Howard Zinn Thesis

Matt Mramer
9/7/2009

capital of Ohio, The Indians, and Human Progress

By: Howard Zinn

In this thesis “Columbus, The Indians and Human Progress” Howard Zinn refutes the common American popular opinion that Christopher Columbus was a trailblazing hero, and instead shows the horrors of how he and his colleagues took advantage of the autochthonic Americans and abused their kind, sharing nature. He expresses the dark side of Columbus’ encounters with the native-borns and the inhumane way he thought of them and treated them. He exploited the natives for work and precious metals and took advantage of them in as m some(prenominal) ways as he possibly could. As many Americans see Columbus as a hero, Zinn exposes the abominations he imposed on the native people, and just how greedy he and the other Spaniards, such as Cortés and Pizarro, were.
Howard Zinn is a square believer that Columbus and the explorers were not heroes or saviors, but rather, reprehensible and egotistical characters who took advantage of the most innocent of human beings. solely as Cortés marched into Mexico with the intention of robbing the Aztec capital of Tenochitlan, Pizarro stormed into Peru, forcing the Incas elsewhere go taking their possessions and an abundance of precious metals.



Bartolome de las Casas provides firm evidence of the injustices towards the native peoples, saying, “The Spaniards grew more conceited every day and refused to walk any distance. They rode on the backs of Indians or were carried on hammocks…” (6) This indignity is only worsened by the fact that the natives did nothing but help Columbus and the Spaniards. The indignities the indwelling Americans were forced to endure on a daily fundament were repugnant.
It would seem that many Americans today are under the senseless impression of innocence and purity during the founding of our nation. The truth save is a polar opposite. The Spaniards were savage, greedy human beings who took advantage of the...If you want to get a full essay, order it on our website: Orderessay



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