Columbus Day

In recent years there's been a lot of discussion over whether or not Columbus truly 'discovered' America or not. I mean it's known that he didn't land anywhere along the actual east coast of what is now known as the United States, rather, he landed in the Carribbean. And there are those who claim that he wasn't the first to make the trip either. A former British submariner has put forth the hypothesis that members of the Ming Dynasty in China had actually made explorations of the American West Coast as far back as 1421, nearly 71 years before Columbus' voyage. Prior to that, there are even assumptions that Vikings made forays into modern day Nova Scotia and Canada hundreds of years before Columbus was even born.

This being the case, there are many who wonder why we should celebrate Columbus at all. Now I'm sure the people who have the day off today aren't complaining about the fact that we're celebrating Columbus but still, should we celebrate the achievements of someone who wasn't even the first to accomplish something? One can put forth the arguement that he wasn't the first and therefore isn't as important in the grand scheme of things but I argue that he is important. While Columbus may not have been the trailblazer that he has been touted as for generations, perhaps he's more of a trailblazer than we give him credit for. Though the Chinese and the Vikings may have landed here in the United States and done some preliminary explorations, they didn't stay long enough to make a difference.

Columbus arrived and soon after, the immigrant flood began. The New World was discovered and it was Columbus who exploited this fact. For a long time, people were convinced that the world was flat and that there was no way to get from Europe to Asia following a westerly path. Columbus was determined to prove otherwise and indeed he did dispel one of the major myths and misunderstandings that had led to the limitations of seaborne exploration. Had it not been for Columbus' steadfast belief that a path to Asia was available via the west, this direction would have likely remained unexplored for many more years. But was the opening of the west necessarily a good thing?

It's no secret that the introduction of the Europeans to the Americas led to some major upheavels in life on this continent. The indigenous people of these lands, from Canada down through South America were all affected by the arrival of the Europeans to this land. There's no doubt that some of these people were wiped out by diseases or outright slaughter by those who came from Europe. That's not to say that all Europeans came here with the mindset that the people inhabiting this land were to be wiped out, but it certainly was the option that some people took. There was the hope in some to 'save' the native Americans and show them the civilized ways of the world. The new world came to be looked upon as a place to be exploited and used to further provide for the prosperity of Europe.

Unfortunately, within 300 years of Columbus' first voyage, the country had already declared it's independence from the shackles of European monarchies and was well on its way to becoming the premiere democracy in the world. All of this due to Columbus making a trip around the world in the opposite direction that the thinking of the time told him to be correct. One can argue that Columbus eventually caused the destruction of native life in this country, but you can also say that his voyage led to the establishment of a country which has become the home to millions of immigrants who have helped shape this country into the place that it is today. For good or for bad, it's important to celebrate Columbus Day. We wouldn't be here if he hadn't set out to prove it made sense to go west.