Columbus and Indians Essays

Columbus and Indians Essays Columbus and Indians Essay Columbus and Indians Essay Regarding the article, â€Å"Columbus, the Indians, and Human Progress, Dr. Howard Zinn argues that there is another perspective to consider as to Christopher Columbus’ adventures. Dr. Howard Zinn’s position is that history books have omissions of slavery, death and innocent bloodshed that accompanied the adventures of Christopher Columbus. In the following statements Dr. Howard Zinn describes his perspective; â€Å"The writer began the history, five hundred years ago, of the European invasion of the Indian Settlement in the Americas. That beginning, when you read Las Casas- even if his figures are exaggerations (were there 3 million Indians to begin with, as he says or 250,000, as modern historians calculate) is conquest, slavery, and death. When we read the history books given to children in the United States, it all starts with heroic adventures, there is no mention of innocent bloodshed, and Columbus Day is a celebration†. In describing his position, Dr. Zinn references Christopher Columbus’ personal log and â€Å"eye witness† accounts of the history of the Indies written by a priest by the name of Bartolome’ De Las Casas. Dr. Zinn describes De Las Casas as a particapent in what he calls the â€Å"conquest† of Cuba. This priest authored 2 volumes on the history of the Indies, and Dr. Zinn supports his arguments in part based on information recorded in De Las Casas’ books. Dr. Zinn begins the article in support of his position by relating a statement Columbus recorded in his log; â€Å"As soon as I arrived in the Indies, on the first island which I found, I took some of the natives by force in order that they might learn and give me of whatever there is in these parts†. Dr. Zinn goes on to say that Columbus’ adventures, what he calls â€Å"conquest† was motivated by material gain. Dr. Zinn states that what Columbus wanted the Indians to know was that â€Å"the information Columbus wanted the most was; where is the gold†. In support of this statement, Dr Zinn uses another quote from Columbus’ log; â€Å"They brought us parrots, balls of cotton and spears and many other things which they exchanged for the items such as glass beads and hawks’ bells. They were willing to trade everything they owned. They were will built, with good bodies and handsome features. They would make fine servants†¦. With fifty men we could subjugate them all and make them do whatever we want†. In this quote, Dr. Zinn gives what he believed to be another motivation of Columbus, which was the motivation to make the Indians into slaves for monetary gain. Dr. Zinn believed this to be the motivation of what he termed the â€Å"Europe of the Renaissance†. Dr Zinn states; â€Å"theses traits, speaking of the Arawak, did not stand in the Europe of the Renaissance, dominated as it was by the religion of popes, the government of kings, the frenzy for the money that marketed Western civilization and its first messenger to the Americas, Christopher Columbus. Dr. Zinn references numerous accounts of innocent bloodshed, cruelty and the enslavement of Indians by Columbus and his soldiers from De Las Casa’s books prior to Columbus’ return to Spain. Dr. Zinn records the following statements from De Las Casa book in which he says; Endless testimonies prove the mild and pacific temperament of the natives. But our work was to exasperate, ravage, kill, mangle and destroy; small wonder, then, if they tried to kill one of us now and then. The admiral, it is true, was blind as those who came after him, and he was so anxious to please the King that he committed irreparable crimes against the Indians. To please the King, Columbus would have to deliver on his promise to the King to receive the 10% profit that Dr. Zinn states the King promised to Columbus if he would deliver to the King everything that he promised. Quoting Dr. Zinn, â€Å"In return for bringing back gold and spices, they promised Columbus 10 percent of the profits, governors hip over new-found lands, and the fame that would go with a new title: Admiral of the Ocean Sea†. Upon his return to Spain, Dr. Zinn notes that Columbus had no significant amounts of gold, only a few enslaved Indians who survived the voyage to Spain. It is at this point that Dr. Zinn makes his strongest argument in the article as to why he thinks he’s clear in his position. Dr. Zinn states; â€Å"after his return to Spain from his first voyage and reported to the court at Madrid as to what he had seen, beautiful land, wide rivers where the majority gold was, he also reported there were many spices, and great mines of gold and other metals† Dr. Zinn felt that this report at Madrid represent Columbus’ motivation very clearly, to enslave Indians and bring back as much old to Spain as possible; He concluded his report by asking for a little help from their Majesties, and in return he would bring them from his next voyage as much gold as they need and as many slaves as they ask. Dr. Zinn writes that after Columbus’s report at Madrid, Columbus returned to the Americas with 17 ships and 1200 men to bring back slaves and as much gold as the king wanted. According to Dr. Zinn, this is what happened following Columbus’ return to the Americas; When it became clear that there was no gold left, the Indians were taken as slave labor on huge estates, known later as encomiendas. They were worked at a ferocious pace, and died by the thousands. By the year 1515, there were perhaps fifty thousand Indians left. By 1550, there were five hundred. A report of the year 1650 shows none of the original Arawaks or their descendants left on the island. The chief source and, on many matters the only source of information about what happened on the islands after Columbus came is Bartolome de las Casas, who, as a young priest, participated in the conquest of Cubaâ€Å". According to Dr. Zinn, Christopher Columbus’s words as recorded in his own words coupled with the eye witness accounts’ of the history of the Indies as recorded by Priest Bartolome de las Casas, supports his position that history records; â€Å"That beginning, when you read Las Casas- even if his figures are exaggerations (were there 3 million Indians to begin with, as he says or 250,000, as modern historians calculate) is conquest, slavery, and death†. Dr. Zinn believes that there is another perspective other than what is said in â€Å"the history books given to children in the United States†. Dr. Howard Zinn Columbus, the Indians, and Human Progress A People’s History of the United States. Harper Collins US New edition (February 4, 2003).

Political science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Political science - Essay Example The older notion of accepting the leading classes of the society as ‘sacred’ or ‘untouchable’ has been replaced by the new idea of questioning the actions of these classes. Closed societies like China have also been forced to accept the power of the masses; the development of local/national social networking websites is a direct evidence of this claim. As a consequence, the leaders of nations are forced to take into consideration the public sentiment, which is emerging as the driving force behind the decisions of politicians regarding matters of the state. What is lacking at the moment is the legal value of the public sentiment that emerges on social websites. So far, the discussions that are carried out on the internet are merely a way of expression. In future, it is highly likely that internet related public opinion will gain legal weightage; if this happens, it is hoped that national decisions will be totally in the hands of public and leader will turn into tools of implementation of public choice

Intercultural communication class- Intercultural learning report Essay

Intercultural communication class- Intercultural learning report - Essay Example Apparently, proficiency in the host culture language is a prerequisite for any intercultural communication. The theory seeks to establish whether unique attributes or group memberships define individuals from an individual culture (Communication for Governance & Accountability Program 1). Moreover, the theory explores whether individual achievement and gratification are more important than unity a cultural group. Apparently, collectivism culture is more useful than the individualism culture as seen in international universities where international students from China record higher grades compared to American students. The theory has developed my knowledge on cultural diversity where I have been interacting with people from different cultures with the aim of understanding such cultures and borrowing the best cultural values. The theory compares minimum status differences with the preference for strict social hierarchies (Communication for Governance & Accountability Program 1). It relates to the acceptance of unequal distribution of power by the less powerful (The Hofstede Centre 1). The theory was significant in my project since it helped me to understand the powerful effect of Thailand culture on communication (College of Marin 1). For example, I established that Thailand people respect their King. Indeed, my Thailand project investigated the degree to which Thailand people consider themselves masculine or feminine. Thailand depicts a feminine society that respects women and allows them to work for a living (The Hofstede Centre 1). Cultural shock is very popular among international students who experience the American culture for the first time. The cultural shock relates to the immediate need for knowledge of American culture and English proficiency. However, I started to understand the new cultures since I wanted to belong to the environment. I established the good and bad things about the American and Thailand culture that

Crisis Management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Crisis Management - Research Paper Example The study discusses the crisis that had engulfed Apple Inc. owing to the departure of Steve Jobs. The study conferred on the response initiatives and strategies employed by Apple Inc while managing the organizational crisis. The study also discusses the public relation and crisis communication strategy adopted by the management of Apple while responding to the crisis. The study focuses on the development of the crisis management policies of Apple Inc. The study conclusively provided recommendations to improve the crisis management and crisis communication strategies of Apple Inc. Table of Contents 1 3 Overview 4 Crisis Management 4 Identification of Potential Crisis and the Crisis Management Plan 5 Cases of Organizational Crisis Management 6 Company Background 7 Crisis Management in Apple 8 Identification and Response of Crisis 8 Public Relation & Crisis Management Plan 9 Recommendations and Conclusion 10 Works Cited 11 Overview The management of a crisis in an organization entails d eterrence, planning, examination, assessment and maintenance to lessen the negative outcomes of the crisis. The procedure employed by an organization determines the consequences for those impacted by the crisis, counting customers and society, in addition to the employees and the organization as a whole (American Institute of Chemical Engineers, â€Å"Corporate Crisis Management†).   ... rporate Crisis Management†).   The study comprises of a comprehensive assessment of organizational crisis management, identification of potential crisis in an organization and the significance of the development of crisis management plans in order to tackle further crisis. This study focuses on the development of the crisis management policies of Apple Inc. The study accentuates on the crisis that had engulfed Apple Inc. due to the departure of Steve Jobs. The study discusses how fast Apple reacted to their latest crisis and how did the company intervene to lessen the damage. The study also discusses the public relation strategy implemented by Apple while responding to the crisis. The study finally offers recommendations for the crisis management and crisis communication policies of Apple Inc. Crisis Management Researchers have described an organizational crisis as a significant unexpected incidence (King, â€Å"Crisis Management & Team Effectiveness: A Closer Examinationâ⠂¬ ) with a possible negative result (Schrivastava, â€Å"Crisis Theory/Practice: Towards a Sustainable Future†) that challenges the endurance of the business organization (Fearn-Banks, K., â€Å"Crisis Communication: A Casebook Approach†; Fink, S., â€Å"Crisis Management: Planning for the Inevitable†) by effecting the domestic or external configuration (Pearson & Clair, â€Å"Crisis Theory/Practice: Towards a Sustainable Future†, Loosemore & Teo, â€Å"Crisis Preparedness of Construction Companies†), or by impacting the legality of the business. Several authors have attenuated that a crisis is not a daily occurrence, but an unforeseen and unanticipated, low possibility incidence that requires or necessitates quick and effective decisions (Platz & Madsen, â€Å"Crisis Management in IT Projects†; Pearson &

Too Much Too Soon Essay Example for Free

Too Much Too Soon Essay The scenario is about Sara Patel; she has finished college and is working in a company called Maddison for three years. The first two years she had worked in sales department but now she is working as a sales trainer in the sales and development department. For a while everything was going smooth, all the people in the department liked her and there was an air of openness, until the department started expanding. The first problem that arose was allocation of funds to the different units in her department, employees were complaining about Sarah allocating more resources in her department. Secondly there were problems allocating funds to the local area head of different departments for the purposes to travel across Canada about training needs with managers and supervisors. As the department grew things started to lag behind and foul-ups started to occur; mixed up schedule, late reports and faulty budgets. The staff started complaining about lack of basic resources like pen and pencils to laptops and phones. It was also talked that she was an unqualified trainer as she was fresh out of college and hadn’t work anywhere else. She didn’t open up to new ideas and any suggestions from her staff instead she developed a conflicting relationship with them. Behavioral symptoms The environment at Maddison was one of warmth and openness when Sara started. As the time went by the air was of stress as the staff started battling over the budgets and resources; they were all being centered on Sara’s department. Also her behavior towards the staff changed, she became more direct with them and started telling them what to do, making them feel like kids. Sara’s unnecessary travelling was an example of misuse of departmental funds. The defensive attitude at the lunch meeting with the staff was a physical symptom of the problem. Operational symptoms The inefficiency in distributing the funds to the various departmental heads was the key operational mess-up. The late reports, messed up schedules and errors in the department’s budget every time, occurred as a result of the increased size of the department. Employees also complained about scarcity of basic stuff including pens, laptops and blackberries. She was wasting financial resources of the department on her useless travelling and unnecessary courses. She had five resignations at her desk at the same time from her functional heads that she gave excellent rating without even meeting, and now she has to explain it to the VP of Operations. Main issue A manager is someone who works with and through other people by coordinating their work activities to accomplish organizational goals. The manager should work effectively and efficiently, getting out the highest output with minimal input. Whereas in case of Maddison, Inc. the staff working under Sara complained of shortage of basic stuff like pen, laptops and blackberries. Manger should also have management skills like human, technical and conceptual. Technical skills refer to knowledge of the field in which he/she is working. Sara had no technical skills; she was an unqualified trainer as she was there fresh after university and had not work experience in her field. Human skills are the ability to work well with other people both individually and in a group. It refers to communicate, motivate, lead and inspire the staff. Sara had no human skills as her staff wanted her to step down at the lunch meeting. Conceptual skills involve the mental ability of a person to analyze and generate ideas in complex situation. These skills help managers to see the organization as a whole and understand the relationships among various departments, but Sara on the other hand didn’t look at the company as a unit but instead favored her department and helped it via different means. Planning and organizing are essential characteristics of a manager but Sara was unable to exhibit neither of those. She could neither plan nor organize her department due to which there were issues like messed up schedules and late reports. She couldn’t even organize the budgets because of which there were many arguments.

The Passion Of Saints Perpetua And Felicity Essay -- essays research p

The Passion of Saints Perpetua and Felicity The document, â€Å"The Passion of Saints Perpetua and Felicity,† shows just how mighty and fearless the faith of the martyrs were in Rome around 203 A.D. in which our story takes place. During the rule of Diocletian, Christianity was not the religion of popular belief. Many of Romans practiced polytheism. As a result, numerous Christian believers were persecuted for their divine faith in God. Surprisingly, the Christian martyrs did not care that they were sentenced to death. They believed that by dying for what they believe, it would only bring them closer to God and the Gates of Heaven. The document states, â€Å"For this cause have we devoted our lives, that we might do no such thing as this; this we agreed with you† (para. 18). To the martyrs, nothing was more important than fulfilling God’s duties.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The martyrs in the document take on the role of mediator between God and man, spreading the Word of God to the masses of people and the relaying to them his holy message, in a sense taking on the role of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Perpetua, one of the martyrs when confronted about her faith by her father retorts, â€Å"I am Christian† (para.6). Another martyr, Felicity, confidently defends her faith and proclaims it openly by stating, â€Å"Stand fast in the faith, and love you all one another; and be not offended because of our passion† (para.20). This statement portrays to the reader the ...

Interviews Guidelines :: Interviewing

Interviews Guidelines Hi friendz today I am gonna tell you some of the questions the interviewers’ will ask you generally. Please note that these questions are for general purpose only and meant for mainly those interviews which judge the overall personality of man/woman. 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  OK Mr./Ms. XYZ tell me something about yourself? Hint: the interviewer is going through u’r c.v. and wants some time. He may not be looking at u’r face. Just speak on continuously and don hesitate. The most important things which should be included are: Salutation; Your name; schooling; college; work experience; why u wanna join and how u’r qualification and experience would relate to the post vacant. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What are your hobbies? Hint: Don’t write those hobbies in which u don’t know in detail. Suppose u tell u’r hobby as cricket but u may not show him any award won in that! 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Why Do you want to join this organization? How can u help us? 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What is u’r ambition in life? Hint: this is a remarkable question; If u r going for a marketing kind of job and tell that u r not after money but recognition first; u may not be selected; as marketing can be done only by those who r after money only as their priority as their main source of income is their commissions. 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What is u’r expected salary? Hint: Don’t under – estimate u’r self. U would be surprised to know that some applications are rejected only because they are ready to work for a very lesser amount ! They argue that we don take the cheap variety. Get Branded; see what is the salary generally accepted in u’r field and demand in proportion to that. 6.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Well Mr./Ms. XYZ Tell me where do u see u’r self after 2 years from now? Hint: Be Specific, Don tell u r going 2 be the BILL GATES. In 2 years. They’ll tell u that they cant’ hire a bill gates and cant’ promote u at that level within 2 years. 7.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  You told that u wanna be†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. ,; what are u doing to achieve that? 8.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What are u’r strengths? 9.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What are u’r weaknesses? Hint: Be sure u r not caught; You can tell that I am emotional; etc. 10.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When did u see u’r strength as u described above helped u overcome a situation? And the weakness u had suffer from? 11.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tell me which are u’r favourite subjects? Hint: Hey don study only one subject. Sometimes it has happened that they ask another question; And the second favorite?