5 reasons why columbus day should not be celebrated

With as simple of a description as that, one would wonder why so much controversy arises from a legal American holiday. When Columbus first landed on American soil he was met by the Arawak native Americans. He was the catalyst that brought more explorers across the Atlantic, who would eventually begin to explore North America, but it is . The point is not to excuse the worst that happened, but to understand it. Now theres a deed worth celebrating every year! You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! This was due to the impression that Columbus was attempting to spread Catholic influence. But the fact of the matter is that he started the colonialism within North America, enslaved groups of people, and laid out the groundwork for others to do the same is damning. Here are three reasons we shouldn't celebrate Columbus Day, as a country. It also became clear that there are many reasons not to celebrate Columbus Day. Columbus Did Not Discover North America. Another reason why Columbus Day should not be celebrated is because it promotes a distorted view of history. 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. So, yes, in 1498 and 1502, he did reach the continental Americas. What is Indigenous Peoples Day? Is it offensive to celebrate Columbus Of course, I learned that everyone expected him to sail off the edge of a flat earth into space or sea monsters or something. He led the way for future colonists to settle the United States. Should Christopher Columbus Be Celebrated? - HISTORY CRUNCH There are many good reasons as to why Columbus Day is such a controversial holiday. Her Campus may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Every Columbus Day I am forcibly reminded of my hatred for Christopher Columbus. And yet he is given an American holiday for discovering AmericaYeah Ill wait for that to make sense. Their spears are made of cane. Columbus wanted to expand knowledge about the world and what more it consisted of by going across the ocean. Truth of Discovery Normally, the notion of discovery means encountering a place or an idea for the very first time.. So, there you have it; five reasons not to celebrate Columbus Day this year (or any other year). Contrary to popular belief, Columbus Day is a celebration of diversity, not oppression. (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! "Reason: he may have discovered America before Columbus; Columbus is now commonplace as . This movement sees Columbus as a symbol of destruction, and thus not to be celebrated. Columbus Day was supposed to recognize the greatness of all of America's people, but especially Italians and Native Americans. In his role, he writes about current political issues, U.S. history, political philosophy, and culture. 4. Its just that Columbus was the brave one to stake his claim to a land that did not belong to him. It is true that the conquest of the Americas by Europeans, which starts with Columbus, was very ugly, and involved a lot of violence. 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. Some schools, cities, and institutions, such as the. Why We Shouldn't Celebrate Columbus Day - Her Campus Columbus Day: Here's Why We Celebrate It | Time Trusted by over 1 million students worldwide. 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. As of September 2019, nine states (Alaska, Minnesota, Vermont, South Dakota, New Mexico, Oregon, Maine and Louisiana) have replaced Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples' Day. Certain states and localities have moved away from celebrating Christopher Columbus, and now celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day. And maybe only one reason to celebrate. What is the origin of the legend of the Christed Son who was born of a virgin on December 25th? We should celebrate Indigenous People's Day instead. Why Columbus Day isn't really a national holiday Should the United States Celebrate Columbus Day? 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. And to see that it is not the essence of Columbus, but rather part of the times. The United States and several Latin American countries celebrate Columbus Day to recognize Christopher Columbus striking land in the Americas and the mixing of European and Native American Cultures. 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. We need to set the record straight early on. 2. The Controversy Over Columbus Day Celebrations - ThoughtCo Retrieved from https://papersowl.com/examples/two-reasons-why-columbus-day-should-not-be-celebrated/. Though it was disputed for many years, there is conclusive evidence that Neanderthals bred with modern humans (Homo sapiens). Nevertheless, the first official Columbus Day happened in 1892, when President Harrison issued a proclamation for Americans to commemorate the day. He thereby claimed the lifetime pension for himself, cheating the rightful claimant out of both glory and a significant amount of money. We are a hopeful species. (BTW, you can find a list of over 40 of his articles here.). A Blazing Weapon: Unraveling the Mystery of Greek Fire. The attack on Columbus Day is a major facet of the cultural . 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. Since then, its spread across the nation with increasing speed, as more than 60 cities from Maine to Washington have supported the idea. I want to make sure we do justice to indigenous folks. Christopher Columbus, as it turned out, was responsible for widespread genocide; he permitted his men to rape, murder, mutilate and enslave indigenous people. Marist shows that even with all of the attacks on Columbus, 57 percent of Americans believe it's. Sure, Chris had been sailing since age 14. 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. If Columbus had been an Englishman, or a Frenchman, would have they behaved in a different way? The act moved Veterans Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day and the new Columbus Day holiday to Mondays. South Dakota was the first state to rename Columbus Day, in 1990, electing to go with Native Americans' Day. This new day was first adopted in Berkeley, California in 1992. 20 University Rd., 6th Floor And he was a talented astronomer and navigator. The Zinn Education Project also includes a bunch of primary sources related to Columbus, such as writings by Bartolom de La Casas. He asked for 3 more days, and if land was not sighted, the crew could do with him as they wished. As known by many, Columbus Day commemorates the discovery of the New World by none other than Christopher Columbus himself. When he was only 23. he had the idea of going to India, China and Japan. 8 Reasons to Hate Columbus Day - The Daily Dot Indigenous Peoples Day: Why it's replacing Columbus Day in many places. Turning points are powerful lenses through which students need to view our past. An angry mob decided to drag them. Chris wasnt a bad guy right? "Ignore the propaganda and instead remember Christopher Columbus with gratitude and a clear conscience. Throughout the history of civilization, the concept of the apocalypse has been ever present, in one way or another. Even though Eratosthenes (Greek mathematician living in Alexandria, Egypt, Columbus never discovered anything. The war against the Western heritage. In his free time, Mettler enjoys reading, running, hiking, backpacking, and walking his dog. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. But I think considering the fact that Columbus also enslaved a group of people who were otherwise peaceful to him should be noted. In response to the rebellion, Columbus ordered a brutal crackdown in which many natives were killed, and their dismembered bodies paraded through the streets. Why should we celebrate a man who promoted and distributed so much violence when we can celebrate and honor the history of Indigenous people? Yeah. 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 . So, there you have it; five reasons not to celebrate Columbus Day this year (or any other year). Columbus Day: Why We Shouldn't Celebrate It - MSU Reporter But as I got older and began learning more about the history of the Caribbean, the glossy veneer of ol Chris didnt hold up. For if we celebrate Columbus, we are celebrating a racist genocide, massive land robbery, barbaric slavery, serial rape and systemic torture. And those multiple viewpoints may help engage students who might feel otherwise unrepresented in a history class, such as females and students of color. 2023 PapersOwl.com - All rights reserved. "This historically problematic holiday Columbus never actually set foot on the continental U.S. has made an increasing number of people wince, given the enslavement and genocide of Native. In fact, there is proof that the Chinese, Greeks and Italians, all explored America before Columbus. And maybe only one reason to celebrate. Lastly, I would contend that historical figures should be honored by their great achievements, and not their mistakes or weaknesses. Always trying. Columbus Day is a patriotic holiday. The holiday is typically observed on the second Monday in October. Its 2020 people. A growing number of cities are no longer celebrating Columbus Day, swapping it for "Indigenous Peoples' Day.". I'm not the only Italian American on board with ditching the holiday. The population of the Taino decreased by over two hundred thousand within sixty years. In fact, the result of Columbuss voyages was mass, Columbus didnt do too well as a governor of these new lands. . We shouldn't be wasting our time on holidays that won't even. But, again, no mainland United States. 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. 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. The Andy Griffith Show Remains a Masterclass in Leadership and Life, Births in Japan Fall to Record Low Amid Catastrophic Population Decline, Foretelling Worlds Future. The natives were removed from their villages to work in gold mines and colonial plantations. I remember learning about Columbus as a young child and I was in awe learning about the explorer. If you dont like it, well kill you.) Besides that, there is ample evidence of Leif Erickson and his fellow Vikings landing in Newfoundland/Labrador around five centuries earlier. Top 5 Reasons NOT to Celebrate Columbus Day And 1 Reason To It involves grappling with multiple perspectives, a fundamental skill for historians. He and his crew were greeted with smiles, gifts and food. They would make fine servants. 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. On his second voyage, he landed at Hispaniola, Cuba, and Jamaica among others. To realize this dream, they split up. Columbus day is a controversial holiday, but one that should be celebrated. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. The Iliad can provide new insights on the role of motherhood among the ancient Greek gods, and by extension, amongst ancient mortal Greek women themselves. Columbus tortured and murdered many thousands of native peoples. It doesn't make sense for the United States to recognize this supposed Christian with ashow more content And while some people may seem content with the story as it stands, our view is that there existcountless mysteries, scientific anomalies and surprising artifacts thathave yet to be discovered and explained. Why Should Columbus Day Be Celebrated | Hearinnh Religion was heavily forced upon the Native American tribes, and the Europeans means of dealing with their obstacles run much more inhumane. Not if we cant celebrate Christopher Columbus. We need students to understand that Columbus is important, even if he isnt someone to be celebrated. The artefacts include cave paintings and ceramic art depicting animals, hunting expeditions and the daily lives of people who lived around the Serra da Capivara in Brazil for tens of thousands of years. Columbus should not be celebrated, let alone given a day. It requires looking at dominant narratives and counternarratives. The holiday celebrates . The City Council recently voted to get rid of Columbus Day and replace it with Indigenous Peoples Day, commemorating indigenous, aboriginal and native people.. 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. Columbus arrival is seen as the beginning of civilization in the Americas. Columbus Day, which is celebrated on the second Monday of October each year, has become a controversial subject for many people. To begin, some people think Columbus is a hero because he found America, which is not true. And Bart was left behind on the cutting room floor of history. So the discovery of the Western Hemisphere should go to Erickson, no? What Columbus did next was nothing less than shameful. There, the brothers should have been exposed to the adventures of another explorer: Leif Erickson. But that, for better or worse, is how history worked pretty much everywhere for thousands of years. By 1555, there were zero full-blooded natives left on the island. Pay the writer only for a finished, plagiarism-free essay that meets all your requirements. 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. Should the United States continue to celebrate Columbus Day? 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. We all own it. And the D.C. City Council recently approved a measure to abolish Columbus Day and replace it with Indigenous Peoples Day. But as far as I know, no U.S. landfall. 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. 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. Destiny is currently enrolled in Columbia University's MFA Writing program. Despite not finding any of the places that his favorite books described (places in China, India and Japan), he convinced himself that they were just around the corner. 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. Were theonlyPop Archaeology site combining scientific research with out-of-the-box perspectives. 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. Wrong, it was his younger brother Bartholomews. Columbus tried to build and has transformed the America we have today. Most of us can remember the day when Americans still seemed to like Christopher Columbus. St. Ursula and her eleven thousand virgins, native peoples lived in these places all along. 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. In any case, we know for a fact that Europeans traveled to America almost 500 years before Columbus. Why is he important? 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. PDF what is now Haiti. During this first trip to what Columbus thought was The con for Columbus Day written by Elliot Lassitter. Pondering putting an end to Columbus Day, and a look at what could Christopher Columbus is just one of those English adaptations someone felt was preferable to pronouncing a foreign sounding name. Columbus Day commemorates the landing of Columbus in the "New World" (on a small island off Florida) on October 12, 1492. 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. See how Columbus Day actually become a holiday and find out who celebrates it. Until the mid-1700s, Christopher Columbus was not widely known among most Americans. However, a circumspect understanding of history offers numerous reasons why Columbus should not only be celebrated, but . 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. Columbus Day is one of America s oldest holidays. Why We Shouldn't Celebrate Columbus Day Essay - Bartleby Thats a lesson for later. Most Americans didn't even know much about Columbus until Washington Irving yes, that Washington Irving wrote. In another case, some people think Columbus was a hero because he represents a leader who went far and beyond to find America. He never set foot on any part of the 50 United States. Columbus is often portrayed as a heroic figure who bravely discovered America, but this narrative ignores the fact that the Americas were already inhabited by millions of people before Columbus arrived. Reference list: Herman Lindquist, Christopher Columbus var han riktigt klok, Fischer, 1992. History, in fact, is the story of conquest. As a result, in 1934, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Columbus Day into law as a way to celebrate the hero who changed the world (Bragdon 12). 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. Alaska was second, in 2017, enacting Indigenous Peoples Day. According to a recent poll, 79% of college students support such a change. On his 1492 voyage, Chris landed on a number of islands including some in the Bahamas very close to mainland Florida. 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. Interests? The plan was to join up once theyd gotten the backing they needed. The White House is pushing National Coming Out Day as a way of changing the subject. Columbus Day is celebrated on the second Monday of October. While there is plenty to criticize about Columbus, and what followed his arrival, I think this movement is missing the point. Land was first spotted by Rodrigo de Triana, a lookout on the Pinta, and thereafter by its captain Martin Alonso Pinzo, who notified Columbus. Columbus was from a middle class family. But you didnt discover a place that was already inhabited by a peaceful group of people. For any subject. 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. One of the few facts Americans remember from history is "Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492 Even the Iroquoian peoples, located in present Northeast United States, often took slaves of other tribes. Why We Shouldn't Celebrate Columbus Day - 1191 Words - StudyMode Columbus killed a tremendous amount of people (genocide), and got away with it because of better equipment, men and control. Yet in the past few decades, something has changed. 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. The evil deeds of Columbus far outweigh the few accomplishments he achieved. He would cut off the hands of people living in what now is Haiti for not bringing him enough gold every three months. Mudlarker Finds Bronze Age Shoe on a UK Riverbank Dated 2,800 Years Old! And most of all, I was taught of his discovering America. Sure, he was addicted to opium, but a lot of people were at the time. For a long time, Columbus discovery of America was an universally celebrated event, both in Europe and America. 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. The New World was discovered within the same timeframe as when slave trade had begun to arise. Specifically, he is credited with being the first European explorer since the Vikings to explore the New World for Europeans. And its fundamentally important that they do so. Its Cristoforo Colombo. Howard Zinns A Peoples History of the United States includes horrific, detailed eyewitness accounts of how the Spanish explorers treated the Native Americans. In addition to The Daily Citizen, his written pieces have appeared in The Daily Signal, Life News, The Colorado Independent, and The Millennial Review. We seek to retell the story of our beginnings. Although it has been a tradition in the United States to recognize this day as a federal holiday for many years, whether Christopher Columbus' actions merit celebration is now being questioned, and rightly so . 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). You need to be able to deeply understand the profoundly problematic past of this great nation. We should honor George Washington, the Indispensable man, for his military bravado and skilled leadership as our first president, even though he owned slaves. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. The idea that Christopher Columbus discovered "The New World" is one of the great fallacies of history. Why I proudly celebrate Columbus Day | Washington Examiner And eventually hundreds of years of African slave trade but uhm, OK, fine, he was a monster. But in reality, Christopher Columbus is an American hero, and he should remain as such. 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. Well, the tough thing about labeling someone as good or bad is the definitions change with the times. It was President Franklin Delano Roosevelt that designated the second Monday of October (Columbus Day) as a national holiday in 1971. The Columbus controversy can also help students see that history is still applicable today. His father was a wool weaver, and cheese stand owner. He initiated a turning point in our history. Why we should celebrate "Indigenous Peoples' Day" instead of "Columbus So, enjoy the day off and celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day. Then they would sail away together to claim their riches. Had he have given up, the world would be drastically different today. Students need to grapple with these multiple perspectives in history and the not-so-pleasant aspects of our past. Which, of course, led to a demand for more slaves. According to, Columbus believed that he was playing a part in a divine plan to Christianize the world. Columbus was wrong of course, and needless to say, he didnt actually discover anything the Americas had already been inhabited for thousands of years. Columbuss men used native girls as young as nine or ten as their sex slaves. 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. First of all, Christopher Columbus isnt even his name. 5 Reasons Why It's Still OK To Celebrate Columbus Day - The Hayride Why celebrate Columbus Day? Here are a few reasons 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. Indigenous Peoples Day: Why it's replacing Columbus Day in many places

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