History of Columbus Day
Monday October 13, 2008
Traditionally, the second Monday of October is set aside to commemorate Christopher Columbus' arrival in America. In actuality, Columbus first sighted land on October 12, 1492. In recent years Columbus Day has come under some attack because of the impact Columbus' discovery had on the Native Americans. His voyage was a key event in the Age of Discovery.
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I definitely do not think that we should have a day commemorating Columbus. It just proves that we are more wanting of heroes than actual historical figures.
Columbus Day was established as a US holiday to allow Italian-Americans a designated day of celebration for their heritage (although there was no Italy at the time of Columbus; that’s not the point). BTW, Columbus is historically important for more than one reason; among them, he established the first European settlement in the Americas, as well as, the first permanent settlement of Europeans in the Americas (the inhabitants of Greenland and Iceland being discounted as part of the Americas).
So, I guess we are not counting Erik the Red or Leif Ericsson?
Columbus was not perfect. His spirit of exploration did pave the way for the great thinkers and inventors of Europe to transform a wilderness into the greatest country in the world. He sailed great ships over uncharted waters and encountered primitives who hollowed-out logs and paddled up rivers. The early natives had no written language and did not even know of the wheel. The history of the world is full of hundreds of histories of inevitable conquests. This was one of them.