Preview

Essay on Christopher Colombus

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
429 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Essay on Christopher Colombus
We are interested in how Columbus relates to the Amerindians in the contact zone that Mary Louise Pratt describes in her article on transculturation. Pratt claims that boundary negotiations occur in contact zones that result in one people gaining power over another people. We are testing her theory by doing a close reading of Columbus’ journals I and III to see how he negotiates with the Amerindians. We are then doing a close reading of the Zuni Emergence narrative “Talk Concerning the First Beginning.” While the Zuni are located in the region of New Mexico and are not the Indians that Columbus encountered, we are using their text as an exercise in imagining how two different cultures might communicate.
I have structured the way you will think about this encounter. I would like you to think about how different approaches to religion, language, and trade influences interactions. You can come up with your own approach.
Develop a thesis about how these interactions form a relationship between the peoples in the contact zone between the Amerindians and Columbus. Since this is a close reading of text you will need a thesis that is derived from your understanding of the details of the text. You will state your thesis in the first sentence of the main idea paragraph. Do not write an “introduction.” Instead, write a main idea paragraph in which you state your thesis, explain your thesis and give the summary of the three ways you will prove your thesis. Do not use generalizations, absolute statements, quotes, and references to secondary resources, feelings or opinions. This is a close reading of text and your thesis statements will be logical conclusions based on evidence from the text.
In the body of the paper you will analyze the thesis using topic sentences that are derived logically from the thesis. You will begin each part of your argument with a topic sentence. You will end each paragraph with a transition to the next concern.
After each



Cited: page with the paper for the four texts and any secondary sources used. The main idea paragraph and the topic sentences will count 75% of your grade for the first paper so think carefully about these sentences. Formatting will follow MLA style for college papers. See your handbook for requirements. Include a main idea outline with your draft.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    The Columbian Exchange

    • 2131 Words
    • 9 Pages

    During the late 14th century, Europeans had occupied themselves in a severe and demanding exploration of the unknown world that surrounded them. They were very curious as to what they could find. One of the biggest findings European sailors eventually discovered was a connection of the Old World (Europe) and the New World (the Americas). This was called “The Columbian Exchange.”…

    • 2131 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Hello, and welcome to “Learn More, Teach More.” It has been more than five centuries since Christopher Columbus reached the Americas. We know a great deal about Columbus, of course, and about the Europeans and Africans who crossed the Atlantic after him. We know much less about the “Indians,” as Columbus mistakenly called them—the people already living in America. But we are learning more all the time, so I want to talk about early contacts between Native Americans and newcomers.…

    • 2188 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Kim Campbell

    • 1274 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Identify your topic (thesis) and indicate how you intend to handle it. Be sure to include a mapping statement outlining the sub-topics or arguments you plan to discuss.…

    • 1274 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    long

    • 880 Words
    • 5 Pages

    develop a multi-paragraph response to the assigned topic that clearly communicates your thesis to the audience.…

    • 880 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    5. Should the European encounter with the Indian peoples of the Americas be understood primarily as a story of conquest and exploitation, or as one of mutual cultural encounter that brought beneficial as well as tragic results for both?…

    • 771 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Dbq, Civil Rights Essay

    • 2485 Words
    • 10 Pages

    | | |A clear thesis statement responds to the prompt and is located in the introductory paragraph. |…

    • 2485 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    In order to help the reader understand the paper, the thesis of the paper should be stated in the introduction. Indeed, it is often presented in the first sentence. There is no need to dazzle the reader with your ability to construct flowery sentences, or impress upon them the depth of your historical knowledge. It is far more important to be clear and concise.…

    • 1553 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    For the Final Paper, you will identify a specific claim relative to one of the topics listed below and defend it with as strong an argument as possible. These topics are presented below as questions. The best way to develop a thesis statement is to offer an answer to the question, and then state in a clear and specific sentence the basis for your answer.…

    • 472 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    There different perspectives of land use, religion, and gender complicate these encounters and relationships. Both the Native Americans and the Europeans exchanged things with each other’s for mutual benefit, especially privileges granted by one country or organization to…

    • 816 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    In a paragraph or two at the beginning of the paper, state your thesis and identify the events and developments you will discuss in your final paper and explain why you believe they are significant. Your thesis should be a one or two sentence summary of the main conclusions that you drew while researching your topic and that you will support in your paper by constructing a logical argument based on evidence (sources).…

    • 1335 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Historical Context: In the late 1400s, European explorers found the North American continent. Native American peoples who were already living in North America had created a system of government and society that rivaled Europe 's. The cultural and biological exchange between the "New World" and the "Old World" (North America and Europe, respectively) is often called the Columbian Exchange in reference to Christopher Columbus.…

    • 2828 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    During the 15th century these two Spanish explorers set out to explore the “New World.” Cortes and Columbus were also among the first to encounter the natives of this New World, commonly referred to as Native Americans, or Indians. For the next hundreds of years the Natives would be oppressed by more advanced civilizations such as the Spanish, French and British. They would be forced to endure as their land was seized from them and their families murdered. Eighteenth Century Indians such as Pontiac would push for war while natives such a Logan would mostly become an advocate for peace. Although Cortes and Columbus arrived hundreds of years before Pontiac and Logan, it is interesting to think about how these culturally different people would interact with each other. While Pontiac and Cortes would most likely find common ground in their belief of uniting the Indians, they would disagree on the subject of Religion, as would Logan and Columbus over…

    • 1411 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Your first paragraph should introduce your thesis statement. There are samples listed above. You can choose one of the two provided for you in the sample or make your own.…

    • 485 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    ● Write a topic sentence which reminds your reader of your central thesis (or claim).…

    • 1800 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    First proof of thesis(This would be your topic sentence for body paragraph One, thus what you are going to prove in your first body paragraph)…

    • 989 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays