The pro for Columbus Day written by John Wirt. We should honor George Washington, the Indispensable man, for his military bravado and skilled leadership as our first president, even though he owned slaves. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. If we have a holiday honoring somebody, the question on everyones mind should be, Why are we honoring them? We all own it. Columbus was a brutal and cruel man who . It neednt be a battleground, but a chance to celebrate the best within us. Architecture of the Floating (Or Sinking) City: How Was Venice Built? In addition to The Daily Citizen, his written pieces have appeared in The Daily Signal, Life News, The Colorado Independent, and The Millennial Review. Land was first spotted by Rodrigo de Triana, a lookout on the Pinta, and thereafter by its captain Martin Alonso Pinzo, who notified Columbus. 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. 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. He would cut off the hands of people living in what now is Haiti for not bringing him enough gold every three months. Christopher Columbus, as it turned out, was responsible for widespread genocide; he permitted his men to rape, murder, mutilate and enslave indigenous people. 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. 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. Many believe that they sailed even further south, maybe as far as New Brunswick. On his 1492 voyage, Chris landed on a number of islands including some in the Bahamas very close to mainland Florida. Exploring the story of Columbus postmortem voyages and the enduring mystery. Unfortunately, many irksome doings lay deep under the surface. Like most Americans, I learned in 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue. Ingrained in my mind are the names of his ships: The Nina, The Pinta and the Santa Maria. Americans have the right to celebrate whatever they chose, but the history behind Columbus Day is not to be ignored. Within the Italian community, Columbus Day symbolizes the legacy of their ancestors who immigrated to America, overcame poverty, language barriers, and above all, discrimination. It is known by many as to what had happened after Americas discovery. Its Cristoforo Colombo. 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. It involves grappling with multiple perspectives, a fundamental skill for historians. 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. 2023 President and Fellows of Harvard College, Who do we celebrate, and why? He would have peoples ears and noses cut off as punishments. Here Are Some Reasons Why. Now theres a deed worth celebrating every year! 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 . There, the brothers should have been exposed to the adventures of another explorer: Leif Erickson. Columbus was a brilliant man in his own right. Columbus Day. His first impression of the Arawaks, one of the first peoples he encountered, was . 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. With all that, there are reasons to celebrate Columbus Day. Diseases were spread and were not able to be resisted by the sick slaves. Now, I got nothing against thousands of virgins or a good story. Though he didnt discover America, he was the person to show the rest of the developed world that there was more far away lands. And thanks for reading this. One of the best parts of our humanity is that sense of discovery. "It's difficult to think there exists a site anywhere with a higher concentration of cave art.". If instead of Columbus, a Chinese marine had arrived first and "colonized" America, would be blaming the Chinese for the destruction of American civilizations? Nevertheless, the first official Columbus Day happened in 1892, when President Harrison issued a proclamation for Americans to commemorate the day. He led the way for future colonists to settle the United States. As known by many, Columbus Day commemorates the discovery of the New World by none other than Christopher Columbus himself. Columbus wanted to expand knowledge about the world and what more it consisted of by going across the ocean. One of the few facts Americans remember from history is "Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492 The act moved Veterans Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day and the new Columbus Day holiday to Mondays. This conflict between reality and fiction is what makes Columbus Day one of the most controversial holidays in America. The next obvious question is: well, if thats not his name, what were the names of his famous ships? Indeed, the promise of the West has delivered freedom and bounty such as humanity has never known. So why Columbus Day? That's my nephew, Trinidad, reveling in the joys of Caribbean sailing somewhere between St. Croix and Buck Island aboard Teroro II. President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed Columbus Day a. On his third, he named Trinidad and landed in present-day Venezuela. The City Council recently voted to get rid of Columbus Day and replace it with Indigenous Peoples Day, commemorating indigenous, aboriginal and native 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. Other times they would go and massacre an entire village. Captivating History, Christopher Columbus: A Captivating Guide to the Life of an Italian Explorer and His Voyages to the Americas, Captivating History, 2020 In response to the rebellion, Columbus ordered a brutal crackdown in which many natives were killed, and their dismembered bodies paraded through the streets. 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. 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. Columbus Day, which is celebrated on the second Monday of October each year, has become a controversial subject for many people. Until his dying day Columbus maintained that the land he had discovered was Asia and not a new continent. This movement sees Columbus as a symbol of destruction, and thus not to be celebrated. Religion was heavily forced upon the Native American tribes, and the Europeans means of dealing with their obstacles run much more inhumane. . And to see that it is not the essence of Columbus, but rather part of the times. And the D.C. City Council recently approved a measure to abolish Columbus Day and replace it with Indigenous Peoples Day. Posted by Zachary Mettler | Oct 14, 2019 | Opinion. 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. But what exactly does it mean to be civilized? ), Christopher Columbus initiated the trans-Atlantic slave trade. James Loewens Lies My Teacher Told Me, and his shorter Lies My Teacher Told Me about Christopher Columbus, critique how textbooks have covered Columbus. When it comes to celebrating Indigenous Peoples' Day, I want to make sure we do justice to indigenous folks. But Columbus couldnt deliver on the gold claim. In fact, the result of Columbuss voyages was mass, Columbus didnt do too well as a governor of these new lands. Columbus Day was a solution to a problem that most people didn't know existed. Dating back around 200 years, the nonreligious had been adverse to this celebration. This kept them from planting crops, leading to widespread starvation. For the first time this year some calendars don't mention Columbus Day but says October 11 is Indigenous Peoples' Day. Zachary Mettler works as a staff writer and communications liaison for The Daily Citizen at Focus on the Family. Furthermore, Columbus continued to enslave Natives and abuse their nation, damage their environment, and their rights as humans. Colorado did so on April 1, 1907. In an era where we are fighting for racial equality celebrating false heroes is detrimental to progress. All rights reserved. Like Andrew Jackson, Christopher Columbus is a historical figure who is celebrated as a mythical hero. However, a circumspect understanding of history offers numerous reasons why Columbus should not only be celebrated, but . Columbus couldnt be killed without angering the Italian court, so Queen Isabella sent him on a mission, hoping he wouldnt return. We may not like it, but its our shared heritage. (You may want to add this into the equation.). Columbus and St. Croix Why is he important? We need students to understand that Columbus is important, even if he isnt someone to be celebrated. We need to set the record straight early on. CONTACT US: Or better yet, follow him. This movement sees Columbus as a symbol of destruction, and thus not to be celebrated. Many of those enslaved would die, and were then easily replaced by some brought from the Bahamas. Wrong, it was his younger brother Bartholomews. We seek to retell the story of our beginnings. Top 5 Reasons NOT to Celebrate Columbus Day And 1 Reason To History comes with an agenda. The West has its good and bad points, but its best ideasequal rights, freedom of religion, free speech, due process, open scientific inquiry, property rights and so onhave helped all people who adopt them. The things Columbus did such as capturing the Natives as slaves just made him the man of his time, saying everyone did this, and that he needed the help anyway. They have no iron. When Columbus first landed on American soil he was met by the Arawak native Americans. (Remember, they werent well versed in Spanish. Consider how the first Columbus Day parade in New York was described in the newspapers. Fine, fine But he did discover America right? Even the Iroquoian peoples, located in present Northeast United States, often took slaves of other tribes. Sure, he was addicted to opium, but a lot of people were at the time. Once we do this, Columbus Day can be a truly inclusive holiday. Its the responsibility of our school system to talk about Columbus as part of our work to prepare students to be citizens. When I got to high school and learned the truth about Columbus I felt betrayed. As I said in the beginning of this piece, Columbus did not discover what would become North America. And hes credited for marking the establishment of institutionalized slavery in the West Indies. Always trying. Historical knowledge can help students create an argument to answer those questions. . Columbus set a precedent for exploration of the new world. The holiday celebrates . And eventually hundreds of years of African slave trade but uhm, OK, fine, he was a monster. 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. Why would an academic system praise someone who was so blatantly evil? 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. Please follow him or give him some claps please be sure thats in the plural if you enjoyed this. How could we look at this from a different perspective? And, while we celebrate Columbus Day, we can learn from history and also take time to honor Native Americans. The population of the Taino decreased by over two hundred thousand within sixty years. The New World was discovered within the same timeframe as when slave trade had begun to arise. All rights reserved. Based on my experience, I think its vitally essential that teachers engage kids as young as sixth grade in questions that really interrogate Columbus. 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. Alaska is said not to celebrate the day because it falls too close to Alaska Day (Oct . History, in fact, is the story of conquest. A growing number of cities are no longer celebrating Columbus Day, swapping it for "Indigenous Peoples' Day.". This is where many of the peaceful natives were met with brutal deaths onboard, whether it be from disease or mistreatment from the handlers. Most of us can remember the day when Americans still seemed to like Christopher Columbus. Two Reasons why Columbus Day should not be Celebrated, This example was written and submitted by a fellow student. Specify your topic, deadline, number of pages and other requirements. However, his other two ships on his first voyage were the Santa Clara and the Gallega. But you didnt discover a place that was already inhabited by a peaceful group of people. Not just Europeans, but everyone. Because of his voyages to America, other great explorers ventured across the Atlantic and in under one hundred years, settled the new world. 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. Since then, its spread across the nation with increasing speed, as more than 60 cities from Maine to Washington have supported the idea. Among the reasons cited for the Columbus Day federal holiday was that it was being observed in 40 states at the time. Columbus Personified the American Spirit Columbus was a brilliant man in his own right. 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. . Our open community is dedicated to digging into the origins of our species on planet earth, and question wherever the discoveries might take us. 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. Read More Though it has its controversies, Columbus day should be celebrated. First, lets just put aside the paradox of discovering a land that already had a population of indigenous people. After a few weeks sailing, he landed in the present day Bahamas. If the world was round, this was possible, he thought. It is perhaps worth revisiting the two distinct reasons why we celebrate Columbus Day in the first place, and . Were theonlyPop Archaeology site combining scientific research with out-of-the-box perspectives. Cambridge, MA 02138, Challenges? 'Green Card Warrior' Nick Adams weighs in on 'Fox & Friends First.'. Are the Misty Peaks of the Azores Remnants of the Legendary Atlantis? 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. And thats even if you discount the fact that native peoples lived in these places all along. By REAGAN ESCUD SCOTT / Monday, October 10, 2022. However, it was his brother, the cartographers idea to sail West. 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. And its fundamentally important that they do so. Growing up, I wasnt exposed to this truth. Three other states New Mexico, Maine, Vermont followed suit this year. He shows the effect of willpower and perseverance. Columbus Day was supposed to recognize the greatness of all of America's people, but especially Italians and Native Americans. 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. Students need to grapple with these multiple perspectives in history and the not-so-pleasant aspects of our past. 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. Even perpetually leftward NPR admitted today . Ahh, well, brothers will be brothers. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, He thereby claimed the lifetime pension for himself, cheating the rightful claimant out of both glory and a significant amount of money. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Everything that he did sounded like it was so whimsical and as a young child yearning for an adventure I idolized him. And Washington, D.C., this week renamed the holiday, pending congressional approval. Cathedrals are some of the most awe-inspiring structures in the world, with their grandeur and intricate details captivating visitors for centuries. On October 12,1792was when it was first celebrated. "Ignore the propaganda and instead remember Christopher Columbus with gratitude and a clear conscience. This was a sign of things to come. The Knights of Columbus lobbied state legislatures to legalize the holiday. What were his actual contributions? Those are important questions we want to ask as citizens. Here are three reasons we shouldn't celebrate Columbus Day, as a country. The tradition of observing Columbus Day dates back to the 18th century. But, again, no mainland United States. Norimitsu Odachi: Who Could Have Possibly Wielded This Enormous 15th Century Japanese Sword? Marist shows that even with all of the attacks on Columbus, 57 percent of Americans believe it's. Some schools, cities, and institutions, such as the. I'm Amy, Very trying! sums it up for Daniel, creator of Stories Guaranteed to Make You Sick, Dr. Crankenfuss books, Moose Jokes, & now Practically News. Lets stop idolizing people in history who dont deserve it. This began with the spirit of Christopher Columbus. 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. Columbus Day is a United States federal holiday that celebrates the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Americas in 1492. 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. The initial recorded Columbus Day celebration in the United States was on October 12, 1792. There were already people living wherever he landed. It involves really unpacking the past, looking for complications, and making a deep exploration into the people that made history happen, rather than just looking for a glossy overview. Columbus 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. We need to own it. 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. Columbus wanted to test this idea. When Columbus arrived in 1492, he enslaved the Natives, and took control over their way of life, and also made his way into the Caribbean Island. Columbuss Native American slave trade morphed into the African slave trade by the mid-16th century. Medieval Sea Monster Was Likely a Whale, New Research Reveals, What is Shambhala? And yet he is given an American holiday for discovering AmericaYeah Ill wait for that to make sense. 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. With as simple of a description as that, one would wonder why so much controversy arises from a legal American holiday. Legal Statement. Without him, the modern world would not be the way it is today. Columbus made a total of four voyages to the Americas, visiting the following places (and sighting many others): Interestingly, Columbus never set foot in modern-day USA, nor anywhere else in North America. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. In another case, some people think Columbus was a hero because he represents a leader who went far and beyond to find America. 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. Nefer Say Nefer - Was Nefertiti Buried in the Valley of the Queens? 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.