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Word Collision: Christopher Columbus and The Taino Natives

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The swift sandy beaches of the Caribbean were once desolate and unknown rule by the natural habitat of Taino natives whose sole existence revolved around primitive nature. These Virgin Islands would be a critical and strategic discovery for the strengthening Spanish empire during the 15th century under the rule of Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabel of Castile . On October 1492, a man by the name of Christopher Columbus would take the power of the Spanish crown to excellency and great dominion over the new world. The lives of both the natives and the Spaniards would be revolutionized and two completely different worlds would collide for the first time. The discovery of the New World was masked by preconceptions, ancient interpretations of …show more content…

Consequently, Columbus states that the Indians have a closer relationship to the lord based on their lifestyle, selflessness, and kindness to strangers. Moreover, in this letter he also ascertains a degree of innocence in the Indians while drawing a distinction amongst the Europeans advantageous actions in the exchanges for broken objects for pieces of valuable gold. Throughout the letter, Columbus describes his prohibition in the colonists to trade with the Indians since he deemed it unfair to trade something worthless to the Spaniards for gold that would grant them and the crown more wealth. Columbus’ ulterior motives are dominated by the socio-cultural and religious teachings of the Catholic Church. Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabel of Castile, both proclaimed as God given kings, wanted full centralization of their established autocratic governance. The goal of expansion into the western world would be to propagate the dominion of the Catholic Church and the power of the Spanish empire to lands unknown to humanity at the time before the Portuguese and other imminent powers. As a discoverer, Columbus was shaped by the crusading environment he grew up in as well as the desire of annexation of land. The main paradox between the first encounter is presented in the belief system of the Indians whom have faith in nature as their ruling God, such beliefs are mirrored to those of the ancient Greeks and in the

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