Pondering putting an end to Columbus Day, and a look at what could Since August, eight cities have replaced Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples' Day, including several in just the last week. To begin, some people think Columbus is a hero because he found America, which is not true. The pro for Columbus Day written by John Wirt. Reference list: Herman Lindquist, Christopher Columbus var han riktigt klok, Fischer, 1992. And he was a talented astronomer and navigator. Now, I got nothing against thousands of virgins or a good story. Surprisingly, this holiday was first celebrated by Italians of New York in 1866 honoring Columbus's Italian Heritage, but the official celebration in Spain did not . His contract with the monarchs, called The Capitulations. The opposition towards Christopher Columbus did not commence in todays society, or even the 21st century. In any case, we know for a fact that Europeans traveled to America almost 500 years before Columbus. Some schools, cities, and institutions, such as the. 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. It neednt be a battleground, but a chance to celebrate the best within us. And those multiple viewpoints may help engage students who might feel otherwise unrepresented in a history class, such as females and students of color. Examine Columbuss "discovery" of America. Berkeley originally replaced Columbus Day with show more content. Within the Italian community, Columbus Day symbolizes the legacy of their ancestors who immigrated to America, overcame poverty, language barriers, and above all, discrimination. Why You Can (And Should) Still Celebrate Columbus Day Alaska is said not to celebrate the day because it falls too close to Alaska Day (Oct . Why We Shouldn't Celebrate Columbus Day - 1191 Words - StudyMode Unfortunately, many irksome doings lay deep under the surface. Columbus Day is not a holiday the U.S. and Italian Americans should Columbus went to live in Portugal. So, there you have it; five reasons not to celebrate Columbus Day this year (or any other year). Columbus Day was supposed to recognize the greatness of all of America's people, but especially Italians and Native Americans. This is the Monster Celebrated on Columbus Day, The American Holocaust: Columbus and the Conquest of the New World, Multicultural View of Christopher Columbus Story, The Rise of Sexual Assault in the Military. Once upon a time, teachers celebrated Columbus Day by leading children in choruses of song about the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. October 11, 2021 5:00 am. "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. This is also apparent when he was trying to get sponsorships for the trips. They also show evidence that at least 12 other groups of people entered the Americas before Columbus. Its just that Columbus was the brave one to stake his claim to a land that did not belong to him. A growing number of cities are no longer celebrating Columbus Day, swapping it for "Indigenous Peoples' Day.". We think of Columbus Day as a heroic and triumphant day ever since 1970, when the holiday was legally made a national holiday. Columbus may have recorded that he "found" America, but he was a. mass murderer. What were his actual contributions? Those are important questions we want to ask as citizens. Some committed suicide to avoid subjugation, others fled, but many rebelled. Of course, Christopher Columbus was Italian, and his day . Another reason why Columbus Day should not be celebrated is because it promotes a distorted view of history. Christopher Columbus wasnt American! - IPL.org; 7.Why We Should Not Celebrate Columbus Day - IPL.org; 8.Why Columbus Day Should Not Be Celebrated Essay . He brought with him a letter from King Ferdinand to the Taino-Arawak Indians. With as simple of a description as that, one would wonder why so much controversy arises from a legal American holiday. The plan was to join up once theyd gotten the backing they needed. The act moved Veterans Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day and the new Columbus Day holiday to Mondays. The natives were removed from their villages to work in gold mines and colonial plantations. In fact, there is proof that the Chinese, Greeks and Italians, all explored America before Columbus. 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. 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. Columbus wanted to test this idea. In his role, he writes about current political issues, U.S. history, political philosophy, and culture. 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.. 97 students ordered this very topic and got Sure, he was addicted to opium, but a lot of people were at the time. The point is not to excuse the worst that happened, but to understand it. And eventually hundreds of years of African slave trade but uhm, OK, fine, he was a monster. And in general, we want to students to engage with controversy. If the world was round, this was possible, he thought. 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. 3.Two Reasons Why Columbus Day Should Not be Celebrated; 4.Should Christopher Columbus Day Be Celebrated Essay Example; 5.Columbus Day Is Not Worth Celebrating - GradesFixer; 6.Why Columbus Day Should Not Be Celebrated? Columbuss men used native girls as young as nine or ten as their sex slaves. Zachary Mettler works as a staff writer and communications liaison for The Daily Citizen at Focus on the Family. So the discovery of the Western Hemisphere should go to Erickson, no? If you still think Columbus Day is something worth celebrating, here are five other reasons why it isnt: After studying a handful of his favorite books, including the journals of Marco Polo, Columbus became convinced that it was possible to sail directly west to reach the Indies, as China, Japan and India were then known as in Europe. The pros and cons of Columbus Day - THE MAIN FOUR There are several reasons why Columbus Day has become controversial. Land was first spotted by Rodrigo de Triana, a lookout on the Pinta, and thereafter by its captain Martin Alonso Pinzo, who notified Columbus. But you didnt discover a place that was already inhabited by a peaceful group of people. We need students to understand that Columbus is important, even if he isnt someone to be celebrated. She likes thrifting, romance novels, cooking shows, and can often be found binging documentaries. He was the catalyst that brought more explorers across the Atlantic, who would eventually begin to explore North America, but it is . Why We Shouldn't Celebrate Columbus Day - Her Campus But as I grew older, it became clear that history is murky. Until the mid-1700s, Christopher Columbus was not widely known among most Americans. 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. Why We Shouldn't Celebrate Columbus Day - ATTN: Cambridge, MA 02138, Challenges? 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. 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. Though it was disputed for many years, there is conclusive evidence that Neanderthals bred with modern humans (Homo sapiens). But I think considering the fact that Columbus also enslaved a group of people who were otherwise peaceful to him should be noted. (Remember, they werent well versed in Spanish. Why Christopher Columbus shouldn't be celebrated - The Snapper Columbus couldnt be killed without angering the Italian court, so Queen Isabella sent him on a mission, hoping he wouldnt return. We are a hopeful species. When Columbus first landed on American soil he was met by the Arawak native Americans. 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. 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. 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. CONTACT US: He led the way for future colonists to settle the United States. The Knights of Columbus lobbied state legislatures to legalize the holiday. 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. But as I got older and began learning more about the history of the Caribbean, the glossy veneer of ol Chris didnt hold up. Who Destroyed the Great Library of Alexandria? The next obvious question is: well, if thats not his name, what were the names of his famous ships? Lets look at Columbus himself, to see if he meets the definition. (Only 23 states give their workers a paid day off to celebrate it, according to a 2013 Pew poll). Columbus and St. Croix America is celebrating. Columbus did not "discover America," but his voyages began the Columbian exchange, a turning point in world history involving the massive transfers of human populations, cultures, ideas, animals, plants, and diseases. In his free time, Mettler enjoys reading, running, hiking, backpacking, and walking his dog. . Two reasons why Columbus Day should not be celebrated is that we shouldnt have a day where we glorify someone who hurt and enslaved innocent people (Native Americans) and because he destroyed the tranquility in the slaves homes and land with genocide and abuse. Thankfully, Columbus Day has morphed into Indigenous Peoples Day. Columbus stood to gain significant wealth and power from his voyage, terms he negotiated with King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain. Henry IV of Spain known as "The Impotent" for his weakness, both on the throne and (allegedly) in the marriage chamber died in 1474.