Time to Abolish Columbus Day

1. Trans-Atlantic – crossing the Atlantic Ocean (black slaves came from Africa across the Atlantic Ocean to the Caribbean which is part of North America)

2. Taino – Native Americans that Columbus came in contact with when he reached Hispaniola (today’s Haiti and Dominican Republic). Tainos largely populated Cuba, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico.

3. Indigenous – originating in a particular place; native.

4. Conquest – take control of a place by using military force.

5. Exploitation – treat someone unfairly in order to benefit from their work.

6. Genocide – the deliberate killing of a large group of people, especially those of a particular ethnic group or nation.

7. Inconceivable – not capable of being imaged; hard to believe.

Part 1:

2. How did Columbus describe the Tainos when he arrived on Hispaniola? ________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________

3. Why do you think Columbus enslaved Tainos? What can you infer was already going on in Europe during this time period? _________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________

4. Why does Basil Davidson, an African historian, label Columbus as the “father of the slave trade”?

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Part 2:

5. Based on the detailed primary source documents from Columbus’ time in Hispaniola, do you agree with the author that his mission was of conquest and exploitation? Explain.

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6. What role, if any, do you believe religion played in Columbus’ mission to Hispaniola?

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Questions:

Part 3:

8. Open up our textbook to pages 46-47. Read the sections “Tierra! Tierra!” and Columbus’s Later Voyages. What does it say about Tainos or any indigenous life on the island? …What doesn’t it say?! _________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

9. Would you argue that, in your schooling so far, you have learned that it is okay for stronger nations to bully weaker nations and that the only voices you should listen to are of those in power? Explain. ________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Part 4:

11. Do you agree with the author that we should completely rid the study of Columbus from the school curriculum? Why or why not? _______________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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  Is it Columbus, who, under his command, the Tainos were murdered?
  
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  Is it King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella for continuing to finance the trip after knowing what Columbus was doing?
  
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  Was it Columbus’ men who carried out his orders even though they had free will?
  
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  Was it the Tainos for continuing to allow Columbus to come back and not killing him the first time?
  
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  Was it the concept of an “Empire” which values property more than people and was how European society was organized during the time? Ask yourself: if not Columbus, would another explorer have done the same?