10.07.10
Monday, Oct. 11, some Americans will honor the 15th century voyage of Christopher Columbus. While many of us will never forget the famous rhyme that we learned in elementary school, "In fourteen hundred ninety-two Columbus sailed the ocean blue," we often fail to ask ourselves if Christopher Columbus really led a life of accomplishments that makes him worthy of a federal holiday in his name.
As historians continue to examine the life of Columbus, controversy arises. Of all federal holidays, Columbus Day is, in fact, one of three that are named after human beings. Taking a closer look at the life and times of Columbus, it is apparent that his legacy is defined more by myth than substance, and we should seriously reconsider the celebration of a holiday in his honor.
Exploring Columbus' legacy, one would discover that the arrival of his fleet – the Niña, Pinta and Santa Maria – probably at an island in the Bahamas, marked the start of the destruction of millions of indigenous peoples. Many results of his voyage were unglamorous, such as the commencement of slave-trading, using people captured from Caribbean islands. Communicable diseases and forced religious assimilation were elements of the Columbian Exchange – the widespread transport of animals, plants, culture, people and ideas between the Eastern and Western hemispheres. European settlers in the new land engaged in oppression and cruelty against indigenous peoples, resulting in untold deaths and marking one of the greatest tragedies in human history.
What exactly did Christopher Columbus discover? Claiming that he was the first person to find the new land is a Eurocentric ideal that goes against the grain of a contemporary America, one that strives to embrace an environment of multiculturalism. The pre-Columbian indigenous population of the Americas could have exceeded 50 million people; these were people who were already here. Leif Eriksson and Viking explorers stepped foot on North American soil hundreds of years earlier. There is evidence that numerous other explorers could have arrived in the New World years before Columbus.
There is little doubt that Columbus' voyage had tremendous historical significance that forever altered the development of the Western world, but dedicating a federal holiday to him romanticizes his contributions and ignores a dark part of the history of the Americas that we should never forget. Doing so is insincere and a dishonor to the indigenous peoples of our land.
The United States is a country of progression. We persevere as we show respect for diversity, inclusion and tolerance. We realize that we have made mistakes with regards to racial and gender inequality, but we have become a stronger nation by recognizing and learning from parts of our history that we are not proud of. Looking at the civil rights movements of the past 50 years, it goes without saying that the United States has taken great strides in a very short amount of time.
A major step in the right direction would be to end the celebration of Columbus Day. Instead, perhaps we can focus on a new holiday that works to establish solidarity with the indigenous peoples, or perhaps we can even honor Thomas Jefferson for his promotion of liberty and inalienable individual rights. There were many who fought tirelessly for women's suffrage and gender equality who should also be honored.
We will never learn from our history if we choose to glorify individuals such as Columbus, who was neither noble nor representative of American values.
Michael A. Moodian is assistant professor of social science at Brandman University, an affiliate of Chapman University.
I could not agree more.
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