• Disclaimer: This lesson will turn your understanding of Columbus upside down.
• However, Mr. McLaughlin does not encourage hatred or rebellion against anyone or anything. (except for bad history)
• Seeking new perspective, not to throw dirt on anyone (post modern history- Jess Noll knows about this one)

• Could conquer the island with 50 men
• Sent slaves back to Spain- “thank you for the investment”
• Columbus killed or enslaved Natives that would not accept Roman
Catholicism
• Beginning of slave trade
• “The Requirement”- promises war and death if Natives don’t convert

• If the Natives provide gold or 25 pounds of cotton they receive a copper token necklace
• If they could not pay tribute had their hands chopped off
• Decimated Native economy, society, and politics
• Impossible to sustain, Natives died too quickly

• Spanish first trade useless items for gold, even though Columbus said
“No”
• Native Village granted to Colonist
• Essentially slavery
• Spanish made Natives mine for gold, plant cash crops, literally carry them places

• Can’t farm or live when you need to mine or grow cash crops
• Suicide
• Jumping from cliffs
• Women kill their children
• Ran into the woods to escape
• Fight against the Europeans
• Carab population drops from 250,000 to 500 in 1550

• Canons, horses, disease, attack dogs to subdue Natives
• Hunted humans for sport
• Raped women
• Disfigured Natives for slight or no infraction- sent back to village as a warning

• Cognitive dissonance theory
• Belief that Europeans are superior,
Roman Catholicism is superior, whites are superior
• Not enough opposition to outweigh the $
• Bartolome de las Casas- Spanish priest who tried to reform Spanish practices