While I was at the bank yesterday, I was surprised to see a sign that announced it would be closed Monday for the Columbus Day holiday. With so much negative reporting about Italian explorer Christopher Columbus in recent years, I had assumed the day set aside to honor him was canceled.
As most of us know, Columbus sailed the blue in 1492 to locate a route to the Far East and develop a lucrative trade business for Spain (and himself). Spain was the only country that agreed to fund his exploration. Instead of finding that route, he discovered areas in the Caribbean Sea that later spurred other explorers to follow bringing colonization and development to North, Central and South America.
After his original voyage, he made three more, the last one in 1504. Until his death in 1506, he continued to believe that what he had discovered was part of the West Indies in the Far East. One of his major mistakes was he miscalculated by a wide margin the distance between Europe and his desired destination.
But it was allegations that he and his men mistreated the natives on the islands and lands he discovered that brought scorn on his name. He allegedly enslaved them and actually brought some of the slaves back to Spain on his return trips. Even leaders in his sponsoring country of Spain reportedly denounced his actions.
To be fair, there were those who supported him stating that it was some of his men who committed the atrocities while he was on his return trips to Spain, and not him. But attitudes were different five centuries ago, and for most of the time since his exploration he has been hailed as a hero. He was known as the explorer who discovered America (even though he actually didn’t). His deeds were commemorated with statues erected in his honor. Cities, including Columbus, Ohio, were named after him and so was a country (Columbia).
However, that has changed recently with sentiments turning critical of treatment of the native populations during his voyages. Statues have been removed and cities named for him are considering changing their name, Ohio’s capital included on that list.
Assuming that the negative allegations against Columbus are true, he still accomplished a tremendously important feat in history. Defying all odds at the time, he sailed across the Atlantic Ocean and discovered a new land that later became the Western Hemisphere. Unfortunately, critics no longer focus on the accomplishments of our heroes. Instead, they want to tear them down ignoring the fact that they were and are human, and therefore subject to mistakes.
This was the reason for my Columbus Day surprise yesterday at the bank.