Hey everyone, this video is part of a larger project under our Paper “The Conquest of America” taught by Prof Surendra Kumar to make history accessible to people.
Team Members: Amyca (Janki Devi Memorial College), Anindita (Dept of History), Jeseentha (Indraprastha College for Women, Neha (Dept of History), Priyanshi (Dept of History)
Historical information is seeked by the masses in the popular realm, especially in this digital age. Why then are we as a part of the academia family, unable to cross the divide from "the Text '' behind the closed doors of the University libraries to being readily available in an accessible manner to the people? Arising from that, this is an attempt by the Masters students of The Department of History, University of Delhi, to bridge that gap, to take History to the people. We will begin by sharing our creative endeavours through short films, starting with "Understanding Columbus and Native Americans through Text and Media".
The story of how Christopher Columbus sailed from Spain to find a new westward route to India, and instead stumbled upon the continent of America - is well known. It is a history that is taught in schools, where the date ‘12th October 1492’ comes to assume an almost legendary significance.
However, is this image of Christopher Columbus historically accurate? Was he truly this brilliant seafarer and an indispensable figure without whom the American continents would have been lost forever? What about the Native Americans? Where do they fit in this narrative? Why is there no mention of their trials against Spanish Conquistadors? A closer study of historical sources would show that popular histories often gloss over crucial details, denying the centuries of violence that the voyages of Columbus unleashed upon the native populations of America.
The Native Americans treated Columbus with kindness and hospitality, a signifier of their civilisation achievements. This kindness of the Native Americans turned into suspicion and hostility due to the actions of Columbus and his crew. Columbus and his crew imposed harsh demands on the indigenous population, including forced labour, tribute payments, and the seizure of food and valuables. They also engaged in acts of violence, including the enslavement and mistreatment of indigenous people, as well as sexual exploitation and brutality.
The narrative surrounding Christopher Columbus is often filled with bias. Children's books and historical accounts frequently portray indigenous peoples in a stereotypically racist and dehumanising light. The myth of the "Civilised vs. Savage" in the context of Columbus and Native Americans encapsulates the Eurocentric narrative that portrayed Indigenous peoples as primitive and uncivilised compared to Europeans. This biased perspective justified European colonisation efforts, as they saw themselves as bringing progress, Christianity, and civilization to "savage" lands.
The year 1492 marks the transition from independence to colonisation for Native Americans. As David Stannard argues, from almost the instant of first human contact between Europe and the Americas firestorms of plagues, diseases and purposeful genocide began laying waste the American natives. The legacy of Columbus is more accurately looked through the lens of colonialism, imperialism and bloody atrocity that left a legacy of genocide and slavery that endures in some degree to this day.