In honor of Columbus Day, I thought that I would share an excerpt from Christopher's own journals. Referring to the Arawak Indians who first greeted Columbus' crew, he said this:
They.. brought us parrots and balls of cotton and spears and many other things, which they exchanged for the glass beads and hawks' bells. They willingly traded everything they owned... They were well-built, with good bodies and handsome features... 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 of ignorance. They have no iron. Their spears are made of cane... They would make fine servants... With fifty men we could subjugate them all and make them do whatever we want.

He also reported that the Indians "are so naive and so free with their possessions that no one who has not witnessed them would believe it. When you ask for something they have, they never say no. To the contrary, they offer to share with anyone..." He requested more help from Madrid in exchange for "as much gold as they need... and as many slaves as they ask... Thus the eternal God, our Lord, gives victory to those who follow His way over apparent impossibilities."

Las Casas was a young priest who was involved in the conquest of Cuba. He recorded lots of details about the life and culture of the Indians and also wrote about the devastation that took place during the conquest. In 1508, "there were 60,000 people living on this island, including the Indians; so that from 1494 to 1508, over three million people had perished from war, slavery, and the mines. Who in future generatiosn will believe this? I myself writing it as a knowledgable eyewitness can hardly believe it..." ('A People's History of the United States')

When I read all of this, I found it extremely disturbing. So we have a dark history... I understand that we cannot go back and change what has already happened. But what I find much more distressing is the fact that these details are glossed over enough to make Columbus a real American hero. If we're going to set aside an entire day to admire him, shouldn't we have a more clear picture of what this man accomplished?