Columbus Day Research Paper

Words: 483
Pages: 2

On the second Monday of October, the controversial holiday we call Columbus Day is celebrated. Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer who worked for the Spanish government. In 1942, Columbus landed on the island of Hispaniola in pursuit of finding a quicker route to India. This holiday sparks much controversy between people defending and in opposition to Columbus Day, including: the brutal genocide, the enslavement, and the callous treatment of Natives; thus we should not celebrate this holiday.

According to Fusco (2000), a common argument defending Columbus Day is that Columbus represents a voyage of freedom. Additionally, many people will agree that Columbus was the beginning of the new world. According to Federal Holidays: Evolution and Application (Stathis, 1999, 13), the reason congress
…show more content…
He thought of the natives as less; in The Diario of Christopher Columbus (2009), he called them Indians, and he had no respect for them, their culture, or their religion. Also The Diario of Christopher Columbus (2009), Columbus used Christianity as a way to justify enslaving the people of the land. Columbus was essentially a helper in bringing more slavery to the West. Defending Columbus could be interpreted as defending slavery, and neglecting the amount of tragedies that took place upon Columbus’ arrival.

In conclusion, Columbus Day is a controversial holiday because of all the things it represents. The genocide, the enslavement, and the inhumane treatment of the Natives of the island of Hispaniola makes a well formulated argument against Columbus Day. It is disrespectful to Natives to see people celebrate such a horrible time in history. Natives have been disrespected in our country for a long time, continuing to celebrate such a distasteful holiday would make matters worse. If we try to fix the wrong that we do in this country, it can be a better place for everyone, including Natives, to live