Columbus Day honors a cruel, greedy man who killed hundreds of innocent people. Pedro (Peralonso) Alonso, Francisco, and Juan were integral to Columbuss voyages (other brother Bartolome was also a sailor). Columbus actually thought he was in the East Indies. Martin Luther was another famous one who wasnt perfect but we still remember him for everything that he did. One for every day of the year. He had many qualities that seemed to be admirable and a lot of people were proud of him. Columbuss men used native girls as young as nine or ten as their sex slaves. And yes, I know Columbus was at least in part a product of his brutish times and any nation who landed on Hispaniola in 1492 might have done similar things. So the discovery of the Western Hemisphere should go to Erickson, no? Columbus Day is one of Americas oldest holiday, and is a patriotic holiday. "It's difficult to think there exists a site anywhere with a higher concentration of cave art.". It involves grappling with multiple perspectives, a fundamental skill for historians. In a letter that has been preserved among his personal historical records, Columbus wrote that God inspired him to make a deal with his Spanish crew and stake his life on it. Columbus Day is one of America s oldest holidays. Top 5 Reasons NOT to Celebrate Columbus Day And 1 Reason To History comes with an agenda. We seek to retell the story of our beginnings. He decimated the native population. I want to make sure we do justice to indigenous folks. Worse, they were often tortured or killed for amusement or over petty arguments over goods. The One Night House: Squatters from Welsh Folklore, Mother and Child Reunion Of Thetis And Achilles, Seductive Sirens of Greek Mythology and How Heroes Resisted Them, Celestial Goddess Selene: The Ancient Greek Goddess of the Moon, Pegasus of Greek Mythology: Majestic Winged Horse of Mount Olympus, Dreams of Human-Powered Flight: Daedalus and the Story of Icarus, European Monarchies Pay Their Respects at the Funeral of Greece's Last King, 7 of The Most Skilled Sword Fighters in History, Roland the Farter: Medieval Englands Celebrity Flatulist. 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. 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. 1 1.The Left Hates Christopher Columbus. He took land for himself and created plantations and mines, where he forced natives to work for him as slaves, building his personal wealth (Article 2). 2019 Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in Americasm. Whether or not you celebrate Columbus Day is your choice. 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. -- Celebrate the spirit of exploration. And those multiple viewpoints may help engage students who might feel otherwise unrepresented in a history class, such as females and students of color. Learn from history, dont destroy history as the Muslim ISIS did. #abolishcolumbusday #columbusday #3generations #adifferentamericandream #mniwaconi, A post shared by 3 Generations (@3_generations) on Oct 6, 2018 at 1:15pm PDT. Indigenous cultures are under threat of extinction. https://www.instagram.com/p/BojtcnmlBjE/?tagged=christophercolumbus. Columbus was brave and started the expedition It might even show a sign of disrespect to the artists who took their time to make these monuments. Always trying. We all own it. As a citizen, you need to be able to critically engage and reflect in a discourse around the public celebration and honoring of historical events and figures. A genocide happened in "the Americas," and it began with Columbus. It is on public record, that Columbus rewarded his soldiers by giving them Native Americans to rape. And now Ill claim it for us! It neednt be a battleground, but a chance to celebrate the best within us. In recent years, however, people have challenged this national holiday due to the lasting harm Columbus has left this country in. The first reason for why Christopher Columbus should not be celebrated is because he committed mass genocide against the Native Americans. var s=document.createElement("script"); s.type="text/javascript"; 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. Who Are the Yazidis and Why Have They Been Continually Persecuted? For starters, Christopher Columbus didnt discover anything. The tradition of observing Columbus Day dates back to the 18th century. All rights reserved. Most slaves died en route to Spain. Millions of people across the USA chose to honor Columbus and all that he accomplished. 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. 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. 1. We could celebrate European American Cultural Exchange Day", not Columbus Day. Columbus day is a controversial holiday, but one that should be celebrated. Columbus and St. Croix James Loewens Lies My Teacher Told Me, and his shorter Lies My Teacher Told Me about Christopher Columbus, critique how textbooks have covered Columbus. In fact, Oct. 12 marks the day of his arrival in the Bahamas. Immediately upon arrival, Columbus noted that the natives he encountered were kind and giving and that he planned to use that kindness against them. He would have peoples ears and noses cut off as punishments. -- 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). He did reach the coasts of what today are Cuba, Haiti and the Dominican Republic, as well as . What is the origin of the legend of the Christed Son who was born of a virgin on December 25th? In fact, the Pledge of Allegiance was written in 1892 in honor of the 400th anniversary of his first voyage. It also became clear that there are many reasons not to celebrate Columbus Day. Examine Columbuss "discovery" of America. With all that, there are reasons to celebrate Columbus Day. s.async=true; s.src="http://widgets.amung.us/a_pro.js"; I doubt it. They also show evidence that at least 12 other groups of people entered the Americas before Columbus. Worshipping great men has been a dominant way of looking at history. The most important history to remember is Jesus died for our sin and rose from the dead. In actuality, he was not motivated by some noble reason, such as scientifically proving that the Earth was round, (Articles 2 & 3) but he and his sponsors, were motivated by greed and self-interest. 1. Like it or not, Columbus is a hero. After Columbus discovered America, a lot of the European immigrants decided to come. We need to own it. When the pendant expired, the Native American would have to continue bringing him gold. The Bible says fear not 365 times. Once upon a time, teachers celebrated Columbus Day by leading children in choruses of song about the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. One of the best parts of our humanity is that sense of discovery. So I propose that we keep October 12 as Columbus Day but turn it into a day of honest education, deep reflection, and national mourning. #history #columbusdaytruth #homeschool #homeschool2015, A post shared by Annissa (@nissarae13) on Oct 23, 2015 at 2:54pm PDT. 21 Royal Han Tombs Unearthed in China. Columbus Day is one of America's oldest patriotic holidays, first celebrated in the 18th century. This is why I love this book! Understanding controversies what Columbus did, how he did it, whether we should be commemorating him builds skills that are fundamental for understanding history and social studies. A new Marist poll finds 56 percent of Americans admire Columbus and support Columbus Day. This indicated that the person didn't have to bring him anymore gold; at least for a while. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. I think history teachers have a responsibility to prepare students to comment critically and participate critically in the discourse about who we are honoring, who we are celebrating, and how we are doing it. Explore how the human body functions as one unit in 7 Child Monarchs from History and How They Changed the World, The Chilling Mystery of the Octavius Ghost Ship, What is a Wendigo? Indigenous cultures are rich and diverse. . . I dont think its ever too young. The City Council recently voted to get rid of Columbus Day and replace it with Indigenous Peoples' Day, commemorating "indigenous, aboriginal and native people." This movement sees Columbus. 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. The information shared above about the question, 1.The Left Hates Christopher Columbus. Columbus captured natives and started a slave trade, even though they had been peaceful and kind to him. 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. Columbus Day is a U.S. holiday that commemorates the landing of Christopher Columbus in the Americas in 1492, and Columbus Day 2022 occurs on Monday, October 10. The Beast with an insatiable Hunger for Human Flesh, The Awe-Inspiring Karnak Temple Complex and Vatican of Ancient Egypt. We should be honoring culture that was lost all and the native people that died the instead of the man who killed them. Two years later, the United Nations declared Aug. 9 as International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples. 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. Does New Evidence Prove Noahs Ark Is Buried on a Turkish Mountain? Before I get into the "why we shouldn't celebrate Columbus day," Im going to explain why we do. A day to remind ourselves that October 12, 1492 was the first day of . By 1555, there were zero full-blooded natives left on the island. Even though Eratosthenes (Greek mathematician living in Alexandria, Egypt, Columbus never discovered anything. Retrieved from https://phdessay.com/should-we-celebrate-columbus-day/, Hire skilled expert and get original paper in 3+ hours, Run a free check or have your essay done for you, Didn`t find the right sample? 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 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. Ancient Origins 2013 - 2022Disclaimer- Terms of Publication - Privacy Policy & Cookies - Advertising Policy -Submissions - We Give Back - Contact us. I am sure you are familiar with his legend which states that he was born in a manger surrounded by shepherds. Some schools, cities, and institutions, such as the. In fact, that's probably all you really remember about the . Very trying! sums it up for Daniel, creator of Stories Guaranteed to Make You Sick, Dr. Crankenfuss books, Moose Jokes, & now Practically News. Due to the debates about Columbus Day and how some people feel about him, 22 states dont celebrate it. Here are three reasons we shouldn't celebrate Columbus Day, as a country. The Encyclopedia Britannica describes him as a "master navigator and admiral." He sailed to numerous places beginning his career as a merchant marine. Its the responsibility of our school system to talk about Columbus as part of our work to prepare students to be citizens. Turns out, Columbus wasn't such a stellar guy. Many today hate Columbus because he was a devout Christian. Columbus sailed regardless of the harsh conditions on the ship We should not be celebrating the genocide of Native people and teaching children in elementary school that Columbus is a good role model. 7 Legendary Cryptids that Turned Out to Be Real! Scholars By the eleventh century Vikings, who were early Scandinavians, had not only visited but already had established settlements in North America (Article 2). It is much more fitting for us to celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day since indigenous peoples were here in the U.S. been before anyone else. Its because of Columbus Christian motivations and convictions that now he has become a villain for most liberal (left) modern educators and media writers, who often attack and condemn him. It requires looking at dominant narratives and counternarratives. Thessaloniki Metro Construction Reveals Unimaginable Treasures, East-West Migration to Siberia Found in 7,500-Year-Old DNA, The Truth Behind the Christ Myth: Ancient Origins of the Often Used Legend Part I, The Epic of Gilgamesh Unveiled: Enlightenment and Source of Religions. (2022, Nov 05). Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. And #5 gets worse. While there is only limited knowledge of what pre-Columbus America was like, it did feature war, slavery, torture and plenty of brutality. 10 minutes with: Explore how the human body functions as one unit in harmony in order to life //= $post_title We need students to understand that Columbus is important, even if he isnt someone to be celebrated. Mo Rocca embarks on a journey to discover more about the explorer we honor each year. Or better yet, follow him. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. 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. Who was Christopher Columbus? Many Indian females were taken as sex slaves, some as young as nine and ten years old. Along and through History, conquerors have had violent behaviour. Regardless of not having any technology or ways to communicate with others if they needed help, they ventured out and sailed the ocean, unsure of what would happen to them. 20 University Rd., 6th Floor While there is plenty to criticize about Columbus, and what followed his arrival, I think this movement is missing the point.