Should the U.S. celebrate Columbus Day?

10/18/2022

Srivatsav Koduri

10/20/2022 07:44:42 pm

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The U.S. should no longer celebrate Columbus Day because Columbus wasn't the first person to find the Americas. According to HISTORY the first European to step foot on the Americas is a Viking named Leif Eriksson (https://www.adcoxhistory.com/course-discussion-board/should-the-us-celebrate-columbus-day). This was half a mellennium before Columbus arrived there. In the same article the Icelandic trader Bjarni Herjolfsson sails by North America even before Eriksson. This wasn't just a one-time event, Vikings traveled to North America for at least a decade longer. Even if Columbus can be credited for beginning the first major expeditions to the Americas by Europe, he can also be credited for beginning the end of native populations. Furthermore, Columbus began the destruction of the natural landscape of the Americas. The argument that we are here thanks to Columbus is also not a sound one seeing that we would have to thanks every individual who even made a minute contribution to history. Therefore, Columbus Day shouldn't be celebrated although another holiday taking its place would be nice.

Srivatsav Koduri

Srivatsav Koduri

10/20/2022 07:46:20 pm

Please ignore list at top it was accidentally copied.

Ms. Adcox

10/21/2022 05:39:51 am

lol ok, great response though!

Allison Wei

10/21/2022 03:38:35 pm

I believe that the US should not continue to celebrate Columbus Day. Columbus exploited, kidnapped, raped, and murdered many Native Americans, mostly for his greed. In addition, he essentially started American colonization, which continued the trend of oppression against the indigenous populations. Columbus decimated the populations with the diseases he and his crew brought and the number of natives he captured and took away. It wouldn't be wise to continue celebrating a man who started an era of despair for many, especially because of how far we've advanced in society today. Instead of Columbus day, I think we should all just celebrate Indigenous People's day. At this point they deserve it... (source is from class)

-Allison Wei

Stacy Chidi

10/21/2022 09:12:46 pm

The U.S should not celebrate Columbus day as a holiday because his arrival led to natives losing their way of life. Columbus day is celebrated as a holiday for Columbus's discovery of the Americas, but Columbus did not discover Americas due to the fact that natives were already living there and he did not just find it he also colonized it. According to A People's History of the United States (1980) by Howard Zinn, "In 1495, they went on a great slave raid...arrived in Spain and were put up for sale. If Columbus merely landed in the Americas, Columbus day could be celebrated as the first contact between the East and West, but he enslaved natives. Columbus enslavement of natives and transporting them to Spain is not something to be celebrated.

Shazia Rahaman

10/23/2022 01:09:01 pm

The U.S. should not celebrate Columbus Day as it marks the death of a substantial portion of indigenous culture and the initiation of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Columbus initiated death and captivity among native populations and the extinction of aspects of indigenous culture, which European traditions. In addition, the Europeans enslaved indigenous peoples, and once they kept escaping, the Europeans enslaved people from Africa. Columbus began the cycle that led to the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Columbus Day doesn't deserve to be celebrated in America as commemoration honors the immoral ideals that shut down indigenous ways of life and initiated the Transatlantic Slave Trade.

Sources:
https://theconversation.com/indigenous-peoples-day-why-its-replacing-columbus-day-in-many-places-167849

Lecture from class

Amsco Unit 4

Shazia Rahaman

10/23/2022 01:10:08 pm

- Shazia Rahaman
(I forgot to write my name)

Elliot O Engquist link

10/23/2022 02:39:20 pm

I do not believe that the US should celebrate Columbus Day. Despite original assumptions, Christopher Columbus was not actually the first person to find the Americas, in fact, according to npr.org, a viking named Leif Erikson found it about 500 years earlier. Another issue was what Columbus led to after his arrival, slavery and conquest. After his discovery, Spain sent more explorers and conquistadors due to his exaggerations. This led to to end of several societies in the Americas including the Aztecs and the Incas. Because of his "discovery" Columbus led to many issues in early America which is why he should not be celebrated.

Elliot O Engquist

10/23/2022 02:40:43 pm

-Elliot Engquist
(Forgot name)

Zoe Fuller

10/28/2022 07:29:48 pm

Columbus day should no longer be celebrated because he wasn't even the first to discover the americas and he wreaked havoc on the native people that led to their demise. Christopher Columbus didn't even intend to land in the Americas, making his "discovery" accidental. The aftermath of his arrival marks a decline for the native peoples. Ancient civilizations and culture lost completely from the colonization, slavery, guns, and diseases. He didn't actually discover anything and only Europeans gained from the explosion of the "new world". The day shouldn't be taken away all together though, it should instead be a day of remembrance for the native people who were lost.

Melanie Martinez

10/30/2022 12:42:27 pm

The U.S should not celebrate Columbus Day. Columbus' arrival to the Americas resulted in the colonization of the Americas and the beginning of the transatlantic slave trade (History.com). Thanks to Columbus, the Spanish went to the Americas, where they kidnapped, enslaved, and killed thousands of Native Americans. The horrible actions of Christopher Columbus should not be celebrated anymore.
(https://www.history.com/topics/exploration/columbus-day#:~:text=In%20recent%20decades%2C%20Native%20Americans,millions%20from%20murder%20and%20disease.)
- Melanie Martinez

Daisy Moreno

10/30/2022 04:01:18 pm

Although America wouldn't be where it is right now without Columbus, the US should not celebrate Columbus Day. By celebrating Columbus Day we are honoring a man who enslaved and killed thousands of indigenous people. According to UW Press, native population declined to less than six million by 1650 as a result of Columbus's actions. Instead of celebrating his "discovery" of the Americas, we should use this day to commemorate the lives lost throughout the way.

Mia Reynoso link

11/3/2022 06:26:20 pm

Although Christopher Columbus brought many new changes and advancements, Columbus Day should not be celebrated. For many people across the world Columbus Day is known as the time of dispossession and massacre. Not only did he bring many new diseases, Columbus introduced the transatlantic slave trade, killing millions of people. Christopher Columbus has taken advantage of the native people and used them for his own selfishness. Since Columbus Day is supposed to celebrate the Discovery of the “New World”, many others are also fighting towards changing this day as he is a colonizer and not a discoverer and because he is now being celebrated for an accomplishment that isn’t his.

Diya Gaur

11/7/2022 12:59:41 pm

Columbus day in America is celebrated for its contribution to the development of the American colonies, but the celebration of Columbus Day brings more harm than good.

When we celebrate Columbus day, we are erasing the harm Columbus placed on not only the land of America, but also millions of indigenous peoples of America. The celebration of Columbus Day is also the celebration of mass genocides "thanks" to Columbus.

The genocide of the Indigenous peoples erased history, culture, and more importantly, people. This mass genocide was not only from disease brought over from Europe, but also due to brute force of European people (1). All in all, violence is not something that should be celebrated

1. https://www.businessinsider.com/climate-changed-after-europeans-killed-indigenous-americans-2019-2

-Diya Gaur, AP World History (A1)

Luis Tudela

2/6/2023 06:59:29 am

Columbus day should be celebrated in America, but not as a major celebration. Even though Columbus was NOT the first to discover the western hemisphere, he was the first to discover the Americas, the most important area of the new world. He also began a 200+ year expansion era that changed the planet. He was indeed a horrible person, but the change he brought to the planet was a historical moment in human history.
(he did cause syphilis tho)

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