Columbus: Hero or Villain?
Objectives:
The students will…
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Understand the contributions of Christopher Columbus and his discovery of the
New World
Gain an appreciation of the impact that European exploration had on the world
Identify cause and effect relationships and their global impact and often
unintended consequences
Be able to explain how Columbus is viewed by different generations
Learn the significance of the major federal holidays in the United States
Identify the importance of the Columbian Exposition of 1893
Be able to explain the impact of disease on Native American populations
Materials:
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Student Handouts—“Christopher Columbus: Hero or Villain?” “Federal
Holidays” and “Smallpox and Disease”
PowerPoint Presentation on Seeds of Change
o Herman Viola article from the Magazine of History, Vol.5 #4, pp. 31-32.
DVD copy of “War of the Worlds.” War of the Worlds 1953 DVD; Remake of
War of the Worlds 2005.
(Optional) Select a scene from the DVD “The New World” showing AngloIndian encounters.
1. Begin class by asking the students how
they perceive Christopher Columbus today.
Have them discuss their opinions and
justify them. After a few minutes, pass out
a copy of the student handout “Christopher
Columbus: Hero or Villain?” Have the
students read the paper and then ask them if
they have changed their minds about
Columbus. Discuss why historical
interpretations change over time and
whether or not contemporary events
influence attitudes about the past. Have the
students tour the Columbian Exposition of
1893 by visiting the website hosted by the
University of Virginia.
2.
Pass out to the students the list of the
current federal holidays. Have the
students discuss what each of the
holidays mean and what they say
about us as a nation. Note that only
three holidays have fixed dates (New
Year’s, Independence Day, and
Christmas). All of the other holidays
are celebrated on a Monday to give
workers a three day holiday. Is that
right or should they be commemorated
on the actual date regardless of the
day of the week? Have the students
come up with their own holidays and
then justify their choices before the
class. You may want to assign this for
homework.
3. Show a clip from the film, War of the Worlds. There are two versions readily
available: the 2005 film directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Tom Cruise and
Dakota Fanning; the 1953 version with actor, Gene Berry. (The latter is a more
interesting film in that it was made during the heart of the Cold War and shortly
after the development of the atomic bomb. It is typical of the horror film genre of
the period which depicted eradiated mutant insects--giant grasshoppers,
ants, etc.—attacking humans after a nuclear war.) In this context,
though, a clip should be shown as an allegory of what can happen
when a technological superior civilization encounters a less
advanced culture (i.e. Martians/ Humans; Europeans/Amerindian
Populations). Interestingly, in the H.G. Wells version, the Martians are ultimately
defeated by a bacterial infection.
4. Show the PowerPoint presentation on Seeds of Change.
Have the students read the
article by Herman Viola
(hyperlinked).
For the 500th anniversary
of Columbus’ voyage to
the New World, the
Smithsonian ran an exhibit
entitled, “Seeds of
Change.” The purpose was
to show a more balanced
view of the impact of European colonization and its global impact. No one at the
time could possibly anticipate the historical and geopolitical consequences. This
would be a good time to discuss how historians view the world. Author and
scholar Joachim Fest argues that historians ask the questions they do because they
already know the outcome of events. Is this true? John Adams, when writing
about the American Revolution later in life, remembered that its outcome was far
from inevitable. Today, few students can actually conceive of the very real
possibility that the colonies could have lost the war.
Students need to understand the concept of
Cause and Effect in history. Likewise, they
need to be able to determine the consequences
that occur because of events. In the case of
Columbus’s voyages to America, the world
was transformed. For instance, corn was
brought from America to both Europe and
Africa. It provided a stable food supply and
led to a large population increase in Africa.
This ironically was destined to increase the source of supply of enslaved labor
which would be brought to America to meet the insatiable demands of the sugar
and tobacco plantations. The importation of corn, thus, had profound
consequences for the world and for American history.
The next slide illustrates
how other crops impacted
history. Sugar cane was
brought to the Americas
and planted in the West
Indies. This led to the
development of plantation
economies and an
increased demand for
slavery. Tobacco was
native to the Americas.
When John Rolfe
discovered a new curing
process for the crop in
Jamestown circa 1612, a
worldwide demand for the
crop led to a tobacco boom and there developed a global trade and, as with sugar,
a demand for labor. Finally, the potato was introduced to Ireland by Sir Walter
Raleigh. It quickly became a
food staple for the poor; when the “From this new land, Europe received maize, tomatoes, peppers,
peanuts, yams, and turkeys. The introduction of the potato, alone,
potato famine struck in the midrevolutionized European agriculture.”
From America: The Last Best Hope
19th century, millions of starving
Irish fled to the United States.
All of these things illustrate “cause—effect—consequence.” Other relationships
can also be shown for the same crops.
The final slide shows three other exchanges
between Europe and America. See if the
students can match the cause to the outcome.
Small Pox/Disease – Depopulation of large
areas; increased native peoples vulnerability to
conquest.
Horses – Improved transportation/hunting;
development of Plains Indian Culture.
Note: Horses were introduced to the Americas by the Spaniards. In the late 17th Century, the Pueblo Indian revolt led to the
release of large herds of horses onto the Great Plains. These wild horses were eventually captured and domesticated by the
Indians. This led to the development of the Great Plains Indian culture.
Domesticated Animals – Need for defined areas of land (fenced off farms); stable
food supply (the hunter/gathering culture of the Amerindian populations.
5.
Now, have the students read the Small Pox and Disease handout. The Native
American populations were decimated by European diseases since they had no
natural immunity. Smallpox and measles were particularly deadly. When the
Pilgrims arrived in Plymouth in 1620, they found the area around Cape Cod
largely depopulated due to epidemics caused by earlier European contacts.
Likewise, Lewis and Clark discovered abandoned villages and mass graves.
Smallpox was one of the most feared of all diseases and had a mortality rate of
between 15% and 50%. Contemporary critics of Columbus accuse him of the
genocide of native peoples despite the fact that germ theory was not widely
understood until the mid-19th century. Is that fair?
Students should understand the role of disease in history and particularly the
impact of smallpox. Today, smallpox is the only virus that has been eradicated in
the world. There have been no deaths from the disease for three decades and
people are no longer inoculated. Elizabeth Fenn’s Pox Americana is an
outstanding book on smallpox during the time of the American Revolution. Jared
Diamond’s Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies is an
interesting read as well.
“The very frightful consequences of smallpox and measles—which
would continue to take their toll among Indians well into the
nineteenth century—could hardly have been known by the
European explorers of Columbus’s day.””
From America: The Last Best Hope