Columbus couldn't accept that the natives had a different culture, language, and religion that served them perfectly well before the Europeans cam along. I think Columbus' treatment and view of the natives set a precedent for how others treated and viewed the Indians. Good relations in the beginning between the Europeans and the natives could have led to better ones in the future. The constant push of Christianity and European culture and values on the Indians, however, diminished the potential for cooperation, made the natives feel threatened, and caused conflict.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
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Bria, I would actually say a "slight" superiority complex is an understatement. A normal human being cannot treat people as slaves and still see each other as equals. His actions clearly show that he thought he was better than the indigenous people he met. I agree that Columbus found it unacceptable for the natives to have a different lifestyle than his own. When he promised to bring a large amount of gold back home and couldn’t find any, he decided to make it up with slaves. He essentially acted as a bully who took advantage of others because of his own insecurity. The dehumanizing of the natives led to similar actions by future Europeans. The Native Americans clearly didn’t want to be slaves, so they fought back. As you said, this caused conflict for both sides. Columbus created a terrible cycle that would lead to a poor relationship between Europeans and Native Americans.
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