“In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue” This is a rhyme that most of us heard in our elementary and middle school days. It is factual that Columbus did sail to the Americas, but where is the evidence behind the fact that he actually “discovered” this new land? As students, we know that there were natives living on the land before Columbus and, therefore, he did not actually discover a new world. After learning this fact, why is Columbus Day still relevant? Why do Americans get the day off to celebrate a man who not only killed thousands of innocent natives, but forced conversion on most of them, and pranced around as if he was king of the world? Although, without the discovery of the Americas by Columbus and his fellow sailors the world
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The focus should be on the braveness of the Europeans who risked their lives to institute a new country. The Europeans set the foundation for this country. By exploring and seizing the land, they were able to bring more settlers over. With their “discovery”, other people began to settle, colonize and create new lives in a “New World”. William Connell, a history professor at Seton Hall University stated that, “...Columbus Day is for all Americans. It marks the first encounter that brought together the original Americans and the future ones. A lot of suffering followed, but a lot of achievement too.” (Source H). Although the Natives did not deserve the Columbus’s cruel and barbaric actions, this land needed to be discovered by people in Europe in order to have been as successful and developed as it was. Columbus Day should be spent celebrating the European discovery of the New World, we should not call the occasion “Columbus Day”, the man does not deserve the title or the honor at all. We should call this day “European Discovery Day”, or something to that effect. Columbus was a reckless animal, his desire was to adventure in a new land for money and glory. He should not be admired for killing, persecuting and enslaving the amount of people he did. Rather, the Europeans should take the honor and the title of their historic
The focus should be on the braveness of the Europeans who risked their lives to institute a new country. The Europeans set the foundation for this country. By exploring and seizing the land, they were able to bring more settlers over. With their “discovery”, other people began to settle, colonize and create new lives in a “New World”. William Connell, a history professor at Seton Hall University stated that, “...Columbus Day is for all Americans. It marks the first encounter that brought together the original Americans and the future ones. A lot of suffering followed, but a lot of achievement too.” (Source H). Although the Natives did not deserve the Columbus’s cruel and barbaric actions, this land needed to be discovered by people in Europe in order to have been as successful and developed as it was. Columbus Day should be spent celebrating the European discovery of the New World, we should not call the occasion “Columbus Day”, the man does not deserve the title or the honor at all. We should call this day “European Discovery Day”, or something to that effect. Columbus was a reckless animal, his desire was to adventure in a new land for money and glory. He should not be admired for killing, persecuting and enslaving the amount of people he did. Rather, the Europeans should take the honor and the title of their historic