Restoring Columbus Day: A step backward for America (#314)

Columbus was a skilled navigator and undeniably changed world history by linking Europe and the Americas.

But when you look closely at how Columbus treated indigenous people, and even his own crew, a darker picture emerges.

• Cruelty to Indigenous People:

• Columbus and his men enslaved native people, forced them to mine for gold, and punished them harshly if they didn’t meet quotas.

• Columbus helped initiate a brutal system that led to widespread suffering, enslavement, and death among native populations.

• Greed and Ambition:

• Columbus was motivated by wealth, titles, and power as much as exploration.

• Columbus demanded a percentage of the wealth he discovered and insisted on noble titles for himself and his descendants.

• Mismanagement and Tyranny:

• As a colonial governor, Columbus ruled the Spanish settlements in Hispaniola so poorly, including through torture and executions, that even Spanish officials removed him from power and arrested him.

• Complex Legacy:

• While he wasn’t intentionally setting out to cause a genocide, his actions (and the systems he helped establish) contributed to mass death, cultural destruction, and centuries of colonization.

In the 15th-century European context, Columbus might have seemed like a successful and even celebrated figure.

But by today's ethical standards, he was ruthless, exploitative, and left a tragic legacy for the peoples of the Americas.

The U.S. started celebrating Christopher Columbus for reasons that had little to do with who Columbus really was as a person, and a lot to do with politics, national identity, and immigration struggles.

• Italian-American Pride:

• In the late 1800s, Italian immigrants in the U.S. faced severe discrimination, racism, and violence.

• Italians looked to Columbus, an Italian-born explorer, as a symbol of achievement and dignity.

• Honoring Columbus became a way for Italian-Americans to show they had made important contributions to American history, helping them claim a respected place in American society.

• Building a Unified National Identity:

• After the U.S. Civil War, America was deeply divided.

• Leaders wanted national myths and heroes to bring the country together.

• Columbus was turned into a heroic figure - someone who symbolized boldness, exploration, and the idea of a New World.

• The real complexity of Columbus’s actions (enslavement, cruelty) was ignored or sanitized to fit the myth.

• Religious Politics:

• Columbus was promoted by some Catholic organizations.

• In a country that was largely Protestant at the time, celebrating a Catholic explorer helped Catholic Americans (many of them immigrants) push back against religious prejudice.

• Political Pressure:

• In 1937, under pressure from Catholic and Italian/American groups, President Franklin D. Roosevelt officially declared Columbus Day a national holiday.

• It was seen as an inclusive gesture to immigrant communities during a time of social tension.

  
  

The U.S. didn't start celebrating Columbus because of a careful examination of his life.

They celebrated Columbus because they needed symbols of unity, immigrant inclusion, and national pride, and Columbus’s legend fit the bill.

Today, many people question or reject the holiday altogether.

Instead, movements like Indigenous Peoples' Day have gained traction, honoring Native American histories, cultures, and the suffering caused by colonization.

Rick’s Commentary

In a sharp reversal of recent progress, the current U.S. administration has moved to fully restore Columbus Day’s traditional prominence, framing it as a celebration of American resilience and achievement.

This decision rolls back efforts by previous administrations to elevate Indigenous Peoples' Day alongside, or even in place of, Columbus Day. A symbolic step toward reckoning with America's colonial past.

By doubling down on the mythology of Columbus as a heroic figure, the government has reignited a national debate over whose histories are honored and whose are erased.

It underscores the reality that memory is political: every holiday we choose to celebrate or reject sends a message about the America we believe in.

At a time when inclusivity and historical truth are under intense scrutiny, restoring Columbus Day to its full glory feels less like a neutral celebration of history and more like a deliberate choice to uphold an outdated, exclusionary narrative.

The debate over Columbus Day reflects a deeper struggle about how we remember history.

Supporters argue that Columbus Day honors a pivotal moment in world history - the bridging of continents that led to the modern global era - and serves as a celebration of Italian-American heritage and immigrant contributions to the United States. They emphasize that despite Columbus’s flaws, his daring voyage reshaped human history, and his legacy deserves recognition.

Opponents counter that celebrating Columbus ignores the devastating impact of colonization on Indigenous peoples, including violence, displacement, and cultural destruction that followed his arrival. They argue that honoring Indigenous Peoples’ Day instead allows the country to tell a fuller, more honest story and to recognize those who lived here long before European arrival.

In a nation built on diverse histories, how we choose to commemorate the past ultimately shapes the values we carry forward.

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