How Columbus Day Was Perceived Back Then By The Indians

In the year 1492, an Italian explorer, Christopher Columbus, and his crew embarked on a journey. What they found was a piece of land we now know as Cuba. Despite Columbus’ outstanding discovery, his find was not celebrated until a few hundred years later in 1892. Today, one can see the drastic changes in the perspective of Columbus Day. In this paper, we will discuss how Columbus Day was perceived back then by the Indians, as well as, how it is perceived in today’s society. Why did the people celebrate this holiday despite the hardships many had to face when the Americas were first discovered?

During the first 400 years after Columbus’ discovery, it was clear that nothing good came from the colonization of the Americas. While Columbus was being

He believed that these Indians were born as natural slaves, meant to be dominated by the Spanish. The Indians were referred to as homunculi or half-men, which meant that they were thought to be less than human. Sepulveda believed the Indians were barbaric and savage. In the text, he says it is clear that the Indians “have been born to slavery and not civic and liberal life.”2 His obvious racism towards the Indians shows how disastrous the new colonization was for the Native-born Indians. Despite the opinions of many travelers, not everyone who traveled to the New World showed distrust and hatred towards the

In 1552, Las Casas argued with Sepulveda’s views of the Indians. He provided evidence for why they were as smart as (if not more than) the Spaniards. In the text, he praises them by saying the Indians refined friendship and came together in mutual companionship. They lived in overpopulated cities, yet, they still managed the affairs of peace and war both fairly and reasonably. Las Casas believed that many of their laws “surpassed ours, and could have won the admiration of the sages of Athens.” Las Casas views show how the Europeans actions against the Amerindians were not justified. Sepulveda judged the Indians based on cultural assumptions made by rumors. However, Columbus Day would still be celebrated many years later on a bigger scale. Four centuries after Columbus’ discovery in 1492, the United States celebrated in the most festive way possible. Parades moved through the neighborhoods, while people organized picnics to feast upon. During the late-nineteenth-century, the people praised Columbus for his discovery of the Americas. Elliot Gorn wrote that hailing Columbus was equivalent to celebrating the development of mankind. The American people truly saw Christopher Columbus as an American hero. However, one hundred years later, many changes