Chapter 1 begins his narrative with Columbus and the Arawak. Chapter 1 then moves on to the story of Cortes and the Aztecs of central Mexico. Chapter 1 tries to draw parallels between Columbus and Cortes. Chapter 1 draws strong parallels between the Spanish conquest of Mexico and the Pilgrims in Massachusetts. After discussing Columbus, Chapter 1 turns to the creation of the myth of the noble explorer. Chapter 1 quotes specifically from Samuel Eliot Morison’s 1954 biography of Columbus. Chapter 1 suggests that while Morison does not lie about Columbus or even conceal the effects of his administration in Hispaniola, the chapter nevertheless excuses Columbus’s brutalization of the Arawaks in favor of advancing a narrative about Columbus’s greatness. Chapter I calls this the “historian’s distortion,” the process by which historians pick and choose facts to highlight or pass over facts of history in crafting their supposedly objective narratives.
The purpose of this webpage is to provide the instructions and course material to successfully complete the required tasks. If you have any questions please check out the instructional videos or contact the instructor.
The purpose of this webpage is to provide the instructions and course material to successfully complete the required tasks. If you have any questions please check out the instructional videos or contact the instructor.
