A Reason of the Native American Extinction

Christopher Columbus background

Christopher Columbus was a wool merchant, was born in Genoa, Italy who was born around 1451. When he was a teenager he got a job on a merchant ship. He remained at seeing until 1470 when French privateers attacked his ship as it sailed north along the Portuguese coast. The boat sank and Christopher Columbus floated on a piece of wood. He then ended up in Lisbon, where he studied mathematics, astronomy, cartography, and navigation. In the back of his mind was a storm brewing that would change the world forever.

Christopher sailed to Northern America in 1842. When he arrived he was met by American Indians. Spanish and Portuguese explorers were in the south so English explorers focused on North America. A new world Christopher Columbus first sailed to the Americans in 1742 in hopes of reaching India to trade with them. He was intrigued by the hopes of reaching the rich lands of India by not traveling around the whole continent but by going across the globe. He had trouble convincing royalties to accept his ideas. His idea was finally granted when he was in Spain and asked the Royals. Spain wanted to get ahead in the race to India because of the tall tales about their wealth.

First Colony

La Navidad was the first European encampment established when one of Christopher Columbus's ships hit a coral reef and sunk. Christopher Columbus left 39 men. He packeted with the local shift to let the men stay there until he returned. Colobus entrusted his cousin Diego de Arana with running the settlement. The goal was to collect gold and wait for colobus to return. When Christopher Columbus and his new fleet returned the encampment was found burned and all men were killed. The personal belongings were found in local tribes homes. The chief said other tribes buried it. To the contrary, the chiefs man's brother said La Navidad went in search of women and mistreated them to there personal gains.

Later evidence proved the people of La Navidad fought between themselves talking as much gold and women as they could. The camp was set alight after the tribes retaliated. La Navidad was believed to be located in Haiti. Columbus brought back many things from his first trip. He had to bring back items to prove that the Americas were worth exploring and by exaggerating the richness he would become more famous. One important thing Christopher Columbus brought back was twelve kidnapped Native Americans, two escaped. Christopher also brought back small amounts of gold, native birds, and plants to show the richness of the land. Later the people of Ontario(where La Navidad was)were extinct from enslavement and disease.

Columbus's second voyage was in 1493 with a fleet of 17 ships and twelve hundred men and supplies to permanently establish colonies. The logistics of the second voyage where huge because they had to bring cattle, sheep, and horses. On board were priests, farmers, and soldiers. One of Christopher Columbus's goals on his second journey was to convert the nativist Christians. He stopped and explored many islands, Christopher captured and kidnapped many women. He brought back thirty Native American slaves and their chief who died on board.

Colobus was having governing issues, he was mentally and physically exhausted. He has arthritis and his eyes had ophthalmia. He sent two ships to Spain asking the royal commissioner to help him give the colonies. The royal government handed all the power over to Francisco de Bobadilla. When numerous complaints from returning settelers because of mismanagement Columbus and his brothers were put in jail.

Disease

The main diseases that impacted the Native American people were Smallpox, Plague, Chicken Pox, Cholera, The Common Cold, Diphtheria, Influenza, and Malaria. Diseases is a huge reason why some Native American tribes died out.Native Americans had not been exposed to these illnesses there immune system was weak and sick people were not quarantined do diseases spread quickly. Some researchers believed since Native Americans did not domesticate animals they were not exposed to some of the sicknesses. Some native American tribes though because they were not Christian they were being punished. This belief came up because the Europeans were not getting sick. Native Americans had this belief that if they took a sweat bath.

Trading Lasting effects

Christopher Columbus was an influential person in shaping history. He did not discover America but he was the person who started decades more of exploration. Without Christopher Columbus, the world would have been a very different place. Native Americans might be the leading race in the Americas or disease later wiped out more of the Native Americans. Besides the controversial things Christopher Columbus did, he brought extinction to many groups of people. He opened the gate for many great explorations to America.

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