Although various indigenous peoples had been settled in the Americas long before Columbus arrived, Columbus's goal was to pillage the land for riches regardless of who stood in his way. The primary goal of Columbus's expedition was to find riches and conquer and exploit the new lands. There is a huge amount of opposition to Columbus Day and what it represents. Many schools and businesses are closed in observance of this day, and all banks, post offices, and government offices are closed. The day is used as an opportunity to learn and teach about Native American culture and history, which many feel were violated by Columbus's arrival. Further, native groups use the day to honor the indigenous people of the Americas.
Many Italian-Americans celebrate their heritage on this day with parades and street fairs. How is it celebrated?Ĭolumbus's arrival in the Americas is a huge symbol of Italian heritage. Then in 1971, the date was changed to the second Monday in the month of October. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt named Columbus Day a national holiday and set the date for the holiday on October 12th. Columbus and his crew arrived in what are now known as the islands of Cuba and Hispaniola, not Asia.Ĭolumbus Day was originally celebrated in New York City in 1792, 300 years after Christopher Columbus landed in the Americas. After a grueling five weeks, which was much longer than he had originally anticipated, they saw land.
They finally agreed to fund the expedition, and Columbus left Spain on Augwith three ships in his fleet, named the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. Columbus promised to explore Asia and bring back gold, spices, and silk to the Spanish crown and spread Christianity to these far parts of the world. Columbus tried for eight years to get Spanish monarchs King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella to supply him with ships and money to make this journey. In 1485 he left for Spain to try and gain support for an expedition to explore the western trade routes. He began sailing at the age of 14 and participated in many trading trips around Europe. Who was Christopher Columbus?Ĭhristopher Columbus (Italian, Cristoforo Colombo Spanish, Cristóbal Colón) was an Italian explorer born in Genoa in 1451. While the man who "sailed the ocean blue" is credited with "discovering" the Americas, this accomplishment and the holiday that recognizes it is surrounded by controversy. The holiday falls on the second Monday in October and is celebrated by many Americans. The purpose of Columbus Day is to commemorate the Italian explorer's Octoarrival to the Americas. to help them remember the year in which the Italian explorer, Christopher Columbus, arrived in the Americas. Christopher Columbus's voyage to America started from Spain, not Italy."In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue" - A popular rhyme taught to many young American students across the U.S. Much of the evidence Branco presents can be chalked up to coincidence, but the theory does highlight the fact that many details are missing from historical records of Columbus’s early life. One of the first historical records of Columbus describes him swimming away from a shipwreck. Pedro Ataíde allegedly died during a naval battle in 1476, but Branco postulates that he survived and washed up on the shores of the Algarve in Southern Portugal. The theory states that Columbus was really a man named Pedro Ataíde and his more famous identity was a cover. In 2012, University of Lisbon professor Fernando Branco published a book proposing that Columbus was actually born in Portugal. Italians have long claimed Christopher Columbus as one of their own, but not everyone is in agreement about the explorer’s birthplace. Despite his global recognition now, questions remain about Christopher Columbus's life.
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