Every second Monday in October, people all around the world take the day off to celebrate the so-called “discoverer” of the New World, Christopher Columbus. Columbus Day has been a celebrated federal holiday since the year 1943. But what is there to celebrate? Columbus enslaved, killed, and tortured the Natives living on the islands. Christopher Columbus should most definitely be judged by today’s standards, and the idea of continuing the celebration of this absurd holiday should not be up for discussion.
In a passage from Brief Account of the Devastation of the Indies, Bartolome de Las Casas wrote:
“Their reason for killing and destroying such an infinite number of souls is that the Christians have an ultimate aim, which is to acquire …show more content…
Much like other explorers, the driving force behind Columbus’ expedition was his thirst for riches. Columbus didn't view the Natives as people, he viewed them as objects he could use to help achieve his goal of becoming rich.
In a letter written to Queen Isabella of Spain, Columbus wrote:
“For I, with the force I have under me, which is not large, could march all over these islands without opposition.” (Columbus 1492)
This message he wrote shows just how little respect Columbus had for the original Caribbean settlers. He and his men didn't care about the natives or their families. They didn't care about how hard the Natives worked to build a life for themselves. The only interest Columbus had in the settlers was how they would become his new …show more content…
Columbus accepted the challenge of leading the trip to the new world for the riches and wealth he would discover there. His only interest was in keeping the 10 percent of his findings.
“One reason these atrocities are still with us is that we have learned to bury them in a mass of other facts, as radioactive wastes are buried in containers in the earth. We have learned to give them exactly the same proportion of attention that teacher and writers often give them in the most respectable of classrooms and textbooks.” (Zinn, Howard 1980)
A quote by Howard Zinn, from A People’s History of the United States. We cannot continue to bury the atrocious acts of the past. We must uncover them and learn from them so they are not repeated. By learn, I mean take note and be aware of what happened, I do not mean celebrate. We cannot change the past actions of others, we can only help prevent those actions from happening again in the
In a passage from Brief Account of the Devastation of the Indies, Bartolome de Las Casas wrote:
“Their reason for killing and destroying such an infinite number of souls is that the Christians have an ultimate aim, which is to acquire …show more content…
Much like other explorers, the driving force behind Columbus’ expedition was his thirst for riches. Columbus didn't view the Natives as people, he viewed them as objects he could use to help achieve his goal of becoming rich.
In a letter written to Queen Isabella of Spain, Columbus wrote:
“For I, with the force I have under me, which is not large, could march all over these islands without opposition.” (Columbus 1492)
This message he wrote shows just how little respect Columbus had for the original Caribbean settlers. He and his men didn't care about the natives or their families. They didn't care about how hard the Natives worked to build a life for themselves. The only interest Columbus had in the settlers was how they would become his new …show more content…
Columbus accepted the challenge of leading the trip to the new world for the riches and wealth he would discover there. His only interest was in keeping the 10 percent of his findings.
“One reason these atrocities are still with us is that we have learned to bury them in a mass of other facts, as radioactive wastes are buried in containers in the earth. We have learned to give them exactly the same proportion of attention that teacher and writers often give them in the most respectable of classrooms and textbooks.” (Zinn, Howard 1980)
A quote by Howard Zinn, from A People’s History of the United States. We cannot continue to bury the atrocious acts of the past. We must uncover them and learn from them so they are not repeated. By learn, I mean take note and be aware of what happened, I do not mean celebrate. We cannot change the past actions of others, we can only help prevent those actions from happening again in the