Trial of Mr Smith - Trial Exhibits

The following exhibits are presented as evidence in the case. See photographs

Exhibit 1 

Extracts from a letter from Christopher Columbus to the King of Spain in the 1600s.

After raising the cross of Christ and the flag of Spain on the shores of the New World wrote to the king that the natives “have a knowledge that there is a God above and are firmly persuaded that we come from heaven.” They should be Christianized, he added and the king would receive much gold from the country.      

                 

Exhibit 2: Christianizing the natives.

What questions would you like to ask about the extract above?

What questions would you like to ask about the photograph? 

Remember to think about the quality of your questions:

Which questions would be easy to answer?

Which questions would be hard to answer?

Which questions would get interesting answers?

Which questions are likely to get the facts from the defendant?

NOTE: The belief of the natives that the new comers came from heaven was used to trick them. The white men offered the natives a voyage to paradise to see their dead forefathers. They won by use of words alone armed with the holy bible and the cross of Jesus Christ.

Exhibit 3 :  Pristine Rainforest before the advent of The White Man

Exhibit 4: Hacking their way through the Rainforest

Exhibit 5: Elephant tusks used to make piano keys, umbrella handles, backs of brushes and many other items.

Exhibit 6: An African barter market

Exhibit 7: Dwellers around Mount Kenya, practise pottery and weaving and cultivate soil with domestic animals.

Exhibit 8: The Somali Fuzzy-Wuzzy card players. They kept camels goats and sheep and were expert card players.

Exhibit 9: Zulu girls use decorative jewellery beads and metal bands to look beautiful.

Exhibit 10: Wireless communication ‘Bush telegraph’ Villages many miles away can pick out clearly, messages tapped on these talking drum.

Exhibit 11 : The Oba of Oyo, Nigeria with his Council of Chiefs. Note the Chief Security Guard sitting at the front to keep order and intruders out.

Exhibit 12:  The Ibibio Boys dancers of Nigeria erroneously referred to as South African Dancers.

Exhibit 13: Pottery Engraving in Southern Nigeria. Note the elaborate patterns created by the craftsman using very simple tools.