5 reasons why columbus day should not be celebrated

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. 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 need to own it. by sailing west. He would have peoples ears and noses cut off as punishments. 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. St. Ursula and her eleven thousand virgins, native peoples lived in these places all along. As Greek mythology goes, the universe was once a big soup of nothingness. Mettler earned his Bachelors degree from William Jessup University and is an alumnus of the Young Leaders Program at The Heritage Foundation. Columbus inspired countless other explorers, both of his time and of modern time, to explore and make discoveries. Columbus is also well known as a great explorer, and not the man he truly is, who hurt people in order for things to go his way and for him to get what he wants, which was power., Two Reasons Why Columbus Day Should Not be Celebrated. 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. Its just that Columbus was the brave one to stake his claim to a land that did not belong to him. Both in an effort to secure funding for their expedition. The attack on Columbus Day is a major facet of the cultural . Why would an academic system praise someone who was so blatantly evil? A recent Marist Poll shows why: Those campaigning against Columbus Day are in the minority. Columbus went to live in Portugal. Until his dying day Columbus maintained that the land he had discovered was Asia and not a new continent. Columbus was a brilliant man in his own right. At times, they would make an example of a Native by cutting his hands off and tying them around his neck, then telling him to go and 'share the message' with the rest of his tribe. Is Columbus' tomb in the Dominican Republic or Seville? 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. One of the best parts of our humanity is that sense of discovery. Columbus Personified the American Spirit Columbus was a brilliant man in his own right. Columbus day is a controversial holiday, but one that should be celebrated. In fact, that might have been a good neighbor, whereas today That neighbor would find themselves in jail. Who Destroyed the Great Library of Alexandria? "Ignore the propaganda and instead remember Christopher Columbus with gratitude and a clear conscience. The natives were removed from their villages to work in gold mines and colonial plantations. A new intersectional publication, geared towards voices, values, and identities! And its fundamentally important that they do so. Columbus was wrong of course, and needless to say, he didnt actually discover anything the Americas had already been inhabited for thousands of years. Two Reasons why Columbus Day should not be Celebrated, This example was written and submitted by a fellow student. Columbuss Native American slave trade morphed into the African slave trade by the mid-16th century. He led the way for future colonists to settle the United States. For if we celebrate Columbus, we are celebrating a racist genocide, massive land robbery, barbaric slavery, serial rape and systemic torture. Columbus and St. Croix He was turned down from the Portuguese crown, Genoa crown, Venice crown, and English crown. Retrieved from https://papersowl.com/examples/two-reasons-why-columbus-day-should-not-be-celebrated/. And thanks for reading this. Although many people have adopted Columbus day as "Indigenous People's Day," many people will not agree that we should also have a holiday . According to, Columbus believed that he was playing a part in a divine plan to Christianize the world. That is, South and Central America to be exact. But as I grew older, it became clear that history is murky. It is on public record, that Columbus rewarded his soldiers by giving them Native Americans to rape. Sure, he was addicted to opium, but a lot of people were at the time. All islands I would love to visit on a single trip. Christopher Columbus is just one of those English adaptations someone felt was preferable to pronouncing a foreign sounding name. Italian heritage. Columbus Day is one of America s oldest holidays. It not only invalidates the legitimacy of the natives people claim to their land but also projects the notion that the natives arent people at all. Not if we cant celebrate Christopher Columbus. Lets look at Columbus himself, to see if he meets the definition. Usable Knowledge 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. And hes credited for marking the establishment of institutionalized slavery in the West Indies. This follows both Minneapolis and Seattle, which adopted the new. Many believe that they sailed even further south, maybe as far as New Brunswick. Columbus was taking advantage of opportunities to find goods by getting the help of slaves. Columbus wanted to expand knowledge about the world and what more it consisted of by going across the ocean. How could we look at this from a different perspective? It is true that the conquest of the Americas by Europeans, which starts with Columbus, was very ugly, and involved a lot of violence. Though he didnt discover America, he was the person to show the rest of the developed world that there was more far away lands. There are still people who believe Christopher Columbus found America and that what he did was harmless because he was being a man of his time. Europe, Asia and Africa, of course, suffered through numerous plagues of their own.). 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. Its 2020 people. The White House is pushing National Coming Out Day as a way of changing the subject. Columbus Day means that finally, America was economically assimilated to Europe, in those times peopled by Western dominant civilizations. 1. He even made his crew swear an oath that Cuba was not an island but indeed the mainland of Asia, and that China could be reached overland from there. Even the Iroquoian peoples, located in present Northeast United States, often took slaves of other tribes. Monday marks Columbus Day, in honor of Christopher Columbus but not all will be celebrating the Italian explorer. And to see that it is not the essence of Columbus, but rather part of the times. As known by many, Columbus Day commemorates the discovery of the New World by none other than Christopher Columbus himself. Without him, the modern world would not be the way it is today. If we blame Columbus and the Spanish kings, we should also blame every other invader and conqueror in History. Very trying! sums it up for Daniel, creator of Stories Guaranteed to Make You Sick, Dr. Crankenfuss books, Moose Jokes, & now Practically News. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. If I sailed to Italy and said that I discovered this land in the name of Rowan University it wouldnt fly right? 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. Furthermore, Columbus continued to enslave Natives and abuse their nation, damage their environment, and their rights as humans. He asked for 3 more days, and if land was not sighted, the crew could do with him as they wished. Within a few decades, only a few hundred of an original native population of 300,000 remained. Trusted by over 1 million students worldwide. And eventually hundreds of years of African slave trade but uhm, OK, fine, he was a monster. 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. 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. Large Increase in U.S. The opposition towards Christopher Columbus did not commence in todays society, or even the 21st century. Every Columbus Day I am forcibly reminded of my hatred for Christopher Columbus. However, because Columbus brought disasters to the Native Americans, many people opposed the Columbus celebrations. (He did follow his big brother to the Caribbean two years later.). The main reason Columbus Day draws opposition is because of how the explorer's arrival to the New World affected Indigenous people. After you read both, let us know what you think by posting a comment. He decimated the native population. 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. With fifty men we could subjugate them all and make them do whatever we want.. 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. 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. This has started to cause a change, and many cities within America have taken on a remuneration for the controversial holiday. Here are three reasons we shouldn't celebrate Columbus Day, as a country. This criticism had quickly faded over time, and was replaced by a more pressing issue; the improper treatment towards indigenous people. I want to make sure we do justice to indigenous folks. Here are five reasons we should still celebrate Columbus Day. Hence, the inducement cited above.). Columbus set a precedent for exploration of the new world. Columbus Day, which is celebrated on the second Monday of October each year, has become a controversial subject for many people. Lets stop idolizing people in history who dont deserve it. 97 students ordered this very topic and got So, no, Columbus did not discover the New World.. Why is he important? Below are five reasons why Columbus Day celebrants can hold their head high in 2019 rather than kowtow to guilt-based politics. In an era where we are fighting for racial equality celebrating false heroes is detrimental to progress. October 11, 2021 5:00 am. 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. Why We Do Not Celebrate Columbus Day. The point is not to excuse the worst that happened, but to understand it. 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. It requires looking at dominant narratives and counternarratives. Of course, I learned that everyone expected him to sail off the edge of a flat earth into space or sea monsters or something. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Most of us can remember the day when Americans still seemed to like Christopher Columbus. Make sure your essay is plagiarism-free or hire a writer to get a unique paper crafted to your needs. (Remember, they werent well versed in Spanish. Thousands of the Taino, or Indians as Columbus had referred to them, were shipped out to be traded internationally. Columbus didnt know shit about geography! Along and through History, conquerors have had violent behaviour. Since August, eight cities have replaced Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples' Day, including several in just the last week. 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. Their spears are made of cane. That's my nephew, Trinidad, reveling in the joys of Caribbean sailing somewhere between St. Croix and Buck Island aboard Teroro II. Its Cristoforo Colombo. Chris wasnt a bad guy right? In another case, some people think Columbus was a hero because he represents a leader who went far and beyond to find America. And yet he is given an American holiday for discovering AmericaYeah Ill wait for that to make sense. Yet, many continue to believe that America owes its discovery to Christopher Columbus. 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. Between 1482 and 1485 Columbus traded along the Guinea and Gold coasts of tropical West Africa and made at least one voyage to Elmina, Ghana. After all of this, he made four transatlantic voyages to the new world beginning with his first famed voyage in 1492. (Only 23 states give their workers a paid day off to celebrate it, according to a 2013 Pew poll). Without Columbus, the age of exploration wouldnt have been inspired in the way that it was, and has a vital place in American history. He sailed to Iceland and Ireland in 1477, and to Madeira in 1478. His first impression of the Arawaks, one of the first peoples he encountered, was . Sorry, there are no polls available at the moment. Herman Lindquist, Christopher Columbus var han riktigt klok, Fischer, 1992, Captivating History, Christopher Columbus: A Captivating Guide to the Life of an Italian Explorer and His Voyages to the Americas, Captivating History, 2020, Encyclopdia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Christopher-Columbus. 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 City Council recently voted to get rid of Columbus Day and replace it with Indigenous Peoples Day, commemorating indigenous, aboriginal and native people.. The tradition of observing Columbus Day dates back to the 18th century. 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. Students need to grapple with these multiple perspectives in history and the not-so-pleasant aspects of our past. Indeed, the promise of the West has delivered freedom and bounty such as humanity has never known. 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. This claim has been proven recently as Viking Leif Ericksson was the first European to discover the New World, about 500 years prior to Columbus' famous journey. Historical knowledge can help students create an argument to answer those questions. And most of all, I was taught of his discovering America. In response to the rebellion, Columbus ordered a brutal crackdown in which many natives were killed, and their dismembered bodies paraded through the streets. It also became clear that there are many reasons not to celebrate Columbus Day. And if you can, take some time to learn more about all the diversity that makes the Caribbean great. (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. Columbus Day was a solution to a problem that most people didn't know existed. Don't know where to start? Howard Zinns A Peoples History of the United States includes horrific, detailed eyewitness accounts of how the Spanish explorers treated the Native Americans. "Reason: he may have discovered America before Columbus; Columbus is now commonplace as . Columbus day represents an exploration that lead to many discoveries and examples of leadership and control. First of all, Christopher Columbus isnt even his name. 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. 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. Within the Italian community, Columbus Day symbolizes the legacy of their ancestors who immigrated to America, overcame poverty, language barriers, and above all, discrimination. To get a custom and plagiarism-free essay. Back in 1492, Columbus sailed across the Atlantic Ocean, where he. In fact, the result of Columbuss voyages was mass, Columbus didnt do too well as a governor of these new lands. Interests? Sure, Chris had been sailing since age 14. So, there you have it; five reasons not to celebrate Columbus Day this year (or any other year). Were theonlyPop Archaeology site combining scientific research with out-of-the-box perspectives. Dominant narratives tend to speak about heroes in a simple sense; counternarratives can be much more critical. Another reason why Columbus Day should not be celebrated is because it promotes a distorted view of history. 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. If the world was round, this was possible, he thought. He initiated a turning point in our history. In fact, there is proof that the Chinese, Greeks and Italians, all explored America before Columbus. This conflict between reality and fiction is what makes Columbus Day one of the most controversial holidays in America. He read books, studied the ocean, and made a name for himself. The point is not to excuse the worst that happened, but to understand it. Though it has its controversies, Columbus day should be celebrated. She is a national writer at Her Campus and the former editor-in-chief of Her Campus Rowan. 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. The holiday celebrates . We need students to understand that Columbus is important, even if he isnt someone to 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? Medieval Sea Monster Was Likely a Whale, New Research Reveals, What is Shambhala? There are many good reasons as to why Columbus Day is such a controversial holiday. Poll shows most Americans want to celebrate Columbus Day. Last updated by Patrick Bennett on 10/02/2021. Hoping to bring fresh perspectives to topics like race & politics, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0. Turning points are powerful lenses through which students need to view our past. First, lets just put aside the paradox of discovering a land that already had a population of indigenous people. The Knights of Columbus lobbied state legislatures to legalize the holiday. Market data provided by Factset. Thats a lesson for later. It consisted mostly of about 12,000 public school students grouped into 20 regiments, each commanded by a principal. 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. Legal Statement. Yes, this guy didnt commit genocide. And maybe only one reason to celebrate. A Blazing Weapon: Unraveling the Mystery of Greek Fire. 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. We shouldn't be wasting our time on holidays that won't even. Get in touch! We may not like it, but its our shared heritage. As part of this plan, Spaniards aimed to convert native peoples to Christianity. Specifically, he is credited with being the first European explorer since the Vikings to explore the New World for Europeans. 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. 2023 President and Fellows of Harvard College, Who do we celebrate, and why? Give us your paper requirements, choose a writer and well deliver the highest-quality essay! And Washington, D.C., this week renamed the holiday, pending congressional approval. All rights reserved. Our writers will help you fix any mistakes and get an A+! Hi! Cambridge, MA 02138, Challenges? Its the responsibility of our school system to talk about Columbus as part of our work to prepare students to be citizens. Areas within Texas and California began celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day as a means of pointing the spotlight on the natives, rather than Columbus himself. He thereby claimed the lifetime pension for himself, cheating the rightful claimant out of both glory and a significant amount of money. (You may want to add this into the equation.). Many of those enslaved would die, and were then easily replaced by some brought from the Bahamas. It also became clear that there are many reasons not to celebrate Columbus Day. I doubt it. Now theres a deed worth celebrating every year! You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! We need students to understand that Columbus is important, even if he isnt someone to be celebrated. But our work was to exasperate, ravage, kill, mangle and destroy; small wonder," -Bartolome Las Casas, 1527. 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. Americans have the right to celebrate whatever they chose, but the history behind Columbus Day is not to be ignored. Americans, for all our faults, love adventure. Since then, it's spread across the. Columbus Day was invented by the Knights of Columbus in the 1930s when they were looking for a role model for school age children. That alone is worth celebrating.". Pre-Columbian civilizations from Mexico to Peru were nearly all responsible for brutal violence on a large scale long before Columbus arrived on the shores of the New World including human sacrifices, even of children, sometimes by tearing out the victims still-beating heart.. In his free time, Mettler enjoys reading, running, hiking, backpacking, and walking his dog. Columbus stood to gain significant wealth and power from his voyage, terms he negotiated with King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain. By 1555, there were zero full-blooded natives left on the island. Despite the time that has passed, Columbus Day still remains a subject that most people would rather not think about. There are many examples in his writings where he gave instructions to this effect. . And now Ill claim it for us! He finally ended up getting a sponsorship with the Spanish crown, and was off to explore the world. If it wasn't for Columbus, the motivation for exploration and expansion wouldn't have become a priority because nobody knew about the Americas. But heres the kicker. We dont want to expose young kids to graphic accounts of brutal treatment of Native Americans, but I think you want them to begin to question: What did this person do? Top 5 Reasons NOT to Celebrate Columbus Day And 1 Reason To History comes with an agenda. Spanish conquistadors couldn't believe their eyes while exploring the rugged terrain of the Andes during their invasion of Peru. A growing number of cities are no longer celebrating Columbus Day, swapping it for "Indigenous Peoples' Day.". Diseases were spread and were not able to be resisted by the sick slaves. 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. Market data provided by Factset. When I got to high school and learned the truth about Columbus I felt betrayed. Columbus tried to build and has transformed the America we have today. We seek to retell the story of our beginnings. Today's woke perspective condemns Columbus Day as an unworthy holiday. So yeah, Christopher Columbus, upon closer inspection, is a terrible fellow to honor. The holiday is typically observed on the second Monday in October. 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. 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. These books have fueled the trends I mentioned around Columbus Day. Here are my main reasons why I refuse to celebrate Columbus Day: 1. Ancient Origins 2013 - 2023Disclaimer- Terms of Publication - Privacy Policy & Cookies - Advertising Policy -Submissions - We Give Back - Contact us. CONTACT US: I believe thats the tact to take when looking at Chris. Of course, Christopher Columbus was Italian, and his day . 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. However, a circumspect understanding of history offers numerous reasons why Columbus should not only be celebrated, but . About the author: Daniel Berenson contributes to Medium now and then in this case now with original and unique views on such things as squirrels, politics, fairy tales, history, and Spanish telenovelas. This was due to the impression that Columbus was attempting to spread Catholic influence. Or Napoleon Bonaparte Day, for that matter. Marist shows that even with all of the attacks on Columbus, 57 percent of Americans believe it's. 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. 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. The first reason for why Christopher Columbus should not be celebrated is because he committed mass genocide against the Native Americans. While there is only limited knowledge of what pre-Columbus America was like, it did feature war, slavery, torture and plenty of brutality.

Ehf Selects Hockey, Articles OTHER