Episode 5: The Four Horsemen, Part I

Orígenes: A Cuban History Podcast

In this episode we cover the colonization of the Caribbean from 1492-1507.

This is a sort of 'special' episode on Columbus and his role in this key period in Cuba's history. While the episode discusses his role as a navigator, it also focuses on his role in colonizing the island of Hispaniola (modern day Haiti and Dominican Republic).

The story of how Columbus used violence to impose Spanish rule over the colony is slowly becoming better known. What seems missing from many popular accounts, however, is that this was not merely a series of brutal acts against isolated villages, but a series of wars against native kingdoms, each with their own interests and pre-existing conflicts with each other. In short, Columbus entered on the scene in the context of already existing indigenous geopolitics and rivalries. While the Spanish would eventually subject all the rest to their authority, the episode will show that this was far from a foregone conclusion.

The episode also explores how late Medieval ideas about climate and mineral wealth helped to shape Columbus' voyages of exploration and his prejudices towards native peoples that he called 'Indians'.