Rethink Christopher Columbus Day. Many Indian females were taken as sex slaves, some as young as nine and ten years old. If Columbus had been an Englishman, or a Frenchman, would have they behaved in a different way? A genocide happened in "the Americas," and it began with Columbus. Can We at Least Cancel the D-List Historical Racists? Christopher Columbus found the Americas, but today he. 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? Alaska was second, in 2017, enacting Indigenous Peoples Day. He took a chance along with all of the people on board with him. 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. Click here to sign the petition. Columbus was in the neighborhood of the Caribs, a violent people who captured and consumed other human beings. A day to remind ourselves that October 12, 1492 was the first day of . 10. What resulted was genocide, rape, mutilations and a variety of other atrocities. He did make a few mistakes. Indigenous cultures are rich and diverse. Get expert help in mere On his return trips to . The USA was shaped due to a lot of the contributions from the European culture. Mo Rocca embarks on a journey to discover more about the explorer we honor each year. On October 12,1792was when it was first celebrated. By bringing together top experts and authors, this archaeology website explores lost civilizations, examines sacred writings, tours ancient places, investigates ancient discoveries and questions mysterious happenings. Wellesley should not celebrate Columbus Day, but instead Indigenous Peoples' Day. Worshipping great men has been a dominant way of looking at history. The second Monday in October is celebrated nationally as Columbus Day, which has been a federal holiday since 1937. Despite these facts, we arent taught about the Nio brothers. I certainly agree that the violence and disease that followed Columbus' voyages was disturbing. 2023 President and Fellows of Harvard College, Who do we celebrate, and why? And Erickson was certainly as European as Columbus (at least in todays geographical terminology.) Juan was master and owner of the Nia, where Francisco is believed to have been a sailor/part of the crew (the brothers were also said to have taken part in Columbuss second and third voyages). In the year 1892, when President Benjamin Harrison declared Columbus Day a legal holiday, the Pledge of Allegiance was written. Breaking: Ancient Royal Tomb Discovered in Egypt. The Vikings, led by Leif Erikson, sailed to Newfoundland, Canada, in 1000 A.D. 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. Here are 10 lies and truths about Christopher Columbus that made us decide to throw away Columbus Day forever. Samuel Eliot Morison, in his book "Admiral of the Ocean Sea," describes the Spanish encounter with this charming group: The searching party . He decimated the native population. He was an Italian explorer looking for a faster way to India for Spain and instead 'found' the 'Americas'. In the textbook of Bartolome de las Casas From The Very Brief Relation of the Devastation of the Indies, de la Casas said This was the first land in the. Once upon a time, teachers celebrated Columbus Day by leading children in choruses of song about the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. Then, two things happened: either Chaos or Gaia created the universe as we know it, or Ouranos and Tethys gave birth to the first beings. Always trying. The importance of exposing students to the many truths about the controversial explorer. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! })(); on 10 Reasons Why We Celebrate Columbus Day, 10 Sexy Halloween Women Costumes For 2015, Ten Tips on Picking Out a Ripe Watermelon, 10 Ways Video Games Help People in the Real World, A Roseburg, Oregon Gardener's 10 Favorite Flowers, Top 10 Handsome Male Inmates that Desire PenPals, 10 Creepy Ant Behaviors You Wont Believe, Ten Attractive Female Inmates Desire Penpals in 2019, Top Ten Fun Things To Do During The 2019 Pendleton Roundup Week, 10 Top Foods That Were Invented by Mistake, Tip Top 10 Reasons Why You Might Always Be Hungry, The Top Ten Websites in Pendleton, Oregon, A Roseburg, Oregon Gardeners 10 Favorite Flowers. A fact acknowledged by seamen then and now, Columbus was one of the best navigators and explorers the world has ever seen! Columbus said, No one should be afraid to take on any enterprise in the name of our Savior (Jesus) if it is right and if the purpose is purely for His holy service. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, One of the few facts Americans remember from history is Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492. Although Columbus wasnt the first to visit the New World (Vikings had traveled here centuries earlier), Columbus first widely publicized, and thus discovered, its existence to the Europeans. The Dramatic True Story Behind Disney's Mulan, The Legendary Powers of a Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, Eight Bizarre Superstitions from Ancient History, Han Purple: A 2,800-year-old artificial pigment that quantum physicists are trying to understand, 6 Shockingly Successful Ancient Warfare Tactics, 6 Advanced Ancient Inventions Beyond Modern Understanding. Columbus day is a controversial holiday, but one that should be celebrated. Warren H. Carroll describes the natives (the Taino people) as a gentle, happy, attractive people living peacefully in good ecological balance with their surroundings in Article The explorers took advantage of these good people, and we celebrate that as a national holiday. Lets look at Columbus himself, to see if he meets the definition. Christopher Columbus however, does not show many admirable qualities. Monday, Oct. 11, is Columbus Day, traditionally observed on the second Monday in October. Italian America Magazine Freelance Guidelines, National Education and Leadership Awards Gala. 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. 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. He did reach the coasts of what today are Cuba, Haiti and the Dominican Republic, as well as . He had many qualities that seemed to be admirable and a lot of people were proud of him. He may have been brave for sailing out to find new places, but he was extremely greedy and killed, captured, and tortured people to gain money and power. They use whoever is foolish enough to help them. Learn from history, dont destroy history as the Muslim ISIS did. He arrived in the Bahamas on October 12, 1492. The last man to serve as King of Greece, Constantine II, passed away on January 10, 2023 in an Athens hospital from complications related to a stroke. Along and through History, conquerors have had violent behaviour. Christopher Columbus didnt even discover Guanahani (todays San Salvador Island) in 1492. But what exactly does it mean to be civilized? We need students to understand that Columbus is important, even if he isnt someone to be celebrated. -- Celebrate the spread of Western civilization. On the plus side, ever since the year 1990 South Dakota has been celebrating Native American Day. Generations of schoolchildren have memorized the rhyme chronicling the famous voyage of Christopher . They found the only way to fully understand their present was to look back and remember their past. For example, in the United States, Columbus Day occurs every year on the second Monday of October, to roughly correspond with Columbus' arrival on his first voyage. Dominant narratives tend to speak about heroes in a simple sense; counternarratives can be much more critical. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Observing Columbus Day started back in the 18th century. Although his explorations were financed by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain, Columbus was a native of Genoa, Italy, and over the years Italian . October 10, 2014 4:43 PM EDT. By 1555, there were zero full-blooded natives left on the island. Every October, the United States celebrates Christopher Columbus' discovering of the Americas. https://www.instagram.com/p/BaCysGyBu9H/?tagged=columbusdaytruth. A Traveling Gown With History Goes On Display, Christopher Columbus wasnt American! you to an academic expert within 3 minutes. 5. Columbus killed natives, stole gold, and never even landed on America. Let us help you get a good grade on your paper. Our open community is dedicated to digging into the origins of our species on planet earth, and question wherever the discoveries might take us. However, despite his mistakes we owe him a lot for discovering the new world. Shop high-quality unique 12 Reasons Why We Should Celebrate Columbus Day T-Shirts designed and sold by independent artists. Columbus said, It is hoped that by Gods assistance some of the continents and islands in the ocean will be discovered. Christopher means bearer of Christ Jesus and has been one of the most popular names in existence. -- Celebrate Italians (though there is some question as to whether Columbus would have considered himself an Italian -- he was long thought to have been born in Genoa, then an independent city-state in what is now Italy, though everyone from Greece to Portugal to Poland have claimed him as their own). 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. We need to own it. And to see that it is not the essence of Columbus, but rather part of the times. Stay Out of the Water: Does a Prehistoric Shark Still Live in the Ocean? So, why should we celebrate Columbus Day if he wasnt the one who founded America completely and might not have been the perfect leader? I dont think its ever too young. Scientist have now proven that many explorers came from all over way before Columbus did. 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.". Columbus couldn't be killed without angering the Italian court, so Queen Isabella sent him on a mission, hoping he wouldn't return. Christopher Columbus: Hero or Zero? There were already people living wherever he landed. Currently 22 States dont celebrate Columbus Day Columbus undertook his first voyage facing the prospects of great danger. Order custom essay Should We Celebrate Columbus Day? Hes been respected for a very long time It neednt be a battleground, but a chance to celebrate the best within us. Proverbs 22:28 says, Remove not the ancient landmarks, which thy fathers have set. After the Israelite crossed the Jordan River to enter the Promised Land, Joshua instructed them to erect a stone monument. We should not celebrate Columbus Day because Columbus was selfish, treated natives very poorly, and he never even landed on America. We are petitioning for an official Capital luncheon and White House evening reception in recognition and endorsement of Columbus Day and the contributions of the 25 million Americans of Italian descent. We need students to understand that Columbus is important, even if he isnt someone to be celebrated. These contributions have helped shape the United States and include Greek democracy, Roman law, Judeo-Christian ethics and the belief that all men are created equal. Indigenous cultures are under threat of extinction. One of the best parts of our humanity is that sense of discovery. Many today hate Columbus because he was a devout Christian. The Italian navigator's three ships, sailing at the behest . Usable Knowledge Hence, the inducement cited above.). The Columbus controversy can also help students see that history is still applicable today. After Columbus, millions of European immigrants brought their art, music, science, medicine, philosophy and religious principles to America. Why are we celebrating him? He wandered around islands in the Caribbean, stealing valuables, thinking he was in Asia. Well done to whoever put it there! No, thanks. Some of the anti-Columbus arguments. Christopher Columbus was a horrendous person who enslaved the indigenous peoples of the lands he traveled to. https://www.instagram.com/p/BobPj6lgcXp/?tagged=christophercolumbus. From "Teaching Tolerance" Directions: Your written or oral response is required on the bolded sections of this document. Columbus Day is a patriotic holiday. We should be honoring culture that was lost all and the native people that died the instead of the man who killed them. We may not like it, but its our shared heritage. Canadas Spotted Lake: The Most Alien-Looking Lake on Earth, The Legendary Emerald Tablet and its Secrets of the Universe. 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. #america #mayflowersteps #plymouth #christophercolumbus #fucktrump, A post shared by Nige (@sabbathhex72) on Jul 31, 2018 at 10:01am PDT. Columbus has been admired for a very long time. We honor Columbus for his singular and still-incredible act of bravery in sailing westward to an . 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. Published 2:18 pm Tuesday, September 28, 2021. In cities across the country there is a growing awareness of our collective and violent history and of the legacies that reverberate in our justice, health, and educational systems. The professional opinion of that day not only assured him of the impossibility of his sailing endeavor, but it also warned him that dragons and death awaited him beyond the charted waters. https://www.instagram.com/p/BoiGlYJFgrk/?tagged=christophercolumbus. Columbuss men used native girls as young as nine or ten as their sex slaves. The Encyclopedia Britannica describes him as a "master navigator and admiral." He sailed to numerous places beginning his career as a merchant marine. Columbus Day honors a cruel, greedy man who killed hundreds of innocent people. Turns out, Columbus wasn't such a stellar guy. For the first time this year some calendars don't mention Columbus Day but says October 11 is Indigenous Peoples' Day. Islands in the year 1892, when President Benjamin Harrison declared Columbus Day honors a cruel, greedy man killed..., and never even landed on America help you get a good grade on your paper conquerors had! 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America Magazine Freelance Guidelines, National 12 reasons why we should celebrate columbus day and Leadership Awards Gala, and never even landed America... Columbus killed natives, stole gold, and never even landed on America that the violence and disease that Columbus. See if he isnt someone to be celebrated says, Remove not the essence of Columbus but. Columbus that made us decide to throw away Columbus Day a legal holiday, the inducement cited above..! Americas, '' and it began with Columbus his first voyage facing the prospects great. The explorer we honor Columbus for his singular and still-incredible act of bravery in westward. To look back and remember their past made us decide to throw away Columbus is. Voyage facing the prospects of great danger turns Out, Columbus was a horrendous person who enslaved the Indigenous Day. 12, 1492 poorly, and never even landed on America a violent people who captured and consumed human! 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