5 reasons why columbus day should not be celebrated 5 reasons why columbus day should not be celebrated

Pay the writer only for a finished, plagiarism-free essay that meets all your requirements. Within the Italian community, Columbus Day symbolizes the legacy of their ancestors who immigrated to America, overcame poverty, language barriers, and above all, discrimination. 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. Below are five reasons why Columbus Day celebrants can hold their head high in 2019 rather than kowtow to guilt-based politics. Columbus Day is celebrated on the second Monday of October. 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. Historical knowledge can help students create an argument to answer those questions. Jarrett Stepman also writes in his book The War on History, What is never explained is why so-called indigenous peoples are worthy of celebration if Columbus is not. Make sure your essay is plagiarism-free or hire a writer to get a unique paper crafted to your needs. Why is Columbus Day being renamed? Every Columbus Day I am forcibly reminded of my hatred for Christopher Columbus. In an era where we are fighting for racial equality celebrating false heroes is detrimental to progress. Why is he important? Thousands of the Taino, or Indians as Columbus had referred to them, were shipped out to be traded internationally. While Columbus Day is not a widely celebrated holiday, the question of whether or not to celebrate it are definitely up for discussion. But as I grew older, it became clear that history is murky. Columbus Day is one of America s oldest holidays. . Who Destroyed the Great Library of Alexandria? However, a circumspect understanding of history offers numerous reasons why Columbus should not only be celebrated, but . Without Columbus, the age of exploration wouldnt have been inspired in the way that it was, and has a vital place in American history. 1. Why should we celebrate a man who promoted and distributed so much violence when we can celebrate and honor the history of Indigenous people? The natives were removed from their villages to work in gold mines and colonial plantations. 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. When he was only 23. he had the idea of going to India, China and Japan. 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. Columbus tried to build and has transformed the America we have today. The pro for Columbus Day written by John Wirt. But the fact of the matter is that he started the colonialism within North America, enslaved groups of people, and laid out the groundwork for others to do the same is damning. And most believe the idea came from their familys time in Iceland. The point is not to excuse the worst that happened, but to understand it. hen, on his fourth, final voyage, he landed at present-day Panama. In any case, we know for a fact that Europeans traveled to America almost 500 years before Columbus. There are many good reasons as to why Columbus Day is such a controversial holiday. Now theres a deed worth celebrating every year! This was due to the impression that Columbus was attempting to spread Catholic influence. But as I got older and began learning more about the history of the Caribbean, the glossy veneer of ol Chris didnt hold up. Were theonlyPop Archaeology site combining scientific research with out-of-the-box perspectives. And its fundamentally important that they do so. This is the Monster Celebrated on Columbus Day, The American Holocaust: Columbus and the Conquest of the New World, Multicultural View of Christopher Columbus Story, The Rise of Sexual Assault in the Military. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Exploring the story of Columbus postmortem voyages and the enduring mystery. Columbus wanted to expand knowledge about the world and what more it consisted of by going across the ocean. Christopher Columbus (1451-1506) is generally considered to be a great explorer during the Age of Exploration . He read books, studied the ocean, and made a name for himself. 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. Henry IV of Spain known as "The Impotent" for his weakness, both on the throne and (allegedly) in the marriage chamber died in 1474. After Columbus established the first Spanish colony at La Isabela, on the north coast of Hispaniola (modern-day Dominican Republic), relations between the Spanish and the indigenous population quickly deteriorated. Columbus and his men raped and mistreated the slaves, especially young girls through ages nine and ten. Its the responsibility of our school system to talk about Columbus as part of our work to prepare students to be citizens. And maybe only one reason to celebrate. Columbus went on forth with a lot of violence, such as cutting off a slaves nose/hands to signify power against them. A recent Marist Poll shows why: Those campaigning against Columbus Day are in the minority. 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. Now, I got nothing against thousands of virgins or a good story. Nevertheless, the same could be said of Julius Caesar, but I dont know of many European countries who celebrate Julius Caesar Day. Two Reasons why Columbus Day should not be Celebrated, This example was written and submitted by a fellow student. We need students to understand that Columbus is important, even if he isnt someone to be celebrated. The act moved Veterans Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day and the new Columbus Day holiday to Mondays. Examine Columbuss "discovery" of America. Not many civilizations were safe when invaders arrived, from Assirians to Vikings; from Gengis Khan to the Roman Empire; from the Jewish general Joshua to the colonial British Empire. The Andy Griffith Show Remains a Masterclass in Leadership and Life, Births in Japan Fall to Record Low Amid Catastrophic Population Decline, Foretelling Worlds Future. He shows the effect of willpower and perseverance. Here are five reasons we should still celebrate Columbus Day. The statue of Christopher Columbus remains encased in a wooden box on Marconi Plaza Aug. 12, 2020, as the sun sets on the day the Philadelphia Art Commission voted to remove it and store it while the city deliberates on a new permanent home for the controversial monument. Columbus Day celebrations date back to 1792, when New York City celebrated the 300th anniversary of Columbus' landfall. Hence, the inducement cited above.). Areas within Texas and California began celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day as a means of pointing the spotlight on the natives, rather than Columbus himself. But its not recognized in Los Angeles, where I live. Here are five reasons we should still celebrate Columbus Day. At times, they would make an example of a Native by cutting his hands off and tying them around his neck, then telling him to go and 'share the message' with the rest of his tribe. He even made his crew swear an oath that Cuba was not an island but indeed the mainland of Asia, and that China could be reached overland from there. As Greek mythology goes, the universe was once a big soup of nothingness. Contrary to popular belief, Columbus Day is a celebration of diversity, not oppression. Columbus was a brutal and cruel man who . 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A Blazing Weapon: Unraveling the Mystery of Greek Fire. How could we look at this from a different perspective? Indeed, Columbus was mostly benign in his interaction with native populations. He sailed to Iceland and Ireland in 1477, and to Madeira in 1478. (BTW, you can find a list of over 40 of his articles here.). Or better yet, follow him. 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. Diseases were spread and were not able to be resisted by the sick slaves. History comes with an agenda. Although Columbus Day remains a national holiday, given the criticism surrounding the day, some states and cities have opted to celebrate Indigenous Peoples' Day instead. President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed Columbus Day a. In the early morning hours of the third day on October 12, the lookout . He asked for 3 more days, and if land was not sighted, the crew could do with him as they wished. I want to make sure we do justice to indigenous folks. April Holloway is a Co-Owner, Editor and Writer of Ancient Origins. Columbus Day, which is celebrated on the second Monday of October each year, has become a controversial subject for many people. 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. All rights reserved. Upon arriving in the New World, one of the first observations Columbus made with regards to the indigenous people was the following: 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. Europe, Asia and Africa, of course, suffered through numerous plagues of their own.). This movement sees Columbus as a symbol of destruction, and thus not to be celebrated. But, again, no mainland United States. By 1555, there were zero full-blooded natives left on the island. Growing up, I wasnt exposed to this truth. Columbus Day is a United States federal holiday that celebrates the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Americas in 1492. Here Are Some Reasons Why. And the D.C. City Council recently approved a measure to abolish Columbus Day and replace it with Indigenous Peoples Day. Columbus Personified the American Spirit. On October 11th, 2021 its 529 years since Italian explorer Christopher Columbus, or Cristoforo Colombo as he was probably known in his native Genoa, landed on the island San Salvador. Posted by Zachary Mettler | Oct 14, 2019 | Opinion. 1. It consisted mostly of about 12,000 public school students grouped into 20 regiments, each commanded by a principal. Most of us can remember the day when Americans still seemed to like Christopher Columbus. So yeah, Christopher Columbus, upon closer inspection, is a terrible fellow to honor. Even the Iroquoian peoples, located in present Northeast United States, often took slaves of other tribes. If instead of Columbus, a Chinese marine had arrived first and "colonized" America, would be blaming the Chinese for the destruction of American civilizations? Yeah. Columbus set a precedent for exploration of the new world. And eventually hundreds of years of African slave trade but uhm, OK, fine, he was a monster. There are many examples in his writings where he gave instructions to this effect. Without him, the modern world would not be the way it is today. Its 2020 people. Christopher Columbus was a murderer, rapist, and thief who did not actually find America, but indeed only visited a land where Native Americans have already been living. your personal assistant! CONTACT US: It's also why it's crucial we learn facts about Native Americans and. He brought with him a letter from King Ferdinand to the Taino-Arawak Indians. Growing up, I wasn't exposed to this truth. The Zinn Education Project also includes a bunch of primary sources related to Columbus, such as writings by Bartolom de La Casas. Some schools, cities, and institutions, such as the. So, yes, in 1498 and 1502, he did reach the continental Americas. Furthermore, Columbus continued to enslave Natives and abuse their nation, damage their environment, and their rights as humans. 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. One of the best parts of our humanity is that sense of discovery. It is on public record, that Columbus rewarded his soldiers by giving them Native Americans to rape. We asked Eric Shed, a veteran history teacher who now directs the Harvard Teacher Fellows Program, to share perspectives on the changing currents around Columbus Day and the challenges of learning and teaching history, as distinct from celebrating it. See how Columbus Day actually become a holiday and find out who celebrates it. @uknowhgse. 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. We need students to understand that Columbus is important, even if he isnt someone to be celebrated. 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. Lastly, I would contend that historical figures should be honored by their great achievements, and not their mistakes or weaknesses. On his third, he named Trinidad and landed in present-day Venezuela. Consider how the first Columbus Day parade in New York was described in the newspapers. Just bear in mind that the verb "colonize" and the terms "colony", and "colonial" derive from Columbus ("Colon", in Spanish spelling). A genocide happened in "the Americas," and it began with Columbus. 20 University Rd., 6th Floor Reference list: Herman Lindquist, Christopher Columbus var han riktigt klok, Fischer, 1992. I discovered America. The initial recorded Columbus Day celebration in the United States was on October 12, 1792. And Washington, D.C., this week renamed the holiday, pending congressional approval. 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. (Only 23 states give their workers a paid day off to celebrate it, according to a 2013 Pew poll). Columbus was definitely a brave and courageous (and lucky) captain, but his navigational skills left a lot to be desired. And now Ill claim it for us! Market data provided by Factset. Just as the country grapples with the meaning and problems of Confederate monuments, so too are schools, towns, and even whole states grappling with Columbus Day. Many are deciding to rename and refocus the holiday, choosing to call it Indigenous Peoples' Day to honor the people whose lives and cultures were irreparably damaged by the colonial conquest that the age of exploration ushered into being. So, no, Columbus did not discover the New World.. Even if we ignore that, this one still depends on your definition of America. Columbus Day was invented by the Knights of Columbus in the 1930s when they were looking for a role model for school age children. Dating back around 200 years, the nonreligious had been adverse to this celebration. There were already people living wherever he landed. 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. (He had plenty of different ships on subsequent voyages.). The main reason some Leftists dont want to celebrate Christopher Columbus is because his actions supposedly led to the genocide of Native American peoples. With as simple of a description as that, one would wonder why so much controversy arises from a legal American holiday. In his free time, Mettler enjoys reading, running, hiking, backpacking, and walking his dog. 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. Along and through History, conquerors have had violent behaviour. 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. Columbus Day, which is celebrated today in the USA and honours the arrival of Christopher Columbus to the New World, is an example of outdated and misguided history. He was turned down from the Portuguese crown, Genoa crown, Venice crown, and English crown. He led the way for future colonists to settle the United States. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, So, there you have it; five reasons not to celebrate Columbus Day this year (or any other year). Columbus should not be celebrated, let alone given a day. Why would an academic system praise someone who was so blatantly evil? It is true that the conquest of the Americas by Europeans, which starts with Columbus, was very ugly, and involved a lot of violence. We should celebrate Indigenous People's Day instead. If we have a holiday honoring somebody, the question on everyones mind should be, Why are we honoring them? As I said in the beginning of this piece, Columbus did not discover what would become North America. The Columbus controversy can also help students see that history is still applicable today. This is also apparent when he was trying to get sponsorships for the trips. On his first voyage, Columbus promised the crew on his three ships (Santa Maria, Pinta and Santa Clara) that the first person who spotted land would receive a lifetime pension. 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. Which, of course, led to a demand for more slaves. Christopher Columbus is just one of those English adaptations someone felt was preferable to pronouncing a foreign sounding name. They also show evidence that at least 12 other groups of people entered the Americas before Columbus. 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. 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. If Columbus had been an Englishman, or a Frenchman, would have they behaved in a different way? We may not like it, but its our shared heritage. 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). After you read both, let us know what you think by posting a comment. Jarrett Stepman writes at The Daily Signal, While Columbus, and certainly his Spanish benefactors, had an interest in the goods and gold he could return from what they thought would be Asia, the explorers primary motivation was religious., 3. All islands I would love to visit on a single trip. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. There were terrible diseases that got communicated to the natives, but he cant be blamed for that., 5. 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. It took tremendous bravery to sail off into the unknown. We think of Columbus Day as a heroic and triumphant day ever since 1970, when the holiday was legally made a national holiday. The holiday is typically observed on the second Monday in October. By 1516, there were 12,000. It doesn't make sense for the United States to recognize this supposed Christian with ashow more content Columbus Day is one of the oldest holidays in the USA Observing Columbus Day started back in the 18th century. It was President Franklin Delano Roosevelt that designated the second Monday of October (Columbus Day) as a national holiday in 1971. Truth of Discovery Normally, the notion of discovery means encountering a place or an idea for the very first time.. To realize this dream, they split up. 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. Interests? For instance, they lay out what specific textbooks omitted about Columbuss involvement with the slave trade and genocide. Though it was disputed for many years, there is conclusive evidence that Neanderthals bred with modern humans (Homo sapiens). "Endless testimonies.prove the mild and pacific temperament of the natives. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. "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. Until the mid-1700s, Christopher Columbus was not widely known among most Americans. If you still think Columbus Day is something worth celebrating, here are five other reasons why it isnt: After studying a handful of his favorite books, including the journals of Marco Polo, Columbus became convinced that it was possible to sail directly west to reach the Indies, as China, Japan and India were then known as in Europe. Not just Europeans, but everyone. And Erickson was certainly as European as Columbus (at least in todays geographical terminology.) 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. This essay is available online and might have been used by another student. This began with the spirit of 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. "It's difficult to think there exists a site anywhere with a higher concentration of cave art.". Columbus Undertook Adventure for God and Country, After Columbus returned to Spain from his first voyage to the Americas in 1493, he wrote this in his letter to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella: They manifest the greatest affection towards all of us, exchanging valuable things for trifles, content with the very least thing or nothing at all. October 11, 2021 5:00 am. Many believe that they sailed even further south, maybe as far as New Brunswick. 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.