Thoughts on Todorov's The Conquest of America

It is interesting to look back upon my education and consider the information regarding Christopher Columbus and the discovery of the new world. The story of how Columbus thought he could reach China by traveling around the world was presented in a simple fashion. He convinced the King and Queen to fund his journey for this new trade route. It wasn't until higher grade levels that I even learned about his subsequent journeys. Usually, in the public education forum, the expeditions of Christopher Columbus are presented in a clean, sanitized version.

Todorov's The Conquest of America is an interesting look into the expeditions of Columbus based on his own writings regarding the expeditions. Initially, one can see Columbus nearly overwhelmed by the beauty of these lands that he has encountered. He creates vivid pictures that stand out in the imagination, colored by a "marvelous" descriptive style.

Initially I thought of Columbus as someone primarily seeking gold for the glory of the King and Queen. This is a driving force, primarily because the gold will serve as future funding for the grand ideas of Columbus. It is interesting to consider that one of the primary goals, especially when encountering the native population, is the conversion to the Christian faith for the glory of God. God and money go hand in hand in Columbus's exploration. Crimes against humanity in the name of any god seem to be a constant part of the human psyche.

Columbus lays claim to any island he can see, claiming it for the glory of God and the King and Queen. Everything instantly becomes property of the Spanish Empire. The natives initially have no understanding of the events that Columbus and his entourage perform when they lay claim to a new land.

Religious fervor and a greed for gold cause Columbus to exaggerate his claims of the amount of gold available and the cowardly nature of the native population. Columbus describes the natives in near animal or beast of burden terms because of the nature of the culture of the natives. The natives are dressed simply, if dressed at all, and have no religion that is apparent to Columbus. Based on first appearances, these people should be easily conquered and ripe for conversion to the Christian Faith.

Sometimes it is uncomfortable to look back through history and see the atrocities that have been committed by those that are thought of as civilized. The "advanced" civilizations of Columbus's age were enlightened, making great progress in the sciences and humanities, but only according to their narrow world view. They were fully engaged in an air of cultural and moral supremacy. Those that were different, in dress, culture, or religious beliefs, were beneath them and destined to be conquered or converted. So many atrocities committed in the name of God, especially the name of Jesus Christ. Such a horrible treatment of such beautiful teachings of simplicity and servitude.

Unfortunately, the journeys of Columbus are just a small part of the atrocities committed in the New World by those of supposed greater moral character and principles. The following conquest of Central and South America by the Spanish and the conquest of North America by the Europeans are other implied acts of genocide unlike any other in recorded history. I would like to think that, as humanity grows and matures, the harsh brutal treatment of fellow human beings would become a thing of the past.

The 20^th century is ripe with examples of human atrocity, with some of the more notorious being the Holocaust, Stalin's regime in the Soviet Union, Cambodian and Vietnamese and Cambodian massacres, African tribal warfare and religious warfare in the Middle East. Unfortunately, the 21^st century is off to a fine start, with areas of Europe recovering from ethnic cleansing and brutal tribal warfare occurring on the African continent.
Perhaps one day humanity will truly mature and seek to help his neighbor more than hurt his neighbor. Exploring is part of the nature and character of humanity. One day, maybe humanity will stop exploring ways to hurt each other and seek ways to help each other. To hurt each other in the name of God should be considered as horrible. To wash the feet of others in the name of God will be a more enlightened path to tread.