Ideas How Indigenous Americans discovered Europe
Oct 28, 2025
Caroline Dodds-Pennock, a historian from the University of Sheffield and author of On Savage Shores, dives into the often-ignored presence of Indigenous Americans in Europe during the 1500s. She reveals how the Lucayan Taíno captives were among the first Indigenous visitors, challenging European perceptions of their own society. The discussion covers their varied experiences, including labor roles, legal battles for freedom, and critiques of European inequality. Caroline highlights the need to recover these histories, showcasing the rich narratives of Indigenous individuals across continents.
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Indigenous Presence Reshaped European Knowledge
- Indigenous people traveled to Europe from the 1490s onward and shaped European knowledge about the Americas.
- Their presence challenges the narrative that European exploration was one-way and exclusive.
Tainos Presented At Spanish Court
- Columbus brought several Taino people to Spain in 1493 where they were presented at court and baptized.
- One baptized man, Diego Colón, later served as Columbus's translator and crossed the ocean multiple times.
Scale And Obscurity Of Indigenous Enslavement
- Tens of thousands of Indigenous people were captured or enslaved and transported in the 16th century.
- Records undercount totals because colonists used euphemisms to evade legal prohibitions on Indigenous slavery.
