5 reasons why columbus day should not be celebrated
If we cannot honor anyone in human history that did not have flaws or imperfections, we cannot honor anyone at all. So before waving the US flag in celebration of a criminal who did not discover America, spare a thought for the millions of Native Americans who were murdered as a result of Christopher Columbus arrival on American soil. He cheekily claimed that he had spotted land a few hours before Triana and Pinzo, but that he hadnt said anything in case it was a false alarm. Don't know where to start? 1. These Natives are so nice, wed be crazy not to enslave them is one contentious quote by Christopher Columbus. 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. Which, of course, led to a demand for more slaves. Our writers will help you fix any mistakes and get an A+! One of the best parts of our humanity is that sense of discovery. When Columbus first landed on American soil he was met by the Arawak native Americans. That is, South and Central America to be exact. Ironically, the District of Columbia is named after, you guessed it, Christopher Columbus. Or maybe even plan to discover your own new-to-you islands! Chris wasnt a bad guy right? Captivating History, Christopher Columbus: A Captivating Guide to the Life of an Italian Explorer and His Voyages to the Americas, Captivating History, 2020 Columbus Personified the American Spirit. And those multiple viewpoints may help engage students who might feel otherwise unrepresented in a history class, such as females and students of color. He first went to sea when he was only 14 years old. Until his dying day Columbus maintained that the land he had discovered was Asia and not a new continent. Within a few decades, only a few hundred of an original native population of 300,000 remained. Hire a verified expert to write you a 100% Plagiarism-Free paper. The first reason for why Christopher Columbus should not be celebrated is because he committed mass genocide against the Native Americans. And its fundamentally important that they do so. by sailing west. Italian heritage. This has started to cause a change, and many cities within America have taken on a remuneration for the controversial holiday. The con for Columbus Day written by Elliot Lassitter. Columbus Day celebrations date back to 1792, when New York City celebrated the 300th anniversary of Columbus' landfall. In fact, that might have been a good neighbor, whereas today That neighbor would find themselves in jail. It consisted mostly of about 12,000 public school students grouped into 20 regiments, each commanded by a principal. That's my nephew, Trinidad, reveling in the joys of Caribbean sailing somewhere between St. Croix and Buck Island aboard Teroro II. Many people believe that Columbus Day should not be a federal holiday because Christopher Columbus was a terrible person. Furthermore, Columbus continued to enslave Natives and abuse their nation, damage their environment, and their rights as humans. 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. . 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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. According to a recent poll, 79% of college students support such a change. Columbus was definitely a brave and courageous (and lucky) captain, but his navigational skills left a lot to be desired. The Knights of Columbus lobbied state legislatures to legalize the holiday. We are a hopeful species. April Holloway is a Co-Owner, Editor and Writer of Ancient Origins. 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. uknow@gse.harvard.edu I'm not the only Italian American on board with ditching the holiday. Columbus stood to gain significant wealth and power from his voyage, terms he negotiated with King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain. With as simple of a description as that, one would wonder why so much controversy arises from a legal American holiday. The Zinn Education Project also includes a bunch of primary sources related to Columbus, such as writings by Bartolom de La Casas. In an era where we are fighting for racial equality celebrating false heroes is detrimental to progress. Legal Statement. Throughout the history of civilization, the concept of the apocalypse has been ever present, in one way or another. Columbus Day commemorates the landing of Columbus in the "New World" (on a small island off Florida) on October 12, 1492. It involves grappling with multiple perspectives, a fundamental skill for historians. (You may want to add this into the equation.). 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. If we have a holiday honoring somebody, the question on everyones mind should be, Why are we honoring them? Large Increase in U.S. If the world was round, this was possible, he thought. Columbus was a brutal and cruel man who . Two Reasons why Columbus Day should not be Celebrated, This example was written and submitted by a fellow student. But its hard for children to understand that someone who they were taught to idolize is a bad guy. Who Destroyed the Great Library of Alexandria? 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. Its important to learn about what Columbus did to Native Americans because not everyone knows the truth about him and his treatment of the Natives. Columbus Did Not Discover North America. There, the brothers should have been exposed to the adventures of another explorer: Leif Erickson. There are many examples in his writings where he gave instructions to this effect. 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. While there is only limited knowledge of what pre-Columbus America was like, it did feature war, slavery, torture and plenty of brutality. The Encyclopedia Britannica describes him as a "master navigator and admiral." He sailed to numerous places beginning his career as a merchant marine. The New World was discovered within the same timeframe as when slave trade had begun to arise. Here are five reasons we should still celebrate Columbus Day. He decimated the native population. Retrieved from https://papersowl.com/examples/two-reasons-why-columbus-day-should-not-be-celebrated/. Its just that Columbus was the brave one to stake his claim to a land that did not belong to him. A new intersectional publication, geared towards voices, values, and identities! First of all, Christopher Columbus isnt even his name. Columbus made a total of four voyages to the Americas, visiting the following places (and sighting many others): Interestingly, Columbus never set foot in modern-day USA, nor anywhere else in North America. Columbus should not be celebrated, let alone given a day. History, in fact, is the story of conquest. 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. Examine Columbuss "discovery" of America. Cambridge, MA 02138, Challenges? This is where many of the peaceful natives were met with brutal deaths onboard, whether it be from disease or mistreatment from the handlers. 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 day is a controversial holiday, but one that should be celebrated. Listen I know almost everyone celebrated in history enslaved people. We should honor George Washington, the Indispensable man, for his military bravado and skilled leadership as our first president, even though he owned slaves. 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. Why would an academic system praise someone who was so blatantly evil? The holiday is typically observed on the second Monday in October. 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. The point is not to excuse the worst that happened, but to understand it. 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. Columbus Day Should Not Be Celebrated. 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. Ancient Chinese Earthquake Detector Invented 2,000 Years Ago Really Worked! He and his crew were greeted with smiles, gifts and food. Elliott Lassitter and John WirtOctober 26, 2017. Colorado did so on April 1, 1907. So the discovery of the Western Hemisphere should go to Erickson, no? 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. But what exactly does it mean to be civilized? Growing up, I wasn't exposed to this truth. If you want a unique paper, order it from our professional writers. Bring them to the light, if you would. Columbus went to live in Portugal. If it wasnt for Columbus, the motivation for exploration and expansion wouldnt have become a priority because nobody knew about the Americas. 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 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.
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5 reasons why columbus day should not be celebrated