Probably no single journey changed the world more -profoundly than that of Christopher Columbus. For hundreds of years, his story was the stuff of legend: how the Italian navigator sailed west from Spain in 1492, braving uncharted seas, and “discovered” America.
The Founders of the United States often cited Columbus as an inspiration for their experiment of a nation dedicated to the idea of freedom. In fact, the young country was often referred to as Columbia in honor of the explorer. And generations of Americans have celebrated him on the second Monday in October: Columbus Day.
But today, many Americans are questioning Columbus’s legacy. The explorer couldn’t “discover” a place where millions of people already lived, they say. Worse, honoring him ignores how he—and the waves of European settlers who arrived in his wake—forced the indigenous peoples of the Americas off their land.
To professor Leo Killsback of Arizona State University, Columbus Day is not a time of celebration but a reminder of “historic crimes” against Native Americans.
This point of view has inspired a growing trend. Last year, Boulder, Colorado, voted to transform Columbus Day into Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
“The day should not be about the people who came but the people who were already here,” says Mayor Suzanne Jones. More than 30 other cities and the states of South Dakota and Alaska have similar celebrations. (Some continue to observe Columbus Day as well.)
Probably no single journey has changed the world more profoundly than that of Christopher Columbus. For hundreds of years, his story was the stuff of legend. Stories have spread about how the Italian navigator sailed west from Spain in 1492. He's become known as the explorer who braved uncharted seas to “discover” America.
The Founders of the United States often cited Columbus as their inspiration. They based their experiment of a nation dedicated to the idea of freedom on him. In fact, the young country was often referred to as Columbia in honor of the explorer. And generations of Americans have celebrated him on the second Monday in October. That's the day designated as Columbus Day.
But today, many Americans are questioning Columbus’s legacy. The explorer couldn’t “discover” a place where millions of people already lived, they say. Worse, honoring him ignores how he forced the indigenous peoples of the Americas off their land. It also overlooks the waves of European settlers who arrived in his wake to claim a piece of their land.
To professor Leo Killsback of Arizona State University, Columbus Day is not a time of celebration. Instead, it's a reminder of “historic crimes” against Native Americans.
This point of view has inspired a growing trend. Last year, Boulder, Colorado, voted to transform Columbus Day into Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
“The day should not be about the people who came but the people who were already here,” says Mayor Suzanne Jones. More than 30 other cities have similar celebrations. The states of South Dakota and Alaska do too. (Some continue to observe Columbus Day as well.)