11 October 2010

Columbus Day

I am surprised to realize how many Columbus pieces I've seen in recent years.


The Smithsonian's Museum of the American Indian includes a display on Columbus.  It talks about his second visit, with 17 ships, which included a stop at St Croix.  You can see the Columbus Landing Site at Salt River Bay in this picture.  While it is his only known landing site in what is now US territory, he is not believed to have gotten off his ship.  Still, imagine those ships sitting out there and the natives having no idea, yet, about guns smallpox or NYC Ivy League schools.



In Barcelona, one of the big landmarks is the Columbus statue on a very high pedestal.But they also have a plaza where he supposedly met Ferdinand and Isabella and the Cathedral where he had 4 Carib tribe members baptized. 








A complicated bit of history.

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