Essay About Columbus Day

753 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Impact of christopher columbus discovery

Columbus Day, which is celebrated on the second Monday of October every year, is a federal holiday celebrating when Columbus arrived in the Americas on October 12, 1492. This year, Columbus day falls on October 10. For some people, it seems rather shocking that this is still a holiday. The reasons there is questioning about this being a Federal Holiday is because of Columbus’ questionable character traits, negative impacts on society, introduction of encomienda into modern day, and the fact that Columbus didn’t really discover America; he just brought it to light for the Europeans. For these reasons, Columbus is not a person worthy of a Federal Holiday and that, if there should be a holiday to replace it, we should have an Indigenous People’s …show more content…

Many, rightfully, blame Columbus for introducing this system to Spain. As explained in Howard Zinn’s A People's’ History of The United States, Columbus had, boarded 500 indigenous Americans on his first voyage back to Spain, planning to use them all as slaves . The exaggerations of the America’s sent to Spain by Columbus also caused many more explorers to come to america, causing even more problems for the natives. Columbus may not have committed every awful act that happened to the people Indigenous to the Americas, but he was definitely a spearhead for Spain’s behavior, making him an unfit role model in American History, much less a man worthy of his own holiday. Columbus’ expeditions to the Americas have caused a few really negative impacts on Society today that are definitely not worthy of any sort of celebration. The first and most prevalent impact was the treatment of the native Americans. Then, there is the belief being expressed by many historians on websites such as Seeker.com that Columbus had brought Syphillis back to Europe, a disease still very much a concern even today. While finding America was a pretty big deal for Europe, it wasn’t really worth all the negative things that happened

Show More
Related

  • Persuasive Essay On Christopher Columbus Day

    1332 Words  | 3 Pages

    “In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue”, is the rhyme embedded in children’s heads in the first lesson of US history. However, beyond the discovery of the New World, Christopher Columbus receives no other mentions. Especially no one acknowledges that he was the reason Native Americans were mistreated and kept as slaves. Although Christopher Columbus’ actions are not all honorable he should still be celebrated during Columbus Day as a brave explorer who risked his and his crew’s lives to find a new way of travel and land. His efforts bridged a gap between the New and Old World and helped feed Europe, which immensely impacts our society. Because of his dedication and bravery to be an explorer Christopher Columbus Day should be celebrated.

    Read More

  • Christopher Columbus Hero Or Villain

    2323 Words  | 5 Pages

    Columbus Day was not always a federal holiday. Traditionally, the holiday was observed on the 12th of October locally. Columbus Day first became a holiday in Colorado in 1906. Through lobbying by Angelo Rose, Generoso Pope, and The Knights of Columbus, Columbus Day became a federal holiday in 1937. It was signed in by Franklin Roosevelt. Since 1970, the holiday has been observed on the second Monday of October. Columbus Day had lobbying against it as well. During the early days before information was not easily available, it was said that the holiday would be used to spread Catholic influence. In later years during the Information Age, arguments such as Columbus 's character or the genocide and slavery of the Indians became widespread arguments against the celebration of the holiday. There are also many arguments as to why the holiday should be kept. Columbus 's voyages led to the colonization of the New World. His expeditions spurred the Age of Exploration, where many European countries continued to invest in exploring for shorter and faster routes to India and the Orient, and new territories to claim. His voyages also led to the Columbian

    Read More

  • Christopher Columbus: Hero Or Villain?

    605 Words  | 2 Pages

    Christopher Columbus does not deserve to be honored as a hero with his own holiday. Close to 500 years, people have praised Christopher Columbus and also celebrated him as though he was the one who truly founded America. Teachers teach students that he was a great man, also how he found treasures and land known as America. Students are also taught about the names of his three ships he used on his first voyage. However, they did not teach us the truth about Christopher Columbus, and his so called “discovery”.

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay: Should We Celebrate Christopher Columbus?

    276 Words  | 1 Pages

    The name of the article is PRO/CON: Should we celebrate Christopher Columbus?It was made By Silvio Laccetti, McClatchy Tribune, and Los Angeles Times Editorial Board adapted Newsela staff. On 10/06/2017. There are monuments and teachers that are being destroyed. Many people died during Columbus time and when people think of Colombes they think of all the people that he killed. There are parks playgrounds and schools that tribute Christopher Columbus. The article says we should the accomplishment he made. The Los Angeles California City Council have joined with other cities to replace Columbus Day with a holiday called Indigenous Peoples Day. because of the controversy of Columbus, a lot of people

    Read More

  • Columbus Deserve A Holiday

    490 Words  | 1 Pages

    Although, Columbus may have done some bad things to America, he helped England, Spain, and all people to this day. When he discovered America he made it known, allowing people to travel there and begin a new life. Lots of countries honor Columbus, especially Spain. For his discovery we wouldn’t be where we are now, we might have still believed the world was flat. From the author of “Sail On!” he says “Columbus’ voyage made America known to the people of Europe. This truly changed the world. It is why Columbus is honored.”He will be honored for the good things we don’t need to ponder on the

    Read More

  • A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn

    1226 Words  | 3 Pages

    In some respects, we can attribute the founding of America and all its subsequent impacts to Christopher Columbus. Columbus a hero in the United States, has his own holiday and we view as the one who paved the way for America to be colonized. However, people tend to forget the other side of Columbus, the side that lusted after gold and resources that often belonged to the native inhabitants he came across in his exploration. In his insatiable greed, he and his crew committed countless atrocities, such as torture and killing of defenseless natives. Columbus’s discovery of these new lands contributes profound and negative effects as future colonists arrived. “Zinn estimates that perhaps 3 million people perished in the Caribbean alone from raids, forced labor and disease” (Zinn, 1980). Columbus was seen as a cruel man, who saw the peaceful inhabitants as right for the conquering and lead to the devastation of the native population, yet is celebrated every October.

    Read More

  • Christopher Columbus: The Hero

    913 Words  | 2 Pages

    It is thought by many that Christopher Columbus was a skilled sailor on a mission of greed. Many think that he in fact did it all for the money, honor and the status that comes with an explorer, but this is not the case entirely. Columbus was an adventurer and was enthused by the thrill of the quest of the unknown. “Columbus had a firm religious faith and a scientific curiosity, a zest for life, the felling for beauty and the striving for novelty that we associate with the advancement of learning”. He had heard of the legendary Atlantic voyages and sailors reports of land to the west of Madeira and the Azores. He believed that Japan was about 4,800 km to the west of Portugal. In 1484, Columbus wanted support for an exploratory voyage from King John II of Portugal, but he was refused. In 1485, Columbus took his son Diego and went to Spain to get some help.

    Read More

  • Christopher Columbus: The True Importance Of Christopher Columbus

    1258 Words  | 3 Pages

    In our personal lives we consider our past forgotten, however in our history everyone affects how they see themselves. "history repeats itself " is gradually long time we know manipulated and deceived us the wrong information, books, learning in school, the "biased" report before the newspaper, radio and television. Let us move on and we just solemn pray for that will prosper in our country. I noticed that there have been distortions in our history. It’s sad because it seems like we have forgotten the sacrifices of those who died during the time of dictatorship. This tragedy cannot continue. We should stand up for someone’s rights today. Times have changed. More sooner than later, they will take power into their hands by all and whatever

    Read More

  • Christopher Columbus: A Hero Or A Columbus Day?

    1114 Words  | 3 Pages

    The explorer Christopher Columbus made four trips across the Atlantic Ocean from Spain: in 1492, 1493, 1498 and 1502. He was determined to find a direct water route west from Europe to Asia, but he never did. Instead, he accidentally stumbled upon the Americas. Though he did not really discover The New World millions of people already lived there his journeys marked the beginning of centuries of Atlantic conquest and colonization. However there has been some controversy whether or not Columbus is a hero or not because of some of his actions he took;” one hundred years after his landing in America, Europeans exploration, and exploitation, resulted in the deaths of 90 million indigenous peoples. His own diaries detail the horrible atrocities committed seemingly at his behest” (lecture handout). In terms of celebration I say it we should not because we are celebrating all the actions he took; The Killing of many natives, the creation of slavery, and mistreatment of his own people. Columbus is basically label as a tyrant. Instead Columbus Day should instead be celebrated as Indigenous day. A day of remembrance to all the people that suffer under Columbus

    Read More

  • Why Is Columbus Day Be Celebrated

    486 Words  | 1 Pages

    On the second Monday of October, Columbus Day is a holiday that is celebrated in the United States, Spain, etc. This holiday signifies the discovery of the new world; however, this may not be the case. Since the day President Franklin Delano Roosevelt announced Columbus day to be an official federal holiday, there has been a lot of controversy whether people should or should not celebrate the holiday. Many people do not believe that this holiday is significant enough to be celebrated. So the question is, should Columbus day be celebrated? The answer is no. Columbus day is a holiday that celebrates the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the new world.1 It glorifies Columbus being the first European to discover North America. This is all not entirely true and that is one of the many

    Read More

  • Columbus Day Abolished

    954 Words  | 2 Pages

    To prove a point without the astrolabe, compass, and maps created by other explorers, Columbus wouldn’t have been able to find America. Although many of the deaths of the Native Americans were caused by illnesses, such like small pox, tuberculosis, and typhus you can still blame Columbus. If Columbus’s greed for glory and slaves didn’t exist, then the punitive ways of the Spaniards, the murders and the loss of many Native American religions and cultures wouldn’t occur. Why support a man who exterminated many for sheer selfishness? Exactly, you don’t. Therefore, the aforementioned explorer shouldn’t have a national holiday honoring

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On Columbus Day

    475 Words  | 1 Pages

    Even through all of the bad, Columbus day should still be a national holiday in America. As both a celebration of success and enlightenment, and as a reminder of the past. Many other people (including remaining Native American tribes) believe that the holiday either be changed or removed

    Read More

  • Christopher Columbus Essay

    722 Words  | 2 Pages

    Some of the problems when studying history are the texts and documents that have been discovered are only from perspective. Furthermore, on occasion that one perspective is all there may be for historians to study. A good example of this textual imbalance can be found from the texts about the discovery of the New World; more specifically, the letters of Christopher Columbus and Pêro Vaz de Caminha during their voyages to the New World. Plenty of the text from this time is written from the perspective of the Europeans, as the Indigenous population did not have any written text. What this means is that it provided only one perspective, which can drastically hinder how history is interpreted. Columbus’s letter of his first voyage to the Caribbean

    Read More

  • We Shouldn T Celebrate Columbus Day?

    745 Words  | 2 Pages

    One reason we shouldn’t celebrate Columbus Day is because he enslaved Natives to have them work. The text states,”The aim was clear: slaves and gold. They went from island to island in the Caribbean,capturing Indians,”(page 8

    Read More

  • Christopher Columbus Voyage Essay

    930 Words  | 2 Pages

    Before the most famous historic voyage to the Americas Christopher Columbus had no support to go on his expedition. Christopher Columbus tried to get support from the King of Portugal John II, but he was turned down. Spain finally agreed to sponsor his voyage in 1492 across the Atlantic Ocean. By agreeing to sponsor Christopher Columbus voyage they believed they would have gained leverage in what they were trying to do in Spain. The Reconquista made the Spaniards very powerful. By Christopher Columbus finding new land with people and gold it convinced King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella to continue to support his voyages. Even though the king and queen believed that allowing him to go on the voyages benefited them it actually allowed Christopher

    Read More

More about Essay About Columbus Day

Open Document