Were they offered this as a bargain to keep their lives rather than be killed for their own acts? This is not clear to me.
**Yes, but does it justify kidnapping 10 of them and then bringing them back to Europe against their will ? ***
And yet, whe Verizano went ahead of his men to contact Indians they promptly killed him, cooked him, and ate him.
The native Taino people of the island were systematically enslaved and murdered. Hundreds were rounded up and shipped to Europe to be sold; many died en route. For the rest of the population, Columbus demanded that all Taino under his control should bring the Spaniards gold.
Those who didn’t were to have their hands cut off. Since there was, in fact, little gold to be had, the Taino fled, and the Spaniards hunted them down and killed them. The Taino tried to mount a resistance, but the Spanish weaponry was superior, and European diseases ravaged their population. In despair, the Taino engaged in mass suicide, even killing their own children to save them from the Spaniards. Within two years, half of what may have been 250,000 Taino were dead.
The remainder were taken as slaves and set to work on plantations, where the mortality rate was very high. By 1550, 60 years after Columbus landed, only a few hundred Taino were left on their island. In another hundred years, perhaps only a handful remained.
Different times, different paradigm. You are talking about an era where slavery was normal all over the world and the human race was evolving out of the dark ages.
How horrible was kidnapping and bringing the natives “against their will”?????-—compared to what the Aztecs did to the Mayans or whoever????.....sheeeesh! Most tribes brutalized other tribes and this kumbaya world of the “Noble Indian” is myth. The history of ALL MAN has been one of one group conquering the weaker group.
That you respect the rights of a minority is all because of the “evil white men” who fortunately arrived in a land where they could create their “ideal” government. They are the ones who wrote into the government protection for the minority—that did NOT allow for the tyranny of the majority. What other country or peoples have any respect for minorities??????? (or women for that matter not founded in Judeo-Christian paradigm).
Perfection is not achievable, but Christopher Columbus and the Christians that followed did an awesome job when you compare the US and the Founding Fathers’ genius to the rest of the world, especially at that point in history. That story is truly amazing and benefited far more people than it injured. People all over the earth today should drop to their knees and thank God for the courage and daring of Christopher Columbus!
Which is worse?