LEARN MORE...

Columbus Day Essay

Content type

User Generated

Subject

Literature

Type

Essay

Uploaded By

Ebfr_Zraqry

Pages

Showing Page:

1/5

A Holiday of Hate

Shenoa Loewy

English Prep, Grade 11

“A Holiday of Hate”

March 1, 2017

Over 400 years ago, an explorer by the name of Christopher Columbus, received funding from

the Spanish Queen to seek out exotic trading goods from India. Though he did not realize it at the time, he

Showing Page:

2/5

A Holiday of Hate

was about to discover a new world, one of sprawling desserts, crystal blue lakes, and of course, thousands

of native people. When Columbus discovered this foreign land, he brought with him a new age of

European expansion and colonization. With this colonization, came the genocide and enslavement of

Native-American people. Today, the United States of America celebrates “Columbus Day” to

commemorate the beginning of American colonization and the spirit of exploration. This has become

extremely controversial, given the atrocities that followed Columbus. Natives all over the country have

called for the holiday to be changed to “Indigenous Peoples Day.” It is true that the holiday should be

changed to “Indigenous Peoples Day” due to the decades of discrimination and suffering that the natives

endured, as well as the changing political and social climate in America.

The years that followed Columbus’s travels were host to the slaughter of thousands of natives

from the plains of Arizona to the mountains of Lima. The superior technological power of the Europeans

made it nearly impossible for the primitive natives to defend themselves. Those who were not killed were

sold into the slave trade, “The New World was discovered within the same timeframe as when slave trade

had begun to arise. Thousands of the Taino, or “Indians” as Columbus had referred to them, were shipped

out to be traded internationally.” (Lassitter and Wirt, 2017). Columbus’s discovery also began the spread

of Catholicism to the natives. Due to the doctrine of discovery, the settlers believed they had a right to

claim non-Christian lands. This became the justification for the colonization and the forced religious

assimilation. This lead to a distaste for the holiday from some Americans, “Dating back around 200 years,

the nonreligious had been adverse to this celebration.” (Lassitter and Wirt, 2017). This was due to the

impression that Columbus was attempting to spread Catholic influence. Many natives have made the

legitimate claims that these events should be represented, but not shown in a positive light, which they

believe Columbus Day does.

The current social climate has shifted within the last few years to address the atrocities that

occurred for marginalized people. Native-Americans have begun to receive the treatment that they

deserve as Americans, and the discrimination against them is beginning to dissipate. Due to this social

Showing Page:

3/5

End of Preview - Want to read all 5 pages?

Access Now

Unformatted Attachment Preview

A Holiday of Hate 1 Shenoa Loewy English Prep, Grade 11 “A Holiday of Hate” March 1, 2017 Over 400 years ago, an explorer by the name of Christopher Columbus, received funding from the Spanish Queen to seek out exotic trading goods from India. Though he did not realize it at the time, he A Holiday of Hate 2 was about to discover a new world, one of sprawling desserts, crystal blue lakes, and of course, thousands of native people. When Columbus discovered this foreign land, he brought with him a new age of European expansion and colonization. With this colonization, came the genocide and enslavement of Native-American people. Today, the United States of America celebrates “Columbus Day” to commemorate the beginning of American colonization and the spirit of exploration. This has become extremely controversial, given the atrocities that followed Columbus. Natives all over the country have called for the holiday to be changed to “Indigenous Peoples Day.” It is true that the holiday should be changed to “Indigenous Peoples Day” due to the decades of discrimination and suffering that the natives endured, as well as the changing political and social climate in America. The years that followed Columbus’s travels were host to the slaughter of thousands of natives from the plains of Arizona to the mountains of Lima. The superior technological power of the Europeans made it nearly impossible for the primitive natives to defend themselves. Those who were not kille ...
Purchase document to see full attachment

Tags: Columbus Day Christopher Columbus European Expansion colonization Columbuss travels