To What Extent Should We Celebrate Columbus Day
Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492. Many people know this saying and the story behind it. Everyone knows who Columbus is and what he did. Although, they do not know the horrible things that went on when he reached the Americas. Most people know the story of how he thought the earth was flat and how he could get to India by moving west across the ocean. They know he reached the Americas and thought it was India. However, this is not the whole story. We celebrate Columbus Day in honor of him finding the Americas. Even though he did find the Americas, does not mean what happened when he got to the Americas were all good things. We should not celebrate Columbus Day because he treated the Native Americans horribly, he took men, women, and children as slaves over to Europe, and he would do
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anything to get the money he was promised. When Columbus made it to the Americas, the Arawaks were very hospitable and brought them food, water, and gift.
Columbus wrote in his log, “They willingly traded everything they owned.” As can be seen the Arawaks were very nice to the Europeans and did not cause any harm, however the Europeans took that for granted. Columbus wanted to find the gold and knew that the Arawaks knew where the gold was. Columbus also wrote, “I took some natives by force in order that they might learn and might give me some information of whatever there is in these parts.” Columbus noticed that the Arawaks were wearing tiny gold ornaments in their ears. He immediately took them onto the ship as prisoners and made them take Columbus and the fellow Europeans to where the gold was. He then took more indians as prisoners and when they refused to trade bows and arrows, he would run them through with swords and let them bleed to death. They would make the indians find a certain quantity of gold and when they did not find this much their hands would be cut off and would bleed to death. None of this says anything about being a hero, let alone having a day celebrated for what he did (Zinn,
2003). What’s worse is that taking Indians as prisoners was not enough for him. He had to take them as slaves over to Europe. Columbus even asked his majesties for help and he would then send as many slaves as they wanted. All Columbus and the rest of the Europeans wanted were gold and slaves. They took women and children as slaves for sex and labor. Columbus did not care what he was doing. All he wanted was to please his majesties. They began a great slave raid in 1495, and put fifteen hundred Arawak men, women, and children into pens and guarded them with dogs. They would take the five best hundred onto the ships and two hundred of them died on the way to Europe. Columbus wrote in his log, “Let us in the name of the Holy Trinity go on sending all the slaves that can be sold.” This does not sound like a hero at all. Soon Indians were taken as slave labor on huge estates called encomiendas. They died by the thousands because they were worked at an incredibly fast pace. Columbus does not deserve to have a day celebrated for him after what he did to those slaves. Nothing is right about any of this. Even though he found the Americas does not give him the right to take the Indians as slaves, especially when they were very hospitable to them (Zinn, 2003). Another reason why Columbus Day should not be celebrated is because all Columbus wanted was the money, and he would do anything to get that money. The King and Queen of Spain told Columbus if he brought back gold and spices then he would get ten percent of the profits, governorship over new-found lands, and the fame with the new name of Admiral of the Ocean Sea. Columbus would do anything to get these things. He treated the Arawaks bad and made them take him to the gold because he wanted to fulfill his side of the deal. He even said he would bring them slaves in order to get more ships and men. He did everything he could to get the money and fame he was promised. There was also a reward of a yearly pension of ten thousand maravedis for life for whoever sought land first. As soon as someone said they saw land first, Columbus lied and said he saw the land the night before and got the reward. As can be seen he would do anything to get money and fame. He was greedy for money and by being greedy, he did many bad things like treating the Indians bad and taking them as slaves (Zinn, 2003). None of this gives him the right to have a day celebrated for him. In conclusion, we should not celebrate Columbus Day because he treated the Indians bad, took men, women, and children as slaves, and would do anything to get the money he was promised. He treated the Indians horribly and took them as prisoners. He would make them bleed to death and torture them. He also would take women and children as slaves for sex and labor. Many Indians were taken as slaves and would be on a ship to go to Europe. Many of them died either from the weather, en route to Europe, or being bleed to death. Columbus was also greedy and would do all these horrible things just to get the money and fame. He would lie to get money and would take as many slaves as he wanted to get money.
anything to get the money he was promised. When Columbus made it to the Americas, the Arawaks were very hospitable and brought them food, water, and gift.
Columbus wrote in his log, “They willingly traded everything they owned.” As can be seen the Arawaks were very nice to the Europeans and did not cause any harm, however the Europeans took that for granted. Columbus wanted to find the gold and knew that the Arawaks knew where the gold was. Columbus also wrote, “I took some natives by force in order that they might learn and might give me some information of whatever there is in these parts.” Columbus noticed that the Arawaks were wearing tiny gold ornaments in their ears. He immediately took them onto the ship as prisoners and made them take Columbus and the fellow Europeans to where the gold was. He then took more indians as prisoners and when they refused to trade bows and arrows, he would run them through with swords and let them bleed to death. They would make the indians find a certain quantity of gold and when they did not find this much their hands would be cut off and would bleed to death. None of this says anything about being a hero, let alone having a day celebrated for what he did (Zinn,
2003). What’s worse is that taking Indians as prisoners was not enough for him. He had to take them as slaves over to Europe. Columbus even asked his majesties for help and he would then send as many slaves as they wanted. All Columbus and the rest of the Europeans wanted were gold and slaves. They took women and children as slaves for sex and labor. Columbus did not care what he was doing. All he wanted was to please his majesties. They began a great slave raid in 1495, and put fifteen hundred Arawak men, women, and children into pens and guarded them with dogs. They would take the five best hundred onto the ships and two hundred of them died on the way to Europe. Columbus wrote in his log, “Let us in the name of the Holy Trinity go on sending all the slaves that can be sold.” This does not sound like a hero at all. Soon Indians were taken as slave labor on huge estates called encomiendas. They died by the thousands because they were worked at an incredibly fast pace. Columbus does not deserve to have a day celebrated for him after what he did to those slaves. Nothing is right about any of this. Even though he found the Americas does not give him the right to take the Indians as slaves, especially when they were very hospitable to them (Zinn, 2003). Another reason why Columbus Day should not be celebrated is because all Columbus wanted was the money, and he would do anything to get that money. The King and Queen of Spain told Columbus if he brought back gold and spices then he would get ten percent of the profits, governorship over new-found lands, and the fame with the new name of Admiral of the Ocean Sea. Columbus would do anything to get these things. He treated the Arawaks bad and made them take him to the gold because he wanted to fulfill his side of the deal. He even said he would bring them slaves in order to get more ships and men. He did everything he could to get the money and fame he was promised. There was also a reward of a yearly pension of ten thousand maravedis for life for whoever sought land first. As soon as someone said they saw land first, Columbus lied and said he saw the land the night before and got the reward. As can be seen he would do anything to get money and fame. He was greedy for money and by being greedy, he did many bad things like treating the Indians bad and taking them as slaves (Zinn, 2003). None of this gives him the right to have a day celebrated for him. In conclusion, we should not celebrate Columbus Day because he treated the Indians bad, took men, women, and children as slaves, and would do anything to get the money he was promised. He treated the Indians horribly and took them as prisoners. He would make them bleed to death and torture them. He also would take women and children as slaves for sex and labor. Many Indians were taken as slaves and would be on a ship to go to Europe. Many of them died either from the weather, en route to Europe, or being bleed to death. Columbus was also greedy and would do all these horrible things just to get the money and fame. He would lie to get money and would take as many slaves as he wanted to get money.