The Caribbean

The area of Caribbean which made up by lots of islands and countries also is my home. The name of Caribbean is derived from the Caribs, so most natives came from Caribs. Caribbean has huge of coral reefs in the world, and the weather is very comfortable[1], like a heaven.

I’m a Geographer, but also I research on history of Caribbean. The history that before Columbus arrived was very poor, because most people lived in different tribe, and lived in an original society. When we talk about the economy of Caribbean that before Columbus arrived, I think it is not extremely necessary to discuss. Can you imagine a group of primitive man doing some large economic activities, like overseas trade?

After Columbus arrived here, all the things were different. Firstly, the culture of Caribbean has been changed by those colonists. Lots of natives had been killed because they were regarded as cannibals and savage[2]. They seized a large part of land, brought a number of settlers which came from Spain, Portugal and other European countries. Many natives became slaves, and they also made countless wars in Caribbean.

However, we must admit that the colonists brought advanced technology and thought to the Caribbean. People can travel far away because we learned how to produce ships. Due to those invaders,we became stronger. In addition, we can collect tolls or rob from merchant ship because the geography of Caribbean had benefits for our development.

[1] “Caribbean Sea,” last modified on 15 November 2012, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caribbean_Sea

[2] “History of the Caribbean,” http://caribbean-guide.info/past.and.present/history

The influence about Columbus arrived in the Caribbean

I’m a native people in the Caribbean, and we have lived in the Caribbean for many years since my grandfather. My grandfather told me that when he was young, the people in the Caribbean lived a really peaceful life. They lived in the small village, grew cassava, kept animals, and sought for food by hunting, fishing. They also made ships by wood.[1]

However, a Spanish sailor named Columbus reached the Caribbean in 1492. The arrival of Columbus meant a lot for both the European and us. For the European, it was a great discovery and helped the European know more about the outer world; but for the native people lived in the Caribbean like us, it was really a horrible memory.

When Columbus had reached the Caribbean, he killed lots of people here that we could not live the peaceful life any more. As Las Casas, a Spanish historian, said, “They cut off the people’s hand, but still left the hands hanging by the skin.”[2] Many people were afraid of Columbus and hid themselves in the mountains because of the cruel treatment. Columbus caught the local people as slaves and sent them to other areas by ships. Because of Columbus’s ignorance of the people’s health, there were a lot of diseases speared quickly, and people died in the plague.[3]

Columbus had destroyed a lot in the Caribbean, and even today it was still the worst memory in our lives.



[1] “ the Caribbean” Wikipedia last modified Nov. 16th , 2012. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caribbean
[2] Las Casas, An Account Much Abbreviated, of the Destruction of the Indies” Written in 1495
[3] Henry Dobyns, There Number Became Thinned, Native American Population Dynamics in Eastern South America.” University of Tennessee, pressed in 1983.

The first voyage of Columbus

In 1492, I could clearly remember that year when I was one of Columbus’s crews, followed him to explore a new route to India in order to trade. After we got the sponsor of Spain’s Queen and king, we left Spain on August 3rd. Now, I am talking about our first expedition which was unforgettable for us.

Columbus was an ambitious man. He believed that just keeping toward west, we could reach India. After we left Spain with 3 ships which called Pinta, the Nina, and the Santa Maria on August third[1], we were navigating on the ocean for several days, arrived the first stood where was on a islands called Canary located in African coast to got our final restocking, and then we kept traveling. The travel had taken too much time that we expected. Most of us desired to return because we felt fear and worried that we could not find the way to India. Meanwhile, Columbus inspired us do not lose our mind and continued to go forward. During our voyage, we suffered lots of challenges such as storms; our apprehension had increased day by day.

Fortunately, On October 12, 1492, the land was appeared in our sight. The land was first seen by a sailor named Rodrigo de Triana. We believed that it is India. Everyone was cheer for that. Columbus gave the small island to the sailor as for a reward and called the island San Salvador.[2]



[1] “The First New World Voyage of Christopher Columbus (1492) ” http://latinamericanhistory.about.com/od/latinamericatheconquest/p/Columbusfirst.htm
[2] “The First New World Voyage of Christopher Columbus (1492)” http://latinamericanhistory.about.com/od/latinamericatheconquest/p/Columbusfirst.htm

Christopher Columbus

I’m the servant of the Christopher Columbus, the greatest navigator who sailed to America, and I was the servant of him since he was a very young man until he finished 4 times voyages. I think that I am the person who knows him very well. He was born in republic of Genoa, where is northwestern Italy today. He liked navigate and adventure since he was a little boy. It said that the first time that he had gone to the sea was at age of 10. Columbus liked reading the book named The Travels of Marco Polo, and he admired Marco Polo who deeply influenced him to be a navigator to exploit the India and China.

In my mind, Columbus is a very persistence person. In order to prove the earth is a sphere, Columbus asked the king of Portugal, Spain, Britain, France for help, but no one come to his assistance. Columbus never gave up, he tried his best to let people to believe what he said for a decades, fortunately, The Spanish queen Isabella understood him and helped him to persuade the king.[1]

I had followed Columbus in 4 round trip voyages which all sponsor by Crown of Castile from year 1492 to year 1503. Though he was not the first person who reached the Americas, Columbus’s voyage brought the first persistent connection between Americas and European. His voyages were the enormous significance in Western history, so I am very honor that I can involve. [2]

Most of people said that Columbus is a great man just like what I thought, except for the native Caribbean people who believed that Columbus destroyed their life. Although there are something bad happened after we arrived, Columbus should not take the responsibility of what happened followed. The discovery of the new land led middle ages come out the darkness[3]. I am so proud that I can be the servant of him, because he was really a great man.



[1] Wilkie. Franc B. A life of Christopher Columbus. New York: Hurst & Company, 1967
[2] Encyclopedia Britannica, 1993 ed., Vol. 16, s.v. “Christopher Columbus” Page 605
[3] Wikipedia, s.v. “Christopher Columbus ” last modified 06:05, 18 November 2012‎‎