Argument: Columbus did not discover the Americas, nor did he ever set foot on North America. He also never intended on discovering a “New World” and upon his arrival believed he had made it to his original destination: Asia.
2.Claim: Columbus was a rapist and murderer. Argument: He (and his men) used the Indians as sex slaves, hunted them, set up a tyranist system that involved chopping off body parts as punishment, extorted them for labor, etc.
3.Claim: Columbus’ deeds negatively and permanently impacted the Indians. Argument: The men he arrived with treated the Indians in a similar way. The people of the first settlements copied his methods. Future colonies would continue to mistreat them until their near …show more content…
Columbus Day, observed on the second monday of October, commemorates the foundations of Europe’s presence in the New World and the massive exchange of people, trade, and ideas that have led to what our country is today. It is a reminder of the absolute terror and cruelty the indigenous peoples that had, for the most part, been peacefully living on their land for thousands of years until that point, been subjected to. Christopher Columbus was a man responsible for the decimation of three major civilizations, as well as the ultimate genocide of the indigenous peoples as a whole, one of the largest in human history. Columbus alone committed an array of horrific acts, using the Indians as sex slaves and extorting them for labor, stealing their land and goods, and hunting them for sport and dog food. His choices and treatment influenced how other would later view and deal with the Indians, eventually leading to their near extinction. Most of us know very little who roamed our lands before we “discovered them”, and instead praise one man’s inaccurate claims. That is why we should replace Columbus Day, which credits a man for deeds he did not do and ignores acts he did commit, and instead utilize the holiday to honor the indigenous peoples who were here before