Many of those enslaved would die, and were then easily replaced by some brought from the Bahamas. 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 . Truth of Discovery Normally, the notion of discovery means encountering a place or an idea for the very first time.. Here are three reasons we shouldn't celebrate Columbus Day, as a country. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Interests? This is also apparent when he was trying to get sponsorships for the trips. You need to be able to deeply understand the profoundly problematic past of this great nation. Specifically, he is credited with being the first European explorer since the Vikings to explore the New World for Europeans. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Cathedrals are some of the most awe-inspiring structures in the world, with their grandeur and intricate details captivating visitors for centuries. Turning points are powerful lenses through which students need to view our past. 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. I believe thats the tact to take when looking at Chris. Personally, I dont think we should celebrate Columbus Day. Hoping to bring fresh perspectives to topics like race & politics, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0. Columbus day is a controversial holiday, but one that should be celebrated. 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. 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. Columbus couldnt be killed without angering the Italian court, so Queen Isabella sent him on a mission, hoping he wouldnt return. (See, Columbus promised Ferdinand and Isabella so much, including gold, they had given him 17 ships and well over a thousand men for his second voyage! I doubt it. Colorado did so on April 1, 1907. The Zinn Education Project also includes a bunch of primary sources related to Columbus, such as writings by Bartolom de La Casas. Even the Iroquoian peoples, located in present Northeast United States, often took slaves of other tribes. 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. All rights reserved. Most of us can remember the day when Americans still seemed to like Christopher Columbus. matter in the end. . - IPL.org; 7.Why We Should Not Celebrate Columbus Day - IPL.org; 8.Why Columbus Day Should Not Be Celebrated Essay . So, there you have it; five reasons not to celebrate Columbus Day this year (or any other year). In fact, the result of Columbuss voyages was mass, Columbus didnt do too well as a governor of these new lands. by sailing west. He led the way for future colonists to settle the United States. Washington, D.C., has joined hundreds of U.S. cities in seven states in replacing Columbus Day with a day to celebrate Native Americans. 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. Everything that he did sounded like it was so whimsical and as a young child yearning for an adventure I idolized him. Legal Statement. These books have fueled the trends I mentioned around Columbus Day. For any subject. (BTW, you can find a list of over 40 of his articles here.). I dont think its ever too young. When Columbus landed on the island of Guanahani in 1492, North and South America were . Or maybe even plan to discover your own new-to-you islands! Italian heritage. James Loewens Lies My Teacher Told Me, and his shorter Lies My Teacher Told Me about Christopher Columbus, critique how textbooks have covered Columbus. uknow@gse.harvard.edu The king wrote, We in his name will receive you with love and charity, respecting your freedom and that of your wives and sons and your rights of possession and we shall not compel you to baptism unless you, informed of the truth, wish to convert to our holy Catholic faith., Columbuss drive for exploration was religious. Who Destroyed the Great Library of Alexandria? Now, I got nothing against thousands of virgins or a good story. That alone is worth celebrating.". Her Campus may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Its Cristoforo Colombo. He decimated the native population. Three other states New Mexico, Maine, Vermont followed suit this year. Columbuss Native American slave trade morphed into the African slave trade by the mid-16th century. Columbuss men used native girls as young as nine or ten as their sex slaves. 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. October 11, 2021 5:00 am. In an era where we are fighting for racial equality celebrating false heroes is detrimental to progress. Alaska is said not to celebrate the day because it falls too close to Alaska Day (Oct . Thats a lesson for later. Historical knowledge can help students create an argument to answer those questions. While there is plenty to criticize about Columbus, and what followed his arrival, I think this movement is missing the point. On his second voyage, he landed at Hispaniola, Cuba, and Jamaica among others. Certain states and localities have moved away from celebrating Christopher Columbus, and now celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day. (He did follow his big brother to the Caribbean two years later.). 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. Of course, I learned that everyone expected him to sail off the edge of a flat earth into space or sea monsters or something. Columbus Day was a solution to a problem that most people didn't know existed. Growing up in St. Croix, I had a fairly typical U.S. education with fairly typical U.S. textbooks as far as I can remember. Based on my experience, I think its vitally essential that teachers engage kids as young as sixth grade in questions that really interrogate Columbus. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Large Increase in U.S. So, there you have it; five reasons not to celebrate Columbus Day this year (or any other year). Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. The holiday is typically observed on the second Monday in October. And he was a talented astronomer and navigator. And thanks for reading this. Columbus didnt know shit about geography! Howard Zinns A Peoples History of the United States includes horrific, detailed eyewitness accounts of how the Spanish explorers treated the Native Americans. Why should we celebrate a man who promoted and distributed so much violence when we can celebrate and honor the history of Indigenous people? 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. There are many good reasons as to why Columbus Day is such a controversial holiday. He was the catalyst that brought more explorers across the Atlantic, who would eventually begin to explore North America, but it is . 97 students ordered this very topic and got 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. Hi! Its just that Columbus was the brave one to stake his claim to a land that did not belong to him. Nefer Say Nefer - Was Nefertiti Buried in the Valley of the Queens? Columbus Day's only silver lining may be found at historically significant sites throughout the Caribbean that connect us to history. This follows both Minneapolis and Seattle, which adopted the new. Americans have the right to celebrate whatever they chose, but the history behind Columbus Day is not to be ignored. If Columbus is Off Limits to Celebrate, so are Indigenous Peoples. Poll shows most Americans want to celebrate Columbus Day. There were already people living wherever he landed. After you read both, let us know what you think by posting a comment. Another reason why Columbus Day should not be celebrated is because it promotes a distorted view of history. But as I grew older, it became clear that history is murky. 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. Pay the writer only for a finished, plagiarism-free essay that meets all your requirements. Two Reasons why Columbus Day should not be Celebrated, This example was written and submitted by a fellow student. Are the Misty Peaks of the Azores Remnants of the Legendary Atlantis? Our writers will help you fix any mistakes and get an A+! 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. 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. Most of the time when injustices occurred, Columbus wasnt even there. 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. 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. A recent Marist Poll shows why: Those campaigning against Columbus Day are in the minority. Dating back around 200 years, the nonreligious had been adverse to this celebration. "It's difficult to think there exists a site anywhere with a higher concentration of cave art.". Nevertheless, the first official Columbus Day happened in 1892, when President Harrison issued a proclamation for Americans to commemorate the day. For a long time, Columbus discovery of America was an universally celebrated event, both in Europe and America. For instance, they lay out what specific textbooks omitted about Columbuss involvement with the slave trade and genocide. But by then he was hardly the first European. 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. Now theres a deed worth celebrating every year! Though it has its controversies, Columbus day should be celebrated. They were the original immigrants to the New World, and deserve their remembrance. Yes, we have a federal holiday on Christmas, but Ill put that in a special category (which well call religious.). Columbus tortured and murdered many thousands of native peoples. She likes thrifting, romance novels, cooking shows, and can often be found binging documentaries. 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. The New World was discovered within the same timeframe as when slave trade had begun to arise. 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. Along and through History, conquerors have had violent behaviour. This kept them from planting crops, leading to widespread starvation. The attack on Columbus Day is a major facet of the cultural . Its the responsibility of our school system to talk about Columbus as part of our work to prepare students to be citizens. If the world was round, this was possible, he thought. Columbus went on forth with a lot of violence, such as cutting off a slaves nose/hands to signify power against them. "Endless testimonies.prove the mild and pacific temperament of the natives. Be careful, this sample is accessible to everyone. Land was first spotted by Rodrigo de Triana, a lookout on the Pinta, and thereafter by its captain Martin Alonso Pinzo, who notified Columbus. Understanding the Mysterious Kingdom of Shambhala, Alleged Sighting of the Mythical Manananggal in the Philippines Causes Public Anxiety, The Truth Behind the Christ Myth: Ancient Origins of the Often Used Legend Part I, The Evidence is Cut in Stone: A Compelling Argument for Lost High Technology in Ancient Egypt, Caesars Savage Human Skewers Unearthed In German Fort. 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. By bringing together top experts and authors, this archaeology website explores lost civilizations, examines sacred writings, tours ancient places, investigates ancient discoveries and questions mysterious happenings. It's also why it's crucial we learn facts about Native Americans and. Why are we celebrating him? Published: October 7, 2021 8.23am EDT Updated: October 7, 2021 9.53am EDT. Columbus wanted to expand knowledge about the world and what more it consisted of by going across the ocean. Always trying. If Columbus had been an Englishman, or a Frenchman, would have they behaved in a different way? And, sure he was directly responsible for the enslavement, torture, mutilation, and murder of tens of thousands of Native American people in the Caribbean islands during his quest for riches. In any case, we know for a fact that Europeans traveled to America almost 500 years before Columbus. As Columbus might have quipped, One good turn deserves another. Okay, he never said that, but his writings prove that he would not have been opposed to it in the least. There are several reasons why Columbus Day has become controversial. He read books, studied the ocean, and made a name for himself. If we have a holiday honoring somebody, the question on everyones mind should be, Why are we honoring them? 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. And in general, we want to students to engage with controversy. Its 2020 people. He sailed to Iceland and Ireland in 1477, and to Madeira in 1478. Here are five reasons we should still celebrate Columbus Day. Indigenous Peoples' Day now replaces Columbus Day in 14 states, the District of Columbia and more than 130 communities. Columbus Day is a patriotic holiday. And to see that it is not the essence of Columbus, but rather part of the times. A genocide happened in "the Americas," and it began with Columbus. For privacy reasons, she has previously written on Ancient Origins under the pen name April Holloway, but is now choosing to use her real name, Joanna Gillan. It is on public record, that Columbus rewarded his soldiers by giving them Native Americans to rape. I think history teachers have a responsibility to prepare students to comment critically and participate critically in the discourse about who we are honoring, who we are celebrating, and how we are doing it. Sorry, there are no polls available at the moment. On October 12,1792was when it was first celebrated. Itd be ludicrous to say that Columbuswasnt guilty by association. Not just Europeans, but everyone. Retrieved from https://papersowl.com/examples/two-reasons-why-columbus-day-should-not-be-celebrated/. European settlers not only introduced new diseases to the Americas that wiped out scores of Indigenous people, but also warfare, colonization, enslavement, and torture. This has started to cause a change, and many cities within America have taken on a remuneration for the controversial holiday. And hes credited for marking the establishment of institutionalized slavery in the West Indies. First, lets just put aside the paradox of discovering a land that already had a population of indigenous people. This essay is available online and might have been used by another student. Why does learning about what Columbus did to Native Americans still matter today? It was still his idea to sail west, rather than east to hit the East Indies, right? Yet, despite all the gruesome sacrifice and slavery, some still wish to celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day. This movement sees Columbus as a symbol of destruction, and thus not to be celebrated. That is, South and Central America to be exact. Just bear in mind that the verb "colonize" and the terms "colony", and "colonial" derive from Columbus ("Colon", in Spanish spelling). A growing number of cities are no longer celebrating Columbus Day, swapping it for "Indigenous Peoples' Day.". According to, Columbus believed that he was playing a part in a divine plan to Christianize the world. This new day was first adopted in Berkeley, California in 1992. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. All islands I would love to visit on a single trip. With as simple of a description as that, one would wonder why so much controversy arises from a legal American holiday. Historical Figures Should Be Viewed in Light of Their Greatest Achievements, Not Their Worst Mistakes. The population of the Taino decreased by over two hundred thousand within sixty years. If it wasn't for Columbus, the motivation for exploration and expansion wouldn't have become a priority because nobody knew about the Americas. He is an inspiration to many young people. Yes, this guy didnt commit genocide. The main reason Columbus Day draws opposition is because of how the explorer's arrival to the New World affected Indigenous people. But as I grew older, it became clear that history is murky. Lets stop idolizing people in history who dont deserve it. Columbus should not be celebrated, let alone given a day. "Reason: he may have discovered America before Columbus; Columbus is now commonplace as . In his role, he writes about current political issues, U.S. history, political philosophy, and culture. Columbus Personified the American Spirit. Furthermore, Columbus continued to enslave Natives and abuse their nation, damage their environment, and their rights as humans. In addition to The Daily Citizen, his written pieces have appeared in The Daily Signal, Life News, The Colorado Independent, and The Millennial Review. 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. And maybe only one reason to celebrate. For the first time this year some calendars don't mention Columbus Day but says October 11 is Indigenous Peoples' Day. Contrary to popular belief, Columbus Day is a celebration of diversity, not oppression. This was a sign of things to come. Areas within Texas and California began celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day as a means of pointing the spotlight on the natives, rather than Columbus himself. Without him, the modern world would not be the way it is today. There were terrible diseases that got communicated to the natives, but he cant be blamed for that., 5. Sorry, Mr. The City Council recently voted to get rid of Columbus Day and replace it with Indigenous Peoples Day, commemorating indigenous, aboriginal and native people.. I remember learning about Columbus as a young child and I was in awe learning about the explorer. 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. It was President Franklin Delano Roosevelt that designated the second Monday of October (Columbus Day) as a national holiday in 1971. Zachary Mettler works as a staff writer and communications liaison for The Daily Citizen at Focus on the Family. 2. But you didnt discover a place that was already inhabited by a peaceful group of people. Reference list: Herman Lindquist, Christopher Columbus var han riktigt klok, Fischer, 1992. He brought with him a letter from King Ferdinand to the Taino-Arawak Indians. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, 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. History, in fact, is the story of conquest. or redistributed. Columbus set a precedent for exploration of the new world. Cambridge, MA 02138, Challenges? Thankfully, Columbus Day has morphed into Indigenous Peoples Day. So yeah, Christopher Columbus, upon closer inspection, is a terrible fellow to honor. Harvard Graduate School of Education While there is only limited knowledge of what pre-Columbus America was like, it did feature war, slavery, torture and plenty of brutality. (And yes, I also know many other discoverers have been posited through the ages. Columbus Day Should Not Be Celebrated. I'm Amy, "Ignore the propaganda and instead remember Christopher Columbus with gratitude and a clear conscience. 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. 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. Were theonlyPop Archaeology site combining scientific research with out-of-the-box perspectives. As Greek mythology goes, the universe was once a big soup of nothingness. (Not that the West solely had these ideas, but it put them in a package that wasnt generally available elsewhere.). Give me your paper requirements and I connect you to an academic expert. For if we celebrate Columbus, we are celebrating a racist genocide, massive land robbery, barbaric slavery, serial rape and systemic torture. Like Andrew Jackson, Christopher Columbus is a historical figure who is celebrated as a mythical hero. In an era where we are fighting for racial equality celebrating false heroes is detrimental to progress. In his free time, Mettler enjoys reading, running, hiking, backpacking, and walking his dog. We should honor George Washington, the Indispensable man, for his military bravado and skilled leadership as our first president, even though he owned slaves. It also became clear that there are many reasons not to celebrate Columbus Day. I want to make sure we do justice to indigenous folks. 1. America is celebrating. There are also theories that the Irish arrived far before the Vikings, and that the Chinese and Polynesians may also have also visited the Americas before Columbus. Throughout the history of civilization, the concept of the apocalypse has been ever present, in one way or another. Columbus Day means that finally, America was economically assimilated to Europe, in those times peopled by Western dominant civilizations. We need students to understand that Columbus is important, even if he isnt someone to be celebrated. Even if we ignore that, this one still depends on your definition of America. 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.
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