On October 12th, 1492, Christopher Columbus landed in the Caribbean. Many people give Columbus the credit of discovering America, which is incorrect. Columbus discovered South America and to the day he died believed that he had discovered a faster route to Asia.
I remember learning about Columbus when I was in elementary school. We would learn all about the great man that found our beautiful country, we would color in pictures of Columbus stepping on the shore of America, and we would make hats just like Columbus's. Back when I was 7 years old, I loved Columbus Day and I would run home and tell my mother all about what we had learned that day. When I first learned how horrible Columbus really was I was shocked that elementary school teachers would even bring up such a person. Obviously, they weren't going to teach children about genocide, but I was immediately confused as to why teaching about Columbus was even necessary.
Recently there have been a few towns and states that have removed Columbus Day as a holiday but what concerns me is the numerous schools that are still treating this evil man like a hero. Columbus did make a daring journey across the Atlantic, but there is no angle to me that can reasonably justify Columbus being called a hero. Here are my main reasons why I refuse to celebrate Columbus Day:
1. Columbus Did Not Discover North America
As I said in the beginning of this piece, Columbus did not discover what would become North America. He was the catalyst that brought more explorers across the Atlantic, who would eventually begin to explore North America, but it is likely that without Columbus's help someone would have eventually found the gigantic landmass across the ocean.
2. Columbus Committed Genocide
Upon landing in the Caribbean, Columbus met the indigenous people of the islands. They were willing to trade but Columbus promptly enslaved the people. Any slave that did not collect enough gold either lost a limb or lost their life. Combined with the disease that Columbus brought over with him, he managed to decimate an entire race of people. It is important to add that he was arrested by the Spanish government for his crimes because they believed what he did was criminal.
3. Columbus Did Not Discover that the Earth Was Round
The purpose of Columbus's journey to the Americas was not to prove that the world was round rather that sailing around the world could be done. Columbus did not set out to prove the world was round yet I remember my history teachers telling us in elementary school that Columbus had proven this to the world. Maybe I was so interested in this man when I was younger because I thought he did something that everyone thought was impossible, I thought he was a hero.
I choose not to celebrate Columbus Day for these reasons and I firmly believe there are better things to celebrate in the month of October and there are better people we can teach our children about. There are so many amazing discoveries in the month of October that have significantly advanced this country and are better to focus on. If you must have a holiday on October 10th/12th, I encourage you to celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day instead and celebrate the amazing cultures that were able to survive the death that Columbus brought with him. So during the month of October you will find me celebrating not Columbus day but Indigenous Peoples Day and all the other holidays that celebrate America's progress.
