In the letter written by Columbus he gives an account of what he found on the Island of Espanola. According to Columbus, this Island far surpassed anything he had ever seen before. It was beautiful, had a variety of vegetation, rich in metals, spices and other things. The people are said to have initially been afraid of Columbus and his men, but after a while their fear abated. Columbus, mentions how most the people roam around naked, appear healthy but are not conversant with weapons or the use of them. These people showed great love amongst themselves and to others. This letter is intended to inform the readers that they have an opportunity to gain from this Island, considering that the inhabitants are unware of the resources they have and make no use of them. Columbus stopped his men from battering with the inhabitants as they were freely giving a lot of gold in exchange for petty trinkets. Instead, Columbus gave the inhabitants useful and acceptable items without expecting anything. This was done so he could encourage the people to become Christians and acknowledge the Spanish monarch. These people did not harm anyone and lived happy simple lives, there was no need to try and convert them into Christianity.
When first Columbus arrived at these seas he forcibly took some Indians, the plan was to teach them the language and gain a better understanding of the surrounding areas. The men travelled with them for a long time and they had this notion that Columbus and his men were from heaven. Each time they would arrive at a new place, the Indian men would call out to people and encourage them to come and see these people that were heaven sent. This perception made people less apprehensive of Columbus and his men, and they would give them gifts, show them kindness and affection (Faculty, N.D). Columbus did not discourage the Indian men from assuming they were celestial beings, he actually used this to his advantage. Clearly this news made people more welcoming and it made it easier to find out more about these new lands. Columbus was naming these lands; this is clear that the plan was to take over these lands or gain from them.
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I do not think that Christopher Columbus deserves a day in his honor, there is nothing of notoriety that he did except intrude on other people’s lands. Additionally, according to his letter Columbus wanted to persuade the inhabitants of the islands to join Christianity. Trying to force or encourage anyone to believe another person’s beliefs is wrong in every sense. It is also evident from Columbus’ letter that the island people were happy and they believed in something greater. They lived a simple life and were content with it, their surroundings were rich and fertile but they only got what they needed. Columbus saw an opportunity in these lands and was writing these letters so that people may be aware of the vast riches and possibilities these lands had. His letter did help historians have an idea of what it was like on the islands and also some insight regarding how the people on these islands lived. If the Christopher Columbus day was made due to him discovering these lands, then this day should be changed and be dedicated to the indigenous people. It should be an appreciation of their lands, their history, way of life and magnificent surroundings.
References
Faculty. (N.D). Christopher Columbus: Letter to Lord Raphael Sanchez (14 March 1493) . https://faculty.fiu.edu/~harveyb/colum.html
