~ Columbus Day ~

[Jeanway 0]

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3 août

Christophe Colomb quitte l'Espagne

Le navigateur génois Christophe Colomb quitte le port de Palos (Andalousie) dans l'espoir de rejoindre par l'ouest les Indes orientales et ses épices. Le Portugal, ayant découvert la route des Indes via le cap de Bonne-Espérance, a rejeté son projet. Mais les Rois catholiques d'Espagne, qui rêvent d'évangéliser le monde, ont accepté de le financer. Trois caravelles, la Santa María, la Pinta et la Niña, quittent donc l'Espagne, en faisant voile vers l'ouest. Elles arriveront deux mois plus tard aux Antilles, en pensant aborder les Indes.

 

But alot of people think Columbus wasn't the great explorer he has been portrayed as. What do you think?

 

Edited October 10, 2004 by Jeanway

[Theunicornhunter 2]

I think this thread will probably end up in Kronos.

 

 

That's not a personal statement aboaut the topic - only a recognition that this is a heated subject among some people.

Edited October 10, 2004 by TheUnicornHunter

[Jeanway 0]

I know that U.H. and if it does, so be it. But to malign his efforts according to today's standards isn't appropriate.

[Rivendells_king 0]

the article is in spanish some people might not be able to read it.

 

Well he was kinda of a good explore by acident, the only reason he got his 3 ships was because the spanish queen just wanted him to shut up.

[Theunicornhunter 2]

I thought the article was in French - I know the languages are similar.

 

The gist of what I could read was what we already know - Columbus was searching for a passage to the Indies (the driving force being trade or in other words $$$$$)

 

While as Jeanway pointed out - by today's standards his actions may be suspect - at the time he was no different than any other explorer of his day. In fact, all of the known world up until his time had experienced continuous cultural and/or physical invasions, changes of power, monarchy, allegiance etc.

 

Is he responsible for the acts of everyone that came to the "New World" after him? IMO, no - those people are accountable for their own actions. Were there bad acts performed? I believe history makes it clear there were.

 

But an interesting question would be where would we be "if at all" if Columbus had not brought the "New World" to European attention? What if Asian or middle Eastern colonists arrived here first? There would not be an America and while some of you may think that would be a good thing - I'm not so sure. Many people came to the American colonies for economic reasons but others came to escape persecution and I'm not sure some of that persecution would have ended if certain freedoms had not started in America first.

 

I know my church would probably not exist if America had not existed because no other nation offered religious freedom to its citizens. And even with the First Amendment the early members of my faith still experienced intense persecution

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(I also wonder why that sad period of American history never gets the press that other historical injustices have but that's a different topic)

 

So I personally am glad that European settlers with an interest in religious freedom came first - because sooner or later - one empire or another would have come. The indigenous people would have probably been assimilated or irradicated and based on what some of those empires are like now the people here probably wouldn't have the freedom to debate if those explorers were good or evil. And if some other empire had obtained the American continents and the room for expansion that it allowed Europe would probably be a far different place. In fact it may well have been assimilated by whatever powerful nation existed on this land. This is all speculation of course but so is the assumption that everything would be all wonderful if Columbus had not come to the Americas.

[WEAREBORG4102 0]

The article is French.

 

BTW Christopher columbus is not his real name.

 

He's Italian.

Cristoforo Colombo

[Rivendells_king 0]

*sorry it looked so spainsh and I translated most of it with out a translator*

 

but anyways I have the article in english form

 

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August 3 Christophe Colomb leaves Spain The Genoese navigator Christophe Colomb leaves the harbor of Palos (Andalousie) in the hope to rejoin by the west eastern Indias and its spice. The Portugal, having discovered the road of the Indias through the cape of Good Hope, rejected his project. But the Catholic Kings of Spain, that dream to evangelize the world, accepted financing it. Three caravels, the Santa María, the Pinta and the Niña, leave therefore Spain, while doing veils towards the west. They will arrive two months later to the west Indies, while thinking to approach Indias.

 

Well most of it, seems the translator could not get most of it.