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Christopher Columbus Quotes

Total quotes: 15
“At three o’clock I sent the ship’s boat on shore for water, and the natives with good will showed my people where the water was, and they themselves brought the full casks down to the boat and did all they could to please us.”
— Christopher Columbus
Tagged: Colonialism, Indigenous
“They should be good servants and intelligent, for I observed that they quickly took in what was said to them, and I believe that they would easily be made Christians, as it appeared to me that they had no religion.”
— Christopher Columbus
Tagged: Servants, racism, Christianity, Evangelical, Missionaries, Religion
“The people are very docile, and for the longing to possess our things, and not having anything to give in return, they take what they can get, and presently swim away.”
— Christopher Columbus
Tagged: Colonialism, Indigenous, Docile
“It is true that they looked upon any little thing that I gave them as a wonder, and they held our arrival to be a great marvel, believing that we came from heaven.”
— Christopher Columbus
Tagged: Colonialism, Indigenous, Superstition
“The crew of the caravel Niña also saw signs of land, and a small branch covered with berries. Every one breathed afresh and rejoiced at these signs.”
— Christopher Columbus
Tagged: Nina, Land, Land Ho
“The songs of the birds and the chirping of crickets throughout the night lulled everyone to rest, while the air was soft and healthy, and the nights neither hot nor cold.”
— Christopher Columbus
Tagged: Birds, Crickets, Rest, Sleep, Comforting
“They do not know any religion, and I believe they could easily be converted to Christianity, for they are very intelligent.”
— Christopher Columbus
Tagged: Religion, Christianity, Conversion, Colonialism, Imperialism, Missionaries
“They are all very level, without mountains, exceedingly fertile and populous, the inhabitants living at war with one another, although a simple race, and with delicate bodies.”
— Christopher Columbus
Tagged: Colonialism, Tribal, Mountains
“He also understood that, far away, there were men with one eye, and others with dogs’ noses who were cannibals, and that when they captured an enemy they beheaded him and drank his blood…”
— Christopher Columbus
Tagged: Cannibals, Vampires, Cyclops
“Here the fish are so dissimilar to ours that it is wonderful. Some are shaped like dories, of the finest hues in the world, blue, yellow, red, and every other color, some variegated with a thousand different tints, so beautiful that no one on beholding them could fail to express the highest wonder and admiration.”
— Christopher Columbus
Tagged: fish, Colonialism
“These people are very simple as regards the use of arms, as your Highnesses will see from the seven that I caused to be taken, to bring home and learn our language and return; unless your Highnesses should order them all to be brought to Castile, or to be kept as captives on the same island; for with fifty men they can all be subjugated and made to do what is required of them…”
— Christopher Columbus
Tagged: Colonialism, Natives, Weaponry, Subjugation, racism
“I shall penetrate so far as to reach the village and see or speak with the king, who, as they tell us, governs all these islands, and goes dressed, with a great deal of gold about him. I do not, however, give much credit to these accounts, as I understand the natives but imperfectly, and perceive them to be so poor that a trifling quantity of gold appears to them a great amount.”
— Christopher Columbus
Tagged: Colonialism, kings, Natives, gold, Poverty
“We understood that they asked us if we had come from heaven. One old man came into the boat, and others cried out, in loud voices, to all the men and women, to come and see the men who had come from heaven, and to bring them to eat and drink. Many came, including women, each bringing something, giving thanks to God, throwing themselves on the ground and shouting to us to come on shore.”
— Christopher Columbus
Tagged: Superstition, Colonialism, Heaven, Indigenous
“This island even exceeds the others in beauty and fertility. Groves of lofty and flourishing trees are abundant, as also large lakes, surrounded and overhung by the foliage, in a most enchanting manner. Everything looked as green as in April in Andalusia. The melody of the birds was so exquisite that one was never willing to part from the spot, and the flocks of parrots obscured the heavens. The diversity in the appearance of the feathered tribe from those of our country is extremely curious. A thousand different sorts of trees, with their fruit were to be met with, and of a wonderfully delicious odor.”
— Christopher Columbus
Tagged: Islands, Colonialism, Tropical, April, Andalusia
“They go as naked as when their mothers bore them, and so do the women, although I did not see more than one young girl. All I saw were youths, none more than thirty years of age. They are very well made, with very handsome bodies, and very good countenances. Their hair is short and coarse, almost like the hairs of a horse’s tail. They wear the hairs brought down to the eyebrows, except a few locks behind, which they wear long and never cut. They paint themselves black, and they are the color of the Canarians, neither black nor white. Some paint themselves white, others red, and others of what color they find. Some paint their faces, others the whole body, some only round the eyes, others only on the nose. They neither carry nor know anything of arms, for I showed them swords, and they took them by the blade and cut themselves through ignorance.”
— Christopher Columbus
Tagged: Natives, Indigenous, weapons, Ignorance, Colonialism
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