Well to start off this blog, I will be honest- I really don’t know how to start it off. On this entry today I will be focusing on some early explorers that made a difference in the American history and literature. If you still couldn’t guess who I am talking about, their names are: Christopher Columbus, John Smith, and Cabeza de vaca. “The American culture has had two dominant and opposite myths of early explorers: The noble, courageous bringer of light and civilization to the barbarous world; and the despoiler, who is greedy, unimaginative, and depraved.”
Christopher Columbus was noble and courageous, in my opinion. He had done series of four voyages between 1492 and 1504. His first three voyages tarnished his reputation but his last voyage helped him to recoup his reputation after suffering in Panama and ship wrecked in Jamaica. When crossing several island, Columbus found innumerable people living on those islands. First island, he named San Salvador, second he named it Isla de Santa Maria de Concepcion, third he named it Fernandina, to the fourth he named it Isabella, and finally to the fifth he named it Isla Juana. He had sent other men that accompanied him to some islands further down to find out more but as they came with no important details, he carried on with his voyage. But at the end of his fourth voyage, Columbus was not very pleased. He wrote in his letter to Ferdinand that he had lost all his hope, and that the earth should weep for him.
Columbus was brave enough to go on this voyage and find out the places that he discovered. It took him several years to complete his voyage and only courageous men such like him, can complete his voyage after starting it. Although he didn’t really gain success at the end of his voyage he was still known to be noble and indefinable as he “did not sail upon this voyage to gain honor or wealth; this is certain, for already all hope of that was dead.”
The three documents by John Smith summarizes that John Smith was an adventurer, colonist, and promoter. He established colonies and attempted to attract settlers with his writings. His purpose was to bring people to the new world. He also wrote a pamphlet in which he tried to persuade people to join him in the new land. His audience was intended for people from England, and some settlers.
What shaped my understanding of Columbus and Smith was their characteristics. Both were noble and courageous. Both had good intentions to find a place and bring back goods, but John Smith was kind of boastful and proud. One was an explorer while the other was an adventurer. As mentioned earlier, Columbus found many islands which he named and wrote back letter to Isabella and King Ferdinand about his voyages. Some he wasn’t so happy about and some he was. Smith on the other hand, describes the pleasure of how risking one’s life for getting your piece of land brings to men. He also implies that building one’s own house, planting your own crops- would be easy to have if there was no prejudice. Columbus was the courageous bringer of light and civilization while John Smith was the despoiler.
Cabeza de vaca was an early Spanish explorer of the new world. He was the “son of the village alderman, grandson of the conquerer, and descendant on his mother’s side from a hero of the wars against the Moors who was given the family name Cabeza de vaca (cow’s head) when he used a cow’s skull to mark a strategic route through an ungarded mountain pass.” Cabeza de vaca was like Columbus. He was a brave and a courageous explorer. He described the different religions of different people. He conveys if a son of a villager dies, the whole village mourns for a year, and they can only eat what other give them. Due to this, many families were poor and to face off the living conditions. What shaped my image of him most clearly is the fact of how he carried out his own expedition and helped others to get through some. His narratives explain his exploring experiences and allow the audience to go into the deep past and feel what it was like to be there.
Overall, the early explorers had their own advantages and disadvantages. If one was noble and courageous, the other was a despoiler, while the third was in between or even like, in my opinion, like Columbus. All did exploration on their own with the help of others. Some succeeded while others had to face the consequences. In all, these early explorers show us the different ways of thinking style and provide us with examples of their personal accounts so we can understand their expedition better. This was my account of these three famous early explorers. What is your view on it?
Christopher Columbus was noble and courageous, in my opinion. He had done series of four voyages between 1492 and 1504. His first three voyages tarnished his reputation but his last voyage helped him to recoup his reputation after suffering in Panama and ship wrecked in Jamaica. When crossing several island, Columbus found innumerable people living on those islands. First island, he named San Salvador, second he named it Isla de Santa Maria de Concepcion, third he named it Fernandina, to the fourth he named it Isabella, and finally to the fifth he named it Isla Juana. He had sent other men that accompanied him to some islands further down to find out more but as they came with no important details, he carried on with his voyage. But at the end of his fourth voyage, Columbus was not very pleased. He wrote in his letter to Ferdinand that he had lost all his hope, and that the earth should weep for him.
Columbus was brave enough to go on this voyage and find out the places that he discovered. It took him several years to complete his voyage and only courageous men such like him, can complete his voyage after starting it. Although he didn’t really gain success at the end of his voyage he was still known to be noble and indefinable as he “did not sail upon this voyage to gain honor or wealth; this is certain, for already all hope of that was dead.”
The three documents by John Smith summarizes that John Smith was an adventurer, colonist, and promoter. He established colonies and attempted to attract settlers with his writings. His purpose was to bring people to the new world. He also wrote a pamphlet in which he tried to persuade people to join him in the new land. His audience was intended for people from England, and some settlers.
What shaped my understanding of Columbus and Smith was their characteristics. Both were noble and courageous. Both had good intentions to find a place and bring back goods, but John Smith was kind of boastful and proud. One was an explorer while the other was an adventurer. As mentioned earlier, Columbus found many islands which he named and wrote back letter to Isabella and King Ferdinand about his voyages. Some he wasn’t so happy about and some he was. Smith on the other hand, describes the pleasure of how risking one’s life for getting your piece of land brings to men. He also implies that building one’s own house, planting your own crops- would be easy to have if there was no prejudice. Columbus was the courageous bringer of light and civilization while John Smith was the despoiler.
Cabeza de vaca was an early Spanish explorer of the new world. He was the “son of the village alderman, grandson of the conquerer, and descendant on his mother’s side from a hero of the wars against the Moors who was given the family name Cabeza de vaca (cow’s head) when he used a cow’s skull to mark a strategic route through an ungarded mountain pass.” Cabeza de vaca was like Columbus. He was a brave and a courageous explorer. He described the different religions of different people. He conveys if a son of a villager dies, the whole village mourns for a year, and they can only eat what other give them. Due to this, many families were poor and to face off the living conditions. What shaped my image of him most clearly is the fact of how he carried out his own expedition and helped others to get through some. His narratives explain his exploring experiences and allow the audience to go into the deep past and feel what it was like to be there.
Overall, the early explorers had their own advantages and disadvantages. If one was noble and courageous, the other was a despoiler, while the third was in between or even like, in my opinion, like Columbus. All did exploration on their own with the help of others. Some succeeded while others had to face the consequences. In all, these early explorers show us the different ways of thinking style and provide us with examples of their personal accounts so we can understand their expedition better. This was my account of these three famous early explorers. What is your view on it?
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