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Christopher Day Resources Homeschoolers Biblical Classical Columbus

Christopher Columbus Day Resources

Heather

As Christians we acknowledge that the only perfect individual to have walked this earth is Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. We also acknowledge that God uses individuals for His purposes despite man’s sinful nature. With those things in mind, the following are some resources you may like to consider for Christopher Columbus Day resources.

Teach Age Appropriate Material

It’s up to individual parents to determine what is age appropriate to teach their children. Some of the information is not for young children for sure!

The overarching Leading Idea for all ages: God uses imperfect people for His purposes.

The overarching Biblical Principle for all ages: God’s Providence overrules the individual’s sin for His glory. Job 42:2, “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” (ESV)

The Biblical Classical Approach to Christopher Columbus History

As acknowledged, the premise of studying history is that God uses imperfect people in His story. There’s no denying that Christopher Columbus was imperfect (like the rest of humanity). But, the following are things that we look at when studying history as principled approach thinkers:

  • How does God use the individual to forward His Gospel and Principle of Liberty?
  • What was Christopher Columbus’s motive for finding the America’s? (In his own words it was to propagate the Gospel!)
  • What is the response by the individual to Holy God?
  • How does God provide and care for the individual(s) He is using?
  • What is the result of the individual’s obedience or disobedience to God (Biblical living)?
  • How does the individual honor or dishonor God’s principles?
  • Who or what is in control?
  • Why is it important that Christopher Columbus made the discoveries that he made?
  • Use a T-Chart to record the Internal Qualities and External Qualities of Columbus’s character.
  • Columbus had at least one accuser. Just because there is an accuser, does it mean that accusations are true? Or is the accuser bearing false witness? What can you reason from the facts that you read as you study primary sources?
  • Whether or not Columbus was guilty of the accusations made against him, how did God use him despite the possible sins he committed?
  • Were Christopher Columbus’s sailors Christian? What kind of a background did they have? How would does information help you understand the cause to effect of their personal choices when Columbus was away?
  • Read from primary sources about Christopher Columbus.

Primary Resources for Christopher Columbus:

Accusations Against Christopher Columbus

Columbus’s accusers will often quote Michele de Cuneo and claim that Christopher Columbus is behind Cuneo’s actions. But is that truly the case?

Michele de Cuneo

Michele de Cuneo was a crew member on Columbus’s second voyage. He writes about his own sinful nature and actions toward a native woman. In his account, he claims that Columbus gave the woman to him with the intent to do as he physically pleased with her.

Read the quote and reason carefully:

“While I was in the boat, I captured a very beautiful woman, whom the Lord Admiral [Columbus] gave to me. When I had taken her to my cabin she was naked — as was their custom. I was filled with a desire to take my pleasure with her and attempted to satisfy my desire. She was unwilling, and so treated me with her nails that I wished I had never begun. I then took a piece of rope and whipped her soundly, and she let forth such incredible screams that you would not have believed your ears. Eventually we came to such terms, I assure you, that you would have thought she had been brought up in a school for whores.”

-Michele de Cuneo, who participated in Columbus’s second expedition to the Americas

Questions to Consider and Ponder:

  • For what purpose did Columbus place the woman in Michele de Cuneo’s charge?
  • Who “captured” the woman?
  • Where did Michele de Cuneo take the woman? Were orders given to him to take her there? Or, did Michele Cuneo take her there on his own accord?
  • What did Michele de Cuneo’s heart and mind choose to do to her?
  • Is Columbus to be blamed for Michele de Cuneo’s sinful actions (lust and acting out lustful desires)?
  • Was it a practice of Columbus to kidnap women for his sailors to rape them?
  • Christopher Columbus learned that the pagan Carabs practiced cannibalism. Why did Columbus send the victims he discovered at the “farm” to Spain? Was it for evidence to the King of Spain that the horrific practice of cannibalism was taking place? Would it have been principled for Columbus to leave those victims there? What would have been the fate of the victims if Columbus left them there?

There are many other accusations against Columbus. However, when reading about them keep in mind a few things:

  • Oftentimes Columbus is being blamed for the actions of individuals who were either sailors on his ship or those who moved away from Spain to colonize the other lands.
  • The sailors and those who moved to the other lands were not all converts to Christ.
  • Oftentimes articles written against Christopher Columbus cite books written about him rather than citing primary sources directly.
  • We are all to take care not to bear false witness against anyone for any reason at any time (past or present lives).
  • The actions of sinful men do not warrant getting rid of Columbus Day.

Other Christopher Columbus Day Resources

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