Christopher Columbus Day Research Paper

Celebration of a False Hero

Natalie Bono
United States History
History 112
31 October 2016

The celebration of Christopher Columbus should no longer be a national holiday because Columbus’s brutality outweighs his minor accomplishments. Every year on the second Monday of October our nation celebrates a man who never even stepped foot on the land that is now the United States. Children are not taught about the awful reality of Christopher Columbus, such as the enslavement, murder, torture and rape of thousands or even millions of indigenous people. Columbus did not discover our land he merely paved the way to for western colonization while at the same time creating the transatlantic slave trade. The United States should …show more content…
Hoping to find a new route from Europe to Asia Columbus accidently landed onto the Bahamas in 1492, believing it to be India. Columbus also made four trips in total across the Atlantic where he stumbled upon Cuba, Haiti and the Dominican islands. The day we celebrate Columbus Day is actually the noted date of his first arrival onto the Bahamas which is October 12th, but not once did he place a foot onto North American soil. According to past records 500 years before Columbus was even born a Viking named Leif Erickson sailed across the Atlantic stepping foot onto North America first. Today Colobus is celebrated not only because he is believed to be the founder of our country but also because to most who are unknowing he is seen as a true, brave hero. According to our former president Ronald Regan Christopher Columbus was "dreamer, a man of vision and courage, a man filled with hope for the future, put it all together and you might say that Columbus was the inventor of the American Dream.” Unfortunately most do not know the harsh reality that encompasses Columbus. Although Columbus truly did pave the way for Europeans to colonize new land, it was founded with a price to those who were already living …show more content…
Columbus is the original manufacture of the transatlantic slave trade. Because of him the united stated is stained with the blood of innocent people who were rightfully here before Europeans. Christopher Columbus was not even celebrated by the Spaniards but punished for his wrong doings. Columbus Day should be replaced for those who were sacrificed in the making of this country. The United States should recognize the massive amount lives taken and uprooted for the luxuries we have now. Indigenous people have sacrifice their culture, identity and land so this nation could be the country it is today. The United States should Honor and remember those lost in genocide and slavery instead of a man who believed in chopping off hands and raping women. Columbus Day should no longer be recognized as a federal holiday because we should not rejoice over the bloody foundation we are founded

Show More