Cannibalism Columbus Quote by David E. Stannard
““For while those like Señor Coma of Aragon were drawing a parallel between darkness of flesh and commitment to cannibalism—while Columbus and others were expounding on an opposite relationship (but one with identical consequences) involving light skin, intelligence, and closeness to God—still more Spaniards were locating evidence for the Indians’ alleged inferiority within their very biology, in what was said to be the “size and thickness of their skulls,” writes J.H. Elliott, “which indicated a deformation in that part of the body which provided an index of a man’s rational powers,” and which could be used to support the increasingly popular idea that the Indians were made by God to be the “natural slaves” of the Spanish and, indeed, of all Europeans.””
About This Quote
Source Book: “American Holocaust” by David E. Stannard, 1992
Historical justification of racism using pseudoscience to dehumanize indigenous peoples
In simple terms: Science was misused to claim Native inferiority
Key Takeaway
Recognize and challenge scientific racism
Themes
colonialism
racism
science misuse
Mood
somber
critical
Type
historical
analytical
When to use this quote
- Academic study
- colonial policy
- education curricula
Key Concepts
Pseudoscience
ethnocentrism
human rights
Questions to Reflect On
- What modern parallels exist for scientific racism?
- How can education counteract these narratives?
A Different Perspective
The argument may oversimplify complex historical interactions
