Columbus Day

Seemingly a minor holiday, but Columbus was a pivotal figure in western civilization. Perhaps the historian Samuel Eliot Morison said it best in Admiral of the Ocean Sea: A Life of Christopher Columbus:

Quote:
At the end of 1492 most men in Western Europe felt exceedingly gloomy about the future. Christian civilization appeared to be shrinking in area and dividing into hostile units as its sphere contracted. For over a century there had been no important advance in natural science and registration in the universities dwindled as the instruction they offered became increasingly jejune and lifeless. Institutions were decaying, well-meaning people were growing cynical or desperate, and many intelligent men, for want of something better to do, were endeavoring to escape the present through studying the pagan past. . . .
Yet, even as the chroniclers of Nuremberg were correcting their proofs from Koberger’s press, a Spanish caravel named Nina scudded before a winter gale into Lisbon with news of a discovery that was to give old Europe another chance. In a few years we find the mental picture completely changed. Strong monarchs are stamping out privy conspiracy and rebellion; the Church, purged and chastened by the Protestant Reformation, puts her house in order; new ideas flare up throughout Italy, France, Germany and the northern nations; faith in God revives and the human spirit is renewed. The change is complete and startling: “A new envisagement of the world has begun, and men are no longer sighing after the imaginary golden age that lay in the distant past, but speculating as to the golden age that might possibly lie in the oncoming future.”
Christopher Columbus belonged to an age that was past, yet he became the sign and symbol of this new age of hope, glory and accomplishment. His medieval faith impelled him to a modern solution: Expansion.



Taxcutter notes:
The voyage of the Nina from the Bahamas to Lisbon set a speed record that stood for nearly half a millennium.

Columbus and Martin Luther radically changed Europe and the world.

 

Why should the enabler of rape, slaughter, and slavery of the people of Hispanola be celebrated?

 

The tribes were raping and slaughtering each other before Columbus cane here. We can't change the past.

 

So the evils committed by the natives excuses the evils ordered/committed by Columbus and supports the notion we should celebrate him?

 

Wonder how the folks 500 years from now will look back at us.

 

There is no solid proof that Columbus engaged in, or encouraged his crew members, to commit any of those cruelties stated. I do not believe the acts that his crew members may have committed should reflect on him, albeit perhaps his failure to properly handle his crew among the natives.

 

Would you support them making a holiday celebrating 9/11 and Osama in Laden? Columbus and his men killed way more than 3,000 people.

 

While the deaths that followed Columbus were brutal they were inevitable, if it weren't him than someone else would have brought disease and death to the west. He is an instrumental figure in history because he is the one that basically brought the New World and the Old World together through the Columbian Exchange.

The world entered a new phase with Columbus. There is no right or wrong judgment with that, only the fact that it happened. Even if Columbus did not take slaves and his men did not rape and pillage the natives, the impact of Columbus would still have monumental effects to the entire world.

Personally I have no interest in celebrating something that really had nothing to do with the man, after all, there were many explorers right behind him that could have easily taken his place, but you cannot deny the effect he had for being in the right place at the right time.

 

Although - as Morison pointed out - Columbus was an outstanding mariner he is largely a symbol of all the numerous explorers who followed closely behind him. But if Columbus had not come back with the news he brought, maybe all those other explorers do not get to try.

 

So if there is civil war for survival or a power struggle an outsider should come in and hasten the process for their own profit, power and notoriety...Okay, I get it.

 

What holiday would you make supporting?

 

You make a statement based upon what exactly?

Did you transcribe the documents and come up with an alternate translation? If so, please share.

 

I could ask you the same. I mean, what evidence does anyone have that Columbus really took part of any of it? It was over 500 years ago so I would be highly skeptical of any orally passed down stories of Columbus and his 'tyranny'. If you can provide authentic journals or something of the sort from Columbus that he took part then I will believe it. But until then I think the whole thing is just a bunch of radicals trying to pin blame on a historical figure for... I don't even know what. I respect native Americans but this is just a complete shamble.

 

It's a group of loud feel-good liberal types. Apparently the world and our country are in such great shape they have nothing else better to spend their time on other than finding (*)(*)(*)(*) to be offended at.

 

Why do we need a new one? Just get rid of Columbus Day.

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How about Columbus's own words and those of his crew in letters sent back to Spain? They admit to committing atrocities.

 

You can provide me with an authenticated letter from Columbus sent back to Spain specifically stating that he himself committed such atrocities? I can believe his some of his crew committed them but I am highly skeptical that Columbus himself did.

 

The point of the exercise was to demonstrate that anything you want to make a holiday over has a dark side...

Columbus claimed the native Americans (as slaves) for the crown, and shipped thousands of them off to Spain. Many died. This is the closest thing to an atrocity I have seen documented.

 

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/10/...tm_campaign=Feed:+TheRawStory+(The+Raw+Story)

Even if he didn't order these actions (which history indicates he did) he enabled them by refusing to punish his men who committed them.

 

I can agree with the part which says he enslaved the natives, but then again, many explorers and conquerors did then. In addition, many other great figures were involved in supporting inequalities and other various things that are now considered inhumane, etc. Now I am not saying that's acceptable, but it seems ridiculous that you would specifically target Columbus just because he has a day after him. Imagine an European in the 15th century. You'd have probably been exposed to many things that would cause you to support such things that are now considered cruel today. Hence I believe it is unfair of you to harass Columbus' name. Also, just because Columbus didn't punish his men didn't mean he enabled them. If you were a leader of an expedition would you risk complications with the ship crew by punishing them?

 

Why should we celebrate a man who enslaved thousands and enabled the murder and rape of people?

And also not having the fortitude and integrity to stand up to evil even if that means negative consequences for yourself is enabling it.

 

It's not as though that was the only thing Columbus did. Plus many holidays celebrated have dirt behind them. If we were picking only holidays that were violence free, etc to celebrate we'd have far less holidays. Besides, Christopher Columbus Day is more about celebrating the discovery of the Americas, not Columbus himself. Or at the least, it most certainly isn't about celebrating Christopher Columbus and his cruelty.

 

You want to apply today's standards to history? What an incredibly foolish notion...

 

Perhaps then we should be celebrating the Vikings who actually discovered America or the indigenous people who were here for thousands of years before.

 

By far the best source of that time, you can't use Columbus himself because the King and Queen specifically told him to treat the natives nice so he wouldn't write back anything other than that, is Bartolome de Las Casas who was with Columbus during the takeover of Cuba. He writes extensively about the atrocities committed including the tribute system.

Columbus was extremely upset at not finding mountains of gold and he believed the natives were hiding it so he ordered every person to bring him a tribute of gold or cotton once every three months and he would give them a token to keep them safe. If they did not bring a tribute he would cut off their hands. This is well documented by Las Casas and verified through other members of Columbus's crew which is why the King had Columbus jailed although he was released fairly quickly.

 

I can accept that, because you are correct.

As for what you said Spooky, I haven't heard that before so I stand correct that he didn't commit the atrocities himself but I still combat that with what I had said to Questerr earlier.