“Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), in the pay of the Spanish court, sailed west from Europe crossing the Atlantic in 1492 en route to India and the legendary hoards of gold and spices rumored to be found in the East. As we know, Columbus failed to reach India, but the world he encountered opened Europe to riches of a different sort. In the journal of Columbus’s first voyage, he describes the native peoples he encountered, including comments on their appearance, dress, and behavior toward him.”