5 reasons why columbus day should not be celebrated
Marist shows that even with all of the attacks on Columbus, 57 percent of Americans believe it's. Columbus set a precedent for exploration of the new world. -- Celebrate the spread of Western civilization. We may not like it, but its our shared heritage. We need to own it. On his second voyage, he landed at Hispaniola, Cuba, and Jamaica among others. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. The holiday celebrates . Or Napoleon Bonaparte Day, for that matter. Those left were forced to work in mines and plantations. "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. Columbus Day commemorates the landing of Columbus in the "New World" (on a small island off Florida) on October 12, 1492. 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 . But I think considering the fact that Columbus also enslaved a group of people who were otherwise peaceful to him should be noted. I remember learning about Columbus as a young child and I was in awe learning about the explorer. Or maybe even plan to discover your own new-to-you islands! European settlers not only introduced new diseases to the Americas that wiped out scores of Indigenous people, but also warfare, colonization, enslavement, and torture. (Sarcasm intended.) While there is only limited knowledge of what pre-Columbus America was like, it did feature war, slavery, torture and plenty of brutality. Based on my experience, I think its vitally essential that teachers engage kids as young as sixth grade in questions that really interrogate Columbus. The war against the Western heritage. This is also apparent when he was trying to get sponsorships for the trips. Then they would sail away together to claim their riches. With fifty men we could subjugate them all and make them do whatever we want.. Berkeley originally replaced Columbus Day with show more content. It is perhaps worth revisiting the two distinct reasons why we celebrate Columbus Day in the first place, and . Who Destroyed the Great Library of Alexandria? Thousands of the Taino, or Indians as Columbus had referred to them, were shipped out to be traded internationally. Lets stop idolizing people in history who dont deserve it. This was due to the impression that Columbus was attempting to spread Catholic influence. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. (BTW, you can find a list of over 40 of his articles here.). 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Certain states and localities have moved away from celebrating Christopher Columbus, and now celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day. Destiny is currently enrolled in Columbia University's MFA Writing program. This was a sign of things to come. So, yes, in 1498 and 1502, he did reach the continental Americas. 1. History, in fact, is the story of conquest. Even perpetually leftward NPR admitted today . What is the origin of the legend of the Christed Son who was born of a virgin on December 25th? Columbus Day means that finally, America was economically assimilated to Europe, in those times peopled by Western dominant civilizations. Architecture of the Floating (Or Sinking) City: How Was Venice Built? While Columbus Day is not a widely celebrated holiday, the question of whether or not to celebrate it are definitely up for discussion. Reference list: Herman Lindquist, Christopher Columbus var han riktigt klok, Fischer, 1992. And thats even if you discount the fact that native peoples lived in these places all along. Be careful, this sample is accessible to everyone. We still have to understand the time he was born but Christopher Columbus. So the discovery of the Western Hemisphere should go to Erickson, no? Legal Statement. The population of the Taino decreased by over two hundred thousand within sixty years. This criticism had quickly faded over time, and was replaced by a more pressing issue; the improper treatment towards indigenous people. Archaeologists have been able to take a closer look at one of the United Kingdoms most famous shipwrecks. 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. 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They would make fine servants. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Yes, this guy didnt commit genocide. He should be remembered as the cruel and incompetent man he was who let his sailors rape and pillage the islands they landed on as they pleased. If instead of Columbus, a Chinese marine had arrived first and "colonized" America, would be blaming the Chinese for the destruction of American civilizations? 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. (Remember, they werent well versed in Spanish. Adults Especially Gen Z Identifying as LGBT. Chat with professional writers to choose the paper writer that suits you best. He wrote in his log: They brought us parrots and balls of cotton and spears and many other things they willingly traded everything they owned They do not bear arms, and do not know them, for I showed them a sword, they took it by the edge and cut themselves out of ignorance. They would make fine servants With fifty men we could subjugate them all and make them do whatever we want.. A lot of depopulation was caused by suicides, including some parents killing their own children to prevent them from living and growing up as a slave. Some schools, cities, and institutions, such as the. Other times they would go and massacre an entire village. Columbus day is a controversial holiday, but one that should be celebrated. 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. He brought with him a letter from King Ferdinand to the Taino-Arawak Indians. However, because Columbus brought disasters to the Native Americans, many people opposed the Columbus celebrations. Most of us can remember the day when Americans still seemed to like Christopher Columbus. When it comes to celebrating Indigenous Peoples' Day, I want to make sure we do justice to indigenous folks. Always trying. According to a recent poll, 79% of college students support such a change. AtAncient Origins, we believe that one of the most important fields of knowledge we can pursue as human beings is our beginnings. Though he didnt discover America, he was the person to show the rest of the developed world that there was more far away lands. Growing up, I wasnt exposed to this truth. But as far as I know, no U.S. landfall. We shouldn't be wasting our time on holidays that won't even. Her Campus may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Dating back around 200 years, the nonreligious had been adverse to this celebration. 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. In fact, a new exhibition in Brazil features more than 100 artefacts dating back as far as 30,000 years ago, 18,000 years earlier than previously believed. Pre-Columbian civilizations from Mexico to Peru were nearly all responsible for brutal violence on a large scale long before Columbus arrived on the shores of the New World including human sacrifices, even of children, sometimes by tearing out the victims still-beating heart.. Columbus went on forth with a lot of violence, such as cutting off a slaves nose/hands to signify power against them. Trusted by over 1 million students worldwide. These books have fueled the trends I mentioned around Columbus Day. Just bear in mind that the verb "colonize" and the terms "colony", and "colonial" derive from Columbus ("Colon", in Spanish spelling). Why We Do Not Celebrate Columbus Day. I discovered America. Another reason why Columbus Day should not be celebrated is because it promotes a distorted view of history. Captivating History, Christopher Columbus: A Captivating Guide to the Life of an Italian Explorer and His Voyages to the Americas, Captivating History, 2020 Some committed suicide to avoid subjugation, others fled, but many rebelled. From early colonial exploration, to our push westward with manifest destiny, to our more modern quest to outer space and landing on the moon, Americans seem to have an innate desire to push the boundaries and discover new places. 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. To get a custom and plagiarism-free essay. 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. Sure, Chris had been sailing since age 14. After his voyage to America, he became one of the most well known explorers of his time. And eventually hundreds of years of African slave trade but uhm, OK, fine, he was a monster. Our writers can help you with any type of essay. Not if we cant celebrate Christopher Columbus. Its 2020 people. Though it has its controversies, Columbus day should be celebrated. Although many people have adopted Columbus day as "Indigenous People's Day," many people will not agree that we should also have a holiday . The opposition towards Christopher Columbus did not commence in todays society, or even the 21st century. Alaska was second, in 2017, enacting Indigenous Peoples Day. Because of his voyages to America, other great explorers ventured across the Atlantic and in under one hundred years, settled the new world. If I sailed to Italy and said that I discovered this land in the name of Rowan University it wouldnt fly right? And hes credited for marking the establishment of institutionalized slavery in the West Indies. 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. 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. With three boats, the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria, he set out in search of a better trade route to India. Columbuss men used native girls as young as nine or ten as their sex slaves. However, a circumspect understanding of history offers numerous reasons why Columbus should not only be celebrated, but . Listen I know almost everyone celebrated in history enslaved people. It neednt be a battleground, but a chance to celebrate the best within us. (Not that the West solely had these ideas, but it put them in a package that wasnt generally available elsewhere.). And, while we celebrate Columbus Day, we can learn from history and also take time to honor Native Americans. This movement sees Columbus as a symbol of destruction, and thus not to be celebrated. Spanish conquistadors couldn't believe their eyes while exploring the rugged terrain of the Andes during their invasion of Peru. Upon arriving in the New World, one of the first observations Columbus made with regards to the indigenous people was the following: They do not bear arms, and do not know them, for I showed them a sword, they took it by the edge and cut themselves out of ignorance. In any case, we know for a fact that Europeans traveled to America almost 500 years before Columbus. Three other states New Mexico, Maine, Vermont followed suit this year. "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. Hence, the inducement cited above.). We need students to understand that Columbus is important, even if he isnt someone to be celebrated. 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. Please follow him or give him some claps please be sure thats in the plural if you enjoyed this. It also became clear that there are many reasons not to celebrate Columbus Day. Christopher Columbus (1451-1506) is generally considered to be a great explorer during the Age of Exploration . (You may want to add this into the equation.). (He had plenty of different ships on subsequent voyages.). Columbus Day. Sorry, Mr. A recent Marist Poll shows why: Those campaigning against Columbus Day are in the minority. 1. What Columbus did next was nothing less than shameful. . 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. Its just that Columbus was the brave one to stake his claim to a land that did not belong to him. If Columbus is Off Limits to Celebrate, so are Indigenous Peoples. But heres the kicker. But its hard for children to understand that someone who they were taught to idolize is a bad guy. They also show evidence that at least 12 other groups of people entered the Americas before Columbus.
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