Christopher Columbus

Backed by Spain, Christopher Columbus left Spain in 1492 on his first voyage seeking a water route to the Spice Islands. After more then a month, the crew was losing hope and the voyage seemed like a failure when on October 12, 1492 the crew finally sighted land. The land was not what Columbus had originally intended to hit. He landed in the Bahamas in the Caribbean Sea, thousands of miles away from his intended destination. There he met the indigenous people of the islands. His encounters with and treatment of these native people would help shape his legacy but would also surround him with controversy. Should his wrongdoings make him one of histories villains or should he be valued for his contributions to Western Society?

When Columbus and his men arrived on shore the Arawaks ran to greet them with food, water, and gifts. Columbus later wrote: "They do not bear arms, and do not know them. For I showed them a sword, they took it by the edge and cut themselves out of ignorance. They have no iron. Their spears are made of caneÐ'... they would make fine servantsÐ'... With fifty men we could subjugate them and make them do whatever we want.#" This passage from his log shows the kind of intentions that Columbus had for the native people. He observed that they had no weapons and that would make taking by force easier for him and his men. He saw that their weapons were made from inferior material and knew that their military capabilities were not as advanced as theirs. He note that they would make good servants and that he would be able to enslave them all with few men. Columbus wanted to take advantage of the Arawaks hospitality and turn them into slave labor.

Columbus's main objective while being there was to search for riches. He needed to find out where the gold and spices were because that is what the king and queen wanted. For his services, "they promised Columbus 10 percent of the profits, governorship over new-found lands, and the fame that would go with the new title: Admiral of the Ocean Sea.#" This shows Columbus's greed and love for money. He even took away 10,000 maravedis a year from one of his sailors, saying that he spotted land first. He wanted fame and fortune and would do anything to get it.

When Columbus embarked on his second voyage his mission was to bring back slaves and gold. While looking for gold, they took women and children as slaves for sex and labor. Many died in captivity in this way. In about two years more than