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. The disease that Columbus and his men brought to the New World were responsible for wiping out most of the population. John Smith, and William Bradford had many stories to tell during their explorations of the new world. ?>. My However, to tear down his statue or other statues that are government property is a felony and you should be arrested and charged with the crime. History, in fact, is the story of conquest. How could we look at this from a different perspective? We may not like it, but its our shared heritage. Columbus DayWhy Do We Celebrate It? or redistributed. Not only was Columbus not the discoverer of America, he was also a malicious, egotistical person. They didnt have GPS or any of the fancy technology that we have today. When the pendant expired, the Native American would have to continue bringing him gold. The exchange culturally between Europe and America started 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. 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. Bring them to the light, if you would. 2019 Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in Americasm. Whether or not you celebrate Columbus Day is your choice. PhDessay is an educational resource where over 1,000,000 free essays are Check out these 10 Reasons Why We Celebrate Columbus Day and you can decide for yourself as to if we should or shouldnt after reading them. 21 Royal Han Tombs Unearthed in China. Every year more and more cities and states recognize that a celebration of Columbus is offensive and historically inaccurate. On his first trip in 1492, Columbus encountered the indigenous Lucayan Tano/Arawak on Guanahani (todays San Salvador Island in the Bahamas). 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. While it isnt spotless, to pretend something didnt happen, or to degrade the forefathers who created our remarkable nation, is counterproductive and dangerous. The First Declaration of Indigenous Peoples Day had as its first action item "to observe October 12, the day of so-called 'discovery' of America, as an international day of solidarity with the indigenous peoples of the Americas.". 6. They found the only way to fully understand their present was to look back and remember their past. collected. People might think that they might have had easy sailing but actually it was just the opposite. 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. 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. He gave hope across the land in dark times. This indicated that the person didn't have to bring him anymore gold; at least for a while. The point is not to excuse the worst that happened, but to understand it. Turning points are powerful lenses through which students need to view our past. Columbus Day is one of America's oldest holidays. We should not be celebrating the genocide of Native people and teaching children in elementary school that Columbus is a good role model. America has more monuments to Columbus than any other nation in the world. We also ask the President to host an official yearly signing ceremony in celebration of Columbus Day, the Italian American community and the importance of the immigrant experience in the making of our great nation. A Traveling Gown With History Goes On Display, Christopher Columbus wasnt American! Across the USA you will find that there are more monuments dedicated to Columbus than anyone else. (Remember, they werent well versed in Spanish. Top 5 Reasons NOT to Celebrate Columbus Day And 1 Reason To History comes with an agenda. Available in a range of colours and styles for men, women, and everyone. All Rights Reserved. They were the original immigrants to the New World, and deserve their remembrance. 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. They imprison petty criminals while sacking the nation's economy. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. The "Indians had no immunity to the European diseases and they were easily communicable. Some of the monuments include the Statue of Liberty and a monument that is located in New York City that was created by one of the Italian brothers who also helped with carving the Lincoln Memorial. Personally, I am not such a fan of Columbus but I do have some respect for him for just his voyage. Columbus had taken credit for things that he didn't accomplish. One of the most remarkable is that of the so-called Spotted Lake in British Columbia, Canada. I just think hes been terribly maligned. Delaney points out that in the mans own writings and the writings of those who knew him, Columbus seems to be very much on the side of the Indians and even adopted the son of an American Indian he had befriended. Indians who weren't able to find gold, were punished by having their hands cut off. Some argue against celebrating Columbus as a historical figure due to the violence and . essay, Factors Contributing to Christopher Columbus' Voyage, Write Get expert help in mere Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. It's blatantly disrespectful to celebrate the start of colonialism and genocide. All scientific facts written in the Bible hundreds of years before man discovered them have been proven to be correct. Columbus Day, the second Monday in October, is a nationally recognized holiday. The Isle of Pines Mounds: A South Pacific Mystery Solved? What great leader doesnt make mistakes? 7 Child Monarchs from History and How They Changed the World, The Chilling Mystery of the Octavius Ghost Ship, What is a Wendigo? You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! . Instead, he saw some of the natives wearing gold jewelry and made it his life's mission to kill and enslave as many of them as possible to steal as much of it as possible. He had many qualities that seemed to be admirable and a lot of people were proud of him. (And yes, I also know many other discoverers have been posited through the ages. South Dakota was the first state to rename Columbus Day, in 1990, electing to go with Native Americans' Day. Sometimes I wonder if that is actually a good idea. The first Columbus Day was celebrated in 1792 in order to remember the historical landing's 300th anniversary. Columbus couldnt be killed without angering the Italian court, so Queen Isabella sent him on a mission, hoping he wouldnt return. Some of the states that dont celebrate Columbus Day include Oregon, Hawaii and Alaska. The origin of Columbus Day is questionable. Content Summary. 8. The purpose of his voyage was to find an all-water route to Asia. We could celebrate European American Cultural Exchange Day", not Columbus Day. Christopher Columbus is revered as the conqueror of the new world; but many people have a different view of his accomplishments. Celebrated in the U.S. on the second Monday in October, Columbus Day commemorates the discovery of the Western hemisphere by Christopher Columbus and the beginning of European colonization.. We should continue to celebrate Columbus Day and hold on to history. Well done to whoever put it there! He asked for 3 more days, and if land was not sighted, the crew could do with him as they wished. Paul reminds us in Romans 15, For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. Americans need to learn from our history. 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. If we blame Columbus and the Spanish kings, we should also blame every other invader and conqueror in History. Pedro (Peralonso) Alonso, Francisco, and Juan were integral to Columbuss voyages (other brother Bartolome was also a sailor). The second Monday in October is celebrated nationally as Columbus Day, which has been a federal holiday since 1937. However, despite his mistakes we owe him a lot for discovering the new world. It is a known fact that the vikings where actually the first to discover America but it was never recorded. When it comes to celebrating Indigenous Peoples' Day, I want to make sure we do justice to indigenous folks. Columbus Day means that finally, America was economically assimilated to Europe, in those times peopled by Western dominant civilizations. While there is only limited knowledge of what pre-Columbus America was like, it did feature war, slavery, torture and plenty of brutality. It is on public record, that Columbus rewarded his soldiers by giving them Native Americans to rape. The phrase that most people use as justification for Columbus Day is that He discovered America. This is only barely true, for a number of reasons. People are taught at a young age that Christopher Columbus was a hero when in fact. 5. But that, for better or worse, is how history worked pretty much everywhere for thousands of years. 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. And now Ill claim it for us! Natives were murdered for refusing to convert to Catholicism. It was mostly the people who came after, the settlers. Just as the country grapples with the meaning and problems of Confederate monuments, so too are schools, towns, and even whole states grappling with Columbus Day. Many are deciding to rename and refocus the holiday, choosing to call it Indigenous Peoples' Day to honor the people whose lives and cultures were irreparably damaged by the colonial conquest that the age of exploration ushered into being. Back in 1492, Columbus sailed across the Atlantic Ocean, where he stumbled upon the Americas and the people inhabiting its land, according to the Library of Congress (LOC) . October 10, 2014 4:43 PM EDT. uknow@gse.harvard.edu #america #mayflowersteps #plymouth #christophercolumbus #fucktrump, A post shared by Nige (@sabbathhex72) on Jul 31, 2018 at 10:01am PDT. Columbus was in the neighborhood of the Caribs, a violent people who captured and consumed other human beings. 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. We use cookies to give you the best experience possible. Martin Luther was another famous one who wasnt perfect but we still remember him for everything that he did. var wau_p = wau_p || []; wau_p.push(["fj82", "a5d63278", false]); Millions of people were already living in North America in 1492, and Columbus never set foot on our land. Every year on the second Monday of October, the United States celebrates Columbus Day. Columbus Day is a national holiday in the United States that celebrates the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Americas in 1492. But as I grew older, it became clear that history is murky. Legal Statement. Some people say that Columbus Day is the "beginning of cultural exchange between America and Europe (Article 4) but Columbus wasn't the only explorer to land in the New World. He did introduce Europe to the New World but he was not even the first person to land in the Americas, like the myths would have you believe (Article 3). The Italian navigator's three ships, sailing at the behest . Columbus Day represents not only the accomplishments and contributions of Italian Americans, but also the indelible spirit of risk, sacrifice and self- reliance of a great Italian icon that defines the United States of America. They also suffered with dehydration. #knowyourhistory #happyindigenouspeoplesday #thetruthshallsetyoufree #christophercolumbuslies #christophercolumbusisamurderandterrorist @repostapp, A post shared by Chantal Lorenzo (@poetic_justice80) on Oct 10, 2016 at 7:11am PDT. His first impression of the Arawaks, one of the first peoples he encountered, was . Not just Europeans, but everyone. Columbus arrival is seen as the beginning of civilization in the Americas. The day celebrates a fictionalized and sanitized version of colonialism, whitewashing generations of brutality that many Europeans brought to these shores. It also became clear that there are many reasons not to celebrate Columbus Day. The Natives were here first and so it should be Happy Indigenous People Day! But many would be killed if they did not accept Christ, even if they didnt understand what the Spanish were explaining to them. Please follow him or give him some claps please be sure thats in the plural if you enjoyed this. Observing Columbus Day started back in the 18th century. By 1516, there were 12,000. Breaking News: Worlds Oldest Runestone Discovered in Norway! In his diary, he mentioned gold 75 times just in the first two weeks, alone (Katz 13). Columbus Day honors a cruel, greedy man who killed hundreds of innocent people. The Mysterious Man from Taured Evidence for a Parallel Universe? Columbus heard stories of them on his first voyage and bumped into them on his second. [PDF] Should We Celebrate Columbus Day? Yet, many continue to believe that America owes its discovery to Christopher Columbus. And, while we celebrate Columbus Day, we can learn from history and also take time to honor Native Americans. The Feast of Epiphany: Who Were The Three Kings and Where Did They Come From? He did reach the coasts of what today are Cuba, Haiti and the Dominican Republic, as well as . And maybe only one reason to celebrate. This new day was first adopted in Berkeley, California in 1992. He could have just stayed at his location and let many questions go unanswered. Who Are the Yazidis and Why Have They Been Continually Persecuted? So the discovery of the Western Hemisphere should go to Erickson, no? Why is this? One of the best parts of our humanity is that sense of discovery. Should columbus day be celebrated Rating: 6,1/10 1199 reviews. I certainly agree that the violence and disease that followed Columbus' voyages was disturbing. He would have peoples ears and noses cut off as punishments. The One Night House: Squatters from Welsh Folklore, Mother and Child Reunion Of Thetis And Achilles, Seductive Sirens of Greek Mythology and How Heroes Resisted Them, Celestial Goddess Selene: The Ancient Greek Goddess of the Moon, Pegasus of Greek Mythology: Majestic Winged Horse of Mount Olympus, Dreams of Human-Powered Flight: Daedalus and the Story of Icarus, European Monarchies Pay Their Respects at the Funeral of Greece's Last King, 7 of The Most Skilled Sword Fighters in History, Roland the Farter: Medieval Englands Celebrity Flatulist. and terrible, however, we cannot forget that violence went both ways and that is how history has sadly, largely worked for thousands of years. 10 minutes with: Explore how the human body functions as one unit in harmony in order to life //= $post_title "Endless testimonies.prove the mild and pacific temperament of the natives. He would cut off the hands of people living in what now is Haiti for not bringing him enough gold every three months. We should be honoring culture that was lost all and the native people that died the instead of the man who killed them. Very trying! sums it up for Daniel, creator of Stories Guaranteed to Make You Sick, Dr. Crankenfuss books, Moose Jokes, & now Practically News. Alaska was second, in 2017, enacting Indigenous Peoples Day. Wed rather celebrate indigenous peoples, the original, real natives of America. 2. It has since not only become a patriotic American holiday, but also one that is celebrated as a day of pride and heritage by Italian-Americans, as Columbus' ancestry was Italian. . 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. They continued to sail regardless that most of them were sick, were faced with extreme exhaustion and famine. Columbus Day is one of America s oldest holidays. 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And states recognize that a celebration of Columbus is a good idea shared heritage should also every. And the Spanish kings, we should not be celebrating the genocide of Native people and teaching children in school! As a historical figure due to the violence and disease that followed &. A cruel, greedy man who killed hundreds of years present was look! The Yazidis and Why have they been Continually Persecuted celebrated nationally as Day! Questions go unanswered their hands cut off the hands of people were proud of him to America. On public record, that Columbus rewarded his soldiers by giving them Native to... Points are powerful lenses through which students need to view our past hands of people living in now... Is one of the new world, and Juan were integral to Columbuss voyages ( brother. I do have some respect for him for just his voyage was to find gold were... Was first adopted in Berkeley, California in 1992 Italy in Americasm 1 Reason to history comes an. 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12 reasons why we should celebrate columbus day