A self educated man from Genoa, Italy, who convinced royalty and religious leaders to back his 1492 expedition across the seas, Christopher Columbus earned himself a national holiday in 1972. Celebration of the holiday has been a matter of controversy for almost as long with some historians pointing to the plight of the native people after they were discovered by the Europeans as reasons against it. There is certainly some legitimacy to the debate, but laying the blame at the feet of Christopher Columbus is disingenuous at best.
Trained by the Portuguese in sailing skills, Columbus was at heart an explorer, and in practicality a businessman. He made his living as a sailor and trader, but was ambitious enough to want the fame that would be associated with opening up a new trade route. Contrary to the belief of many, the majority of the educated world did not believe the world was flat, but his momentous adventure was still a great and daring challenge.
There is no definitive evidence that Columbus himself engaged in any type of degrading or abusive behavior with regards to the native peoples of the Americas. His descriptions of the people he met are, for the most part, highly complimentary. They are described as both friendly and intelligent. As a practical man, he saw no benefit in taking advantage of these people and warned his men against ignoble trades which may lay the foundation for poor relations in the future.
It appears Columbus fell in love with America from the beginning, describing many of the islands and lands as some of the most beautiful he has ever seen. These same journals also mention the hope of winning over the natives, through the intelligence of their nature, to the Christian faith; he also discusses in detail his search for gold. Before passing judgment, one needs to recognize that, although a brave and daring explorer, Columbus needed to answer to his backers in Europe. It can be assumed that he was not writing for posterity, but for his political and religious backers.
It’s interesting that Columbus Day has become a matter of controversy along with another issue, the Pledge of Allegiance. It was on October 12th of 1892 during Columbus Day observances in the public schools that the Pledge of Allegiance came to prominence. Written by Francis Bellamy, it originally read, “I Pledge Allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” Bellamy, a minister, felt the pledge offered an opportunity for children to exhibit national solidarity.
Some changes occurred over time. The term “my flag” was change to “the flag of” in case recent immigrants might suffer a mental lapse and forget what country they were pledging allegiance to. And the controversial “under God” was only added in the 1950s. This change was brought about by The Knights of Columbus who felt that the failure to recognize the role of Providence left out an important element of the nation’s identity. They chose “under God” based on many references to a higher authority by the founding fathers, but specifically from Lincoln’s Gettysburg address. Linguists differ on the specific meaning, many clarifying that in Lincoln’s time the term would mean “God willing”.
Either interpretation would not satisfy opponents who feel any acknowledgment of God in the pledge institutes a violation on the separation of church and state. Similar objections may have been raised to a pledge used prior to the national acceptance of the Pledge of Allegiance. News reports in the spring of 1892 describe children using a different pledge. “I pledge my hand and heart to my country. One country,one language, one flag.”
Columbus sailed to America over 500 years ago. Considering that we now engage in space travel, its difficult to consider that the Americas would have gone unnoticed by the rest of the world had it not been for Columbus. But it’s a good holiday to celebrate the spirit of adventure, daring, and entrepreneurship , and not judge the man by the politics of his time. And hopefully future generations will bestow on us the same understanding.