man’s arrogance can render him blind to what is arguably the greatest discovery in human history, an entirely New World to integrate into the Old World.
Missy Smith Period 1 and 4
When talking about Columbus and the day “he” found the Americas, I notice I think a lot about the Native’s point of view. In his letter to Luis de Santangel he says a large amount of facts about the islands he landed on (in HIS point of view). One of these topics being, how he named and found the Islands: San Salvador, Santa Maria de Concepcion, Fernandina, Isabella, and Juana. He also states that there was “nothing of importance”. When he writes that sentence, I can’t help but think of the Disney movie Pocahontas, while being incorrect historically, I think it shows what the Europeans wanted in finding this “New World”. They wanted something they could use to become wealthy and powerful. So when the Spanish saw that the Aztecs had what they wanted they tricked and killed both indirectly (illnesses) and directly the Aztecs for the gold. But on the islands he first landed on there was no gold. That automatically means the place is worthless to the Europeans, at least, that is the vibe I get from this letter. What the Natives had that was important was knowledge, they knew the land and they knew what animals and plants they could eat and use the rest for something else. The Americas were not a new world; it was an old world that had been re-founded.
Colombus didn’t stumble upon anything close to “nothing of importance”, he stumbles upon a
new nation. Saying Columbus stumbles on something of no importance is like saying that every American alive today is not important. They also found a whole new kind of people, the Native Americans. These natives introduced a huge new culture and the English learned new ways to harvest food. They were also presented with completely new foods, such as the tomato, beans, chocolate and corn. One of the more important finds of Columbus’ voyage was gold and silver. All of the new precious resources resulted in many changes in Europe. Gold and silver became huge in the economy of Spain and England and all of the newly discovered land was simply perfect for plantations and crops. Amongst all of the new crop discoveries, sugar or “sugar cane” was one of the most important. The harvesting of sugar cane was extremely difficult with the simple resources of that time period. Slavery became a huge practice in those days for sugarcane required great strength and much attention. Though, The New World did not just bring love and happiness to Europe, it also brought disease. The old world came to a disease called syphilis, and the New World was exposed to Small Pox and The Bubonic plague. These diseases nearly wiped out all of the natives that were exposed to it, which paved new land for English men. Columbus’ discovery began a nation. He didn’t just discover something of little importance, he literally discovered a whole new world.
Michael Ruiz
K-Dogs Blog
When Columbus had stumbled upon the America’s, he wrote in a letter to Luis de Santangel of 1493 that all that he found was “nothing of importance.” Three of many reasons on why the America’s and its inhabitants are important, are one that by all the various clothes, food, culture, etc… England and its people receive many exotic things that excited them. Two, by setting relations with the Natives, the settlers received help in food crops, finding food, hunting and other things that kept them alive when they needed it. Third and lastly, when the settlers of the New World grow tired of England and many taxes, they revolt and create what John Winthrop calls “… the City on the Hill”, United States of America.
When Columbus had found the New World, he wrote letters back to England. When people had read his letters, they were inspired to travel to this New World and seek fortune and “new chances”. These settlers, when encountered the Natives, found new foods and life styles that interested them.
When times went worst, the settlers were hopeless in the New World. Most of whom who traveled to Jamestown were merchants in search for trading and gold, and when a great winter came along, they were cut off from their supplies and were unable to retrieve food and didn’t know how to crop/harvest food. The Natives, being not as savage as the settlers thought, decided that the settlers needed help and taught them how to crop, and care for various foods, and also showed them were the best hunting spots were.
Lastly, what Columbus had found was actually indeed of great value. If he had not discovered the New World, some body may have like the Chinese, or Spanish, or anybody else, and when they had colonized, England may not have had such a good grasp of it as they actually did. And if this had happened, the Americans would not have revolted and the United States would not have been created and who knows what else may have not happened.
Samantha Nicolas, Periods 3 & 6
Christopher Columbus’s letter stating that he found “nothing of importance” when he landed in the New World in 1492 can only be described by the word “ridiculous.” The whole purpose of Columbus’s voyage was to search for a route by which they could access new goods from China. The newly discovered continent possessed many valuable resources of its own such as gold and silver by which Spain could gain much profit from. North America also harbored an abundant supply of crops and other foodstuffs that had the potential to change the European diet forever, not to mention the probability of considerable economic gain from commercial activity. Additionally, the Native Americans were the only people who knew the continent’s landscape well enough to know where the best places to obtain food were and how to get it. This was evident in later years when the starving colonists of Jamestown in Virginia resorted to stealing from the Powhatan Indians’ food supply in order to remain alive. Even without the state-of-the-art weapons technology of the day, the natives were excellent hunters and always seemed to have plentiful reserves of food, so they couldn’t possibly be worth nothing if the people of England had to rely on them for something they weren’t able to scrounge up on their own. Furthermore, the natives had all the knowledge of New World crops, from what crop would grow to the best places to plant and set up villages, which moves to prove that these natives must be of some importance because they were able to cultivate all their main crops to its fullest extent, while at the same time developing their own farming techniques such as the “three-sister” in order to stimulate population and further enrich diets. Lastly, Columbus’s statement that “nothing of importance” existed in the Americas directly contradicts what he wrote in his letter back to Europe after exploring several island provinces of the New World, in which he clearly says, “This is worth having, and must on no account be given up.” Columbus should’ve been more appreciative not only of the natives’ knowledge (which could’ve been of some aid to him in his explorations) but also the usefulness of all the different resources of their world.
Dear Superfly Jones,
Who are you? I can't give you a grade unless I know who you really are.
K-Dog (a.k.a., Mr. Korling)
In 1943, When Christopher Columbus landed in the new found world he wrote a letter to Louis De Santangel stating that he had found "nothing of importance." Quite on the contrary, Columbus has probably found the most important piece of land throughout the mid 1940s till this very day. Along with the land that we now know as America, a population of native peoples also inhabited this strange and wonderous place. Columbus himself walked around and inspected the land, seeing all the native peoples and their way of life. For him to say that there was 'nothing of importance' is as barbaric as what he thought the natives were. In Columbus' eyes this land was HIS and these 'people' that were there, were just for his use, a hindrance if you will. That god had put everything in motion for this moment in Christophers life, so that he, himself could claim the land. All of the natives discoveries and smarts all just got credited to the europeans. What Columbus didn't realize was that without the Natives , all of his crew members and future settlers would die of natural causes because they didn't know how to grow crops properly, and the natives did. He couldn't accept that these 'savages' in his eyes, weren't below the Europeans, because without them, we would not be here today.
Steven Fraser
Columbus saying that "nothing of importance" could be found in the America's is ridiculous to say the least. He clearly describes the resources the native americans had- like gold and silver (spains favorite)- and plenty of fertile farm land to grow many different kinds of crops that would greatly help the later colonies. Columbus clearly was not stressed about paying back his investors or delivering the spanish monarchs thier new colonies. The letter points out that the natives had plenty of food that was useful to his sailors and better yet would trade precious metals and stones for cheap everyday items that the spanish could easily replace. Columbus also compliments them in the letter saying how handsome and clever the natives are and yet he says they are worthless. What? the way he can dismiss al of that and classify it as "nothing of importance" just goes to show how egotistical he really is. Columbus's comments show the european attitude of the time and set the stage for the follwing wars in which nearly wiped out the native american population.
Steven Fraser
It is clear through Columbus's tone in the letter that he believes he and the country of Spain had a right, and even a duty, to put the Native Americans under their subjugation, to exploit them. His letter also conveys a tone of affection towards the very same people, expressing a deep interest in them and a hope that they might convert to Catholicism and become loyal subjects of Spain. Yet the qualities that Columbus implied made the Tainos so admirable- intelligence, naivete, generosity, ignorance, lack of technology, lack of specific religious practices, and a childlike wonder at the Europeans - made them opportune for subjugation.
The reasons for Columbus's desire to subjugate the Tainos was much more than a sense of religous altruism, as Columbus and his crew deeply desired for wealth. Just skimming the letter, one can see Columbus's fixation with the riches of the island - knowingly exaggerating them, most likely to keep the funding that Ferdinand and Isabella were supplying him, so that future trips could be made. He wrote of enormous amounts of gold and spices, cotton and perfumes, and naturally, slaves.
From the letter, you can see that the man that has been exalted in American history is, in fact, quite different from the popular perception of him. A profit-driven, manipulative, self-panegyrical and hypocritical man, his treatment of the Native Americans was nothing but disgraceful. He wrote that the Tainos were extremely generous to him, and yet in the same letter he wrote of a plan to enslave and expolit them, and implied they were "nothing of importance." The Tainos were very generous, and very hospitable towards Columbus and his men, even though they had every right not to be. And how did Columbus pay them back? By disrespecting and enslaving them. He saw them as nothing more than ignorant, disposable playtoys. Obsessed with making a profit, he used immoral and greedy tactics to make one and set up the new world for Spanish colonization. To see that in many classes throughout America, children are taught to idolize Columbus is shameful. It is disrespectful towards Native Americans, who deserve so much more considering how they have been continually exploited throughout American history.
Beckett Lee
Periods 3 and 4
Christopher Columbus’ claim that there was “nothing of importance” in the New World is clearly incorrect. The New World had many things to offer both the Native Americans who resided there and the Europeans who would soon flood the New World specifically to take advantage of its near-limitless opportunities and resources. The Native Americans themselves were also very important. Just as the Europeans had centuries before, the Native Americans were developing advanced agricultural societies with complex social, economic, and religious systems. The Native Americans valued these things just as highly as the Europeans valued their systems. To deem these things unimportant is highly disrespectful to the Native Americans and their ways of life. However, the New World also had many things of high value to the Europeans. These included precious metals such as gold and silver, timber for ship construction, fertile land for agriculture, and many viable sites for colonies. For these reasons, among many others, swarms of European settlers would go to the New World to build new lives for themselves and their families. European companies, using mercantilism, would establish themselves in the New World and bring wealth and prosperity to the colonies and Europe. It seems strange that Christopher Columbus would ignore these benefits as he did. One would think that someone as industrious as Christopher Columbus, who convinced the Spanish royalty to fund his voyage, would want to immediately take advantage of the opportunities available in the New World. All of these aspects clearly demonstrate that the New World was filled with possibilities and wealth for both the Native Americans, who needed these resources to build their civilizations, and the Europeans, who wanted these resources to become powerful and wealthy. It is very clear that Christopher Columbus’ judgment was lacking when he wrote this letter.
In 1492 Columbus landed off the shore of the “New World,” which he thought was Asia. Columbus, recounting what he thought of this, sent a letter to one of his friends in Spain, Luis de Santangel in 1492, in which he said that this land was “nothing of importance.” Columbus was incorrect in thinking that the New World was useless and contained nothing of importance, because it contained millions of dollars in gold, new and extremely useful crops, and a great environment for growing “cash” crops.
The assertion that Columbus found nothing of importance is a bogus issue just from the material standpoint. Spain, after the discovery of Columbus, sent in Conquistadors to claim this new land. These Conquistadors, led by Cortez found an advanced civilization, the Aztecs, and conquered them. Years later, a cousin of Cortez, Pizarro conquered another advanced civilization, the Incan empire. The Spanish pulled the millions dollars of gold out of the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan and the Incan empire alone. This made them rich and put them at the top of the Europe. These discoveries of gold, and the later discoveries, in California and Alaska totally disprove Columbus’ assertion. The gold that came out of the New World, which accounts for more than half of the gold in the world, shifted the balance of Europe and created the “struggle” for this New World.
There also were many agricultural developments out of the new world; Squash, Maize (modern corn, although smaller), Tomatoes and Potatoes. These became huge crops once back in Europe and gained money and helped feed the people. We cannot even begin to imagine a world without these vegetables; what would we do without fries, salsa, ketchup, potato chips and corn on the cob. These constitute the modern day American diet. Who can think of a typical American dinner without ketchup or potato chips? Also the new world showed it was a place to reap in economic benefits, which grew great in the new world’s environment, helped to feed the colonists and their mother country. Just from this stand point the New World is of some value.
Finally, the New World gained the colonists, and the mother country enormous profits, as the New World also proved to be a great place to grow Tobacco and Sugar Cane, or, as they affectionately came to be known, the “cash” crops. As the Spanish, who had just landed in the new world, discovered, the “thing” to grow was Tobacco and Sugar Cane. These crops harbored huge profits and were easy to grow. The farmers would buy slaves, who were shipped from Africa, who would harvest the crops and reap huge profits for his/her master. This, in turn, would gain huge profits for their mother land. The colonist, seeing the success of these crops, went about farming them themselves and the crops proved to grow great in the south. These crops were shipped to England and Spain, where these mother countries gained profits. These mother countries then sold slaves to these farmers and gained even more profits. This whole exchange, known as the Columbian Exchange, gained huge profits for the farmers, and the mother countries. This one aspect of the new World makes Columbus look like a fool with what he said in his letter.
Columbus landed off the shore of the New World in 1492. Columbus believed this to be Asia, and in a letter to someone in Spain called this land nothing of importance. These three thing; the gold, the crops and new plants, and the environment, which was great for growing crops totally disproved Columbus’ statement that this land contained nothing of worth. Another testament to the invalidity of Columbus’ statement is that the U.S., a country in this new World is the sole super power in the world at the moment and continues to look like a world power in the future.
-Christian Filbrun
Annelise Rank
Periods: 1&4
I do not understand how Columbus could say that there is "nothing of importance" in America. Mr. Columbus was sent out to India on a voyage that was simply a luxury. He was sent out to find the luxuries in India such as spices, etc. but the moron got lost and didn't even know where he was initially. The distance between the capitol of Spain and the capitol of America is about 3,788 miles. Saying that, how could Columbus say something as dumb as "There is nothing of importance" okay, dude, you just sailed across the Atlantic ocean, you witnessed a vast amount of different cultures, living places, you were looked at as a God by Natives, and you have the nerve to say that in America there is nothing of importance? I'm sure that everything Columbus saw while sailing across the Atlantic was important, maybe not to him, but it has importance to the people. The homes, and cities he saw, they have importance. The cultures, they have importance. The people, they have importance. Maybe Columbus didn't see the importance in everything he saw, but he just missed it all. He's too spoiled and into himself to see what is really IMPORTANT. The pure fact that Columbus said "There is nothing of importance" shows how ignorant and dumb he really is.
Anthony Luna
Periods 3 & 4
Columbus stated that in the Americas there is "nothing of importance." This statement would be completely false, for there were many tribes of people, precious metals, land, and a great amount of fertile soil. These people, who were call unimportant, had been living there for hundreds of years before Columbus arrived. There were many negative effects, for they suffered from diseases that the Europeans brought over, and millions of lives were lost. Because the Europeans thought that the Indians were unequal they stole land, property, and lives. Human life is very important no matter the person; however Columbus did not think so, for the natives he found there were primitive. Gold and silver is very important, but Columbus simply did not recognize that the importance of gold and silver. For Columbus brought back gold and he knew the abundance that the Natives there had, but he felt it was not of importance. There were fertile soil with many important plants that supported many animals and people, but these plants and animals were overlooked, for they were apparently were not of importance. He did however bring few plants back with him. Columbus was wrong; the land he landed upon had many tribes with diverse languages and culture, animals, plants, and wealth, all these things were and are of importance.
Nick Palmares
per. 1,4
When returning to Spain after landing in the new world Christopher Columbus claimed that he had found "nothing of importance". this statement was Arrogant and foolish. These Natives had well enough of Gold, Silver, and tons of Fertile land for crops. Even in the letter he points out that the natives had plenty of food for his crew and precious metals and stones that could have been used for trading. Columbus continues to compliment them on so many things about They are most beautiful "for a thousand varied forms, accessible, and full of trees of endless varieties, so high that they seem to touch the sky",and that they had many supplies and land that they can use but even from all of the things he compliments and praises the natives for he disregards all of it by saying they are "nothing of importance" this is just ridiculous and his ego had clearly got the best of him. in my opinion yes he is a great explorer and has made some great discoveries but these natives were harmless and just trying to be helpful and saying there nothing of importance is just wrong and stupid.
Cammie Gelbuda
Period 1&4
Contrary to what Christopher Columbus belied, there were many things of importance found in the New World. Columbus found many plants such as tobacco, maize, beans, tomatoes and lowly potato. Exotic animals such as iguanas and “snakes with castanets” (rattlesnakes) were found on the islands by European explores. Some of the food found in the New World helped boom international trade and the European diet. Approximately three-fifths of the food found around the world today, originated in the New World. They had gold, and they would trade it for barley nothing. They have things that come together in the New World that means a lot to the Old World. The Europeans also brought other organism in the dirt on their boots, and the dust on their clothes. The New World is something that Christopher Columbus thought that he would never find. He began to write letters and send them back to England, to let them know that there was a “New World” but in his letters he told them that there was nothing really there to see, so it was not worth it to travel around the world to see the “New World.”. It was in the winter time so most of the ground of covered by snow, that is why he could not see the “New World.” So when Christopher Columbus said “there is nothing of importance” he was wrong, he just did not want to open up his eyes and see what was really there, for him and for us, because if he did not discover the “New World” we would not be here today, nor would you.
Sonia Mendonca
Period 1&4
In 1942, a skilled Italian seafarer named Christopher he Columbus, sent by the king and queen of Spain, set off to the New World (which wasn’t new to the natives). When he had found the islands, he gave them all new names: San Salvador, Santa Maria de Concepcion, Fernandina, Isabella, and Juana, not caring that they were already named, a selfish move if you ask me. He wrote a letter to Louis De Santangel claiming that there he had found “nothing of importance” in the New World. This is completely false for the fact that he had hadn’t explored most of the Native lands to see that everything found there is of good use. For the most part the areas he had discovered had plenty of fertile farm land to grow certain types of crops, such as potatoes, tomatoes, tobacco, vanilla, and chocolate, maize (corn), beans and squash, along with gold and silver which contributed to Spain’s economy. To begin with the Native Americans were scared and timid to see these Europeans invade their land, as Columbus declared is was “his” land, but as time went on the Europeans had gained their trust and had traded goods amongst themselves. Columbus enforced Christianity on the natives since they had no form of religion but to think that all power and goodness is in heaven, which made them believe that Columbus with his men and ships were from the heavens. Soon they would find out that these Europeans were not sent from the heavens, but were the reason of many deaths in their villages caused by diseases they had brought along such as small pox, bubonic plague, and syphilis. After all of this, Columbus finds the natives to be worthless? Truth be told, to me this sounds like without the Native Americans the Europeans would not have known the skills they were taught.
In Christopher Columbus’ letter to Luis de Santangel of 1493, Christopher Columbus says that he has found “nothing of importance,” later in his letter he provides evidence that disproves this initial conclusion. This statement is clearly not true for many reasons other than frequently used argument that the discovery of human civilization is “important.” I will first start by bringing evidence that Columbus himself wrote in his letter and I just want to let Mr. Korling know that I did not count the quotes in my 200 word minimum word count but I did count these :). Well into his second paragraph Columbus says that the natural ports of the New World best some of the most prestigious ports in the Old World by saying, “It has many ports along the sea-coast excelling any in Christendom.” He also said that there were “magnificent rivers, most of which bear gold,” so much gold that the Natives actually gave them “gold of the weight of two and a half castellanos” for their garbage. Because this is the first instance of Spain being in the New World, Columbus cannot even fathom the impact that his letter will have on the History of the Spain’s relationship with the Americas despite his remark about them being “nothing of importance.” We now know that because of this “accidental” discovery Spain will quickly become one of the richest countries in the world. I would argue that despite Columbus not being psychic he foresaw at least a piece of what all of this gold could do to Spain in terms of wealth and glory. Therefore his statement claiming that he had found nothing of importance was a lie.
and Biggie K Supa fly Jones is Luke Hibbs
in the letter to Luis de Sant Angel from Columbus, Columbus states that he found “nothing of importance.” this of course was an absurd statement seeing as how later in his letter he talks about all the IMPORTANT items and places he came across. Describing all of the tribes and places he came across in a way that anyone who heard this would be amazed and want to find it. Coming across one of the places in his extravaganza was a place where gold was so easy to come by they gave him some. Columbus hoping that by sending the letter with all of these interesting facts on them that Spain will be the first in the new world. He hopes that not only will it increase Spain’s community from the gold but also spark a relationship between the Americas and Spain. In the beginning of his letter when he talked about how he found nothing of “importance” was a complete lie after all that he talked about and all the places he went. All the gold and new places he found just add on to Spain's forward movement in society. All of this together shows that his first statement about finding nothing of “importance” was a lie.
Jessica Wirth
Period 3 & 4
Christopher Columbus's claim that he saw "nothing of importance" in the Americas was an ignorant statement, one that would be challenged throughout the upcoming centuries. The Americas housed not only precious metals and spices, like gold and silver, which the Europeans craved for but also provided plenty of fertile land. The Native Americans had seen the value of the land ever since the first migrants crossed over the land bride 10,000 years ago. They had cared for the land and prospered on it for many, many generations, using what it had provided for them. To these people, this land that Columbus quickly deemed as useless, was extremely sacred. Within a century that this letter was written, Europeans realized the economic power the Americas could bring. The Spanish colonists swarmed over the rich land and soon established many cities and towns. Spanish conquistadors ravaged the existing civilizations in their quest for wealth and fame. The Aztec and Inca Empires were brimming with gold that was easily taken by the Conquistadors who possessed terrifying guns and deadly diseases. This gold, along with other treasures, was shipped back to Spain and created a rich and powerful nation. The land was also used for harvesting crops both in South America and North America. The huge plantations established by the Spanish, and later on the English, brought in plenty of profit. The land was perfect for planting cash crops such as sugar, cotton, and tobacco. The Native Americans had previously been planting the "Three Sisters": corns, beans, and squash. Christopher Columbus's statement was proven false, although it seemed he already knew that. He himself wrote in his letter that there were "numerous mines of metals and innumerable people" along with plenty of plenty of new fruits, trees, animals, and lush lands. This said, it is surprising that Columbus would write such a foolish phrase which only goes to show that he was ignorant and moronic in his attitude toward both the Native Americans and the land on which they lived.
Brianna Brinzo
When Christopher Columbus identifies the Americas as “nothing of importance”, he either did not yet realize the remarkable value of the land of gold and agriculture or completely contradicts himself in saying so. In his 1493 letter to Luis de Sant Angel, he recognizes but neglects to respect several subjects that would normally make for value and significance, such as precious metals and an abundance of agricultural contributions. These were all aspects that later became a significant part of the European culture, which Columbus could not have foreseen, but he still should have reasoned these things worthy of “importance”. He even goes as far as to regard the Native Americans as worthless, perhaps because they were not white men. The absurdity of this assumption reflects upon not just the morality of Columbus, but his sense of reason as well. The value of the Americas was largely underappreciated perhaps because of the arrogance and insolence that was Christopher Columbus. He did not realize the lessons of culture and lifestyle that the Natives could have showed to him, thus hindering exploration as well as relationships that could have potentially changed American history as we know it.
Thanks for that, Chris.
Columbus had almost a certain aspect of nativity to himself when he came to the Americas. The only thing he was really worried about was pleasing Ferdinand and Isabella and paying back his investors. The Native Americans have plenty of important things to offer, INCLUDING THEIR GOLD!He even has the Audacity to say this: “…where I discovered a great many islands, inhabited by numberless people; and of all I have taken possession for their Highnesses by proclamation and display of the Royal Standard without opposition.” (Columbus, Paragraph 1)If the Natives could have understand Columbus and his men and knew what his intentions were,that man would be dead on sight. Civilizations like the Aztecs and their mighty city Tenochtitlan is not a force to reckon with. All of the food (and the abundance of it) that they gave to these "explorers" (its even possible that Columbus knew where he was going too, but lets not go there) were new, somethings that they had never seen before. Also, claiming land where "people without end" lived on for thousands of year is idiotic. Its obviously theirs, even if they think that nature is the true owner. This man sounds like a pompous barbarian rather than the "hero" he was considered to be.
In the letter that Columbus wrote to Luis de Sant Angel stating that there was nothing of importance is inaccurate. He saw many of the goods. There were alot of many opportunities. he found everything pretty interesting like the people there the rituals and the crops and food. He even said that they had an abundance of food for the sailors which is pretty Generous. In the letter he talked about the beautiful land there how it was so green and how it had many fruits and different kind of trees. He even stated that there were large flowing rivers. He basically explained the indians to be very welcoming and kind! he also talked about what spain is really obsessed with...gold and silver! There he explained how the natives would trade things such as metals and stones for items like belts and other things that the Spanish could replace easily. Columbus called a few natives handsome but he disses them and enslaves the natives. which is certainly pathetic of him especially how the natives treated the sailors. Christopher Columbus had so many great advantages he could taken of the new world but he didnt and it blows my mind.
Zach Naranjo
Period 1 & 6
In the late 1480s, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain financed the Italian explorer Christopher Columbus with a few ships and few hundred men to take several voyages across the Atlantic to find a quicker route to Asia; however, instead of reaching the Asian coasts, Columbus landed in the Americas. During his voyage before his return home, Columbus wrote to the Catholic Monarchs of Spain that he had had discovered “nothing of importance”. This entry does not seem to correlate to the actual discoveries of Columbus. Three reasons why the Americas possessed important useful resources were: precious metals, fertile land with the right weather conditions, and its food and crops.
Precious metals were found in many areas in the Americas, so much that the abundance of gold alone created great inflation within Spain’s economy decades later. Columbus himself stated that the natives he encountered possessed vast mines and that they gave the explorers pounds of gold in exchange for old ragged clothes or garments. One of the main reasons Spanish conquistadores later came to the Americas was to earn themselves some gold treasure, making this a very important find for Spain, one that could not even possibly be ignored. The land itself was very habitable and vast along with fertile land which the Natives farmed crops from. Columbus described some of the land in the America, saying, “Its hills and mountains, fine plains and open country, are rich and fertile for planting and for pasturage, and for building towns and villages.” This description would have encouraged colonization of the Americas, making it even more questionable for Columbus’ opinion of the perfectly habitable land, besides the presence of Native Americans. Amongst the New Worlds’ desirable resources, squash, corn and tobacco (would later be discovered and cultivated as a major staple crop) were a few of the desirable crops that also would draw in farmers to trade the new crops to the Old World. The land’s fertility would also be very important in giving farmers good land to grow crops and establish settlement in the Americas, as the Native Americans had already done.
So, from my perspective, the entry written by Columbus indirectly describing all the possible benefits of settling in the New World would more likely result in approval for the Americas rather than disapproval. If I were the King of Spain, I would gladly encourage establishing colonies and cities in such a desirable place. Whatever gave Columbus the reason to state that he found “nothing of importance”, his opinion was ultimately ignored and more exploration along with colonization commenced.
Riley Skinner
Period 1 & 6
Upon arrival in the Americas, Christopher Columbus was unimpressed with the organisms he found there. Including the people. In a letter to one of his investors he said, “There is nothing of importance here.” Columbus truly believed that the “Indians” did not matter. There was a reason for this. In the old world there was a belief that where there were people high up on the food chain, there were people low on the food chain. Taking the belief with them. This is partly the reason why citizens of the old world conquered the new world so quickly, They thought they were better than the natives of the land they were taking over. Columbus displayed this way of thinking when he arrived on the islands. Renaming them after Jesus, then Mary, followed by the king of spain, and lastly the queen of spain. Without a care of the names the Natives established. Columbus thought there was nothing important where he landed, but he could not be farther from the truth.
Although he may not have discovered important things directly, Columbus’ findings would lead to more expeditions and many more important discoveries. Probably the most important was the new foods. Potatoes, tomatoes, and corn were among the most widely liked. Land was also a great find. It was well known that Columbus thought he was on or close to the Indies. Finding a whole new continent opened up options for colonization. Even though it was not discovered until later, there were many great civilizations in this new continent. Among them were the Aztecs and Incas. In the future, Spain wold gain much wealth by conquering the Aztecs. When Columbus said “There is nothing of importance here.” nothing could have been farther from the truth.
In the year of 1493 Luis de Sant Angel received a letter from Christopher Columbus, to report back that he had discovered a new land across the Atlantic. In this letter, Columbus wrote that even after his many ventures into this foreign land, he had discovered “nothing of importance”, a false statement that could have been prevented, but Columbus had no idea that his argument would have been completely torn apart by a high school student in the year of 2012. When Columbus first landed he may have seen the natives as primitive in comparison, but as one reads through the letter, Columbus’s opinion begins to change as he realizes what a marvelous people inhabit this new world. Columbus wrote about the quantity of canoes in the isles and his amazement with their size, “most of them [being] larger than an eighteen-oared galley”. He also includes in the letter, an in depth narration of the immense beauty, the “numerous mines of metals and innumerable people” that he finds as he travels in land. Columbus also took account of the generosity expressed by the Native Americans and how willing they were to trade large amounts of gold for “anything of great or small value”. So when Christopher Columbus, the explorer with a “heart of gold” first explored the continent that I call my home, the words he used to describe this new and bountiful world was, “nothing of importance”.
having to type in the stupid letters and numbers to verify something or other is imposible!
Manisha Dail
Periods 1 and 6
In the late 1400s when Columbus landed in the America's he had stated and wrote back to Spain saying that their was "nothing of importance", which was without a doubt not the case. It was exactly the opposite because the Americas, which he thinks is the “Indies”, were abundant with various different crops as well as fertile land and gold. All of these things became very vital for the Europeans and that’s basically why they started to take over. As if it is not bad enough to say that the America’s had “nothing of importance” Columbus just walks in and renames the islands because he thinks it is God’s will and Jesus gave lead him to the and that makes it turn out to be fine.
Also the land that Columbus just stated as basically worthless had meaning, actually a lot of meaning to the Native Americans it was their sacred land and Columbus comes in and takes all their resources and a majority of their gold and ships it back to Spain. Looking at the land it was very lush and it was very fertile and Columbus saw the perfect opportunity to plant some great cash crops such as tobacco, sugar, and cotton. Basically the America’s turned into a big profit for Columbus and Spain but the outlook wasn’t so bright for the Native Americans. Columbus didn’t just bring his arrogance and ego to the America he unfortunately brought some deadly diseases such as syphilis which is a deadly STD. Not only did a lot of the Native Americans get sick from the arrival of Christopher Columbus, more than half of the population died out. In my opinion Columbus made a grave mistake by saying that the America’s did not have anything of importance because they had a lot of importance and that importance is what made Columbus as well known as he is today.
Kyle McCormick
Prds. 1 and 6
Columbus, in this letter shows a very bull headed and egotistic view. He claims that there is nothing of importance. He later makes a statement that implies there is a stable agricultural food source as well as an abundance of gold and silver. When looking at what they have from the point of the natives, the natives had what was nothing but important. The large villages, extensive aqueducts, and agricultural systems where of hugely significant to the natives, for anyone to say there is nothing of significant value that person has an ignorant and close minded point of view. Because of the lack of metallurgy developed by the natives, the Spaniards viewed the natives as inferior savages; instead of guns unlike the conquistadors the natives used bows and arrows as weapons and hunting tools. However with this “primitive” technology the natives prove to be more successful hunters it also proves to be affective in warfare later in history. By reading the letter Columbus writes back to Spain he unknowingly disproves his own statement That there is “nothing of value” do to examples he gives in his letters of what the natives are like and what they have developed.
The claim Christopher Columbus made in his letter to Luis De Santangel that “there is nothing of value in the Americas,” was completely false. It may be possible Columbus was not interested in pleasing investors, mainly the King and Queen, because it was fairly obvious there was definitely something of value in the Americas. First, there were tens of millions of natives living in the Americas and for Columbus to say they are of no importance is to say human life is not important; second, there were several farming techniques which the natives developed to be able to farm in the different environments; thirdly, the natives had large staples of several types of fruits and vegetables, such as corn, beans, and tomatoes, that were not known to be found anywhere else in the world; fifthly, there was a large amount of gold and silver in the Americas, which would be later discovered by conquistadors; finally, the Americas are made up of around 16 million square miles, most of which was fertile land, which would have been ideal for sustaining the large population of Europe (or any growing civilization for that matter). But because Columbus claimed, “there was nothing of value,” the colonization of the Americas by the Spanish/Europeans was only delayed.
Ryan Volkman period 1&6
Christopher Columbus said that he “found nothing of importance” in the Americas. I can’t see how he couldn’t see how amazing this land is. He was looking for a cheaper and faster way to Asia, so that they could trade cheaply for exotic things, but he found the Americas instead. It would be faster to sail to the Americas from Europe than to sail to Asia. The natives were willing to trade extremely large amounts of gold for common things that Christopher Columbus, and his men, used on a daily basis. One of his sailors traded a leather strap and in return got gold that weighed two and a half Castellanos. The natives were almost giving away their gold; they couldn’t have gotten a better deal. Because of the huge amount land that was in the Americas the natives had plenty land to grow food (some which were new to the Europeans). The hungry sailors would be able to use that food for the time that they were in the Americas. The sailors could have also used the food for their way back to Europe as well as selling some to people in when they got home. The natives had gold, and that gold had to have come from somewhere, they could have mined for gold in the Americas and used the natives as slave labor. He said that they had vast mines of gold and other metals on the islands .Things may have turned out differently if they would have thought about trying to find the source of the gold. There were plenty of ways to make money from the Americas and that is something of importance. There are a lot of natural resources here. Christopher Columbus thought that just because the Americas were not what he considered the modern world he assumed that there was nothing of importance. Clearly he was wrong.
Evelyn Pantoja
Periods 3 and 4
WC: 213
Christopher Columbus’ claim that there was “nothing of importance” showed how arrogant he was. There was so much of importance right in front of him. He found “people of handsome appearance” rather than “monsters”. They were the first people there and were of the most importance from those islands. Taking one or two of those natives away by force was alright, I mean, since all he was doing was taking them away from their land and using them as slaves then insulting them all by saying he found “nothing of importance”. Really? Simply renaming the islands, as if the natives were not insulted enough, added on to that insult. Apart from the people, there were mines of gold, silver, and other metals. He also noted that the trees, fruits, and grasses were different from those of Juana and that the land was rich and fertile for planting and for building villages. He even said so himself that the land was “worth having, and must on no account be given up.” Clearly, he was impressed. After explaining all those interesting things he saw, he could still say there was “nothing of importance”? It was different land that he had never been on before and every little thing around him was important for something, someone.
Brandon Hilleary
Period 1 & 4
The claim made by Christopher Columbus that “nothing of importance” was found in the Americas is unsubstantiated and false because of the enormous economic and social growth fueled from its finding. The sole purpose of Columbus’s voyage was to find a shorter and more convenient trading route to the East Indies because of the enormous cost of importing rare and luxury goods from the Indian Ocean trade arena. But with the discovery of the American continents, the door was opened for European markets to import luxury and commercial products at a lower price than from the Far East (To put this into a modern standpoint, it would be like the United States not having to rely on OPEC for its petroleum intake). Precious metals like gold and silver, fertile land for growing crops, new and exotic luxury goods like tobacco, sugar and chocolate, and new types of cash crops were all commodities that greatly benefited the economic structure of Europe. Then, as more cash crops and raw materials were imported to Europe for production and manufacturing, entrepreneurs and private businesses began to explore ways in which to manufacture materials in a greater quality, quantity, and at a lower price which maximized their profits and led to a better standard of living for Europeans. This fascinating economic advancement did not only improve European civilizations as a whole, but it also led to free-market capitalism that infused itself into European economics. Thus, Christopher Columbus’s claim was very blunt and shortsighted based off of historical evidence of how Europe exploded economically and socially after the discovery of the Americas.
Although heralded as one of the greatest players of the Age of Exploration, Christopher Columbus’ naiveté and outright pomposity take center stage in his letter to Luis de Santangel. Beyond his obvious blunder of assuming that he alone had finally reached the glorious Spice Islands off the coast of Asia, Columbus goes on to report that he found “nothing of importance” amidst the indisputably vibrant indigenous cultures of the Americas. This outlandish claim fails to hold up when placed in the context of world history as a whole; though perhaps not what King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella has commissioned, Columbus’ famous voyage across the ocean blue precipitated one of the greatest global revolutions that the world has ever seen. With the European discovery of the Americas, a new era of global interaction ensued in what would later be known as the Columbian Exchange. The interaction of the two hemispheres gave Europe new dietary diversity with the introduction of the tomato and potato, while the Americas received domesticated animals and grains. The most precious commodity, however, was gold, which the Spanish hoarded by the boatload; mercantilism was the chief economic system during this time period, so the quantity of gold that a nation possessed dictated their global influence and power. Without Columbus’ voyage, Spain may not have been able to gain the global prowess that it enjoyed during this time. Whether viewed from the lens of civilization, trade, or monetary power, it could hardly be argued that Columbus found “nothing of importance.”
When Columbus says that he found "nothing of importance" he was dead wrong. In fact there was tons of gold, copper, iron, coal, and rich diverse cultures in America. Many of the cultures of the Americas were possibly some of the richest civilizations in the world aside from the technology differences, if the Americas had lain undiscovered and untouched by Europeans for just a few hundred more years we may have been telling a very different story. The Aztecs gold, silver, and lapis lazuli alone could have made England extremely rich but the Spanish got there first so that alone disproves Columbus's statement of nothing of importance. Then there is the large reserve of wood, many of the Native Americans worshiped the natural world preserving many giant forests and that amount of wood would have been an extremely helpful asset to the English naval fleet and housing. The claim of Columbus that he found “nothing of importance” is entirely wrong just the bare resources would make England on of the most powerful countries in the world. Because of the economy being based on mercantilism anyone who had land in the Americas would possibly become one of the most powerful countries in the world.
David Lua
When Christopher Colombus responded to his discovery by saying he found "nothing of importance" in the American location, the first word that came to my mind was asinine. He's completely and utterly daft for making such a claim when clearly there were indians there who found the resources at their disposal to be of use and despite not having the products the Europeans were interested in, they certainly had a vast majority of land that they call their home and do in fact enjoy living their lifespan upon. Aside from the fact the Indians find it of importance, the Europeans didn't even know there was life located upon the American Isles which was an accomplishment itself. Furthermore, when there's life somewhere, there's bound to be food, crops, and other useful utilities, otherwise they wouldn't be able to survive or support their living conditions very well. As Brynn mentioned earlier, this also could be a "retreat" for the citizens of Spain that might be looking for another lifestyle, something away from the "daily grind" of Europe and such. Finding the American Isles is a milestone, though with the misleading words of Christopher Colombus, Spain wouldn't want anything to do with the American Isles and it'd be left to another country or continent, leaving them empty handed while another reaps the benefits. The letter did provide evidence of existing people and food, but clearly he was trying to drown it out with a more dull perspective. If I were in the shoes of the royal family, I would have sent another expedition out all the same to explore further, despite the unexcitiable description given by Colombus.
Good showing for the first blog! With the exception of just one of you, everyone submitted a blog response. If you want to resubmit, let me know when you do so, that way I will know to go back and re-assess.
Nick Palmares
Per. 1,4
When returning to Spain after landing in the new world Christopher Columbus claimed that he had found "nothing of importance". this statement was Arrogant and foolish. These Natives had well enough of Gold, Silver, and tons of Fertile land for crops. Even in the letter he points out that the natives had plenty of food for his crew and precious metals and stones that could have been used for trading. Columbus continues to compliment them on so many things about They are most beautiful "for a thousand varied forms, accessible, and full of trees of endless varieties, so high that they seem to touch the sky", and that they had many supplies and land that they can use but even from all of the things he compliments and praises the natives for he disregards all of it by saying they are "nothing of importance" this is just ridiculous and his ego had clearly got the best of him. in my opinion king Aragon and queen Elizabeth should have picked someone else with more experience, maybe someone that was Portuguese since there are better at navigating, yes he is a great explorer and has made some great discoveries but these natives were harmless and just trying to be helpful and saying there nothing of importance is just wrong and stupid.
Michael Wakeley
Christopher Columbus came across the islands of the Indies and proclaimed to the world that there was no great structure or creation, a barren land with nothing of importance. However he seemed to claim quite the contrary. The local population lived in small settlements, far in separation to the great and illustrious kingdoms of the old world. The people were timid and ran in cowardice to the approach of his explorers. However as they grew adapted to his presence they came together and he wrote “They are so unsuspicious and so generous with what they possess, that no one who had not seen it would believe it even offer it themselves… and show so much love that they would give their very hearts.” They were far from the nothing he proclaimed this world had as well as he seemed to become so fascinated in the people himself that he wished to draw this form of “Christian kindness” and spread it to the rest of the world. The land they live upon is far from barren or empty, and is filled to the brim with important goods and products, a vast wealth worth far more than the empty land with nothing of importance. A land filled with gold, and sea ports, fine forestation with a plethora of wild and beautiful animals, precious spices lined the forests in great quantities resource filled mountains brimmed with gold and metals. “there is countless gold… their Highnesses will see that I can give them as much gold as they desire.”Beautiful animals and wild flowers coated these islands and the hills were fertile and laced with rivers, or as he said “excelling any in Christendom.” Indeed these islands were so great that he claimed “All Christendom should rejoice, celebrating it with great festivities and solemn Thanksgivings to the Holy Trinity, with fervent prayers for the high distinction that will accrue to them from turning so many peoples to our holy faith; and also from the temporal benefits that not only Spain but all Christian nations will obtain.” It seemed that although the land had no great cities or kingdoms, with the exception of Navidiad, which he claimed as his own, there was a bounty so rich and wonderful the whole world should rejoice in its splendor.
(Sorry it took me so long to figure out how to do this.)
When talking about Columbus and the day “he” found the Americas, it is important to think a lot about the Native’s point of view. In his letter to Luis de Santangel he says a large amount of facts about the islands he landed on (in HIS point of view). One of these topics being, how he named and found the Islands: San Salvador, Santa Maria de Concepcion, Fernandina, Isabella, and Juana. He also states that there was “nothing of importance”. When he writes that sentence, anyone could think of the Disney movie Pocahontas, while being incorrect historically, it shows what the Europeans wanted in finding this “New World”. They wanted something they could use to become wealthy and powerful. So when the Spanish saw that the Aztecs had what they wanted they tricked and killed both indirectly (illnesses) and directly the Aztecs for the gold. But on the islands he first landed on there was no gold. That automatically means the place is worthless to the Europeans, at least, that is the vibe most get from this letter. What the Natives had that was important was knowledge, they knew the land and they knew what animals and plants they could eat and use the rest for something else. The Americas were not a new world; it was an old world that had been re-founded.
In the year 1493, Colombus wrote to his pal that was still back in Spain to say that he'd found "nothing of importance" in the new islands that he chanced upon the year before. The meaning behind what he said can't be completely deciphered until you really know what he meant by it. First, he was aware that there were a vast majority of resources on the islands; secondly, he was also mindful of the natives currently occupying the location who had been living in a more "primitive lifestyle" for quite awhile; and third, it was clear to Colombus that the natives wouldn't be a threat at all, and therefore would make his desire to use both the natives and the resources around them unchallenged. Thus, because the islands had an abundance of resources and packed full of natives that weren't dangerous, he believed that Spain could quickly and easily take control of the island because there was "nothing of importance." Despite his claim that there was nothing important on the islands, it is profusely obvious in the letter to Santangel that the islands contained a vast quantity of minerals and agricultural resources at their disposal that weren't being used by the natives. Some of these resources were gold and silver, tomatoes, corn, and what was especially important to the Spanish, the potato. The Natives were clearly afraid of Colombus at his first approach, never having examined anything like he, his ships, and his comrades had to offer when they came onto the beaches and into the forest. As he stated in the letter, "they are so unsuspicious and so generous with what they possess;" he also stated this, "they are a hopelessly timid people." These two elements are what encouraged him to deduce there was "nothing of importance" on the islands. This isn't saying he was naive and oblivious to what the island had to offer, but that there was nothing to stop him from the claiming the island and its resources for him and the Spanish. The Natives didn't possess anything near the level of military and technology, along with organization, that the Spanish contained, to even be a consideration. The fact that they gave up large amounts of gold for cheap items from Spain with a willing nature, and often offered their possessions out of the goodness of their heart made things worse for the Natives. Colombus was in other words labeling them as simpletons who were ready for profiteering.
Brianna Brinzo
When Christopher Columbus identifies the Americas as “nothing of importance”, he either did not yet realize the remarkable value of the land of gold and agriculture or completely contradicts himself in saying so. In his 1493 letter to Luis de Sant Angel, he recognizes but neglects to respect several subjects that would normally make for value and significance, such as precious metals like gold and silver and an abundance of agricultural contributions. These were all aspects that later became a significant part of the European culture, which Columbus could not have foreseen, but he still should have reasoned these things worthy of “importance”. He even goes as far as to regard the Native Americans as worthless, perhaps because they were not white men. The absurdity of this assumption reflects upon not just the morality of Columbus, but his sense of reason as well. The value of the Americas was largely underappreciated perhaps because of the arrogance and insolence that was Christopher Columbus. He did not realize the lessons of culture and lifestyle that the Natives could have showed to him, thus hindering exploration as well as relationships that could have potentially changed American history as we know it.
Thanks for that, Chris.
The Letter of Columbus to Luis de Saint Angel Announcing His Discovery (1493)states that "there was nothing of importance" is an incredibly ignorant statement. From the start of the letter, Columbus portrayed himself to be very arrogant. He simply stated the following: SIR: "AS I know you will be rejoiced at the glorious success that our Lord has given me in my voyage, I write this to tell you how in thirty-three days I sailed to the Indies with the fleet that the illustrious King and Queen, our Sovereigns, gave me, where I discovered a great many islands, inhabited by numberless people; and of all I have taken possession for their Highnesses by proclamation and display of the Royal Standard without opposition." He then goes on about how he "gave" the islands names even though the Indians were there before him. The Indians on the land before Columbus "discovered" the New World, had accomplished so much. The indians had a full crop field(s) of maize (corn). Also, many pre-Columbian tribes establish hallmarks, which included permanent settlements, agriculture, cities, major earthworks, and complex societal hierarchies. Once the sailors arrived, the indians fed the hungry sailors with the food that they had worked so hard to grow. The Indians were so shocked by the materials that the Spanish possessed. The indians traded stones, metals, and food of great value for the accessories that the Spanish used in every day life. The fact that Columbus has the nerve to say that the New World had nothing of importance shocks me. If it weren’t for the Indians and their accomplishments, then the founding of the New World wouldn’t have been such an amazing discovery; but it is all the things that they did accomplish that made the mad so special.
When Columbus sent his letter to Luis de Santangel in 1493 and said that there was nothing of worth in what he had found, he had no idea on how much the Americas was actually worth. The Americas had actually benefited almost everybody. People at this time had the urge to explore and discover new and exciting things. When the Spanish conquistadores gained their abundance of gold and silver, more people from the Old World had began to travel overseas to collect their share of the riches. Because of many people going to the New World, relationships had been established between the colonists and the Native Americans. This gave the opportunity to receive things new to both the colonists and the Natives. Things such as new skins, new food, culture, life styles, and many more were shared. Some things that were not so great to share between the two, was the disease that the White Man brought with them that extinguished much of the Natives in almost no time. Another benefit from the discovery of the New World was the establishment of new nations that, as some may put it, may become the “Nation upon the hill”. Columbus had no idea what would become of the New World and thought wrong to say that there was nothing of interest when he had found it.
Steven Fraser
Period 6
In 1492 Columbus landed off the shore of the “New World,” which he thought was Asia. Columbus, detailing what he thought of this land, sent a letter to one of his friends in Spain, Luis de Santangel in 1492, in which he said that this land was “nothing of importance.” Columbus was incorrect in thinking that the New World was useless and contained nothing of importance; first because it contained millions of dollars in gold; second it had new and extremely useful crops; and third a great environment for growing “cash” crops.
The assertion that Columbus found nothing of importance is an undefendable claim just from the material view. Spain, after the discovery of the new world by Columbus, sent in Conquistadors to claim this new land for Spain. Led by Cortez, These Conquistadors found an advanced civilization called the Aztecs and conquered them taking their gold. Years later Pizarro, a cousin of Cortez, conquered another advanced civilization called the Incan empire. The Spanish pulled gold out of the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan and the Incan empire which alone amounted to millions. This influx of gold made them wealthy and put them at the top of the European food chain. These and later discoveries of huge amounts of gold in California and Alaska totally disprove Columbus’ ridiculous assertion that there was nothing of important. The gold that came out of the New World accounted for more than half of the gold in the entire world and shifted the balance of power in Europe and created a "race" for control of this New World.
There also were many important agricultural developments and crops that came out of the new world. Squash, Maize, Tomatoes and Potatoes are a few of the more important to come out. These became huge crops back in Europe and helped solve the problem of food for the people. Today I cannot even imagine a world without these vegetables as they have become such a big part of the world’s economy and diets. Without them we would not have French fries (terrifying I know), corn on the cob, and potato chips. These are a big part of the modern American diet. Also the new world showed it was a place to reap in economic benefits, which were plentiful in the new world’s environment, and helped to feed the colonists and their mother country. Just from this stand point the New World is of great value.
Finally, as the New World gained colonists, and countries gained enormous profits, the New World also proved to be a great place to grow Tobacco and Sugar Cane, or, as they came to be known, the “cash” crops. These crops had a huge profit margin and were easy to grow. The farmers would buy slaves shipped from Africa, who would then harvest the crops and reap huge profits for their master. This, in turn, would gain huge profits for their founding country. The colonists seeing the success of these crops started farming them themselves and the crops became a huge part of the economy in the south. These crops were then shipped to the colonist’s respective countries where that country gained great profits. These countries also sold slaves to these farmers and made even more money. This exchange known as the Columbian Exchange, gained huge profits for the farmers, and the countries. This is another aspect of the new World that makes Columbus look like an idiot because of what he wrote in his letter.
These three things disprove Columbus’ statement that this land contained nothing of importance.
Steven Fraser
In 1493, Christopher Columbus, sent by the king and queen of Spain landed in the New World and reported back to Spain that he had found “nothing of importance”. Columbus was totally incorrect because his discovery would eventually shake up four continents economic systems. Native New World plants such as tobacco, maize, beans, tomatoes, potatoes and sugar cane revolutionized the international economy as well as their diets. Estimates of three-fifths of the crops cultivated around the globe today originated in the New World. Another source Columbus overlooked in the Americas was the native people. They knew more about the land that they lived on than just how to grow crops which helped the first settlers to survive. They were later used as slaves instead of utilizing their incredible knowledge of their own land. Soon the Europeans realized the economic power the Americas could bring. The Spanish colonists came to the rich land and soon established many cities and towns. Precious metals were found in many areas in the Americas, so much so that the abundance of gold alone created great inflation within Spain’s economy decades later. Columbus contradicted himself when he stated that the natives he encountered possessed vast mines and that they gave the explorers pounds of gold in exchange for garments. Fortunately his opinion and statement of “nothing of importance” was ultimately ignored and found to be false.
After Columbus landed in the New World, his report to Luis de Sant Angel stated that there was "nothing of importance" in the Americas. In his letter to Luis de Sant Angel, he describes what he had experienced on his 30 day voyage; "I discovered a great many islands, inhabited by numberless people" he then describes how he represented Isabel and Ferdinand well, bringing royal standard to the people and the people did not oppose what he essentially "brought". I think that when Columbus stated "there is nothing of importance" he wasn't talking about the goods, but the people of America. This excerpt from Columbus' shows what the people of America were like; "At every point where I landed, and succeeded in talking to them, I gave them some of everything I had—cloth and many other things—without receiving anything in return, but they are a hopelessly timid people(...) they are so unsuspicious and so generous with what they possess(...)they never refuse anything that is asked for. They even offer it themselves, and show so much love that they would give their very hearts". If I were Columbus I would probably say the same thing, the people of America had nothing to offer him, he was disappointed with the outcome of his voyage, because he was expecting to land in India, so yes, he was expecting more. If the whole point of a voyage I was sent on was to find the Silk Road in India, but ended up in America, I would be livid. If I were Columbus I would reword my letter. I wouldn't say there is nothing of importance, but that I was not satisfied with my voyage because I arrived in the wrong palce.
Christopher Columbus brought the great discovery of introducing the Americas to the rest of the world, a development that was incredibly important to the future of the world. However what he found in the Americas was of little direct importance. Firstly as a European the insignificant natives had accomplished little in grandeur, and was little to the explorer; Secondly the great plains and hills were nothing more than undeveloped, unused land, they possessed little value to him; Thirdly the resources of the islands were nothing special from the hundreds of others. For these reasons he has every claim to believe these findings are insignificant.
Columbus left Spain in search of a way to find India and China, a certainty of obscene riches; all he found were dirty Bushmen. The spires and magnificence of Europe was the combination of the greatest architecture and splendor in the world at the time. What he found meant nothing to him, just weak, small, and uninteresting locals. He had no use of them, and from his view point they were merely insignificant beasts to his educated European mind.
The sprawling and seas and beautiful lands were pretty to Columbus and his men, he makes this clear. However he came in search of the riches of India, not for scenery. Europe never had a shortage of space, and all he found on these islands were more insignificant barren land, there was no point to it without development, and therefore it wasn’t important.
Although the soil was good, and the resources plentiful there was no possible gain of instant wealth in the new world for Columbus. There was no fame in his discovery for him; there was no great trade he could return to his home with. All Christopher found was products that would take a fortune to manufacture, and that was no good to him.
Bailey Fitzpatrick
per.3&4
After landing in the New world in 1492, Christopher Columbus returned to Spain in 1493. He described what he saw in his letter to Luis de Santangel. He said that he found "nothing of importance." This is an incredibly incorrect and ignorant statement as he found and discovered numerous things of importance. For starters, the obviously important things that he discovered are the new island and the new culture of people. These were two very significant things because they have new fertile land to grow food on. It grew an immense amount of food that would eventually be useful to colonists. The people that he discovered, the Natives, were also very unique people who were fascinated by the sailors' everyday belongings. How is that not important? Even Columbus himself states in the letter that the natives had an abundance of food. That is not all the Natives had. They also had a good amount of gold and silver. How could he not think that gold and silver was not important. I am not really sure what Columbus was thinking when he wrote that. How was he not excited to tell the King and Queen that he discovered an entirely new set of land that came out of nowhere. He must have a pretty big ego or be ignorant to make a statement like that.
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