Jamaica Top 50: Number 48 Christopher Columbus

"For the execution of the voyage to the Indies, I did not make use of intelligence, mathematics or maps." (Columbus) Christopher was one of the greatest voyagers in world history; he was a great leader an excellent strategist and many will say he is a crook.

Christopher Columbus was born on October 31, 1451 in a northwest Italian town named Geona, Columbus was a explorer, colonizer and navigator. Columbus worked for the Catholic Monarchs of Spain where he was set out on voyages to the Americans, he complete four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean and during these voyages he establish settlement for Europeans and he discovered what was later call the “New World” “You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.” (Christopher Columbus) that quote shows you the mentality he had when it comes to traveling the seas.

Now you might wonder where Columbus fits in with the island of Jamaica, well on June 20 1503 Columbus arrived in Jamaica with only two of his four vessels, this was his final voyage to the “New World” At first, the natives welcomed Columbus and his crew, providing them with food and other supplies in exchange for various trinkets, generally welcoming the sailors into their community with open arms. This arrangement didn’t last very long. Over the next several months, the natives became discontented with the guests of their island. Columbus’ crew repaid the generosity of the natives by frequently stealing and cheating them, as well as raiding villages for supplies, among many other indiscretions committed by the crew (murder, rape, etc.). As a result of this, by January of 1504, the indigenous peoples decided to stop supplying the stranded Europeans, regardless of what they might offer in trade.

Columbus and his crew were running out of food and did not have any means to leave so he made a gamble. He told all the leaders of the tribes that an eclipse will take place on February 1504 he called a meeting with the chiefs of the nearby tribes shortly before the eclipse was to take place. In this meeting, he told them his god was angry with them for ceasing to give him supplies. As a result, his god would take away the moon as a sign of his anger and subsequently punish them for their actions. According to Columbus son Fernando who was thirteen at the time of the voyage he said “The Indians observed this [the eclipse] and were so astonished and frightened that with great howling and lamentation they came running from every direction to the ships, laden with provisions, praying the Admiral to intercede by all means with God on their behalf; that he might not visit his wrath upon them… and promising they would diligently supply all their needs in the future.” Columbus did what he had to for his crew to get what they want and the timing could not have been any more perfect, he caught them at a very vulnerable state and it work in his favor.

Columbus was a very colonist; he got the best out of the tribes so he can trade goods back to Europe, when ask about the natives this is what he said about them "They (the Arawak Indians) ... brought us parrots and balls of cotton and spears and many other things, which they exchanged for the glass beads and hawks' bells. They willingly traded everything they owned.... They were well-built, with good bodies and handsome features.... They do not bear arms, and do not know them, for I showed them a sword, they took it by the edge and cut themselves out of ignorance. They have no iron. Their spears are made of cane.... They would make fine servants.... With fifty men we could subjugate them all and make them do whatever we want." (Christopher Columbus) It did not take long for his crew to take over the island and this lead to Jamaica and other islands being a very hot area for trade.

I hope the past two post will put to rest the notion that Christopher Columbus discover Jamaica or the Americas because people lived here before him, Jamaica have a lot of natural resources and Columbus tap into it and it have change the course of history, his invatiion of Jamaica later lead to the extinction of a nation but it soon later lead to the establishment of a new nation. Jamaica does not celebrate the works of Columbus because he is view by many as a crook, a liar, and the devil. I at times agree with those entirely but personally he is the best opportunist in the world, with the extinction of the Arawaks it open the doors for SLAVES from Africa.