Source(1): Christopher Columbus’s journal
Site: http://www.americanjourneys.org/pdf/AJ-062.pdf
Summary: This is Christopher Columbus’s personal journal of his First Voyage. He consistently talks about “ordering” the natives to do things and how receptive they were. He said due to the fact that they were intelligent, he thought they would make “great servants” and could be easily converted to Christians, because they “had no religion”.
Helpful For: refuting arguments, making natives servants and using them for their resources
Source(2): Why We Shouldn’t Celebrate Columbus Day
Site: http://www.attn.com/stories/3572/why-we-shouldnt-celebrate-columbus-day
Summary: Brings forward the particular reasons we should not celebrate Columbus Day. They also propose celebrating “Indigenous People’s Day” rather than calling it “Columbus Day”. In short, Columbus “raped and murdered” across his journey. This reason alone should be one why we do not praise him as a hero. On the island of Haiti, there were over a million natives in 1496. By 1555, there were zero full natives on the island. So how, can almost a million people disappear from an island within 59 years? It was because Christopher Columbus enslaved them, and if they did not follow his orders, they were murdered. It is also said that over 55,000 natives committed mass suicides in order to prevent being captured and enslaved by Columbus and his men. Can you imagine fearing someone so evil, that you kill yourself before they get to you? Columbus also started a slave trade in which young children would be sold for sex. As an older sister, I would never ever wish something like that upon anyone.
Helpful For: Refuting points saying he is a hero, evidence of his relationship with natives, sex trade information
Source(3): The Harvard Crimson, “Columbus Day No More”
Site: http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2016/10/11/renaming-columbus-day/
Summary: This article discusses the importance of changing the name of Columbus Day. Columbus brought so many Europeans over with him after he “discovered” America that he wiped out entire populations in the process. Resources were taken, land was destroyed and built upon, that was not theirs to take. It brings forth the importance of recognizing our foundation as the Natives, not European Colonization.
Helpful For: Natives asking to be remembered, Name Change
Source(4): Yale Daily News, Reclaiming Indigenous Peoples Day
Site: http://yaledailynews.com/blog/2014/10/14/reclaiming-indigenous-peoples-day/
Summary: This author brings forth the importance of remembering the enslavement of the Indigenous people. He claims this holiday is just an “ignorance in the greater American consciousness” regarding the Spaniards and their journey to colonize the Americas. He shares his personal experience, he is partly native. He says that the “ghosts of the conquistadors still haunt and shape” his history. He also brings forth that Yale does not honor the holiday, and it is not represented on the university calendar. If it is that important to honor him, why would one of the most respected universities across our nation refuse to do it?
Helpful For: personal story, Yale not celebrating
Source(5): The Daily Dot, 8 Reasons to Hate Columbus Day
Site: https://www.dailydot.com/layer8/columbus-day-is-terrible/
Summary: This article goes through the main reasons to hate Columbus Day. One of the first arguments is the fact that Columbus made the natives search for gold for him, and if they did not find it by a certain deadline; he would cut off their hand and make them wear it around their neck. He also is said to have hunted natives like it was a sporting event; making humans prey to other humans. Christopher Columbus also did not actually discover America, it was Leif Erickson. The day itself was also created as a way for Americans to stop being so racist towards Italians, because in the past they had mass killings of them due to the fact that they also came to the new world. Only 15 percent of offices globally get the day off, and 22 states celebrate it as a holiday. This ends up having a negative effect because parents have to find childcare for their kids for one day. Phoenix, Seattle, Boulder and Minneapolis are just the first of many cities to nationally recognize Columbus Day as Indigenous Peoples Day.
Helpful For: renaming, horrible things he did to them, did not discover America
Source(6):
Summary: Reasons why Christopher Columbus is a hero. Opposing argument side.
Helpful for: Anticipating questions, getting other side of story
Source(7):
Site:http://www.commondreams.org/views04/1011-27.htm
Summary: Discussion based on Columbus’s involvement in sex trade and rewarding his men in such ways.
Helpful for: