![]() ![]() A Few Words about Amerigo VespucciĪmerigo Vespucci inspired United States of America’s name. Cabot claimed the land for the British crown, which was a controversial point later with the American Revolution. Some sources speculate that the reason Cabot was not given credit in American history books was due to the fact that he sailed for England. This is the primary reason why Christopher Columbus receives the credit that Leif Erikson does not.Īnother European explorer named John Cabot was the first non-Viking to set foot in America on written record in 1497. Leif Erikson, an Icelandic Viking, made the journey 500 years prior to Columbus’ expedition,Įrickson’s feat did not result in the same immigration of Europeans to these shores that Columbus’ voyage inspired. One of the myths of Columbus Day has been that Christopher Columbus was the first European to arrive on what would eventually become American shores. Christopher Columbus: Not the First European to Set Foot in America The native people were dramatically affected by Columbus’ discovery, the following European migration, and conflicts that arose from that migration. The holiday has become more controversial in recent decades thanks to the growing awareness of the plight of indigenous peoples. It commemorates Christopher Columbus and his journey to what was then known as the New World.Ĭolumbus Day will be observed on Oct. ![]() Below is a timeline of commemorating Columbus Day.Columbus Day is observed in the United States on the second Monday in October. Somewhere along the way, that message got lost. ![]() President Harrison suggested that Columbus Day should be a celebration of American diversity and national pride. Multiple states also refuse to celebrate Columbus Day, including South Dakota, Hawaii, Alaska and Oregon. Many cities have followed, including Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Minnesota Seattle, Washington and Cambridge, Massachusetts. Berkeley, California, started a movement of cities voting to change Columbus Day to instead celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day in 1992. Many cities in the United States, and even some states, have in recent years moved to change the focus of Columbus Day off its namesake to the Native Americans who were already living and thriving here prior to Columbus. Why celebrate such plundering and pillaging? Today, support for Columbus Day is waning, as recognition of the horrors of Columbus’ actions upon arrival to the Americas increases. In 1934, President Franklin Roosevelt declared Columbus Day a federal holiday. ![]() Harrison wanted to draw attention to the positives that all Americans had to offer to the nation. The first official recoginition of Columbus Day came in 1892, when President Benjamin Harrison issued a proclamation that encouraged Americans to celebrate the diversity of America through the lens of the 400th anniversary. Since his arrival in the New World, the Columbian Exchange of goods and ideas started and has continued to today, with both positive and negative effects.Įven though Columbus sailed under the Spanish flag, he was born in Genoa, Italy, in 1451, and his Italian heritage has been a point of pride for Italian-Americans since as early as 1792, the 300th anniversary of his journey across the Atlantic. Today, most school children learn about the different explorers that came to the Americas in the late 15th and early 16th centuries, including Christopher Columbus. “1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.” It’s a rhyme many people remember from their elementary school days. ![]()
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