Columbus: Not an American Hero

       Do you remember when you were in grade school? Every year we would get a day off commemorating Christopher Columbus’s voyage and his discovery of America on October 12th 1492. Most of our teachers taught us that he sailed a treacherous journey to prove the earth was round. They told us that he went on three ships, the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. They would tell us about how when he discovered America, he made peace with the “savage” natives.  What a great guy Christopher Columbus must have been. This sugarcoated image of Columbus could not be farther from the truth.  Many of the “facts” we know about him are not true.
      The first “fact” is that Columbus’s voyage was a treacherous one. Supplies were low and his crew was on the brink of mutiny.  He went through all that hardship just to prove the earth was round. The truth of the matter is there were no storms during the trip. There was one storm on the last day, but no major damage was caused. The three ships were stocked with a years worth of supplies and his own captain logs do not mention anything about mutiny. As for he sailed to prove the earth was round is ridiculous. Most educated people of his day knew the earth was round.
      “Fact” number two is that he discovered America. In truth, he did not discover anything. He thought he was in India (why he called the natives “Indians”). Americas’ “discovery” was an accident. Not to mention, Columbus never set foot on North America, he landed in the Caribbean.  In addition, the Tainos already inhabited the islands that he “discovered”.  
     The third and final “fact” was that he made peace with the natives. This is quite the opposite.  The natives were kind with the crew of the voyage. What did Columbus do in return for their kindness? Enslave, Rape, and murder many of the inhabitants. They succeeded in wiping out an entire culture. What we scorn Hitler for doing, we celebrate Columbus who did the same thing! The Indians were forced to except their oppressors’ religion and customs.  Not only did Columbus bring tyranny to the otherwise peaceful inhabitants, he introduced diseases such as smallpox, to which they had no immunity.
      Columbus Day should not be celebrated. Should we really celebrate the day an entire culture met with death and disease? Should we celebrate this man even though he really was not the discoverer of America? The first Europeans to land on North America were the Vikings. Why not have a “Vikings Day”? At least they did not kill off an entire civilization.