5 reasons why columbus day should not be celebrated

Some committed suicide to avoid subjugation, others fled, but many rebelled. Columbus Day is a national holiday in the United States that celebrates the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Americas in 1492. 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. Give me your paper requirements and I connect you to an academic expert. Harvard Graduate School of Education Many books and videos show depictions of vast work forces hewing blocks of stone in the hot desert sun and carefully setting them into place. Of course, I learned that everyone expected him to sail off the edge of a flat earth into space or sea monsters or something. Not just Europeans, but everyone. Christopher Columbus may have been a daring adventurer but he is not someone we want our kids to think of as a hero or role model. Cathedrals are some of the most awe-inspiring structures in the world, with their grandeur and intricate details captivating visitors for centuries. We may not like it, but its our shared heritage. The Lefts hatred of Columbus is predicated on the idea that he represents the tyrannical, western force that colonized the Americas at the expense of those already living here. The White House is pushing National Coming Out Day as a way of changing the subject. Thankfully, Columbus Day has morphed into Indigenous Peoples Day. So why Columbus Day? And thats even if you discount the fact that native peoples lived in these places all along. 1. 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. 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. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. The holiday celebrates . 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. Don't know where to start? (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. If we cannot honor anyone in human history that did not have flaws or imperfections, we cannot honor anyone at all. 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. These books have fueled the trends I mentioned around Columbus Day. 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. Read more TOM GRALISH / Staff Photographer by Staff Reports 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. 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. 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. It was still his idea to sail west, rather than east to hit the East Indies, right? When Columbus landed on the island of Guanahani in 1492, North and South America were . The evil deeds of Columbus far outweigh the few accomplishments he achieved. 4. 1. (And yes, I also know many other discoverers have been posited through the ages. While Columbus Day is not a widely celebrated holiday, the question of whether or not to celebrate it are definitely up for discussion. Columbus Day celebrations date back to 1792, when New York City celebrated the 300th anniversary of Columbus' landfall. Even if we ignore that, this one still depends on your definition of America. Destiny is currently enrolled in Columbia University's MFA Writing program. 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. An angry mob decided to drag them. We seek to retell the story of our beginnings. 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. Columbus tortured and murdered many thousands of native peoples. 1. "Reason: he may have discovered America before Columbus; Columbus is now commonplace as . Though he didnt discover America, he was the person to show the rest of the developed world that there was more far away lands. . I doubt it. And to see that it is not the essence of Columbus, but rather part of the times. 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. St. Ursula and her eleven thousand virgins, native peoples lived in these places all along. Now that the truth is becoming more widely known, people are pressuring their communities to stop celebrating Columbus Day. Columbus Day means that finally, America was economically assimilated to Europe, in those times peopled by Western dominant civilizations. President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed Columbus Day a. This kept them from planting crops, leading to widespread starvation. But Columbus couldnt deliver on the gold claim. Here are five reasons we should still celebrate Columbus Day. It requires looking at dominant narratives and counternarratives. 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. Indigenous Peoples Day: Why it's replacing Columbus Day in many places. Why does learning about what Columbus did to Native Americans still matter today? However, it was his brother, the cartographers idea to sail West. The con for Columbus Day written by Elliot Lassitter. Contrary to popular belief, Columbus Day is a celebration of diversity, not oppression. 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 . 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. 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. Columbus was a brilliant man in his own right. 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. So, there you have it; five reasons not to celebrate Columbus Day this year (or any other year). (You may want to add this into the equation.). In addition to The Daily Citizen, his written pieces have appeared in The Daily Signal, Life News, The Colorado Independent, and The Millennial Review. If I sailed to Italy and said that I discovered this land in the name of Rowan University it wouldnt fly right? They were the original immigrants to the New World, and deserve their remembrance. Its Cristoforo Colombo. Here Are Some Reasons Why. Thats a lesson for later. However, his other two ships on his first voyage were the Santa Clara and the Gallega. Why We Do Not Celebrate Columbus Day. Since then, it's spread across the. Europe, Asia and Africa, of course, suffered through numerous plagues of their own.). 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When Columbus first landed on American soil he was met by the Arawak native Americans. 1. On his third, he named Trinidad and landed in present-day Venezuela. "Ignore the propaganda and instead remember Christopher Columbus with gratitude and a clear conscience. This conflict between reality and fiction is what makes Columbus Day one of the most controversial holidays in America. Market data provided by Factset. The main reason Columbus Day draws opposition is because of how the explorer's arrival to the New World affected Indigenous people. And hes credited for marking the establishment of institutionalized slavery in the West Indies. He would cut off the hands of people living in what now is Haiti for not bringing him enough gold every three months. 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. 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. Berkeley originally replaced Columbus Day with show more content. 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. For any subject. Historical Figures Should Be Viewed in Light of Their Greatest Achievements, Not Their Worst Mistakes. Columbus and his men raped and mistreated the slaves, especially young girls through ages nine and ten. 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. 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? I'm Amy, We need students to understand that Columbus is important, even if he isnt someone to be celebrated. Yet, despite all the gruesome sacrifice and slavery, some still wish to celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day. Land was first spotted by Rodrigo de Triana, a lookout on the Pinta, and thereafter by its captain Martin Alonso Pinzo, who notified Columbus. Many states celebrate both. Back in 1492, Columbus sailed across the Atlantic Ocean, where he. We all own it. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. That's my nephew, Trinidad, reveling in the joys of Caribbean sailing somewhere between St. Croix and Buck Island aboard Teroro II. Last updated by Patrick Bennett on 10/02/2021. For a long time, Columbus discovery of America was an universally celebrated event, both in Europe and America. That alone is worth celebrating.". Its just that Columbus was the brave one to stake his claim to a land that did not belong to him. We think of Columbus Day as a heroic and triumphant day ever since 1970, when the holiday was legally made a national holiday. Adults Especially Gen Z Identifying as LGBT. So yeah, Christopher Columbus, upon closer inspection, is a terrible fellow to honor. All rights reserved. He led the way for future colonists to settle the United States. Dominant narratives tend to speak about heroes in a simple sense; counternarratives can be much more critical. Who Destroyed the Great Library of Alexandria? 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). Most Americans didn't even know much about Columbus until Washington Irving yes, that Washington Irving wrote. Her Campus may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Columbuss men also killed off slaves whenever needed. And maybe only one reason to celebrate. Reference list: Herman Lindquist, Christopher Columbus var han riktigt klok, Fischer, 1992. Why should we celebrate a man who promoted and distributed so much violence when we can celebrate and honor the history of Indigenous people? Columbus was from a middle class family. AtAncient Origins, we believe that one of the most important fields of knowledge we can pursue as human beings is our beginnings. Columbus day is a controversial holiday, but one that should be celebrated. Hence, the inducement cited above.). Some schools, cities, and institutions, such as the. Three other states New Mexico, Maine, Vermont followed suit this year. Or maybe even plan to discover your own new-to-you islands! With three boats, the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria, he set out in search of a better trade route to India. But as I grew older, it became clear that history is murky. And yet he is given an American holiday for discovering AmericaYeah Ill wait for that to make sense. 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. And Im not one to turn down a national holiday for a day off work! Columbus didnt know shit about geography! Exploring the story of Columbus postmortem voyages and the enduring mystery. We need to own it. The next obvious question is: well, if thats not his name, what were the names of his famous ships? And eventually hundreds of years of African slave trade but uhm, OK, fine, he was a monster. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. But you didnt discover a place that was already inhabited by a peaceful group of people. Despite the time that has passed, Columbus Day still remains a subject that most people would rather not think about. The Columbus controversy can also help students see that history is still applicable today. Sure, he was addicted to opium, but a lot of people were at the time. Though it has its controversies, Columbus day should be celebrated. Is Columbus' tomb in the Dominican Republic or Seville? Columbus may have recorded that he "found" America, but he was a. mass murderer. Market data provided by Factset. And Erickson was certainly as European as Columbus (at least in todays geographical terminology.) But its not recognized in Los Angeles, where I live. Top 5 Reasons NOT to Celebrate Columbus Day And 1 Reason To History comes with an agenda. When I got to high school and learned the truth about Columbus I felt betrayed. Chris went to Spain and Bart to France. Columbus Day, which is celebrated on the second Monday of October each year, has become a controversial subject for many people. See how Columbus Day actually become a holiday and find out who celebrates it. Columbus never stepped foot on North American soil. History, in fact, is the story of conquest. 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. But as far as I know, no U.S. landfall. Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492. He sailed to Iceland and Ireland in 1477, and to Madeira in 1478. Sorry, there are no polls available at the moment. The attack on Columbus Day is a major facet of the cultural . And if you can, take some time to learn more about all the diversity that makes the Caribbean great. This has started to cause a change, and many cities within America have taken on a remuneration for the controversial holiday. On October 11, 2021, America officially recognized the inhumane treatment that the Native Americans faced for centuries and honored the brave warriors who fought against the oppression and genocide of their people. Bring them to the light, if you would. Poll shows most Americans want to celebrate Columbus Day. If Columbus had been an Englishman, or a Frenchman, would have they behaved in a different way? Stupid but hopeful. Curious, politically homeless, always hopeful. He asked for 3 more days, and if land was not sighted, the crew could do with him as they wished. With all that, there are reasons to celebrate Columbus Day. 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. But many would be killed if they did not accept Christ, even if they didnt understand what the Spanish were explaining to them. Henry IV of Spain known as "The Impotent" for his weakness, both on the throne and (allegedly) in the marriage chamber died in 1474. While there is plenty to criticize about Columbus, and what followed his arrival, I think this movement is missing the point. Columbus wanted to test this idea. In fact, the result of Columbuss voyages was mass, Columbus didnt do too well as a governor of these new lands. Spanish conquistadors couldn't believe their eyes while exploring the rugged terrain of the Andes during their invasion of Peru. 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. Listen I know almost everyone celebrated in history enslaved people. And Bart was left behind on the cutting room floor of history. Growing up, I wasn't exposed to this truth. Make sure your essay is plagiarism-free or hire a writer to get a unique paper crafted to your needs. In an era where we are fighting for racial equality celebrating false heroes is detrimental to progress. Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress, University Overrules Student Senate Activists; Recognizes Conservative Club, A Mansion, Yemen, and Stories of Gods Goodness, Tennessee and Mississippi Pass Bills to Protect Children from Harmful Sex Change Procedures. He shows the effect of willpower and perseverance. The natives were removed from their villages to work in gold mines and colonial plantations. He finally ended up getting a sponsorship with the Spanish crown, and was off to explore the world. But I think considering the fact that Columbus also enslaved a group of people who were otherwise peaceful to him should be noted. Columbus went to live in Portugal. Many of those enslaved would die, and were then easily replaced by some brought from the Bahamas. (2020, Aug 20). 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. . But our work was to exasperate, ravage, kill, mangle and destroy; small wonder," -Bartolome Las Casas, 1527. But that, for better or worse, is how history worked pretty much everywhere for thousands of years. Consider how the first Columbus Day parade in New York was described in the newspapers. On his 1492 voyage, Chris landed on a number of islands including some in the Bahamas very close to mainland Florida. But in reality, Christopher Columbus is an American hero, and he should remain as such. Hire a verified expert to write you a 100% Plagiarism-Free paper. 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. Why is he important? Thats when learning happens. Please follow him or give him some claps please be sure thats in the plural if you enjoyed this. Should the United States continue to celebrate Columbus Day? 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. In the early morning hours of the third day on October 12, the lookout . 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. Nevertheless, the same could be said of Julius Caesar, but I dont know of many European countries who celebrate Julius Caesar Day. And #5 gets worse. And thanks for reading this. In response to the rebellion, Columbus ordered a brutal crackdown in which many natives were killed, and their dismembered bodies paraded through the streets. -- Celebrate the spread of Western civilization. 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. 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. 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 is perhaps worth revisiting the two distinct reasons why we celebrate Columbus Day in the first place, and . He thereby claimed the lifetime pension for himself, cheating the rightful claimant out of both glory and a significant amount of money. When confronted with evidence to the contrary, he simply could not conceive of the the idea that he might be wrong. Most of the time when injustices occurred, Columbus wasnt even there. We need to set the record straight early on. 2023 PapersOwl.com - All rights reserved. Columbus was taking advantage of opportunities to find goods by getting the help of slaves. Read More

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