Columbus Day was supposed to recognize the greatness of all of America's people, but especially Italians and Native Americans. Howard Zinns A Peoples History of the United States includes horrific, detailed eyewitness accounts of how the Spanish explorers treated the Native Americans. If this is what it means to be civilized and our children are taught to revere Columbus and his heroic adventure, what hope is there for our future? The slaves were to do most of Columbuss dirty work, as he was highly demanding of gold, crops, and land, which caused many of the slaves to be malnourished and sick. Among the reasons cited for the Columbus Day federal holiday was that it was being observed in 40 states at the time. Columbus Day was invented by the Knights of Columbus in the 1930s when they were looking for a role model for school age children. Although Christopher Columbus is credited with discovering America, people had been inhabiting both North and South America for thousands of years before the 15 th century criminal explorer actually first set foot there. This claim has been proven recently as Viking Leif Ericksson was the first European to discover the New World, about 500 years prior to Columbus' famous journey. Every year, on the second Monday in October, the people in the United States celebrate a national holiday in memory of Christopher Columbus, the one who discovered the new continent. If you dont like it, well kill you.) Besides that, there is ample evidence of Leif Erickson and his fellow Vikings landing in Newfoundland/Labrador around five centuries earlier. The West has its good and bad points, but its best ideasequal rights, freedom of religion, free speech, due process, open scientific inquiry, property rights and so onhave helped all people who adopt them. As I said in the beginning of this piece, Columbus did not discover what would become North America. Which, of course, led to a demand for more slaves. The tradition of observing Columbus Day dates back to the 18th century. In 1892, a joint congressional resolution prompted President Benjamin Harrison to mark the "discovery of America by Columbus," in part because of "the devout faith of the discoverer and for the. Christopher Columbus (1451-1506) is generally considered to be a great explorer during the Age of Exploration . CONTACT US: Thankfully, Columbus Day has morphed into Indigenous Peoples Day. This movement sees Columbus as a symbol of destruction, and thus not to be celebrated. Yet in the past few decades, something has changed. Columbus and St. Croix Most of the time when injustices occurred, Columbus wasnt even there. Back in 1492, Columbus sailed across the Atlantic Ocean, where he. . This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. October 11, 2021 5:00 am. "Ignore the propaganda and instead remember Christopher Columbus with gratitude and a clear conscience. As an anti-paean to a holiday most Americans hardly acknowledge (unless they get a day off), here are a list of reasons that we should remove Columbus Day from our list of federal holidays. But as I got older and began learning more about the history of the Caribbean, the glossy veneer of ol Chris didnt hold up. To begin, some people think Columbus is a hero because he found America, which is not true. And Im not one to turn down a national holiday for a day off work! To get a custom and plagiarism-free essay. Every Columbus Day I am forcibly reminded of my hatred for Christopher Columbus. Some of my students entered high school aware of the problematic nature of Columbus but their thinking is, Well, Columbus is not important to study, because he didnt do anything. We have to push back on that. Rather than celebrate, we believe it should be a day to mourn the destruction of an indigenous population which had lived in peace for tens of thousands of years before Columbus a rapist and murderer set foot on American soil. If you want a unique paper, order it from our professional writers. In recent years, the conversation has become more nuanced, as educators and people across the country have begun to explore the many reasons why celebrating Christopher Columbus is problematic: the violent abuse of indigenous peoples, the launch of the transatlantic slave trade, and the introduction of a swath of lethal diseases to an unprepared continent. And Erickson was certainly as European as Columbus (at least in todays geographical terminology.) Without him, the modern world would not be the way it is today. Lets look at Columbus himself, to see if he meets the definition. Thegoal of Ancient Origins is to highlight recent archaeological discoveries, peer-reviewed academic research and evidence, as well as offering alternative viewpoints and explanations of science, archaeology, mythology, religion and history around the globe. With as simple of a description as that, one would wonder why so much controversy arises from a legal American holiday. On his second voyage, he landed at Hispaniola, Cuba, and Jamaica among others. . Alaska is said not to celebrate the day because it falls too close to Alaska Day (Oct . Poll shows most Americans want to celebrate Columbus Day. Right now, across the country, cities and schools are faced with the question, Should we celebrate Columbus? Were facing similar questions about how we commemorate the confederacy and the Civil War. Americans have the right to celebrate whatever they chose, but the history behind Columbus Day is not to be ignored. I believe thats the tact to take when looking at Chris. Chat with professional writers to choose the paper writer that suits you best. Many believe that they sailed even further south, maybe as far as New Brunswick. They would make fine servants. Columbus was a brutal and cruel man who . As a citizen, you need to be able to critically engage and reflect in a discourse around the public celebration and honoring of historical events and figures. Here Are Some Reasons Why. As awareness has grown about the catastrophic effect his discovery had on Americas indigenous populations, it has increasingly been viewed as a disaster rather than triumph, and rightly so. Since then, it's spread across the. It neednt be a battleground, but a chance to celebrate the best within us. I dont think that we should start childrens education by saying that the country is built on the genocide of a group and the enslavement of another. But heres the kicker. This began with the spirit of Christopher Columbus. He read books, studied the ocean, and made a name for himself. Chris wasnt a bad guy right? Destiny is currently enrolled in Columbia University's MFA Writing program. Many states celebrate both. Read More Except, once Chris had succeeded in Spain, he didnt wait for his brother. "This historically problematic holiday Columbus never actually set foot on the continental U.S. has made an increasing number of people wince, given the enslavement and genocide of Native. This movement sees Columbus as a symbol of destruction, and thus not to be celebrated. Why would an academic system praise someone who was so blatantly evil? Even perpetually leftward NPR admitted today . It not only invalidates the legitimacy of the natives people claim to their land but also projects the notion that the natives arent people at all. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Equipping students to grapple with the complexities of the past and the controversies of today, By grappling with the question of who we celebrate, and why, history teachers can help students navigate the complexities of the past, Resurfacing the lessons of Ferguson, which continue to resonate today, From Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples Day, Theres definitely a trend toward questioning Columbus Day. He would cut off the hands of people living in what now is Haiti for not bringing him enough gold every three months. (He did follow his big brother to the Caribbean two years later.). We need to own it. Its 2020 people. Yes, we have a federal holiday on Christmas, but Ill put that in a special category (which well call religious.). On his third, he named Trinidad and landed in present-day Venezuela. If it wasn't for Columbus, the motivation for exploration and expansion wouldn't have become a priority because nobody knew about the Americas. He and his crew were greeted with smiles, gifts and food. "Endless testimonies.prove the mild and pacific temperament of the natives. Ironically, the District of Columbia is named after, you guessed it, Christopher Columbus. St. Ursula and her eleven thousand virgins, native peoples lived in these places all along. ," Jake Flanagin explains why many are arguing it . Columbus is often portrayed as a heroic figure who bravely discovered America, but this narrative ignores the fact that the Americas were already inhabited by millions of people before Columbus arrived. Columbus Is Innocent of Most of the Charges Against Him, Christopher Columbus was not perfect, but he is innocent of most of his alleged crimes. Columbus tortured and murdered many thousands of native peoples. It requires looking at dominant narratives and counternarratives. 20 University Rd., 6th Floor According to, Columbus believed that he was playing a part in a divine plan to Christianize the world. Turning points are powerful lenses through which students need to view our past. A main argument for the idealization of the 15th century explorer is the idea that he was the first European to discover the Americas. Itd be ludicrous to say that Columbuswasnt guilty by association. Nevertheless, the same could be said of Julius Caesar, but I dont know of many European countries who celebrate Julius Caesar Day. Today's woke perspective condemns Columbus Day as an unworthy holiday. (2020, Aug 20). We should celebrate Indigenous People's Day instead. And those multiple viewpoints may help engage students who might feel otherwise unrepresented in a history class, such as females and students of color. Thats a lesson for later. "It's difficult to think there exists a site anywhere with a higher concentration of cave art.". If the commemorations dealt at all with the impact of European exploration on the indigenous civilizations already flourishing in these discovered lands, it was often fleeting. The main reason some Leftists dont want to celebrate Christopher Columbus is because his actions supposedly led to the genocide of Native American peoples. It is true that the conquest of the Americas by Europeans, which starts with Columbus, was very ugly, and involved a lot of violence. Columbuss Native American slave trade morphed into the African slave trade by the mid-16th century. Large Increase in U.S. The pro for Columbus Day written by John Wirt. Columbus never stepped foot on North American soil. The Vikings sailed to, and colonized parts of Newfoundland, Canada, around AD 1000. It is claimed by these people that the enjoyment and simplicity of Columbus day is almost a mask or distraction to divert the people from the many indigenous lives lost after the discovery of the New World. This criticism had quickly faded over time, and was replaced by a more pressing issue; the improper treatment towards indigenous people. For this nation's over 5 million American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian citizens, Columbus' voyages to the so-called New World inaugurated a long history of exploitation, enslavement, eradication, and erasure (and he himself initiated and sanctioned such actions). A recent Marist Poll shows why: Those campaigning against Columbus Day are in the minority. Turning points are powerful lenses through which students need to view our past. History, in fact, is the story of conquest. When Columbus arrived in 1492, he enslaved the Natives, and took control over their way of life, and also made his way into the Caribbean Island. Exploring the story of Columbus postmortem voyages and the enduring mystery. Pay the writer only for a finished, plagiarism-free essay that meets all your requirements. He shows the effect of willpower and perseverance. Two reasons why Columbus Day should not be celebrated is that we shouldnt have a day where we glorify someone who hurt and enslaved innocent people (Native Americans) and because he destroyed the tranquility in the slaves homes and land with genocide and abuse. Within a few decades, only a few hundred of an original native population of 300,000 remained. Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492. According to a recent poll, 79% of college students support such a change. Even though Eratosthenes (Greek mathematician living in Alexandria, Egypt, Columbus never discovered anything. He wrote in his log: They brought us parrots and balls of cotton and spears and many other things they willingly traded everything they owned They do not bear arms, and do not know them, for I showed them a sword, they took it by the edge and cut themselves out of ignorance. They would make fine servants With fifty men we could subjugate them all and make them do whatever we want.. We need students to understand that Columbus is important, even if he isnt someone to be celebrated. All rights reserved. He cheekily claimed that he had spotted land a few hours before Triana and Pinzo, but that he hadnt said anything in case it was a false alarm. The holiday is typically observed on the second Monday in October. And he was a talented astronomer and navigator. Colorado did so on April 1, 1907. She likes thrifting, romance novels, cooking shows, and can often be found binging documentaries. Well, the tough thing about labeling someone as good or bad is the definitions change with the times. Even after spending his whole career exploring the Caribbean, Columbus never at any point thought he had landed anywhere other than his intended destination, Asia. Columbus Day should be celebrated because Columbus had done a lot to get to the point of sailing. As a result, in 1934, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Columbus Day into law as a way to celebrate the hero who changed the world (Bragdon 12). In an era where we are fighting for racial equality celebrating false heroes is detrimental to progress. Norimitsu Odachi: Who Could Have Possibly Wielded This Enormous 15th Century Japanese Sword? Despite not finding any of the places that his favorite books described (places in China, India and Japan), he convinced himself that they were just around the corner. @uknowhgse. A new intersectional publication, geared towards voices, values, and identities! 2023 President and Fellows of Harvard College, Who do we celebrate, and why? It's also why it's crucial we learn facts about Native Americans and. However, because Columbus brought disasters to the Native Americans, many people opposed the Columbus celebrations. Columbus was definitely a brave and courageous (and lucky) captain, but his navigational skills left a lot to be desired. We are a hopeful species. (Sarcasm intended.) But by then he was hardly the first European. Sorry, Mr. Truth of Discovery Normally, the notion of discovery means encountering a place or an idea for the very first time.. Alaska was second, in 2017, enacting Indigenous Peoples Day. Personally, I dont think we should celebrate Columbus Day. European settlers not only introduced new diseases to the Americas that wiped out scores of Indigenous people, but also warfare, colonization, enslavement, and torture. One of the best parts of our humanity is that sense of discovery. You can order an original essay written according to your instructions. Published: October 7, 2021 8.23am EDT Updated: October 7, 2021 9.53am EDT. We need to set the record straight early on. In fact, the result of Columbuss voyages was mass, Columbus didnt do too well as a governor of these new lands. But in reality, Christopher Columbus is an American hero, and he should remain as such. Columbus should not be celebrated, let alone given a day. (Only 23 states give their workers a paid day off to celebrate it, according to a 2013 Pew poll). We all own it. Columbus Day is one of America s oldest holidays. Until the mid-1700s, Christopher Columbus was not widely known among most Americans. The holiday celebrates . There are several reasons why Columbus Day has become controversial. Sure, he was addicted to opium, but a lot of people were at the time. Indigenous Peoples' Day now replaces Columbus Day in 14 states, the District of Columbia and more than 130 communities. The first complete mapping of a Neanderthal genome took place about five years ago - supporting the human-Neanderthal hook-up and also showing that Neanderthal DNA in humans is a thing. The United States and several Latin American countries celebrate Columbus Day to recognize Christopher Columbus striking land in the Americas and the mixing of European and Native American Cultures. The evil deeds of Columbus far outweigh the few accomplishments he achieved. She is a national writer at Her Campus and the former editor-in-chief of Her Campus Rowan. I doubt it. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. So, enjoy the day off and celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day. There are many examples in his writings where he gave instructions to this effect. If we need a national holiday for the second Monday in October, lets at least honor an AMERICAN who hasnt been shown to be the prime mover in the torture/death/destruction of so many people. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Americans, for all our faults, love adventure. As these texts have become popular, and more history teachers have read them, more students have learned a more accurate account of Columbus from a younger age. Some schools, cities, and institutions, such as the. Chris went to Spain and Bart to France. He finally ended up getting a sponsorship with the Spanish crown, and was off to explore the world. Growing up, I wasn't exposed to this truth. And most believe the idea came from their familys time in Iceland. Columbus made a total of four voyages to the Americas, visiting the following places (and sighting many others): Interestingly, Columbus never set foot in modern-day USA, nor anywhere else in North America. Columbuss actions arent taken into consideration as much as they should be. Examine Columbuss "discovery" of America. We think of Columbus Day as a heroic and triumphant day ever since 1970, when the holiday was legally made a national holiday. -- Celebrate the spread of Western civilization. Over a dozen states and more than 130 local governments have chosen to not celebrate Columbus Day altogether or replace it with Indigenous Peoples' Day. Washington, D.C., has joined hundreds of U.S. cities in seven states in replacing Columbus Day with a day to celebrate Native Americans. But I think considering the fact that Columbus also enslaved a group of people who were otherwise peaceful to him should be noted. We seek to retell the story of our beginnings. (You may want to add this into the equation.). By REAGAN ESCUD SCOTT / Monday, October 10, 2022. Within the Italian community, Columbus Day symbolizes the legacy of their ancestors who immigrated to America, overcame poverty, language barriers, and above all, discrimination. or redistributed. By 1555, there were zero full-blooded natives left on the island. I remember learning about Columbus as a young child and I was in awe learning about the explorer. Based on my experience, I think its vitally essential that teachers engage kids as young as sixth grade in questions that really interrogate Columbus. Is Columbus' tomb in the Dominican Republic or Seville? I think there is a ton of potential in celebrating an Indigenous Peoples' Day, but what that is, what it looks like we need to start with asking indigenous folks to define it. Columbus did not discover America, but his voyages began the Columbian exchange, a turning point in world history involving the massive transfers of human populations, cultures, ideas, animals, plants, and diseases. So, there you have it; five reasons not to celebrate Columbus Day this year (or any other year). And in general, we want to students to engage with controversy. On October 12,1792was when it was first celebrated. As Greek mythology goes, the universe was once a big soup of nothingness. A growing number of cities are no longer celebrating Columbus Day, swapping it for "Indigenous Peoples' Day.". Make sure your essay is plagiarism-free or hire a writer to get a unique paper crafted to your needs. When Columbus landed on the island of Guanahani in 1492, North and South America were . Columbus couldn't be killed without angering the Italian court, so Queen Isabella sent him on a mission, hoping he wouldn't return. "Reason: he may have discovered America before Columbus; Columbus is now commonplace as . Historical knowledge can help students create an argument to answer those questions. Marist shows that even with all of the attacks on Columbus, 57 percent of Americans believe it's. For example, a neighbor taking a stick and beating your child as some kind of punishment might have been perfectly fine at one time. So, no, Columbus did not discover the New World.. When confronted with evidence to the contrary, he simply could not conceive of the the idea that he might be wrong. Elliott Lassitter and John WirtOctober 26, 2017. Why does learning about what Columbus did to Native Americans still matter today? Specifically, he is credited with being the first European explorer since the Vikings to explore the New World for Europeans. Without Columbus, the age of exploration wouldnt have been inspired in the way that it was, and has a vital place in American history. We may not like it, but its our shared heritage. The Knights of Columbus lobbied state legislatures to legalize the holiday. In fact, a new exhibition in Brazil features more than 100 artefacts dating back as far as 30,000 years ago, 18,000 years earlier than previously believed. Why is Columbus Day being renamed? The idea that Christopher Columbus discovered "The New World" is one of the great fallacies of history. I'm not the only Italian American on board with ditching the holiday. Herman Lindquist, Christopher Columbus var han riktigt klok, Fischer, 1992, Captivating History, Christopher Columbus: A Captivating Guide to the Life of an Italian Explorer and His Voyages to the Americas, Captivating History, 2020, Encyclopdia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Christopher-Columbus. Were theonlyPop Archaeology site combining scientific research with out-of-the-box perspectives. Students need to grapple with these multiple perspectives in history and the not-so-pleasant aspects of our past. Areas within Texas and California began celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day as a means of pointing the spotlight on the natives, rather than Columbus himself. Nefer Say Nefer - Was Nefertiti Buried in the Valley of the Queens? By 1516, there were 12,000. Consider how the first Columbus Day parade in New York was described in the newspapers. James Loewens Lies My Teacher Told Me, and his shorter Lies My Teacher Told Me about Christopher Columbus, critique how textbooks have covered Columbus. According to a census taken by Columbus' men, in 1496 there were more than 1 million natives on the island of Haiti. This is also apparent when he was trying to get sponsorships for the trips. In addition to The Daily Citizen, his written pieces have appeared in The Daily Signal, Life News, The Colorado Independent, and The Millennial Review. He was turned down from the Portuguese crown, Genoa crown, Venice crown, and English crown. Usable Knowledge Dating back around 200 years, the nonreligious had been adverse to this celebration. Ancient Origins 2013 - 2023Disclaimer- Terms of Publication - Privacy Policy & Cookies - Advertising Policy -Submissions - We Give Back - Contact us. For if we celebrate Columbus, we are celebrating a racist genocide, massive land robbery, barbaric slavery, serial rape and systemic torture. That's my nephew, Trinidad, reveling in the joys of Caribbean sailing somewhere between St. Croix and Buck Island aboard Teroro II. Hence, the inducement cited above.). Columbus set a precedent for exploration of the new world. Like Andrew Jackson, Christopher Columbus is a historical figure who is celebrated as a mythical hero. But since the 1990s, a growing number of states have begun to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day - a holiday meant to honor the culture and history of the people living in the Americas both before and after Columbus' arrival. Many of those enslaved would die, and were then easily replaced by some brought from the Bahamas. And its fundamentally important that they do so. We need students to understand that Columbus is important, even if he isnt someone to be celebrated. Here are my main reasons why I refuse to celebrate Columbus Day: 1. Here are five reasons we should still celebrate Columbus Day. It is perhaps worth revisiting the two distinct reasons why we celebrate Columbus Day in the first place, and . Columbus Day commemorates the landing of Columbus in the "New World" (on a small island off Florida) on October 12, 1492. The Encyclopedia Britannica describes him as a master navigator and admiral. He sailed to numerous places beginning his career as a merchant marine. Very much like the lyrics of the famous She may be ancient Egypts most famous face, but the quest to find the eternal resting place of Queen Nefertiti has never been hotter. Most people know of the great construction achievements of the dynastic Egyptians such as the pyramids and temples of the Giza Plateau area as well as the Sphinx. And #5 gets worse. While deprivations did occur, Columbus was quick to punish those under his command who committed unjust acts against local populations Columbus did not engage in the savage acts that have been pinned on him., In addition, Columbus strictly told the crew not to do things like maraud, or rape, and instead to treat the native people with respect. Legal Statement. Europe, Asia and Africa, of course, suffered through numerous plagues of their own.). For any subject. Growing up, I wasnt exposed to this truth. As part of this plan, Spaniards aimed to convert native peoples to Christianity. Certain states and localities have moved away from celebrating Christopher Columbus, and now celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day. It involves really unpacking the past, looking for complications, and making a deep exploration into the people that made history happen, rather than just looking for a glossy overview. Columbus couldnt be killed without angering the Italian court, so Queen Isabella sent him on a mission, hoping he wouldnt return. I think there is a ton of potential in celebrating an Indigenous Peoples' Day, but what that is, what it looks like we need to start with asking indigenous folks to define it. matter in the end. What is the origin of the legend of the Christed Son who was born of a virgin on December 25th?
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