Warning: Undefined variable $num in /home/shroutdo/public_html/courses/wp-content/plugins/single-categories/single_categories.php on line 126
Warning: Undefined variable $posts_num in /home/shroutdo/public_html/courses/wp-content/plugins/single-categories/single_categories.php on line 127
In the given reading, Taylor has, again, helped to reshape my understanding of early colonization in the New World. In particular, I was shocked at how bluntly Taylor tried to describe Spanish interactions with native peoples. The way by which the Spanish were so brutal (albeit successful) was made even more apparent by Taylor’s descriptions of the civilizations that they conquered. For instance, after describing the magnificence of the Aztecs and the city Tenochtitlán, Taylor bluntly states, “after four months of fighting, the Spanish and their native allies reduced the city to a bloody rubble” (Taylor 53). In a sense, this is another instance of Taylor’s tongue-in-cheek attitude when writing about colonization. His bluntness may appear ridiculous to some, but it allows for the reader to from their own opinions on morality and justification, although Taylor may subtly advocate his own opinion from time to time.
Upon reading chapter 5, I gained a better understanding of different practices of colonization between European countries. In particular, this made me more conscious of the fabled “Black Legend,” which served to condemn the brutish way that the Spanish treated the natives. However, in response to several classmates, I felt that it was important to remember that the “Black Legend,” as perpetrated by the English, did not solely condemn Spain. Rather, it was also an attempt to whitewash their own practices towards natives. As such, almost all European countries treated natives poorly – save for perhaps the French, but only out of necessity. However, the “Black Legend” only pushed guilt onto others.
All in all, I enjoyed this section of American Colonies and am now more interested in learning about English acquisition in the New World, having already thoroughly examined the French and Spanish.