Wednesday, March 6, 2019

Young People's History Ch. 1


This image caught my attention because I believe truly shows what happened when Columbus discovered the 'new land'.  While we were young, we were taught that the encounter between Columbus and the Native Americans was peaceful.  I believed that the Europeans and the Native Americans helped each other out and made 'peace', that is how Thanksgiving came about, two parties coming together and sharing what the other lacked.  Later I learned that Columbus took by force and was adamant in bringing gold back to Spain that he killed many people and their families.  This image shows Columbus and his people standing over the Native Americans, who are on the ground injured, if not dead.  There is also a small child in his mothers' arms, showing that the Europeans did not care who they took down in order to get what they wanted.  The Europeans do not even have remorse in their faces on what is before them, showing the atrocities that they committed.  This made me reflect on how we were taught something very different, almost like we were lied to.  This is not something that I want to teach my students,  I don't want them to grow up thinking that Columbus had a peaceful encounter with the Native Americans.


Massacre-of-Indian-women-and-children-in-Idaho-Frank-Leslie-illustrated
http://endgenocide.org/learn/past-genocides/native-americans/

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