Many Nations at this point in history, commemorates Cristóbal Colón “His legal name”, as Christopher Columbus Day. However, there are some whose view of him is that of a villain and a scoundrel. In Fact, it should be a day of international mourning. In The United States the 2nd Monday of October is Columbus travesty day, and one of infamy.
SINCE 13 is an unlucky number, Here are 13 Reasons to not celebrate this day, after all, he proved to be unfortunate, and luck ran out for many Indigenous people the day they came in contact with this man. Thus it is most appropriate he is awarded an unlucky number of 13, with reasons to sit this day out.
Without further ado.
1. Christopher Columbus did not discover anything, in fact, he was lost at sea and ended up in the opposite place he was seeking to “discover” He died still thinking he was in Asia,
Amerigo Vespucci had to set the record straight, Columbus died still believing he discovered Asia.
When he landed in South America, he saw that there were already people there. Consider the possibility of someone barging into your neighborhood and declaring everything they see as their own, Heavens forbids you disagree with the declarations or refuse to surrender, property, wives, and children included, You would not be granted even a kangaroo court trial, You would be murdered on the spot, Fact and sadly so, that is exactly what happened.
Furthermore, the Vikings, Lief Erickson had previously visited the Americas about 500 years before Christopher Columbus landed and overstayed his welcome.
2… He was blamed for introducing Syphilis to Europe
3.. He was responsible for the extinction of entire indigenous populations. It’s true that he didn’t accomplish this on his own, but his “discovery” paved the path for slavery. He obviously didn’t do anything to prevent it from happening. Arguable Lief Erickson who discovered Vineland ” Present Day United States” discovered Indians lived here and Left Vowing never to return. Perhaps he noticed The Natives becoming suddenly ill and dying and figured it best to leave.
5.. What this accidental copycat demagogue explorer’s adventures lead to was, the beginning of an epic Transatlantic Slave Trade movement and numerous atrocities onto mankind like no other. An estimated 17 million African men, women, and children were hunted down, captured then exiled from their homes and sold into slavery.
6.. He took unfair advantage of the indigenous population, Columbus proved inept at many undertakings he embarked upon, He required assistance from, Mercenaries, Slave Traders, gold diggers, seedy politicians of the day, and oh yes, A church
The native Indian tribes from the Caribbean, The Arawaks, and Tainos Indians so eager to greet Columbus and his army and Clergy, Ever so excited and hopeful to engage in trade. Instead, he chose a path of ascendancy, Arrogance and robbed the indigenous people he cross paths with and snatched up the grounds from under their feet, enslaved them, or Murdered them in numbers at a time.
7. He demonstrated that he was grossly un-informed in geography, navigation, and mathematics.
He gathered from old sailors’ tales, the circumference of the Earth at the equator to be approximately 30,200 kilometers when it is actually 40,000 kilometers. A gross error, considering prior to 194 BC Eratosthenes had the circumference of the Earth already accurately calculated. Sailors were already using Eratosthenes calculations as the standard then.
8. He defrauded every land he stepped foot onto, of a great deal of wealth and food, and instead brought diseases, deadly viruses, and introduced alcohol to indigenous people.
Christopher Columbus and his crew sent valuable metals, and almost anything they could find, to the king and queen of Spain. He just had to make his exploration job seem far more difficult than it was, to who financed his trips.
9. They coerced indigenous peoples into abandoning their own religious ideas and converting to Christian belief systems. If Catholicism was not accepted such a person would be murdered in a manner so horrific. It sent a clear message to the rest of the tribes and their impressionable children.
10. He was a dreadful leader and horrible administrator.
Many r.volted because he had promised riches but had failed to deliver on his promises. They were on the verge of perishing from hunger, illness, and Poor Hygiene. He was apprehended eventually and his assets were confiscated.
11.. He was a tyrant in every way.
From a journal record, a man accused of maize/corn theft was allegedly punished by him by ordering his ears and nose to be cut off and then selling him into slavery, according to legend. The Natives were also brought under control by killings and carrying their severed bodies through the streets.
12.. The conquerors used women and girls as sex slaves, which they exploited, bore children only to neglect them.
One Response
Here is an expansion on killing for not converting to Christianity. It doesn’t directly involve Columbus but in modern day Mexico the Spanish killed natives “easy” if they converted and killed them by dumping molten gold down their throats if they did not (gold didn’t have the value it has now at the time). The Spanish killed these people no matter what they did. Thousands died this way. I don’t think Columbus used molten gold to kill like the Spanish but he started a process of annihilation of Native Americans (and First Nations in Canada — of which I am a member as a Cree) that took place over 350 years. I wonder where I would be and what my life would be like if Columbus and Co. wouldn’t have discovered North America (obviously I would be more than just 25% Cree).