Columbus never stepped foot on North American soil. uknow@gse.harvard.edu 1. "Ignore the propaganda and instead remember Christopher Columbus with gratitude and a clear conscience. I gave them many beautiful and pleasing things, which I had brought with me, for no return whatever, in order to win their affection, and that they might become Christians and inclined to love our King and Queen and Princes and all the people of Spain., Columbus usually treated the Native Americans kindly and brought them gifts in order to win their favor. The opposition towards Christopher Columbus did not commence in todays society, or even the 21st century. Always trying. 1. All islands I would love to visit on a single trip. We need to own it. Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492. This movement sees Columbus as a symbol of destruction, and thus not to be celebrated. The City Council recently voted to get rid of Columbus Day and replace it with Indigenous Peoples Day, commemorating indigenous, aboriginal and native people.. Since then, its spread across the nation with increasing speed, as more than 60 cities from Maine to Washington have supported the idea. 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. In another case, some people think Columbus was a hero because he represents a leader who went far and beyond to find America. Columbus inspired countless other explorers, both of his time and of modern time, to explore and make discoveries. From early colonial exploration, to our push westward with manifest destiny, to our more modern quest to outer space and landing on the moon, Americans seem to have an innate desire to push the boundaries and discover new places. Among the reasons cited for the Columbus Day federal holiday was that it was being observed in 40 states at the time. There are many examples in his writings where he gave instructions to this effect. If we have a holiday honoring somebody, the question on everyones mind should be, Why are we honoring them? Christopher Columbus is just one of those English adaptations someone felt was preferable to pronouncing a foreign sounding name. 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. The initial recorded Columbus Day celebration in the United States was on October 12, 1792. In his role, he writes about current political issues, U.S. history, political philosophy, and culture. Like Andrew Jackson, Christopher Columbus is a historical figure who is celebrated as a mythical hero. Read More Their spears are made of cane. As known by many, Columbus Day commemorates the discovery of the New World by none other than Christopher Columbus himself. In an era where we are fighting for racial equality celebrating false heroes is detrimental to progress. Dating back around 200 years, the nonreligious had been adverse to this celebration. Columbus Day is one of America s oldest holidays. As a direct result of Columbus discovery, indigenous Americans were enslaved, killed and oppressed to such a degree that a population of around 60 million in 1492, fell by 8090% in less than 150 years. And while some people may seem content with the story as it stands, our view is that there existcountless mysteries, scientific anomalies and surprising artifacts thathave yet to be discovered and explained. 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. Retrieved from https://papersowl.com/examples/two-reasons-why-columbus-day-should-not-be-celebrated/. (You may want to add this into the equation.). Columbus was definitely a brave and courageous (and lucky) captain, but his navigational skills left a lot to be desired. Even if we ignore that, this one still depends on your definition of America. Columbus and St. Croix The New World was discovered within the same timeframe as when slave trade had begun to arise. Colorado did so on April 1, 1907. This has started to cause a change, and many cities within America have taken on a remuneration for the controversial holiday. On his second voyage, he landed at Hispaniola, Cuba, and Jamaica among others. 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. In addition to The Daily Citizen, his written pieces have appeared in The Daily Signal, Life News, The Colorado Independent, and The Millennial Review. Get the recap of top opinion commentary and original content throughout the week. 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. Its just that Columbus was the brave one to stake his claim to a land that did not belong to him. Should the United States continue to celebrate Columbus Day? How could we look at this from a different perspective? For any subject. Read more TOM GRALISH / Staff Photographer by Staff Reports A recent Marist Poll shows why: Those campaigning against Columbus Day are in the minority. Columbus arrival is seen as the beginning of civilization in the Americas. 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. . And, while we celebrate Columbus Day, we can learn from history and also take time to honor Native Americans. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. SHOULD CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS BE CELEBRATED? So, yes, in 1498 and 1502, he did reach the continental Americas. If the world was round, this was possible, he thought. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. He read books, studied the ocean, and made a name for himself. History comes with an agenda. And thats even if you discount the fact that native peoples lived in these places all along. 2. Congress also believed the holiday would mark the contribution of immigrants to the United States. The Zinn Education Project also includes a bunch of primary sources related to Columbus, such as writings by Bartolom de La Casas. It also became clear that there are many reasons not to celebrate Columbus Day. This is also apparent when he was trying to get sponsorships for the trips. The natives were removed from their villages to work in gold mines and colonial plantations. Contrary to popular belief, Columbus Day is a celebration of diversity, not oppression. But our work was to exasperate, ravage, kill, mangle and destroy; small wonder," -Bartolome Las Casas, 1527. 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. In our opinion, this is something to celebrate, not the arrival of Christopher Columbus who led the way for these indigenous populations to have their culture decimated and their population murdered, displaced or forced into slavery. Italian heritage. "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. Every Columbus Day I am forcibly reminded of my hatred for Christopher Columbus. All rights reserved. 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. This is where many of the peaceful natives were met with brutal deaths onboard, whether it be from disease or mistreatment from the handlers. Europe, Asia and Africa, of course, suffered through numerous plagues of their own.). The evil deeds of Columbus far outweigh the few accomplishments he achieved. Ahh, well, semantics. Our open community is dedicated to digging into the origins of our species on planet earth, and question wherever the discoveries might take us. Yet, many continue to believe that America owes its discovery to Christopher Columbus. A lot of depopulation was caused by suicides, including some parents killing their own children to prevent them from living and growing up as a slave. Columbus Day is a patriotic holiday. Columbuss actions arent taken into consideration as much as they should be. Columbus Day is a national holiday in the United States that celebrates the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Americas in 1492. History, in fact, is the story of conquest. Areas within Texas and California began celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day as a means of pointing the spotlight on the natives, rather than Columbus himself. Thousands of the Taino, or Indians as Columbus had referred to them, were shipped out to be traded internationally. If we cannot honor anyone in human history that did not have flaws or imperfections, we cannot honor anyone at all. Mettler earned his Bachelors degree from William Jessup University and is an alumnus of the Young Leaders Program at The Heritage Foundation. Those left were forced to work in mines and plantations. We are a hopeful species. Surprisingly, this holiday was first celebrated by Italians of New York in 1866 honoring Columbus's Italian Heritage, but the official celebration in Spain did not . And the D.C. City Council recently approved a measure to abolish Columbus Day and replace it with Indigenous Peoples Day. But by then he was hardly the first European. 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). And to see that it is not the essence of Columbus, but rather part of the times. 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. Americans have the right to celebrate whatever they chose, but the history behind Columbus Day is not to be ignored. It is true that the conquest of the Americas by Europeans, which starts with Columbus, was very ugly, and involved a lot of violence. @uknowhgse. Columbus Did Not Discover North America. Another reason why Columbus Day should not be celebrated is because it promotes a distorted view of history. Cambridge, MA 02138, Challenges? Growing up, I wasnt exposed to this truth. The point is not to excuse the worst that happened, but to understand it. South Dakota was the first state to rename Columbus Day, in 1990, electing to go with Native Americans' Day. Get in touch! By 1555, there were zero full-blooded natives left on the island. I discovered America. As Columbus might have quipped, One good turn deserves another. Okay, he never said that, but his writings prove that he would not have been opposed to it in the least. In his free time, Mettler enjoys reading, running, hiking, backpacking, and walking his dog. Or Napoleon Bonaparte Day, for that matter. This criticism had quickly faded over time, and was replaced by a more pressing issue; the improper treatment towards indigenous people. (He did follow his big brother to the Caribbean two years later.). Both in an effort to secure funding for their expedition. The war against the Western heritage. Chat with professional writers to choose the paper writer that suits you best. For example, a neighbor taking a stick and beating your child as some kind of punishment might have been perfectly fine at one time. Between 1482 and 1485 Columbus traded along the Guinea and Gold coasts of tropical West Africa and made at least one voyage to Elmina, Ghana. After all of this, he made four transatlantic voyages to the new world beginning with his first famed voyage in 1492. 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. Lets stop idolizing people in history who dont deserve it. Hoping to bring fresh perspectives to topics like race & politics, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0. Except, once Chris had succeeded in Spain, he didnt wait for his brother. As Greek mythology goes, the universe was once a big soup of nothingness. 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). The king wrote, We in his name will receive you with love and charity, respecting your freedom and that of your wives and sons and your rights of possession and we shall not compel you to baptism unless you, informed of the truth, wish to convert to our holy Catholic faith., Columbuss drive for exploration was religious. I am sure you are familiar with his legend which states that he was born in a manger surrounded by shepherds, about Christopher Columbus: Master Double Agent and Portugals 007, about Roman Sword discovered off Oak Island radically suggests Ancient Mariners visited New World 1,000 years before Columbus, For Sale In Britain: A Small Ancient Man With A Colossal Penis, Sacred Marvels: 17 Cathedrals That Will Take Your Breath Away, In Pictures, Egyptologists Reveal a Lost Chamber in the Great Pyramid With Cosmic Rays, The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: Unleashing the End of the World. According to documents 6 " Christopher Columbus was the greatest, because he accomplished the most against the highest odds before Columbus ' time all European voyages had followed coastlines, or cross open seas to land previously known or at . Lets look at Columbus himself, to see if he meets the definition. Market data provided by Factset. According to a census taken by Columbus' men, in 1496 there were more than 1 million natives on the island of Haiti. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. 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. Why is Columbus Day being renamed? 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. Of course, Christopher Columbus was Italian, and his day . Here are five reasons we should still celebrate Columbus Day. Why would an academic system praise someone who was so blatantly evil? Though flawed, Columbus was a great man with an adventurous spirit, sailing the seas to prepare to establish a new world. In short, today is Christopher Columbus Day, and we should all celebrate that. He decimated the native population. Columbus Day celebrations date back to 1792, when New York City celebrated the 300th anniversary of Columbus' landfall. Columbus day is a national holiday that many countries (not all) in the USA celebrate to mark the anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas on October 12, 1492. Well, the Pinta was indeed, the Pinta. Though it has its controversies, Columbus day should be celebrated. However, his other two ships on his first voyage were the Santa Clara and the Gallega. We may not like it, but its our shared heritage. (Sarcasm intended.) While there is plenty to criticize about Columbus, and what followed his arrival, I think this movement is missing the point. However, a circumspect understanding of history offers numerous reasons why Columbus should not only be celebrated, but . I doubt it. Or better yet, follow him. Likewise, Thomas Jefferson, also a slave owner, should be remembered for writing one of the most brilliant documents in the history of mankind, the Declaration of Independence, which contributed greatly to the ending of slavery and segregation in the United States. Because thats public history. Then, two things happened: either Chaos or Gaia created the universe as we know it, or Ouranos and Tethys gave birth to the first beings. But as I got older and began learning more about the history of the Caribbean, the glossy veneer of ol Chris didnt hold up. We still have to understand the time he was born but Christopher Columbus. Legal Statement. Yeah. Everything that he did sounded like it was so whimsical and as a young child yearning for an adventure I idolized him. Although many people have adopted Columbus day as "Indigenous People's Day," many people will not agree that we should also have a holiday . Many believe that they sailed even further south, maybe as far as New Brunswick. Not just Europeans, but everyone. 3.Two Reasons Why Columbus Day Should Not be Celebrated; 4.Should Christopher Columbus Day Be Celebrated Essay Example; 5.Columbus Day Is Not Worth Celebrating - GradesFixer; 6.Why Columbus Day Should Not Be Celebrated? In a letter that has been preserved among his personal historical records, Columbus wrote that God inspired him to make a deal with his Spanish crew and stake his life on it. 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. ," Jake Flanagin explains why many are arguing it . There, the brothers should have been exposed to the adventures of another explorer: Leif Erickson. If instead of Columbus, a Chinese marine had arrived first and "colonized" America, would be blaming the Chinese for the destruction of American civilizations? If it wasn't for Columbus, the motivation for exploration and expansion wouldn't have become a priority because nobody knew about the Americas. 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. Americans, for all our faults, love adventure. So the discovery of the Western Hemisphere should go to Erickson, no? your personal assistant! The Encyclopedia Britannica describes him as a master navigator and admiral. He sailed to numerous places beginning his career as a merchant marine. Columbus Day was invented by the Knights of Columbus in the 1930s when they were looking for a role model for school age children. Columbus was taking advantage of opportunities to find goods by getting the help of slaves. "To date, these are the oldest traces of human existence in the Americas," said archaeologist Niede Guidon who has headed a mission to carry out large-scale excavation of Piaui's interior since the 1970's. It is known by many as to what had happened after Americas discovery. Then they would sail away together to claim their riches. Other times they would go and massacre an entire village. As of September 2019, nine states (Alaska, Minnesota, Vermont, South Dakota, New Mexico, Oregon, Maine and Louisiana) have replaced Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples' Day. For if we celebrate Columbus, we are celebrating a racist genocide, massive land robbery, barbaric slavery, serial rape and systemic torture. Here are my main reasons why I refuse to celebrate Columbus Day: 1. 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. They have no iron. He and his crew were greeted with smiles, gifts and food. Specify your topic, deadline, number of pages and other requirements. Cal Poly State University - San Luis Obispo, California State University - Los Angeles, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, California State University, Channel Islands, Jesus and Mary College, University of Delhi, Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, Federal University Of Agriculture Abeokuta, University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign, Interamerican University of Puerto Rico San German campus, Keiser University - Latin American Campus, London School of Economics and Political Science, California State University of Sacramento, Savannah College of Art and Design Atlanta, School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, The University of Texas of the Permian Basin, University of North Carolina - Wilmington, University of South Florida - St. Petersburg, William Paterson University of New Jersey. (Remember, they werent well versed in Spanish. There were already people living wherever he landed. And if you can, take some time to learn more about all the diversity that makes the Caribbean great. 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. However, it was his brother, the cartographers idea to sail West. By REAGAN ESCUD SCOTT / Monday, October 10, 2022. 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. It took tremendous bravery to sail off into the unknown. 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. 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. But what exactly does it mean to be civilized? In 1927, Chicago's outer drive, connecting the city's North and South Sides, was renamed for Leif. Land was first spotted by Rodrigo de Triana, a lookout on the Pinta, and thereafter by its captain Martin Alonso Pinzo, who notified Columbus. hen, on his fourth, final voyage, he landed at present-day Panama. And yes, I know Columbus was at least in part a product of his brutish times and any nation who landed on Hispaniola in 1492 might have done similar things. I remember learning about Columbus as a young child and I was in awe learning about the explorer. We should honor George Washington, the Indispensable man, for his military bravado and skilled leadership as our first president, even though he owned slaves. Most of the time when injustices occurred, Columbus wasnt even there. The holiday celebrates . Hi! This movement sees Columbus as a symbol of destruction, and thus not to be celebrated. But as I grew older, it became clear that history is murky. Columbus tortured and murdered many thousands of native peoples. When it comes to celebrating Indigenous Peoples' Day, I want to make sure we do justice to indigenous folks. Harvard Graduate School of Education Who Destroyed the Great Library of Alexandria? Consider how the first Columbus Day parade in New York was described in the newspapers. Washington, D.C., has joined hundreds of U.S. cities in seven states in replacing Columbus Day with a day to celebrate Native Americans. Adults Especially Gen Z Identifying as LGBT. Columbus wanted to expand knowledge about the world and what more it consisted of by going across the ocean. She is a national writer at Her Campus and the former editor-in-chief of Her Campus Rowan. - IPL.org; 7.Why We Should Not Celebrate Columbus Day - IPL.org; 8.Why Columbus Day Should Not Be Celebrated Essay . By 1516, there were 12,000. When I got to high school and learned the truth about Columbus I felt betrayed. The reason Columbus set sail on his epic journey in the first place was because he raped the 13-year-old daughter of a Spanish Duchess. (And yes, I also know many other discoverers have been posited through the ages. Historical Figures Should Be Viewed in Light of Their Greatest Achievements, Not Their Worst Mistakes. What is the origin of the legend of the Christed Son who was born of a virgin on December 25th? Alaska is said not to celebrate the day because it falls too close to Alaska Day (Oct . 1. Why does learning about what Columbus did to Native Americans still matter today? Columbuss Native American slave trade morphed into the African slave trade by the mid-16th century. Trends are really hard to detect in a country as divided as ours, but Ive noticed two developments in my work teaching high school and teaching at Harvard. 1. There are several reasons why Columbus Day has become controversial. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Poll shows most Americans want to celebrate Columbus Day. Because of his voyages to America, other great explorers ventured across the Atlantic and in under one hundred years, settled the new world. In 1891, one of the largest mass lynchings in American history took place in New Orleans after nine Italians were acquitted of murdering the city's police chief. Exploring the story of Columbus postmortem voyages and the enduring mystery. Columbuss men used native girls as young as nine or ten as their sex slaves. Examine Columbuss "discovery" of America. Unfortunately, many irksome doings lay deep under the surface. The attack on Columbus Day is a major facet of the cultural . Columbus Day was a solution to a problem that most people didn't know existed. Since August, eight cities have replaced Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples' Day, including several in just the last week. You can order an original essay written according to your instructions. Within a few decades, only a few hundred of an original native population of 300,000 remained. Her Campus may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Some schools, cities, and institutions, such as the. Nevertheless, the same could be said of Julius Caesar, but I dont know of many European countries who celebrate Julius Caesar Day. That alone is worth celebrating.". For privacy reasons, she has previously written on Ancient Origins under the pen name April Holloway, but is now choosing to use her real name, Joanna Gillan. matter in the end. Three other states New Mexico, Maine, Vermont followed suit this year. Nevertheless, Italians claim him today and Columbus Day is a good chance to recognize what Italians have contributed to America, and the world. Personally, I dont think we should celebrate Columbus Day. I think history teachers have a responsibility to prepare students to comment critically and participate critically in the discourse about who we are honoring, who we are celebrating, and how we are doing it. President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed Columbus Day a. With all that, there are reasons to celebrate Columbus Day. Chris wasnt a bad guy right? The Iliad can provide new insights on the role of motherhood among the ancient Greek gods, and by extension, amongst ancient mortal Greek women themselves. Reference list: Herman Lindquist, Christopher Columbus var han riktigt klok, Fischer, 1992. But as far as I know, no U.S. landfall. Why are we celebrating him? Monday marks Columbus Day, in honor of Christopher Columbus but not all will be celebrating the Italian explorer. 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. Columbus tried to build and has transformed the America we have today. Don't know where to start? Dominant narratives tend to speak about heroes in a simple sense; counternarratives can be much more critical. How many countries award holidays to non-natives? And #5 gets worse. So yeah, Christopher Columbus, upon closer inspection, is a terrible fellow to honor. Last updated by Patrick Bennett on 10/02/2021. Aside from the despicable acts that Columbus and his people committed, there is plenty of evidence to show that Columbus was not the first foreigner to arrive on the continent anyway. But its hard for children to understand that someone who they were taught to idolize is a bad guy.