In fact, the result of Columbuss voyages was mass, Columbus didnt do too well as a governor of these new lands. 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. Should the United States continue to celebrate Columbus Day? It is known by many as to what had happened after Americas discovery. Captivating History, Christopher Columbus: A Captivating Guide to the Life of an Italian Explorer and His Voyages to the Americas, Captivating History, 2020 Columbus day is a controversial holiday, but one that should be celebrated. And while some people may seem content with the story as it stands, our view is that there existcountless mysteries, scientific anomalies and surprising artifacts thathave yet to be discovered and explained. Read More Columbus Day is a United States federal holiday that celebrates the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Americas in 1492. And #5 gets worse. And thanks for reading this. But as I grew older, it became clear that history is murky. Even if we ignore that, this one still depends on your definition of America. 1. 1. And maybe only one reason to celebrate. It involves grappling with multiple perspectives, a fundamental skill for historians. We still have to understand the time he was born but Christopher Columbus. Columbus Day. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Columbuss Native American slave trade morphed into the African slave trade by the mid-16th century. 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. Exploring the story of Columbus postmortem voyages and the enduring mystery. 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. Ahh, well, brothers will be brothers. Listen I know almost everyone celebrated in history enslaved people. 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. His father was a wool weaver, and cheese stand owner. We think of Columbus Day as a heroic and triumphant day ever since 1970, when the holiday was legally made a national holiday. -- 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). Thats a lesson for later. The pro for Columbus Day written by John Wirt. If it wasn't for Columbus, the motivation for exploration and expansion wouldn't have become a priority because nobody knew about the Americas. 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. However, it was his brother, the cartographers idea to sail West. Even though Eratosthenes (Greek mathematician living in Alexandria, Egypt, Columbus never discovered anything. 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. your personal assistant! An angry mob decided to drag them. So yeah, Christopher Columbus, upon closer inspection, is a terrible fellow to honor. Cal Poly State University - San Luis Obispo, California State University - Los Angeles, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, California State University, Channel Islands, Jesus and Mary College, University of Delhi, Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, Federal University Of Agriculture Abeokuta, University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign, Interamerican University of Puerto Rico San German campus, Keiser University - Latin American Campus, London School of Economics and Political Science, California State University of Sacramento, Savannah College of Art and Design Atlanta, School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, The University of Texas of the Permian Basin, University of North Carolina - Wilmington, University of South Florida - St. Petersburg, William Paterson University of New Jersey. Indigenous Peoples Day: Why it's replacing Columbus Day in many places. Once upon a time, teachers celebrated Columbus Day by leading children in choruses of song about the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. 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. If it wasnt for Columbus, the motivation for exploration and expansion wouldnt have become a priority because nobody knew about the Americas. And, sure he was directly responsible for the enslavement, torture, mutilation, and murder of tens of thousands of Native American people in the Caribbean islands during his quest for riches. Although many people have adopted Columbus day as "Indigenous People's Day," many people will not agree that we should also have a holiday . Why are we celebrating him? (Not that the West solely had these ideas, but it put them in a package that wasnt generally available elsewhere.). And in general, we want to students to engage with controversy. 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. October 11, 2021 5:00 am. The war against the Western heritage. In another case, some people think Columbus was a hero because he represents a leader who went far and beyond to find America. If Columbus had been an Englishman, or a Frenchman, would have they behaved in a different way? Columbus tried to build and has transformed the America we have today. Columbus went on forth with a lot of violence, such as cutting off a slaves nose/hands to signify power against them. "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. However, because Columbus brought disasters to the Native Americans, many people opposed the Columbus celebrations. Her Campus may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. (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! Dating back around 200 years, the nonreligious had been adverse to this celebration. Since then, its spread across the nation with increasing speed, as more than 60 cities from Maine to Washington have supported the idea. What were his actual contributions? Those are important questions we want to ask as citizens. "Endless testimonies.prove the mild and pacific temperament of the natives. I am sure you are familiar with his legend which states that he was born in a manger surrounded by shepherds, about Christopher Columbus: Master Double Agent and Portugals 007, about Roman Sword discovered off Oak Island radically suggests Ancient Mariners visited New World 1,000 years before Columbus, For Sale In Britain: A Small Ancient Man With A Colossal Penis, Sacred Marvels: 17 Cathedrals That Will Take Your Breath Away, In Pictures, Egyptologists Reveal a Lost Chamber in the Great Pyramid With Cosmic Rays, The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: Unleashing the End of the World. I doubt it. Norimitsu Odachi: Who Could Have Possibly Wielded This Enormous 15th Century Japanese Sword? Published: October 7, 2021 8.23am EDT Updated: October 7, 2021 9.53am EDT. Lets stop idolizing people in history who dont deserve it. Columbus day is a controversial holiday, but one that should be celebrated. Unfortunately, many irksome doings lay deep under the surface. @uknowhgse. . Zachary Mettler works as a staff writer and communications liaison for The Daily Citizen at Focus on the Family. (He did follow his big brother to the Caribbean two years later.). 'Green Card Warrior' Nick Adams weighs in on 'Fox & Friends First.'. Those left were forced to work in mines and plantations. Columbus killed a tremendous amount of people (genocide), and got away with it because of better equipment, men and control. Their spears are made of cane. Columbus inspired countless other explorers, both of his time and of modern time, to explore and make discoveries. Columbus was wrong of course, and needless to say, he didnt actually discover anything the Americas had already been inhabited for thousands of years. On his 1492 voyage, Chris landed on a number of islands including some in the Bahamas very close to mainland Florida. One of the few facts Americans remember from history is "Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492 CONTACT US: ," Jake Flanagin explains why many are arguing it . Without Columbus, the age of exploration wouldnt have been inspired in the way that it was, and has a vital place in American history. When he was only 23. he had the idea of going to India, China and Japan. 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? Of course, I learned that everyone expected him to sail off the edge of a flat earth into space or sea monsters or something. Very trying! sums it up for Daniel, creator of Stories Guaranteed to Make You Sick, Dr. Crankenfuss books, Moose Jokes, & now Practically News. And Erickson was certainly as European as Columbus (at least in todays geographical terminology.) There are still people who believe Christopher Columbus found America and that what he did was harmless because he was being a man of his time. Columbus Day was a solution to a problem that most people didn't know existed. When Columbus first landed on American soil he was met by the Arawak native Americans. "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. Now theres a deed worth celebrating every year! The City Council recently voted to get rid of Columbus Day and replace it with Indigenous Peoples Day, commemorating indigenous, aboriginal and native people.. Usable Knowledge Yes, we have a federal holiday on Christmas, but Ill put that in a special category (which well call religious.). In an era where we are fighting for racial equality celebrating false heroes is detrimental to progress. Students need to grapple with these multiple perspectives in history and the not-so-pleasant aspects of our past. For the first time this year some calendars don't mention Columbus Day but says October 11 is Indigenous Peoples' Day.