Debate on Columbus Day Essay

Even though Columbus didn’t make a very good decision, he still helped our country because after he found this Country, Europeans started coming to the United States and they brought art, science, music, religion principles, medicine and philosophy but, he still brought murderers with him to the United States. We shouldn’t celebrate Columbus Day because of all wrong choices he

Should we celebrate Columbus Day? Columbus Day is a day off of school and work for most Americans every year in October. We celebrate this national holiday on October 12, but do we know why? Christopher Columbus has been credited for finding America. As the old saying goes, he sailed the ocean blue in 1492.

Columbus never even walked on what we now call the United States of America. Where ever he did land, he was motivated only by his own greed. Columbus came for the gold, spices, and slaves. In his diary, he mentioned gold 75 times just in the first two weeks, alone (Katz 13). Indians who weren’t able to find gold, were punished by having their hands cut off. Most slaves died en route to Spain. Many Indian females were taken as sex slaves, some as young as nine and ten years old. Columbus forced cooperation from the Indians by disfiguring them and using them as examples. Even worse, he used hunting dogs to tear the Indians apart. Many natives committed suicide, and murdered their own children to save them from such a horrible life. Those who survived the voyage were worked to death. Still, another huge portion of these Indians died from disease brought over by Columbus and his

     The spirit and values of a nation are reflected in the nation’s heroes. Christopher Columbus has been regarded as an American hero since 1792. Every year Columbus Day is held on the second Monday in October to honor the man and his legacy. However, many people debate whether or not Columbus Day should be celebrated. I believe that Columbus Day should be celebrated in the United States because he opened up the New World to Europe, inspired a spirit of exploration and adventure that still lasts today, and he showed the importance of diversity and understanding of different cultures.

Christopher Columbus is commonly known as the “discoverer” of the Americas. From a young age students are taught all the wonderful things he did for our land and how well he interacted with the Natives. Although the truth is disregarded and as students grow, they come to learn that Columbus was not a hero in fact. Columbus came close to causing a genocide of the Native Americans, and basically began the “white power” movement that America is forced to deal with today. The truth of what Christopher Columbus did makes him no better than Hitler, yet America still praises him as an important figure in our history. The actions of Columbus has impacted all Americans lives since the 1400’s when he first landed on American soil. Although it did make America into the super power it is today, the structure within the borders will never be equal because of his abuse of power back then. Christopher Columbus is not the hero American students are taught from a young age and does not deserve any of the praise or recognition that we as American citizens continue to give him on a daily basis.

Some say that Columbus Day shouldn't be a holiday or that the name should be changed, I believe that we should get rid of the holiday. When you are little, you are taught Christopher Columbus discovered America and he's a good person; however, in reality, none of that is true. Columbus didn't discover America, he found some islands in the Caribbean like Haiti and Cuba. In addition, he treated the Natives there with harsh cruelties. Columbus also brought over diseases that lead to the death of many natives because they weren't exposed to measles, influenza, small pox. “Christopher Columbus introduced two phenomena that revolutionized race relations and

We as a people enjoy having our holidays off and it has been a recognized holiday since enacted by Franklin D. Roosevelt. It was celebrated in some aspect or another hundreds of years before then. We are celebrating a figure that has been romanticized about for so long even though the truth of the man is a very different story. If we dig further into the truth we will discover that it really makes no sense to why we have a day to celebrate this man. As a nation we may want to reconsider either a different celebration of this day or removing the holiday completely.

In 1492, Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean and discovered what we now know as the Americas… or so it’s been taught. In all actuality, there were already Native people who had been living in the continents for thousands of years. Since 1937, the US has used this “discovery” as a holiday known as Columbus Day to celebrate a man who established the beginning of colonization of the New World. While Columbus did begin the colonization of the Americas, he was not the one who discovered them. History tends to be told from the privileged perspective which is why it’s taught that Columbus discovered these lands. The celebration of Columbus Day promotes the idea of colonization and the marginalization of Native Americans; people also believe it

When Christopher Columbus sailed to the Americas he stole land, kidnapped people and started a massacre. This all started August 3, 1492, when Columbus started his trip to India. According to Document B, “I took possession of all of them for our most fortunate King...no one making any resistance.” This was written by Christopher Columbus in 1493. In this quote he is referring to the people of the islands he discovered, saying that he has kidnapped them for the King. It also states, “ In the island, which I have said before was called Hispana, there are very lofty and beautiful mountains, great farms...and well adapted for constructing buildings.”, which describes reasons they should take over the land. Additionally, according to Document C,

“When Christopher Columbus sailed he sailed with three ships and found the Indians. “According to Document A Christopher” Columbus was brave, and he was bright “. “This shows that he was a very intelligent and tough man. “Additionally, according to Document B “ In fourteen hundred ninety-two Columbus sailed the ocean”. “This shows that He had three ships and left from Spain”. “Therefore, the authors point of view was that Christopher Columbus was a very joyful and apparently a nice man to the people as the document tells us. During the time this source was created Christopher Columbus has set sail and met the Indians. According to Document C “ The spaniards forced their indian slaves to work without rest and gave them little food. The men died

“When Christopher Columbus sailed to the Americas he was excited because he found gold, land and people. He thought they could be slaves .“According to Document B, it explains how Christopher Columbus found the land with gold, metals and people. He wants to make them his slaves .“This shows that…” “Besides, this Hispana abounds in various kinds of species, gold and metals“Additionally, according to Document C, it is explaining how the spanish people from spain mistreated the navites and turned them into slaves and how they died “This shows that…” Once these were home to more than half a million souls, but they are now deserted, inhabited by not a single person.

Document B is about letter from Columbus to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella.It was written in March 15,1493. It is about Columbus he sent sail from Spain to find an all-water route to Asia. This source was created in March 15,1493. During the time this source was created In beautiful mountains, great farms, groves and fields. This source reflects the time period because of Christopher Columbus is that on August 3, 1492, Columbus set sail from Spain to find an all-water route to Asia. Document C is about Account by Bartolome de las casas to the Spanish Monarchy. It was written in 1542. It is about Columbus was a killer and a lier. This source was created in 1542. During the time this source was created Killing, terrorizing and destroying the

Columbus is an explorer who credited himself and Spain with the discovery of new land, which is today known as San Salvador; however, a day dedicated to a man who ‘found’ a territory that already had human inhabitants and glorifies a voyage that resulted in a mass genocide, cruelty, and slave trade should not be celebrated.

The United States should not celebrate Columbus Day because it celebrates the mistreatment of Native Americans. One quote from the article that demonstrates this is, “a holiday called Indigenous Peoples Day will instead recognize the contributions, and suffering of Native Americans, people who lived in the Americas before Columbus arrived.” This quote demonstrates that Columbus may have improved some lives, but he destroyed others. Every year on Columbus Day, Native Americans are forced to celebrate the murder and theft of their people, lands, and homes. They should not be subject to this cruelty. Another quote that shows the mistreatment of Native Americans throughout history is, “in the 1850s, California’s leaders wanted to destroy the

Columbus came across a wealth of things that would help them for life. They had a vast area of land to do whatever they wanted to do with it. They could use the water, oil, lumber, coal, and so many other things. They were faced with a new group of people, people they didn't know what to do with. These people could be used as slaves for their personal use, being they came in and took over the land, and with the land come the people. When Columbus found this New World, he brought a world of wealth back to the Spanish, later to be shared with all of Europe.