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Lost document reveals Columbus as tyrant of the Caribbean
The Guardian ^ | 07 Aug 2006 | Giles Tremlett

Posted on 08/09/2006 5:44:39 AM PDT by Marius3188

Christopher Columbus, the man credited with discovering the Americas, was a greedy and vindictive tyrant who saved some of his most violent punishments for his own followers, according to a document uncovered by Spanish historians.

As governor and viceroy of the Indies, Columbus imposed iron discipline on the first Spanish colony in the Americas, in what is now the Caribbean country of Dominican Republic. Punishments included cutting off people's ears and noses, parading women naked through the streets and selling them into slavery.

"Columbus' government was characterised by a form of tyranny," Consuelo Varela, a Spanish historian who has seen the document, told journalists.

One man caught stealing corn had his nose and ears cut off, was placed in shackles and was then auctioned off as a slave. A woman who dared to suggest that Columbus was of lowly birth was punished by his brother Bartolomé, who had also travelled to the Caribbean. She was stripped naked and paraded around the colony on the back of a mule.

(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Miscellaneous; Unclassified
KEYWORDS: 1492; ageofsail; caribbean; christophercolumbus; columbus; columbusday; consuelovarela; dominicanrepublic; godsgravesglyphs
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To: Antoninus
The Carib invaders of Hispaniola and other Carribean islands usually killed all the men and kept the women. It is suspected they hate the children.

The Spanish were a bunch of limpwrited liberal deviationists compared to the locals.

41 posted on 08/09/2006 6:36:09 AM PDT by muawiyah (-/sarcasm)
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To: Marius3188
The Battle of Tours was one of great decisive battles of all history.

Its detractors try to say that only one small prong of Mohammedan advances was turned back. But it was "hammered" in the northern half of France with a tremendous shift in momentum.

In 1941, the defenders of Moscow at kilometer 43 and a few other sites only turned back German units that amounted to little more than "reinforced reconnaissance patrols" but the results were still decisive.

To call Charles Martel "a Belgium" is a stretch. The Franks were real men in those days.
42 posted on 08/09/2006 6:37:39 AM PDT by Monterrosa-24 (Pork barbeque, bacon, pork chops, sausage, ribs, ham, pork rinds are so good and so offensive to...)
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To: Antoninus

Ymmmm, yum delicious prisoner stew.


43 posted on 08/09/2006 6:39:52 AM PDT by justshutupandtakeit (If you believe ANYTHING in the Treason Media you are a fool.)
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To: Monterrosa-24

I'm only calling him Belgium because of the current geographics of his birthplace(Wallonia).


44 posted on 08/09/2006 6:42:35 AM PDT by Marius3188 (Happy Resurrection Weekend)
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To: Reaganesque
Did Mary Mapes have anything to do with this "document"? 'Cause, I'm pretty sure they didn't have MS Word back in the 1500s.

They did not have MS Word but they did have Gutenberg1450. That was later replaced by Gutenberg Vista but it took along time to get it releases.
45 posted on 08/09/2006 6:44:27 AM PDT by OC_Steve
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To: muawiyah
The Spanish were a bunch of limpwrited liberal deviationists compared to the locals.

Exactly. And the English (i.e., the Guardian), who love to condemn the evil Catholic Spaniards with tut-tut sanctimony, weren't pikers in this regard, either.
46 posted on 08/09/2006 6:47:37 AM PDT by Antoninus (Public schools are the madrassas of the American Left. --Ann Coulter, Godless)
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To: Marius3188

Columbus was a sissy compared to Cortez.


47 posted on 08/09/2006 6:49:23 AM PDT by metesky ("Brethren, leave us go amongst them." Rev. Capt. Samuel Johnston Clayton - Ward Bond- The Searchers)
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To: Marius3188

O.G.N.T.S.A.!


48 posted on 08/09/2006 6:50:09 AM PDT by dfwgator
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To: metesky

Not really ~ Cortes put a stop to the most violent excesses of the natives ~ Columbus "went native".


49 posted on 08/09/2006 6:50:46 AM PDT by muawiyah (-/sarcasm)
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To: Polybius
Not according to Francisco de Bobadilla, the Spanish judge who was sent to the island of Hispaniola by Ferdinand and Isabella, at Columbus' own request, to investigate charges of misconduct brought by Spanish colonists against Columbus

=======================

"...This third settlement survived, but one of the four of the five hundred Spaniards he left there in 1496 was suffering from syphilis, and the settler had divided into two hostile groups that were now on the verge of war. The appease the discontent, Columbus allowed each man to appropriate a large tract of land, and enslave the natives dwelling on it; this became the rule in the Spanish settlements. Worn now with hardships, disappointments, arthritis, and a disease of the eyes, Columbus almost broke down under these problems. His mind clouded occasionally, he became irritable, querulous, dictatorical, avaricious, and ruthless in his punishment; so at least many Spaniards claimed, and they fretted under an Italian's rule. He recognized th problems of managing a settlement were alien to his training and temperament. In October 1499, he sent two caravels to Spain with a request that Ferdinand and Isabella should appoint a royal commissioner to help him govern the island.[Santo Domingo]

"The sovereigns took him at his word, and appointed Francisco de Bobadilla; but, going beyond the admiral's request, they gave their commissioner fully authority, even over Columbus. Bobadilla reached Santo Domingo while Columbus was away, and heard many complaints of the manner in which Cristoforo and his brothers Bartolomé and Diego had ruled what was now called Hispaniola. When Columbus returned, Bobabillo had him cast into jail, with manacles on his arms and fetters on his feet. The commissioner sent the three bother, in chains, to Spain (October 1,1500). Arriving at Cádiz, Columbus wrote a pitiful letter to friends at court:

"...At a time when I was entitled to expect rewards and retirement, I was incontinently arrested and sent home loaded with chains...The accusations was brought out of malice on the basis of charges made by civilians who had revolted and wished to take possession of the land..."

"...King and Queen received them [Columbus and his brothers], and restored them to affluence, but not to their former authority in the NewWorld."

Will Durant The History of Civilizationvol. VI, Chpt. viii, pages 265-266

50 posted on 08/09/2006 6:51:32 AM PDT by yankeedame ("Oh, I can take it but I'd much rather dish it out.")
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To: OC_Steve

"...later replaced by Gutenberg Vista..."

Isn't that the one with that bad "p and q" glitch?


51 posted on 08/09/2006 6:54:03 AM PDT by Monterrosa-24 (Pork barbeque, bacon, pork chops, sausage, ribs, ham, pork rinds are so good and so offensive to...)
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To: Marius3188
Read James Michener's CARRIBEAN. It's fun and very informative. Columbus held show executions of his own men to inspire fear and trembling and obediance. He murdered indigenous populations at will for fun and profit.

Aside from this, it was a given that any Spanish viceroy or governor in charge of a Carribean island would spend years in jail upon recall by the King of Spain. Everything was the spoils system and top dogs had to enrich themselves adequately to payoff the powers that be so that they could reduce jail time back home.

This is why the spanish system of government is so corrupt yet today. The english system was poorer but concentrated on building social infrastructure - not pillaging indigenous locals for silver and gold for personal enrichment.

52 posted on 08/09/2006 6:55:30 AM PDT by x_plus_one (No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American Public)
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To: Mr. Jeeves
Catholic 1500 = Muslim 2006. So what's the news?

Remember that Columbus was bankrolled by the same Ferdinand and Isabella who finally crushed the Moors and established the modern boundaries of Spain.

The barbaric wars agains the moors hardened the Spanish so much so that their military had no problems subduing entire continents in the new world.

War against the MOORS corsens all involved.

53 posted on 08/09/2006 6:59:04 AM PDT by x_plus_one (No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American Public)
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To: Antoninus

Read CARRIBEAN by James Michener. His recounting of the Engilsh-Spanish wars of piracy in the carribean are fascinating, bloody, and viscious.


54 posted on 08/09/2006 7:00:24 AM PDT by x_plus_one (No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American Public)
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To: Tijeras_Slim

Launch the roflcopters!


55 posted on 08/09/2006 7:04:35 AM PDT by Constantine XIII
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To: Personal Responsibility

About 15 yrs ago we had a bunch of French and Swiss people move in and put in vineyards. All but one ended up broke and out of here because of the imperial way they treated those who worked for them, even the businessmen they dealt with. MOst of the world is not like America, even today.


56 posted on 08/09/2006 7:19:29 AM PDT by tiki
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To: Antoninus

"Punishments included cutting off people's ears and noses"



Only 20 years before George Burns was born, one of our biggest disagreements with the Apaches was that we insisted they quit cutting off womens noses for cheating.


57 posted on 08/09/2006 7:39:47 AM PDT by ansel12 (Life is exquisite... of great beauty, keenly felt.)
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To: tiki
Hey Tiki,

I assume you are from some South Sea Isle. Give us a little background, please?

58 posted on 08/09/2006 7:45:58 AM PDT by Thommas (The snout of the camel is in the tent...)
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To: Marius3188

From the school of critical thought and careful reading: The two examples cited prove nothing about Columbus. It may say something about his brother. Given the present cultural bias against any heroic figures from western civilization, this latest "revelation" is highly suspect.


59 posted on 08/09/2006 7:46:04 AM PDT by Drawsing (The fool shows his annoyance at once. The prudent man overlooks an insult. (Proverbs 12:16))
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To: Drawsing

Good point.


60 posted on 08/09/2006 7:47:18 AM PDT by Thommas (The snout of the camel is in the tent...)
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