The Columbus Day story has changed. When I was young, Christopher Columbus was largely viewed as a national hero, the courageous adventurer who discovered America. He was portrayed standing proud in clean fashionable attire, telescope in hand, on the bow of his grand ship. Educators weren't allowed to tarnish this image.
In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue. It was a courageous thing to do, but someone was already here...
In more recent times, Columbus' darker intentions regarding the Americas and its indigenous inhabitants have come to light. In his own words, he viewed the natives as prospective servants and slaves and sought to take from them whatever wealth they might possess. More parents and educators are trying to tell the whole story.
Rodrigo de Triana Discovered America?
Christopher Columbus (c.1451–1506) may have received credit, but on October 12, 1492, at 2 a.m., a sailor aboard the Pinta sighted land. The sailor's name was Rodrigo de Triana (also known as Juan Rodríguez Bermejo). The land was an island in the Bahamas, southeast of the American coast. Columbus called the island San Salvador. The native Arawak called it Guanahani.
About 500 years before de Triana sighted an island in the Bahamas, Leif Ericson (c.970–c.1020), a Norse viking, landed at the northern tip of Newfoundland, an island off Canada. According to the Norse sagas, Ericson attempted to settle a land west of Greenland, which he called Vinland.
And even then, indigenous peoples, called Skrælingar by the Norsemen, populated the Americas.
Can We Celebrate Columbus Day and the Americas?
Many people of Columbus' time believed that the world was flat. Columbus and his crew were making a leap of faith based on scientific theory. We can celebrate this discovery by learning about the land and history with Columbus Day crafts, poems, and songs for children.
Can We Share and Honor Multiple Sides of the Story?
In an earlier article, I made some suggestions for sharing with children the truth about Christopher Columbus and America presenting the straight facts along with multiple perspectives on the story. Consider the questions:
- Did Columbus really discover America?
- How might you tell the story from the perspectives of European explorers, Native Americans, and present-day descendants of European colonists and Native Americans?
- How do you feel when you read labels such as heroes, villains, savages, victims, colonists, conquerors, etc.?
- What about Indigenous People's Day or Leif Ericson Day?
Learn more: What was the original purpose of Columbus' voyage? Dave Corby answered this question and questioned the resultant Columbus Day celebration of myth, torture, and genocide.
Recommended Reading: A Young People's History of the United States, by Howard Zinn, shares American history through the viewpoints and voices of workers, slaves, immigrants, women, Native Americans, and others.
Sara McGrath - Sara is a veteran homeschool mom of three, Usborne consultant, and the author of Unschooling: A Lifestyle of Learning.
Join the Conversation