How Did the Spanish and the Taino Understand Columbus’s Voyage?
The Spanish were very happy because they had found many the “New World” and had a head start on everyone so they could start exploiting in in addition to coming across primitive people (compared to the Ottomans, the people of Mali, Indians, and Chinese that they had to trade with previously. The rest of Europe for a couple of years actually used Columbus’ mistreatment of the Natives as an excuse to publicly denounce Spanish expansion while attempting to build empires else where in the new world. The Taino at first did not understand who or what Columbus was and were very primitive. Supposedly one cut his had on Columbus’ rapier’s blade because he did not know about swords. They attempted to trade with Columbus’ expedition but eventually kidnapped some of the tribe members to guide him to Hispaniola in his quest for gold. Subsequent colonization by the Spanish and later the British in the Bahamas hurt the Taino people and there were no full-blood Taino left by the turn of 18th century.