Elliott Lassitter and John WirtOctober 26, 2017. Most of us can remember the day when Americans still seemed to like Christopher Columbus. 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. Examine Columbuss "discovery" of America. Poll shows most Americans want to celebrate Columbus Day. According to a recent poll, 79% of college students support such a change. The plan was to join up once theyd gotten the backing they needed. And hes credited for marking the establishment of institutionalized slavery in the West Indies. (BTW, you can find a list of over 40 of his articles here.). Why is Columbus Day being renamed? 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. And Bart was left behind on the cutting room floor of history. I discovered America. Columbus went on forth with a lot of violence, such as cutting off a slaves nose/hands to signify power against them. Those left were forced to work in mines and plantations. He first went to sea when he was only 14 years old. Are the Misty Peaks of the Azores Remnants of the Legendary Atlantis? He completely miscalculated the distance between Europe and Japan however, estimating it to be around 2,000 nautical miles when the real distance is closer to 11,000. 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. In fact, the result of Columbuss voyages was mass, Columbus didnt do too well as a governor of these new lands. It was first celebrated on October 12, 1792, when the New York Society of Tammany honored Columbus on the 300th anniversary of his first voyage. Columbuss actions arent taken into consideration as much as they should be. Legal Statement. Many people believe that Columbus Day should not be a federal holiday because Christopher Columbus was a terrible person. They also show evidence that at least 12 other groups of people entered the Americas before Columbus. Our writers can help you with any type of essay. But you didnt discover a place that was already inhabited by a peaceful group of people. Yet, many continue to believe that America owes its discovery to Christopher Columbus. Columbus set a precedent for exploration of the new world. 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). -- Celebrate Italians (though there is some question as to whether Columbus would have considered himself an Italian -- he was long thought to have been born in Genoa, then an independent city-state in what is now Italy, though everyone from Greece to Portugal to Poland have claimed him as their own). With all that, there are reasons to celebrate Columbus Day. Lately a lot of people have been putting down Western civilization, but its spread is one of the greatest things thats ever happened to humanity. Yet in the past few decades, something has changed. Except, once Chris had succeeded in Spain, he didnt wait for his brother. America is celebrating. (2020, Aug 20). And #5 gets worse. 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. Sorry, there are no polls available at the moment. If we have a holiday honoring somebody, the question on everyones mind should be, Why are we honoring them? Legal Statement. Here are three reasons we shouldn't celebrate Columbus Day, as a country. A recent Marist Poll shows why: Those campaigning against Columbus Day are in the minority. There has been much debate over whether or not Columbus Day should be celebrated. 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? Hoping to bring fresh perspectives to topics like race & politics, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0. James Loewens Lies My Teacher Told Me, and his shorter Lies My Teacher Told Me about Christopher Columbus, critique how textbooks have covered Columbus. Columbus Day's only silver lining may be found at historically significant sites throughout the Caribbean that connect us to history. The main reason Columbus Day draws opposition is because of how the explorer's arrival to the New World affected Indigenous people. In his free time, Mettler enjoys reading, running, hiking, backpacking, and walking his dog. As Greek mythology goes, the universe was once a big soup of nothingness. 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. ," Jake Flanagin explains why many are arguing it . The Columbus controversy can also help students see that history is still applicable today. In any case, we know for a fact that Europeans traveled to America almost 500 years before Columbus. Contrary to popular belief, Columbus Day is a celebration of diversity, not oppression. Because thats public history. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, (And yes, I also know many other discoverers have been posited through the ages. Today's woke perspective condemns Columbus Day as an unworthy holiday. Now, I got nothing against thousands of virgins or a good story. St. Ursula and her eleven thousand virgins, native peoples lived in these places all along. He should be remembered as the cruel and incompetent man he was who let his sailors rape and pillage the islands they landed on as they pleased. 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. 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. 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. October 11, 2021 5:00 am. 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. If we blame Columbus and the Spanish kings, we should also blame every other invader and conqueror in History. He brought with him a letter from King Ferdinand to the Taino-Arawak Indians. We may not like it, but its our shared heritage. Exploring the story of Columbus postmortem voyages and the enduring mystery. So, enjoy the day off and celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day. Columbus was taking advantage of opportunities to find goods by getting the help of slaves. In fact, that might have been a good neighbor, whereas today That neighbor would find themselves in jail. Reference list: Herman Lindquist, Christopher Columbus var han riktigt klok, Fischer, 1992. And to see that it is not the essence of Columbus, but rather part of the times. Which, of course, led to a demand for more slaves. 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. 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. 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. Most of the time when injustices occurred, Columbus wasnt even there. In response to the rebellion, Columbus ordered a brutal crackdown in which many natives were killed, and their dismembered bodies paraded through the streets. AtAncient Origins, we believe that one of the most important fields of knowledge we can pursue as human beings is our beginnings. Nevertheless, Italians claim him today and Columbus Day is a good chance to recognize what Italians have contributed to America, and the world. What are some Facts about Christopher Columbus? 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. Last updated by Patrick Bennett on 10/02/2021. Like Andrew Jackson, Christopher Columbus is a historical figure who is celebrated as a mythical hero. By REAGAN ESCUD SCOTT / Monday, October 10, 2022. 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 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. 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. 1. -- Celebrate the spirit of exploration. Hire a verified expert to write you a 100% Plagiarism-Free paper. He would cut off the hands of people living in what now is Haiti for not bringing him enough gold every three months. If the world was round, this was possible, he thought. I doubt it. All rights reserved. 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. 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. 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. 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. The point is not to excuse the worst that happened, but to understand it. 2023 PapersOwl.com - All rights reserved. Howard Zinns A Peoples History of the United States includes horrific, detailed eyewitness accounts of how the Spanish explorers treated the Native Americans. Back in 1492, Columbus sailed across the Atlantic Ocean, where he. This is where many of the peaceful natives were met with brutal deaths onboard, whether it be from disease or mistreatment from the handlers. Columbus never even came to this country! Thankfully, Columbus Day has morphed into Indigenous Peoples Day. If we cannot honor anyone in human history that did not have flaws or imperfections, we cannot honor anyone at all. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. He decimated the native population. Many of those enslaved would die, and were then easily replaced by some brought from the Bahamas. Diseases were spread and were not able to be resisted by the sick slaves. We still have to understand the time he was born but Christopher Columbus. (Only 23 states give their workers a paid day off to celebrate it, according to a 2013 Pew poll). All rights reserved. Indeed, Columbus was mostly benign in his interaction with native populations. 1. But its not recognized in Los Angeles, where I live. Very trying! sums it up for Daniel, creator of Stories Guaranteed to Make You Sick, Dr. Crankenfuss books, Moose Jokes, & now Practically News. Lets look at Columbus himself, to see if he meets the definition. Zachary Mettler works as a staff writer and communications liaison for The Daily Citizen at Focus on the Family. Columbus wanted to test this idea. Consider how the first Columbus Day parade in New York was described in the newspapers. The idea that Christopher Columbus discovered "The New World" is one of the great fallacies of history. 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. So before waving the US flag in celebration of a criminal who did not discover America, spare a thought for the millions of Native Americans who were murdered as a result of Christopher Columbus arrival on American soil. 2. Columbus Did Not Discover North America. (Though it should be noted a large portion of the deaths of Native Americans was due to disease, not violence--an inevitable consequence of Old World illness in New World soil. 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. "It's difficult to think there exists a site anywhere with a higher concentration of cave art.". But many would be killed if they did not accept Christ, even if they didnt understand what the Spanish were explaining to them. Market data provided by Factset. A main argument for the idealization of the 15th century explorer is the idea that he was the first European to discover the Americas. He and his crew were greeted with smiles, gifts and food. Columbus should not be celebrated, let alone given a day. But as I grew older, it became clear that history is murky. The American Indian Movement, among other groups, have gone as far as to state that the continuous celebration of this holiday is oppressive towards Native Americans. That is, South and Central America to be exact. Because of his voyages to America, other great explorers ventured across the Atlantic and in under one hundred years, settled the new world. We need students to understand that Columbus is important, even if he isnt someone to be celebrated. 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. 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. Columbus stood to gain significant wealth and power from his voyage, terms he negotiated with King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain. Why is he important? 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. The Zinn Education Project also includes a bunch of primary sources related to Columbus, such as writings by Bartolom de La Casas. Columbus Day was supposed to recognize the greatness of all of America's people, but especially Italians and Native Americans. If it wasn't for Columbus, the motivation for exploration and expansion wouldn't have become a priority because nobody knew about the Americas. (You may want to add this into the equation.). Chris wasnt a bad guy right? Columbus day is a controversial holiday, but one that should be celebrated. I remember learning about Columbus as a young child and I was in awe learning about the explorer. 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. Henry IV of Spain known as "The Impotent" for his weakness, both on the throne and (allegedly) in the marriage chamber died in 1474. Mother and Child Reunion Of Thetis And Achilles, Seductive Sirens of Greek Mythology and How Heroes Resisted Them, Celestial Goddess Selene: The Ancient Greek Goddess of the Moon, Pegasus of Greek Mythology: Majestic Winged Horse of Mount Olympus, Dreams of Human-Powered Flight: Daedalus and the Story of Icarus, The Warriors Who Shaped African History: The Horsemen of Oyo, Royal Mistress Jane Shore Walked Streets of London in her Underwear, Leonardo Da Vincis Notes Show He Understood Gravity Long Before Newton, Talks Begin on Repatriating Remains of Patrick Sarsfield, Irish War Hero, The Ramessid Dynasty: A Golden Era in Ancient Egypt, Unraveling the Mystery of the Carnac Stones: An Ancient Puzzle of Epic Proportions, Unraveling the Enigma of Aramu Muru, The Mysterious Gate of the Gods. 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. Howell Public Schools Stance on Mask Mandate, In person school, more beneficial to kids. One of the few facts Americans remember from history is "Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492 He never set foot on any part of the 50 United States. How could we look at this from a different perspective? For any subject. Two reasons why Columbus Day should not be celebrated is that we shouldn't 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. But as I grew older, it became clear that history is murky. First of all, Christopher Columbus isnt even his name. The point is not to excuse the worst that happened, but to understand it. 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. Nevertheless, the same could be said of Julius Caesar, but I dont know of many European countries who celebrate Julius Caesar Day. The Chilling Mystery of the Octavius Ghost Ship, Film Footage Provides Intimate View of HMS Gloucester Shipwreck, Top 8 Legendary Parties - Iconic Celebrations in Ancient History, The Spanish Inquisition: The Truth Behind the Black Legend (Part II), The Spanish Inquisition: The Truth behind the Dark Legend (Part I), Bloodthirsty Buddhists: The Sohei Warrior Monks of Feudal Japan, Dizzying Inca Rope Bridges Were Grass-Made Marvels of Engineering, Two Centuries Of Naval Espionage In Europe, Research Confirms That 20% of the Neanderthal Genome Can Be Found In Modern Humans, The Curious Apparitions of Pagan Goddesses to the German Knights Templar, The origins of human beings according to ancient Sumerian texts, Evidence that Noahs Ark Landed on a Mountain 17 Miles South of Ararat, Library in Stone: The Ica Stones of Professor Cabrera Part I, Two Sides to Every Story: The North American Martyrs Shrines and Indigenous/ Roman Catholic Relations, The Origins of the Faeries: Encoded in our Cultures Part I, Curse of the Buried Pearl: The Hunt for Ancient Treasures Part I, The Enigma of the Shugborough Inscription, Christopher Columbus: Master Double Agent and Portugals 007, Roman Sword discovered off Oak Island radically suggests Ancient Mariners visited New World 1,000 years before Columbus. Columbus went to live in Portugal. Without him, the modern world would not be the way it is today. Areas within Texas and California began celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day as a means of pointing the spotlight on the natives, rather than Columbus himself. 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. 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. He finally ended up getting a sponsorship with the Spanish crown, and was off to explore the world. Religion was heavily forced upon the Native American tribes, and the Europeans means of dealing with their obstacles run much more inhumane. Columbuss men used native girls as young as nine or ten as their sex slaves. They would make fine servants. Is Columbus' tomb in the Dominican Republic or Seville? Here are five reasons we should still celebrate Columbus Day. He sailed to Iceland and Ireland in 1477, and to Madeira in 1478. 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. However, a circumspect understanding of history offers numerous reasons why Columbus should not only be celebrated, but . Columbus couldn't be killed without angering the Italian court, so Queen Isabella sent him on a mission, hoping he wouldn't return. Within a few decades, only a few hundred of an original native population of 300,000 remained. Well, the tough thing about labeling someone as good or bad is the definitions change with the times. Dating back around 200 years, the nonreligious had been adverse to this celebration. Understanding controversies what Columbus did, how he did it, whether we should be commemorating him builds skills that are fundamental for understanding history and social studies. Throughout the history of civilization, the concept of the apocalypse has been ever present, in one way or another. 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. He initiated a turning point in our history. This was due to the impression that Columbus was attempting to spread Catholic influence. Don't know where to start? Columbuss Native American slave trade morphed into the African slave trade by the mid-16th century. Not just Europeans, but everyone. Specify your topic, deadline, number of pages and other requirements. Its like me walking into your house (with my gang and all of us armed to the teeth) and saying, Wow, look what I found here, boys. "Reason: he may have discovered America before Columbus; Columbus is now commonplace as . It doesn't make sense for the United States to recognize this supposed Christian with ashow more content Or Napoleon Bonaparte Day, for that matter. 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 . But, again, no mainland United States. Norimitsu Odachi: Who Could Have Possibly Wielded This Enormous 15th Century Japanese Sword? This criticism had quickly faded over time, and was replaced by a more pressing issue; the improper treatment towards indigenous people. Though it was disputed for many years, there is conclusive evidence that Neanderthals bred with modern humans (Homo sapiens).
Theresa Swann Real Name,
Nightstand With Charging Station White,
Harlaw Reservoir Swimming,
Signs Your Body Is Fighting A Virus,
Articles OTHER
5 reasons why columbus day should not be celebrated
You must be copper colored mother of the bride dresses to post a comment.