U.S History Primary Source Essay

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U.S History Primary Source Essay

The information contained in text book and primary sources are helpful to get knowledge

regarding Native Americans. Only text book do not cover all information about these Native

American. In this regards, all primary sources cover complete knowledge as well as deal with

them especially highlighted the arrivals of first European into the lands of America. Upon

reading of these primary sources students can better know about the past history of Native

Americans. The comparison between the textbook related reading and primary sources have

much similarity, but these sources cover all aspects of Native American’s history. Through the

reading of first primary source it is revealed that since 1492, there have always been arguments

about whether or not Christopher Columbus was a hero. In many ways, Columbus was a

courageous sailor who set out on a vague mission and found the Americas. However, many other

theories claim that Columbus was a cruel and egocentric man who took advantage of the

companionate natives whom worshiped the Europeans. The world may never know Columbus’s

true intent

Numerous people think Columbus a hero for sailing through the unknown and being the first

American. Columbus questioned everything that 15

century Europe believed in and came up

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with a theory that by sailing thought the Atlantic, he would reach the West Indies. However, the

most compelling part was that Columbus actually set sail to see if his calculations were correct.

He was his own Guinea Pig. Henry Bamford Parkes states that only Columbus dared to test the

Atlantic route, “other men had believed that there might be land on the other side of the Atlantic;

but nobody else had dared to put the hypothesis to a conclusive test.”(Henry Bamford Parkes,

The American Experience) Thus, Columbus set out on a long, unclear voyage that he not

knowing if he would ever return, proving himself a brave sailor and a hero.

However, brave Columbus may have seemed he also showed qualities of a villain. “We

cannot ignore the bloody conquest, not the cruelties and injustice that followed Columbus,”

(Boris Blancheri, Italian Ambassador to the United States, Washington Post). Columbus sailed

over the Atlantic in search of gold. One may dispute that all Columbus cared about was getting

rich and becoming ruler of the new lands that he found. “I was very attentive to them, and stove

to learn if they had any gold,” (From the Journal of Christopher Columbus).

The second primary source deals with the letter of Columbus to Luis de Santángel". In

Christopher Columbus’s letter to Luis de Santangel, he first describes them as a people that “all

go naked” (Overfield, 39). Columbus includes this important detail in the letter because it shows

the vast difference between Native American culture and Spaniard culture. Secondly, he says the

people are “so guileless and so generous with all they possess” (Overfield, 39). He even

compares the Indies people, who practice cannibalism, to the Native Americans who do not.

Columbus includes these specific details about their lifestyle in order to show they are not a

threat to the Spaniards. Columbus notes that they have spices and cotton which could be traded

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Your name Your Instructor’s name Primary Source Essay Class: Date: U.S History Primary Source Essay The information contained in text book and primary sources are helpful to get knowledge regarding Native Americans. Only text book do not cover all information about these Native American. In this regards, all primary sources cover complete knowledge as well as deal with them especially highlighted the arrivals of first European into the lands of America. Upon reading of these primary sources students can better know about the past history of Native Americans. The comparison between the textbook related reading and primary sources have much similarity, but these sources cover all aspects of Native American’s history. Through the reading of first primary source it is revealed that since 1492, there have always been arguments about whether or not Christopher Columbus was a hero. In many ways, Columbus was a courageous sailor who set out on a vague mission and found the Americas. However, many other theories claim that Columbus was a cruel and egocentric man who took advantage of the companionate natives whom worshiped the Europeans. The world may never know Columbus’s true intent Numerous people think Columbus a hero for sailing through the unknown and being the first American. Columbus questioned everything that 15th century Europe believed in and came up with a theory that by sailing thought the Atlantic, he would reach the West Indies. However, the most compelling p ...
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