In school, children are taught about the great adventurer Christopher Columbus and how he discovered the New World. People learned to lionize him as the hero who discovered the country of America, but what’s never mentioned is that Christopher Columbus is not what Americans are lead to believe. The facts that are missing from history books is that he was a slave owner, a murderer, cruel, and greedy. If he possessed all of these terrible traits, then why is there a day dedicated to him? No good person would celebrate Hitler, so why should Christopher Columbus be celebrated? Columbus Day should not be a federal holiday. For one, Christopher Columbus was responsible for the enslavement of many Native Americans. According to “Columbus Day? True Legacy: Cruelty and Slavery” by Eric Kasum, when settled in the Bahamas, Columbus subjugated the native Lucayans, Tainos, and Arawaks. They were forced to work in the mines until they died of exhaustion. The article also stated that he “supervised the selling of native girls into sexual slavery,” especially those of ages 9 and 10 since they were the most demanded by men. He forced men and women to go through hard labor and never
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Instead of Columbus Day, it could be changed to Indigenous Peoples’ Day, a day that celebrates the Native Americans and their history. Several areas have changed Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples’ Day such as Seattle (Ahtone, “Seattle Swaps Columbus Day For ‘Indigenous Peoples’ Day’”). Another alternative is to celebrate Bartolome De Las Casas. He was one of Columbus’s men until he realized how terribly the natives were being treated. In short, Bartolome then become a priest and devoted the rest of his life to the end of african and native american slavery (The Oatmeal, “Christopher Columbus was awful (but this other guy was not)”). Even if it has to be a regular non-holiday Monday, Columbus Day should not earn a spot of
Instead of Columbus Day, it could be changed to Indigenous Peoples’ Day, a day that celebrates the Native Americans and their history. Several areas have changed Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples’ Day such as Seattle (Ahtone, “Seattle Swaps Columbus Day For ‘Indigenous Peoples’ Day’”). Another alternative is to celebrate Bartolome De Las Casas. He was one of Columbus’s men until he realized how terribly the natives were being treated. In short, Bartolome then become a priest and devoted the rest of his life to the end of african and native american slavery (The Oatmeal, “Christopher Columbus was awful (but this other guy was not)”). Even if it has to be a regular non-holiday Monday, Columbus Day should not earn a spot of