Christopher Columbus ― Bad Actor or Brave Explorer?
by Kelly R. Smith
|
This article was updated on 09/16/2021.
Ads we feature have been independently selected and reviewed. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn a commission, which helps support the site. Thank you for your support.
Columbus Day falls on October 12. It is a U.S. holiday that commemorates the landing of Christopher Columbus in the Americas in 1492. As early as the 18th century it was celebrated in many cities and states and it was designated a federal holiday in 1937. The day honors Columbus’ achievements and celebrates Italian-American heritage. But throughout its history, Columbus Day and the man who inspired it have generated controversy, and many alternatives to the holiday have been proposed since the 1970s including Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
That suggestion is simply feel good absurdity. People that advocate it often cite alleged abuses committed by Columbus. But consider if you will ― Native Americans began selling war captives to Europeans rather than integrating them into their own societies as some had done before.
According to Intillectualtakeout.com. “Five Civilized Tribes of the southeast — Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole — also participated in the institution of slavery. In 1860…Cherokee Nation citizens owned 2,511 slaves (15 percent of their total population), Choctaw citizens owned 2,349 slaves (14 percent of their total population), and Creek citizens owned 1,532 slaves (10 percent of their total population). Chickasaw citizens owned 975 slaves, which amounted to 18 percent of their total population, a proportion equivalent to that of white slave owners in Tennessee, a former neighbour of the Chickasaw Nation and a large slaveholding state.1”
Take the Mayans as another example. Laatimes.com says, “Victims had their hearts cut out or were decapitated, shot full of arrows, clawed, sliced, stoned, crushed, skinned, buried alive or tossed from the tops of temples. Children were said to be frequent victims, in part because they were considered pure and unspoiled.2″
Got a blog or website? Want more revenue? Monetize it!
Who Was Christopher Columbus?
Columbus was an Italian-born explorer who set sail in August of 1492, bound for Asia with financial backing from the Spanish monarchs King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, He had 3 ships — the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. The plan was to chart a western sea route to China, India, and the fabled gold and spice islands of Asia. But alas, things went sideways. On October 12, 1492, he arrived at the Bahamas. He was the first European adventurer to explore the Americas since the Vikings occupied colonies in both Greenland and Newfoundland back in the 10th century.
Columbus was confused quite a bit but it was understandable; Europeans didn’t know the Pacific Ocean existed. He sighted Cuba and thought it was mainland China; come December the expedition encountered Hispaniola, which he thought was Japan. It is actually the second largest island of the West Indies, lying within the Greater Antilles, in the Caribbean Sea. There, he established Spain’s first colony in the Americas with 39 of his men.
The Columbus Controversy
In 1792, New York’s Columbian Order (Tammany Hall) staged an event that commemorated the historic landing’s 300th anniversary. They took pride in Columbus’ birthplace and faith. Italian and Catholic communities in many parts of the country began organizing annual religious ceremonies and parades in his honor.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed Columbus Day a national holiday. In 1937, in 1937, largely as a result of intense lobbying by the Knights of Columbus, an influential Catholic fraternal organization.
Things have changed. Many groups, seeing themselves as social warriors have taken to demonizing not just Civil War heroes but Columbus. BLM and Antifa come to mind. They see Columbus as a colonizer.
Anti-immigrant groups in the United States have also rejected the holiday because it is associated with Catholicism. These are the same people that took God and the Pledge of Allegiance out of school.
Alternate Holidays
South Dakota, Alaska, Hawaii, and Oregon and have officially replaced Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day, as have cities like Denver, Phoenix and Los Angeles. Ironically, the so-called “Five Civilized Tribes” of the southeast the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole also participated in the institution of slavery, as mentioned above. You don’t see Black Lives Matter having an issue with that inconvenient fact.
In many Latin American countries, the anniversary of Columbus’ landing is observed as the Dìa de la Raza (“Day of the Race”). This is to celebrate the Hispanic culture’s diverse roots. Venezuela renamed the holiday Dìa de la Resistencia Indìgena (“Day of Indigenous Resistance”) in 2002, to recognize native peoples and their experience and to promote socialism.
Do you plan to celebrate Columbus Day? I know I will. Please participate in the poll on the right-hand side of this page for a study I’m doing. Thanks!
More Trending Articles
- A Compilation of Pet Peeves
- The History of Antifa
- Who Was Ireland’s St. Patrick?
- Creamy Turkey Mushroom Couscous Recipe
- What is Critical Race Theory?
- The Richard Feynman Learning Method
References
- Peter Partoll, intellectualtakeout.org, The Native Americans Who Owned Slaves, https://www.intellectualtakeout.org/article/native-americans-who-owned-slaves/
- Mark Stevenson, Los Angeles Times, Brutality of Aztecs, Mayas Corroborated, https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-jan-23-adfg-sacrifice23-story.html
Looking for more great content? Visit our main page or partner sites:
I offer article and blog-writing services. Interested? Contact me for a quote!
Did you find this article helpful? Millions of readers rely on information on this blog and our main site to stay informed and find meaningful solutions. Please chip in as little as $3 to keep this site free for all.
I can’t stand the idea that some people hijacked this good holiday. There are no indigenous people. Everyone came from elsewhere. Get over it.