5 reasons why columbus day should not be celebrated

While we are thankful for this land we call America, it . His father was a wool weaver, and cheese stand owner. Though flawed, Columbus was a great man with an adventurous spirit, sailing the seas to prepare to establish a new world. In short, today is Christopher Columbus Day, and we should all celebrate that. (And yes, I also know many other discoverers have been posited through the ages. But as I grew older, it became clear that history is murky. Historical knowledge can help students create an argument to answer those questions. Both in an effort to secure funding for their expedition. The population of the Taino decreased by over two hundred thousand within sixty years. Personally, I dont think we should celebrate Columbus Day. Now that the truth is becoming more widely known, people are pressuring their communities to stop celebrating Columbus Day. But heres the kicker. Even though Eratosthenes (Greek mathematician living in Alexandria, Egypt, Columbus never discovered anything. April Holloway is a Co-Owner, Editor and Writer of Ancient Origins. "Ignore the propaganda and instead remember Christopher Columbus with gratitude and a clear conscience. Had he have given up, the world would be drastically different today. 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. Because of his voyages to America, other great explorers ventured across the Atlantic and in under one hundred years, settled the new world. Columbus should not be celebrated, let alone given a day. They were the original immigrants to the New World, and deserve their remembrance. Columbus day is a national holiday that many countries (not all) in the USA celebrate to mark the anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas on October 12, 1492. In his role, he writes about current political issues, U.S. history, political philosophy, and culture. Here Are Some Reasons Why. Italian heritage. "It's difficult to think there exists a site anywhere with a higher concentration of cave art.". This is the Monster Celebrated on Columbus Day, The American Holocaust: Columbus and the Conquest of the New World, Multicultural View of Christopher Columbus Story, The Rise of Sexual Assault in the Military. He thereby claimed the lifetime pension for himself, cheating the rightful claimant out of both glory and a significant amount of money. The main reason some Leftists dont want to celebrate Christopher Columbus is because his actions supposedly led to the genocide of Native American peoples. 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. It involves really unpacking the past, looking for complications, and making a deep exploration into the people that made history happen, rather than just looking for a glossy overview. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. 1. 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. Alaska is said not to celebrate the day because it falls too close to Alaska Day (Oct . The White House is pushing National Coming Out Day as a way of changing the subject. Ironically, the District of Columbia is named after, you guessed it, Christopher Columbus. I discovered America. Columbus set a precedent for exploration of the new world. Posted by Zachary Mettler | Oct 14, 2019 | Opinion. Columbus stood to gain significant wealth and power from his voyage, terms he negotiated with King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain. By REAGAN ESCUD SCOTT / Monday, October 10, 2022. But many would be killed if they did not accept Christ, even if they didnt understand what the Spanish were explaining to them. Hence, the inducement cited above.). Without Columbus, the age of exploration wouldnt have been inspired in the way that it was, and has a vital place in American history. 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. He and his crew were greeted with smiles, gifts and food. Columbus Day should be celebrated because Columbus had done a lot to get to the point of sailing. 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 Columbus is Off Limits to Celebrate, so are Indigenous Peoples. 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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. Columbus couldnt be killed without angering the Italian court, so Queen Isabella sent him on a mission, hoping he wouldnt return. Columbuss actions arent taken into consideration as much as they should be. Reference list: Herman Lindquist, Christopher Columbus var han riktigt klok, Fischer, 1992. The Knights of Columbus lobbied state legislatures to legalize the holiday. While Columbus Day is not a widely celebrated holiday, the question of whether or not to celebrate it are definitely up for discussion. In this 2014 piece, " Columbus Day, or 'Indigenous Peoples' Day'? Pondering putting an end to Columbus Day, and a look at what could To begin, some people think Columbus is a hero because he found America, which is not true. 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. 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. 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. 5 Reasons Not to Celebrate Columbus Day | by Dave | An Injustice! - Medium The holiday celebrates . SHOULD CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS BE CELEBRATED? Dominant narratives tend to speak about heroes in a simple sense; counternarratives can be much more critical. So, there you have it; five reasons not to celebrate Columbus Day this year (or any other year). If we need a national holiday for the second Monday in October, lets at least honor an AMERICAN who hasnt been shown to be the prime mover in the torture/death/destruction of so many people. Many people believe that Columbus Day should not be a federal holiday because Christopher Columbus was a terrible person. Why Should Columbus Day Be Celebrated | Hearinnh "To date, these are the oldest traces of human existence in the Americas," said archaeologist Niede Guidon who has headed a mission to carry out large-scale excavation of Piaui's interior since the 1970's. It also became clear that there are many reasons not to celebrate Columbus Day. Retrieved from https://papersowl.com/examples/two-reasons-why-columbus-day-should-not-be-celebrated/. 2023 President and Fellows of Harvard College, Who do we celebrate, and why? So, there you have it; five reasons not to celebrate Columbus Day this year (or any other year). The pro for Columbus Day written by John Wirt. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Its just that Columbus was the brave one to stake his claim to a land that did not belong to him. We need students to understand that Columbus is important, even if he isnt someone to be celebrated. matter in the end. Columbus wanted to expand knowledge about the world and what more it consisted of by going across the ocean. Equipping students to grapple with the complexities of the past and the controversies of today, By grappling with the question of who we celebrate, and why, history teachers can help students navigate the complexities of the past, Resurfacing the lessons of Ferguson, which continue to resonate today, From Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples Day, Theres definitely a trend toward questioning Columbus Day. Three other states New Mexico, Maine, Vermont followed suit this year. Cathedrals are some of the most awe-inspiring structures in the world, with their grandeur and intricate details captivating visitors for centuries. And its fundamentally important that they do so. CONTACT US: But as far as I know, no U.S. landfall. Of course, Christopher Columbus was Italian, and his day . And, while we celebrate Columbus Day, we can learn from history and also take time to honor Native Americans. 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. We may not like it, but its our shared heritage. (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! For if we celebrate Columbus, we are celebrating a racist genocide, massive land robbery, barbaric slavery, serial rape and systemic torture. In 1927, Chicago's outer drive, connecting the city's North and South Sides, was renamed for Leif. This kept them from planting crops, leading to widespread starvation. Market data provided by Factset. And maybe only one reason to celebrate. This movement sees Columbus as a symbol of destruction, and thus not to be celebrated. Columbus Day's only silver lining may be found at historically significant sites throughout the Caribbean that connect us to history. Nefer Say Nefer - Was Nefertiti Buried in the Valley of the Queens? Or better yet, follow him. Every Columbus Day I am forcibly reminded of my hatred for Christopher Columbus. 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. . For example, a neighbor taking a stick and beating your child as some kind of punishment might have been perfectly fine at one time. Christopher Columbus (1451-1506) is generally considered to be a great explorer during the Age of Exploration . 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. A main argument for the idealization of the 15th century explorer is the idea that he was the first European to discover the Americas. This is where many of the peaceful natives were met with brutal deaths onboard, whether it be from disease or mistreatment from the handlers. Always trying. However, it was his brother, the cartographers idea to sail West. 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. These books have fueled the trends I mentioned around Columbus Day. Yet, many continue to believe that America owes its discovery to Christopher Columbus. Another reason why Columbus Day should not be celebrated is because it promotes a distorted view of history. These Natives are so nice, wed be crazy not to enslave them is one contentious quote by Christopher Columbus. I think there is a ton of potential in celebrating an Indigenous Peoples' Day, but what that is, what it looks like we need to start with asking indigenous folks to define it. But that, for better or worse, is how history worked pretty much everywhere for thousands of years. Specifically, he is credited with being the first European explorer since the Vikings to explore the New World for Europeans. Even if we ignore that, this one still depends on your definition of America. He decided at an early age that this was not the life for him. Until his dying day Columbus maintained that the land he had discovered was Asia and not a new continent. 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. 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. How Columbus Sailed Into U.S. History, Thanks To Italians Give me your paper requirements and I connect you to an academic expert. Consider how the first Columbus Day parade in New York was described in the newspapers. Even after spending his whole career exploring the Caribbean, Columbus never at any point thought he had landed anywhere other than his intended destination, Asia. The City Council recently voted to get rid of Columbus Day and replace it with Indigenous Peoples Day, commemorating indigenous, aboriginal and native people.. Read more TOM GRALISH / Staff Photographer by Staff Reports 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? 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. Columbus may have recorded that he "found" America, but he was a. mass murderer. Should Columbus Day Be Replaced With Indigenous Peoples Day? Zachary Mettler works as a staff writer and communications liaison for The Daily Citizen at Focus on the Family. 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. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! What are some Facts about Christopher Columbus? Should Christopher Columbus Be Celebrated? - HISTORY CRUNCH Not just Europeans, but everyone. So, enjoy the day off and celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day. 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. ). But its not recognized in Los Angeles, where I live. The Left Hates Christopher Columbus. Here are Five Reasons Why We Please follow him or give him some claps please be sure thats in the plural if you enjoyed this. After you read both, let us know what you think by posting a comment. To get a custom and plagiarism-free essay. There are many examples in his writings where he gave instructions to this effect. 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. He was turned down from the Portuguese crown, Genoa crown, Venice crown, and English crown. Turning points are powerful lenses through which students need to view our past. 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. 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. What Does Columbus Day Mean for Hispanics? 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. (He did follow his big brother to the Caribbean two years later.). This conflict between reality and fiction is what makes Columbus Day one of the most controversial holidays in America. Why celebrate Columbus Day? Here are a few reasons On his 1492 voyage, Chris landed on a number of islands including some in the Bahamas very close to mainland Florida. Destiny is currently enrolled in Columbia University's MFA Writing program. The initial recorded Columbus Day celebration in the United States was on October 12, 1792. Columbus Day Should Not Be Celebrated. Its the responsibility of our school system to talk about Columbus as part of our work to prepare students to be citizens. 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. 5 Reasons Why It's Still OK To Celebrate Columbus Day - The Hayride Columbus never stepped foot on North American soil. According to a census taken by Columbus' men, in 1496 there were more than 1 million natives on the island of Haiti. Columbus was taking advantage of opportunities to find goods by getting the help of slaves. Columbus tortured and murdered many thousands of native peoples. For any subject. It neednt be a battleground, but a chance to celebrate the best within us. Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492. Make sure your essay is plagiarism-free or hire a writer to get a unique paper crafted to your needs. Chris went to Spain and Bart to France. Why We Celebrate Columbus Day | National Review Thousands of the Taino, or Indians as Columbus had referred to them, were shipped out to be traded internationally. In the early morning hours of the third day on October 12, the lookout . Why Should We Celebrate Columbus Day Essay - 1065 Words | Cram by sailing west. Who Destroyed the Great Library of Alexandria? Why Are We Still Celebrating Columbus Day? | Study.com There were terrible diseases that got communicated to the natives, but he cant be blamed for that., 5. Columbus inspired countless other explorers, both of his time and of modern time, to explore and make discoveries. 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. And Im not one to turn down a national holiday for a day off work! 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 . Columbus Day, the second Monday in October, is a nationally recognized holiday. Columbuss men also killed off slaves whenever needed. I want to make sure we do justice to indigenous folks. . 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. Today's woke perspective condemns Columbus Day as an unworthy holiday. Columbus wanted to test this idea. In fact, the result of Columbuss voyages was mass, Columbus didnt do too well as a governor of these new lands. The Encyclopedia Britannica describes him as a "master navigator and admiral." He sailed to numerous places beginning his career as a merchant marine. If you still think Columbus Day is something worth celebrating, here are five other reasons why it isnt: After studying a handful of his favorite books, including the journals of Marco Polo, Columbus became convinced that it was possible to sail directly west to reach the Indies, as China, Japan and India were then known as in Europe. Howell Public Schools Stance on Mask Mandate, In person school, more beneficial to kids. Hire a verified expert to write you a 100% Plagiarism-Free paper. 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. Turning points are powerful lenses through which students need to view our past. 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. Not just Europeans, but everyone. Columbus Day, which is celebrated on the second Monday of October each year, has become a controversial subject for many people. A recent Marist Poll shows why: Those campaigning against Columbus Day are in the minority. Why We Do Not Celebrate Columbus Day. Columbus never even came to this country! Harvard Graduate School of Education Why We Should Celebrate Columbus Day? Free Essay Example He finally ended up getting a sponsorship with the Spanish crown, and was off to explore the world. Exploring the story of Columbus postmortem voyages and the enduring mystery. Even the Iroquoian peoples, located in present Northeast United States, often took slaves of other tribes. Many of those enslaved would die, and were then easily replaced by some brought from the Bahamas. 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). We should stop celebrating Columbus - The Bona Venture Market data provided by Factset. Truth of Discovery Normally, the notion of discovery means encountering a place or an idea for the very first time.. And he was a talented astronomer and navigator. . The New World was discovered within the same timeframe as when slave trade had begun to arise. Columbus Day Should Not Be Celebrated - StudyMode That is, South and Central America to be exact. 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. 5 Reasons to Celebrate Columbus Day as a Symbol of Diversity Columbus Day is one of the oldest holidays in the USA Observing Columbus Day started back in the 18th century. Diseases were spread and were not able to be resisted by the sick slaves. Columbus didnt know shit about geography! But I think considering the fact that Columbus also enslaved a group of people who were otherwise peaceful to him should be noted. Until the mid-1700s, Christopher Columbus was not widely known among most Americans. 'Green Card Warrior' Nick Adams weighs in on 'Fox & Friends First.'. This movement sees Columbus as a symbol of destruction, and thus not to be celebrated. 1. Americans, for all our faults, love adventure. 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. 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. On October 12,1792was when it was first celebrated. Why We Shouldn't Celebrate Columbus Day - ATTN: Yeah. He sailed to Iceland and Ireland in 1477, and to Madeira in 1478. The main reason Columbus Day draws opposition is because of how the explorer's arrival to the New World affected Indigenous people. Columbus Day (full text) Flashcards | Quizlet The New York Society of Tammany also honored Columbus of his first voyage with the marking of his 300th anniversary. 10+ why columbus day should not be celebrated essay most standard It is on public record, that Columbus rewarded his soldiers by giving them Native Americans to rape. Columbus Day is a United States federal holiday that celebrates the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Americas in 1492. 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. Are the Misty Peaks of the Azores Remnants of the Legendary Atlantis? 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. Last updated by Patrick Bennett on 10/02/2021. Dating back around 200 years, the nonreligious had been adverse to this celebration. They also show evidence that at least 12 other groups of people entered the Americas before Columbus. The idea that Christopher Columbus discovered "The New World" is one of the great fallacies of history. I'm not the only Italian American on board with ditching the holiday. European settlers not only introduced new diseases to the Americas that wiped out scores of Indigenous people, but also warfare, colonization, enslavement, and torture. 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. Yet in the past few decades, something has changed. Stupid but hopeful. Curious, politically homeless, always hopeful. After his voyage to America, he became one of the most well known explorers of his time. It's also why it's crucial we learn facts about Native Americans and. 2023 PapersOwl.com - All rights reserved. There were already people living wherever he landed. 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. We still have to understand the time he was born but Christopher Columbus. Here are my main reasons why I refuse to celebrate Columbus Day: 1. 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. Should the United States continue to celebrate Columbus Day?