Close Reading

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Close Reading

• And the Spanish Colonial System

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In Marco Polo, Christopher Columbus, and Amerigo
Vespucci's accounts of their exploration and
encounters with the Indians, there is a
prevailing focus on the physical and material
differences between the explorers and the
Indians. The explorers place importance on
clothing and possessions, using the nakedness of
the Indians to distinguish themselves as superior
to them. Because of the Indians lack of material
goods, they see the explorers as God like
creatures, placing them on a pedestal based off
of mere physical appearance.
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In Amerigo Vespuccis letter to Pier Soderini,
Confalonier of the Republic of Florence, the
reader becomes engrossed by a first-hand account
of an explorer in the New World. While much of
the content is pure description, a closer read
reveals the sentiments behind the words Vespucci
choose. The natives are explained in great
detail, and though Vespucci tries to be
objective, his claims often come across as
far-fetched and erroneous. By examining the
language used to describe Vespuccis first
impressions of the natives, the way Vespucci
claims the natives view the explorers, and the
reason Vespucci wrote the letter, it becomes
clear that not everything is what it seems to be.
The lack of understanding between the natives
and the explorers, while minor at first,
escalates until an entire culture is almost
obliterated. Analyzing the first encounters
between the two groups will show the reader that
the problems were there from the very beginning.
4
In Christopher Columbus' letter to the King and
Queen of Castile (first voyage) and Amerigo
Vespucci's letter to Pier Soderini, Donfaloniere
of the Republic of Florence, each author
describes what they outline to be a "truthful"
account of their experiences in the uncharted
lands they have discovered. Each passage
addresses quite different yet ultimately
correlated encounters with the native peoples of
these lands. Although Columbus' account outlines
a peaceable and weak population, willing to be
converted to Christianity, while Vespucci
describes various tribes who seek violence againt
the European invaders that must be suppressed,
the language of each explorer suggests an
attitude and expectation of ultimate domination
over the natives. Through a closer examination of
the rhetoric used by each author, it becomes
clear that although each man sought a different
type of domination over the Indians, their
desired ends were the same.
5
Throughout the letter, Vespucci chooses to
identify his European party as "Christians." His
decision to classify based on religious
affiliation may be reflective of the missionary
motive behind America's colonization. Religious
devotion as well as the growing influence of the
Catholic Church during this era is quite evident.
There is a sharp contrast between Christianity
and the Native's supposed "God-less" society,
which may be used as justification for conquest.
Similarly, Vespucci's constant mention of a
divine power in contexts such as, "it pleased the
Holy Ghost to save us" and "God be thanked",
delineate the European belief that God was on
their side. Vespucci's words are overcome with a
tone of superiority.
6
It is difficult to challenge what the history
textbooks teach us, as we may speculate forever
about historical factuality without actually
revealing any absolute truths. The story of
Christopher Columbus is one that American
children have grown up with for hundreds of
years, and to this day the reality of his story
has been muddled and remolded according to
historians beliefs. Fortunately, we are provided
with various first hand documents which enable us
as modern readers to catch a glimpse of actual
literary reality of the time. In the document
entitled "Letter to the King and Queen of Castile
(first voyage), 1493", Christopher Columbus
recounts his journey from Spain to the Caribbean
Sea and the shore of what will become America. In
his letter, he emphasizes the beauty, diversity,
and vastness of the new land he has come upon.
However, more interestingly than the vivid
description of scenery he provides is the
immediate and severely ignorant impression he
gives of the inhabitants of the land, or the
Indians. Columbus describes the Indians as
exceedingly timid and fearful, which is
interesting considering the fierce way in which
the Indians allegedly fight to protect their land
and people. Columbus states, This timidity did
not arise from any loss or injury that they had
received from us for, on the contrary, I gave to
all I approached whatever articles I had about
me, such as cloth and many other things, taking
nothing of theirs in return but they are
naturally fearful and timid. (Jhelen and Warner,
p.13). Columbus appears to have been so ignorant
as to not recognize that he was actually taking
everything from the Indians. Perhaps not in the
immediate material sense of the expression, yet
he and his men proceeded to strip the Indian
people of their land, dignity, freedom, and
humanity. It seems glaringly obvious that these
basic human rights are a tremendous amount to
seize. Whether or not Columbus was attempting to
glorify and expel his own virtue and generosity
in his writing, it is incomprehensible that he
claimed he took nothing from the Native people of
the land.
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From almost the beginning of an Americans
education, certain historical figures are
emphasized and celebrated almost to the point of
attaining legendary status. George Washington,
the Pilgrims, and Pocohontos are just a few who
have been distanced from their historically
accurate role and elevated to symbols of American
tradition and culture. Another such figure is
Christopher Columbus. Columbus is so revered in
our society that he even has his own holiday. In
all of the myths and celebration it is easy to
forget that Columbus was actually a
businessmanan explorer depending on government
support for funding who happened to make the
fortunate mistake of discovering America. But
Columbus letter to King Ferdinand and Queen
Isabella describing the new world reveals that he
was very much in-tune with his business needs and
self-representation, even if that has been lost
in history. Columbus portrays the Indians as
receptive and gentlehe says these people are so
amiable and friendly that even the King took a
pride in calling me his brother (15) and they
are men of great deference and kindness.
Columbus then goes on to promote himself, saying
they continue to entertain the idea that I have
descended from heaven. He shows his kindness by
saying they bartered, like idiots cotton and
gold for fragments of bows, glasses, bottles and
jars which I forbade as being unjust, and myself
gave them many beautiful and acceptable articles
which I had brought with me, taking nothing from
them in return (14). By describing the Indians
as childlike, Columbus furthers his own image as
he becomes a kind of parental benefactor and,
above all importance to the King and Queen, a
good Christian. He says he takes nothing from
the natives, but interestingly enough takes the
time to describe land exceedingly fertilea
great variety of trees of immense height and
land that abounds in various kinds of spices,
gold and other metals (13), and most
significantly that he took possession without
resistance in the name of our most illustrious
monarch (12). After some more description and
self-promotion, Columbus subtly comments that
Although all I have related may appear to be
wonderful and unheard of, yet the results of my
voyage would have been more astonishing if I had
at my disposal such ships as a required (16).
Columbus is a very clever businessman, and
probably would have made a deft politician as
well. His comment about needing more ships
reveals that his letter is really
PRdiplomatically and skillfully manipulating
events to get what he wants-more business.
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Throughout the history of exploration, the
explorers themselves as well as others around
thought it imperative to keep written accounts
of the events surrounding their voyages and
adventures. Many times, these written accounts
are the only evidence available to us of their
experiences abroad. In the case of Christopher
Columbus, his own journals as well as those of
some of his sailors provide a glimpse into some
of the events surrounding his discoveries.
Unfortunately, a good many scholars believe these
accounts to be either exaggerated or completely
false, while even the points that are accurate
are drenched with ethnocentrism and, in many
cases, blatant derogation. I, on the other
hand, believe that Columbus, with all of his
human faults, gives many complimentary accounts,
and furthermore, displays much respect for the
natives in his writings. In particular, three
quotes from his "Letter to the King and Queen of
Castille" positively reflect his native views in
respect to their treatment of people, their
overall intelligence, and their inter-island
communication and commerce.
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The understanding of American history has
changed a great deal thanks to modern historians
who began to look at this process starting not
with the origins of Jamestown, but long before
with the natives who occupied the land. We now
learn about our countrys history from both the
Indians and the explorers point of view, honing
in on the feelings of the natives upon white
invasion. In our readings from excerpts by
Europeans such as Columbus and Vespucci,
arguments were stressed about the ignorance and
savagery of the native people. Columbus wrote
that he had to "teach the Indians to
speak"(Jehlen and Warner, 14) when in fact they
had their own developed language, and Vespucci
condemned their anarchism and secular society,
even though a hierarchy and form of religion
existed. The exaggerated negative portrayal of
the Indians made it easier to conquer a people,
for if one dehumanizes an entire race, such as
the explorers did, it does not seem wrong to take
their land and strip them from their identity.
The explorers convinced themselves, and then,
through their writings, the rest of Europe, that
these savages needed to be Christianized and
civilized and it was their duty to do so.
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Spanish Colonial System

• Conquistadors Granted Encomiendas
• Note the importance of the Requerimiento
  (Doctrine of Just War)
• Power of Encomenderos challenged by the Crown
• Didnt want competition from quasi-feudal lords
• Used Friars as surrogates
• Syncretism
• Gradual move to hacienda system
• Audienciamore royal oversight