Christopher Columbus: The Hitler of the 15th Century?

So...ole CC wasn't the guy you thought he was eh? Well, that's called education my friends. As it turns out, most people don't know, or don't like to think about, the realities of the Europeans "finding the Americas".  Chapter One in our text clearly showed both North and South America was filled with millions of indigenous peoples from at least 2,000 separate tribes.  So obviously Columbus did not "discover" anything.

The real trouble with Columbus is the struggle to appropriately memorialize him.  It is undeniable that his "glorious fail" in 1492 led to the founding of America.  It is also undeniable that he had no idea what he had done and his treatment of the natives was simply atrocious.

For this week's blog, please watch this video and this video. What versions of Columbus' life in the Americas are these videos telling.  Which one do you think is the most appropriate?  Is either one out of line either by being too harsh or too childish?

Columbus: The Most Glorious Fail

Christopher Columbus had no intention of finding a New World.  He was sailing westward across the Atlantic in hopes of finding a faster water route to Asia.  He wanted to bring wealth and prestige to the Spanish government, and to himself.  Instead, using maps that were incorrect (although he did not know they were incorrect) he ran into an island in the Caribbean and thought he was near India.  This is why, of course, he called the locals Indians!

The legacy of Columbus is one of bravery and accidental genius.  There is a dark side to the man, however.  We will get to that on our next blog.  For now, read this story and discuss in the comments section your initial thoughts on Columbus.

Pre-Columbian Americas: More Civilized Than You May Think

A common misconception about life in the Americas before the Europeans showed up is that early societies were backwards and uncivilized compared to the great European explorers of that era.  While life may have been more primitive for some native groups, many societies were very complex with intricate religious and social systems.  One excellent example was the Aztecs.

The Aztecs settled in the Lake Texcoco region of Mexico and built their capital city, Tenochtitlan, in the middle of this lake.  When Hernan Cortes and his men came upon the city they were astonished to see something so magnificent in the "New World".  Watch this video for further explanation on the construction of this city.

In the comments section below, write about the most interesting thing from the video.  Also, address what it must have been like for Europeans to assume the people they would encounter would be less civilized than them only to discover a major city like Tenochtitlan?  Would they be impressed? Nervous? Jealous? Excited? Do not forget to conclude your comments with the number of words in parentheses.