Capitalism is about wealth accumulation and the Europeans started
accumulating other peoples' resources in earnest following the arrival
of Columbus in the Americas in 1492. They had the advantage of ship
building and armaments.
Much of Europe’s wealth came about through colonialism, massive land
grabs (all of the Americas, Australia and NZ) and the genocide &
dispossession of the natives.
In 1452, Before Columbus’ voyage, Pope Nicholas V had allowed Portugal
to enslave Africans for conversion to Christianity. This encouraged the
Portuguese to enslave for trade purposes and the enslaved Africans were
taken
to Brazil, a Portuguese colony.
But the use of African Labour in the Americas really got under way after
Columbus’s voyage. Within 25 years, Columbus started his murder spree.
The Taino Indians on the island where Columbus first settled were
reduced by 95% from 300,000 in 1492 to 12,000 by 1517, a pattern which
was to be repeated throughout the Americas.
A massive amount of gold and silver was shipped to Europe and some of it
even used to decorate the Churches in the Vatican.
How did the Popes view the adventure of Columbus?
They were thrilled:
Pope Leo XIII writing to the American bishops (C4 1892), waxed eloquent
over the exploit of Columbus 400 years earlier:
He described it as "this immortal achievement… the highest and
grandest ever accomplished by man…"
"Through the constant interchange of business and ocean trade, an
incredible addition was made to our knowledge of nature while the
prestige of the European name was
marvellously increased… Those countries hitherto uncultivated and
inaccessible have made such rapid strides in civilisation, wealth and
fame…"
Not a thought was spared for the plight of the natives.
Pope Leo continued "The whole world is eager to celebrate the memory of
the event and glorify its author."
He obviously meant the European world.
More recently, in the 1980s, Spain and the Holy See (Vatican) proposed
to the UN General Assembly that the year 1992 (5th centenary of
Columbus’ arrival in the New World)
be celebrated as an encounter between Europe and the peoples of America,
with Europeans bearing the gifts of civilisation and Christianity to the
indigenous people.
The settler states of US and Canada supported the proposal but the
entire African delegation walked out of the meeting, returning with a
statement condemning the proposal to celebrate
colonialism. The celebrations flopped thanks to many highly visible
protests by indigenous peoples and their allies.
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Eddie
