Christopher
Columbus
Primary Source- Christopher
Columbus Letter to King
Ferdinand and Queen Isabella
March 15, 1493,
“I discovered many islands inhabited by
numerous people. I took possession of all of
them for our most fortunate King by making
public proclamation and unfurling his
standard, no one making any resistance”
Primary Source: Bartolomé de Las
Casas Letter to King Ferdinand
and Queen Isabella 1542
Primary Source- Ferdinand
Columbus (Christopher
Columbus’ Son)
"In the Cibao, where the gold mines were,
every person of fourteen years of age or
upward was to pay a large hawk's bell of
gold dust; all others were each to pay
twenty-five pounds of cotton. Whenever an
Indian delivered his tribute, he was to
receive a brass or copper token which he
must wear about his neck as proof that he
had made his payment; any Indian found
without such a token was to be punished."
“The natives are capable of Morality or
Goodness and very apt to receive the
principles of Catholic Religion; nor are they
averse to Civility and good Manners…, I
myself have heard the Spaniards themselves
… declare, that there was nothing wanting in
them for the acquisition of eternal grace, but
the sole Knowledge and Understanding of
the Deity….
The Spaniards first assaulted the innocent
Sheep, so qualified by the Almighty, like
most cruel tigers, wolves, and lions,
hunger-starved, studying nothing, for the
space of Forty Years, after their first landing,
but the Massacre of these Wretches, whom
they have so inhumanely and barbarously
butchered and harassed with several kinds
of Torments, never before known, or heard
(of which you shall have some account in the
following Discourse) that of Three Millions of
Persons, which lived in Hispaniola itself,
there is at present but the inconsiderable
remnant of scarce Three Hundred.
Christopher Columbus has a currently
troubling legacy in the United States.
Throughout the United States, Christopher
Columbus is celebrated for discovering
America, however, his statues are being
removed throughout the country.
Was his legacy always so troubling? Here we
have three excerpts about Christopher
Columbus during the same time period.
Please respond to this prompt:
What do you think of Christopher
Columbus’s current legacy in the United
States? Do you think that his legacy is
appropriate considering his
actions/achievements?
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
Check! Did you…?
TTQA
Use Academic Vocabulary
Give 2 or 3 reasons to support
your claim
Elaborate your explanation
Criterion
Claim
Use of
evidence to
support
assertions
Organization
Below
Expectations
(1)
There is no
TTQA and no
claim.
The response
has strong 1
piece of text
evidence as
supporting
details and
usage of domain
vocabulary.
There is little to
no organization.
The support
evidence does
not match the
explanation.
Meets
Expectations
(2)
Claim is
TTQA..
The response
has 1 strong
piece of text
evidence as
supporting
details and
usage of
domain
vocabulary.
The response
shows some
organization
with
transitions.
The evidence
might not be
immediately
explained.
Exceeds
Expectations
(3)
TTQA is
clear and the
response
(claim)
shows a clear
understandin
g of the text.
The response
has strong 2
pieces of text
evidence as
supporting
details and
usage of
domain
vocabulary.
The response
is organized
and in order.
The text
evidence is
immediately
explained
with
transitions
into the next
piece of
evidence.
TOTAL
S
c
o
r
e