Comments on: Happy Columbus Day? http://law.marquette.edu/facultyblog/2008/10/10/happy-columbus-day/ Sun, 22 Nov 2009 06:27:59 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Gordon Hylton http://law.marquette.edu/facultyblog/2008/10/10/happy-columbus-day/comment-page-1/#comment-1536 Gordon Hylton Mon, 17 Nov 2008 01:31:37 +0000 http://law.marquette.edu/facultyblog/?p=1227#comment-1536 It is also worth remembering that the Spanish themselves eventually concluded that Columbus was a sadistic tyrant. In 1500, Francisco de Bobadilla, appointed as Commissioner of the new Spanish colonies by the Spanish Court, arrived in Santa Domingo. Bobadilla was stunned by the level of complaints about the excessive atrocities committed by Columbus and his two brothers. The complaints were voiced, not by native Americans, but by the Spanish who served under Columbus. Bobadilla was so outraged that he had Columbus arrested and placed in chains. He was held in prison in Santo Domingo until the fall when he was sent back to Spain to be tried, still in chains. At his trial, 23 witnesses testified that Columbus regularly used acts of torture to govern. He spent several weeks in prison in Spain before he was freed by his patron, King Ferdinand. Although Columbus was eventually authorized to make a fourth voyage to the new world, his title of Governor was never restored. What I find most amazing is that nineteenth century Protestant Americans embraced this Papist tyrant and converted him into something of a Daniel Boone in a boat, allowing him in public memory to stand on the deck, facing west and encouraging his faithless crew to "Sail On." Leif Ericson and his Norse crew would have made a much better group of founding fathers. It is also worth remembering that the Spanish themselves eventually concluded that Columbus was a sadistic tyrant. In 1500, Francisco de Bobadilla, appointed as Commissioner of the new Spanish colonies by the Spanish Court, arrived in Santa Domingo. Bobadilla was stunned by the level of complaints about the excessive atrocities committed by Columbus and his two brothers. The complaints were voiced, not by native Americans, but by the Spanish who served under Columbus.

Bobadilla was so outraged that he had Columbus arrested and placed in chains. He was held in prison in Santo Domingo until the fall when he was sent back to Spain to be tried, still in chains.

At his trial, 23 witnesses testified that Columbus regularly used acts of torture to govern. He spent several weeks in prison in Spain before he was freed by his patron, King Ferdinand. Although Columbus was eventually authorized to make a fourth voyage to the new world, his title of Governor was never restored.

What I find most amazing is that nineteenth century Protestant Americans embraced this Papist tyrant and converted him into something of a Daniel Boone in a boat, allowing him in public memory to stand on the deck, facing west and encouraging his faithless crew to “Sail On.”

Leif Ericson and his Norse crew would have made a much better group of founding fathers.

]]> By: Nkozi Knight http://law.marquette.edu/facultyblog/2008/10/10/happy-columbus-day/comment-page-1/#comment-620 Nkozi Knight Tue, 14 Oct 2008 20:54:28 +0000 http://law.marquette.edu/facultyblog/?p=1227#comment-620 To think we celebrate this man as the person who discovered America. Thank you for this honest look at a man responsible for more deaths then many other horrific men of our past. I initially wrote the names of the horrific people but I did not want to receive any hate mail in my inbox. To think we celebrate this man as the person who discovered America. Thank you for this honest look at a man responsible for more deaths then many other horrific men of our past. I initially wrote the names of the horrific people but I did not want to receive any hate mail in my inbox.

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