'Whenever you introduce a new view of historical events, the
guardians of the old order will spring to the attack.'
-Howard Zinn-
'Whoever controls the past controls the
future.'
- George Orwell-
Introduction
For about six centuries, almost everyone in the world has
always considered that the discoverer of the America continent was Christopher
Columbus. However, the radical historian Howard Zinn America presents a
different point in the writing of the history of Columbus. Howard Zinn brave to
reveal the dark side of the history of the new continent (America) in his book "A
People's History of the United States". Howard Zinn has a way of
presenting the facts to the readers in a way that is sometimes make shocking.
Summary
The first chapter in A
People's History of the United States deals with Columbus' arrival to
the West Indies. The native inhabitants, the Arawak Indians, swam out to greet
the European boats the first time they landed (see Morning Girl, by Michael Dorris). Zinn cites Columbus' journal entries
many times, including his reaction to the initial encounter with the Arawaks:
'They would make fine servants....With 50 men we could subjugate them all and
make them do whatever we want (Zinn, 1). ' This attitude led to enslavement, hijacking,
murder and rape. The Spaniards main goal was to prove to the royalty back home
that the islands were rich and loaded with resources, mainly gold. Columbus
took some natives back to show the queen (they died en route), and when he came
back with many more men and many more ships, they began a regimented system of
slavery and punishment on the natives of the West Indies. All reports speak of
the friendliness of the Arawaks, of their genuine kindness and hospitality, and
of their generosity. On his second voyage back home, Columbus took 500 slaves
to Spain, saying in a letter, 'Let us in the name of the Holy Trinity go on
sending all the slaves that can be sold (Zinn, 4)'; two-hundred died en route. “In
two years, through genocide, murder, mutilation, or suicide, half of the
250,000 Indians on Haiti were dead . . . 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” (Zinn p. 5).
Zinn
main purpose is to influence a new generation of young students to be
revolutionary United States will encourage them to work toward "a
comprehensive transformation of national priorities and changes in the
system." Zinn hope that one day "our children and grandchildren, or
great grandchildren, may be look different and remarkable world. "
According to Zinn, Columbus
and the new world explorers do that only one main reason: financial gain.
"Behind the English invasion of North America, behind their genocide of
the Indians, their deception, their brutality, was that special powerful drive
born of civilization based on personal gain." Zinn asserts.
According
to the history, Christoffa Corombo or Christopher
Columbus was one
of the explorer who came from Italy exactly
in Genoa. He was
born in 1451 on
the 30th of October. Based on historical
records that many people recognized, he
arrived in the
America on October 12, 1492.
At first he thought
the uninhabited place,
however then his
encountered natives that we know as the
Indians. At first, they were
greeted Columbus with
pleasure. But after Columbus's intention to make their territory
as one of the Spanish colonies, Columbus then
got a lot of resistance from the Indians. Even according
to some historical accounts,
there are a lot of
ships that were
sunk by the Columbus group Indian tribes. They
do feel threatened by the presence of Columbus and his entourage.
Columbus was not the first European to arrive in that region
because it has become a valid point in the history of science that traces the
Vikings from Northern Europe have set foot on the America continent in the 11th
century. In fact they had established a colony there. However, somehow the
process, Christopher Columbus still listed as the discoverer of the America
continent.
The
debate over who
the real discoverer
of the America
has
become
a fairly
lengthy
polemic.
Researchers
have shown
a lot of
historical
evidence to
confirm
the theory
that
Columbus
was not
the discoverer of
the first
America continent.
Therefore,
there is
a lot of
physical
evidence
such as
inscriptions
prove
that
long before
Columbus
arrived
in
the America,
there has been
a
figure named
Cheng
Ho
or
Zheng He
who
arrived
70
years
before
Columbus.
Even
some of
historians
also
argue
that
for centuries
before
Zheng He,
the merchants
at the same
Muslim
sailors
had
set foot
on the America continent
and
make
settlements
there.
Special,
they
married
local
residents
and
has
become an integral part
of the
native
tribes
in
the Americas.
This opinion is
blatantly
written
a researcher named
Dr..
Yousseef
Mroueh
in
his essay
are quite
popular,
entitled "Precolumbian Muslims
in America".
This paper
presents many
physical
facts
and
historical
manuscripts,
therefore
there is still no
objection
to it.
"There is no doubt,
historically
Muslims
have
an influence
in the evolution of
American society
a few
centuries
before
Christopher
Columbus
found it,"
said Fareed
H
Numan
in the American
Muslim
History
A
Chronological
Observation.
Muslim
recorded
history
of
Africa
has been
in a relationship
with the
natives
of the America continent
long before
Columbus
arrived.
When we visited Washington DC and went to the Library of
Congress. There are U.S. government archives agreement with the Cherokee tribe,
one of the Indians, in 1787 and there is also a signature will be found when
the Cherokee Chiefs, named Abde Khak and Muhammad Ibn Abdullah. The contents of
the agreement include the right of the Cherokee to establish a presence in
trade, shipping, and form of government of the Cherokee tribe, who was based on
Islamic law.
Furthermore,
Historian Frederick S. Starr noted
one Muslim name as the discoverer of the America continent. He writes that Abu
Raihan al-Biruni was a Muslim discoverer of the America continent in the early
eleventh century. Al-Biruni discovered America 500 years before Columbus.
During this time, in the wake of growing pessimism about the so-called official
story that has been for centuries, trying to convince the world that the
Spanish explorer Christopher Columbus was the first to discovered the America
continent. But the history of the hoax was revealed, it mostly straightened out
by historians of the West itself.
Critique
First, In his book Howard
Zinn reveals the history of the America that were discoverer not Christopher
Columbus. However, the weakness of Howard Zinn is not explain who the real
discoverer of the America continent. Why Zinn has never revealed the real
discoverer of America? Though many historians who argue that Muslims already in
America long before Columbus came. In my view Zinn never reveal it because he
was Jewish, while Jews were not like Muslims so Howard Zinn never reveal the
truth about the real discoverer America continent.
Second, Zinn just explain
the bad side of Christopher Columbus. Whereas,
although
Columbus often
make mistakes,
at least
there was
the discovery
that
he left behind.
He discovered under the direction of the wind that blew into the area east Caribia. While the winds above to the west that could bring the ship to Europe. Proof of the truth that the earth is round, and the application of science and maritime navigation that is useful to the world voyage until now.
He discovered under the direction of the wind that blew into the area east Caribia. While the winds above to the west that could bring the ship to Europe. Proof of the truth that the earth is round, and the application of science and maritime navigation that is useful to the world voyage until now.
Third, Zinn does not include a strong
reference in his book. There are so many hard facts that he should give a note
where he got it, but the info is absent. Zinn's just say at the end of his book
that he told all based on the experience of teaching and of the books which he
lists at the end of the page.
Conclusion
In
conclusion,
history is
powerful thing because
the history written
by people
who are good
literacy,
and
they are the
people who
can
distort
the facts.
Howard
Zinn
is one of them
because
he
has succeed
break the
perception
of people
who
believe
that
Columbus
is the
discoverer of
the America Continent.
Therefore
we
have to
refuse
the assumptions that
already exists and
we
should be able to
crush
the wall
behind
and
seek
something
hidden.
References
http://www.wmich.edu/dialogues/texts/apeopleshistory.html di unduh pada 13 Maret 2014
https://www.facebook.com/notes/%DB%9E-muallaf-%DB%9E/menelusuri-the-real-historypenjelajah-muslim-lebih-dulu-injak-amerika-daripada-c/233131680048715?comment_id=3805914&offset=0&total_comments=22
di unduh pada 13 Maret 2014
http://penemu-ilmuwan.blogspot.com/2013/04/penemu-benua-amerika-colombus-dan.html di unduh pada 13 Maret 2014
http://www.jelajahunik.us/2011/11/ternyata-penemu-benua-amerika-bukan.html di unduh pada 13 Maret 2014
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