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Columbus Day
by W.Holidays
Columbus
Day is celebrated on October 12th, it is observed on the second Monday
in October in the Americas to pay tribute to Christopher Columbus.
(Columbus
Day is often referred to as "Discoverers'
Day" or "Pioneers'
Day".) They
celebrate all explorers and the idea of exploring and discovering.) Columbus is
credited with discovering the "New World", what we know as
the North America. We know today that he rather re-discovered this area
and was the first to publicize his findings. The Vikings had already
established settlements in North America when Columbus sailed by.
There are varied views on Columbus's character and mixed emotions on
whether this day should be celebrated. Columbus is known as one of the
greatest mariners in history. He is considered a visionary, a great
explorer, an entrepreneur, a poor administrator, and destroyer of
native cultures.
 Columbus is generally thought of
as an Italian born in Genoese in 1451, the son of a wool merchant and
weaver. However, some believe he was born in Corsica and some even
think he had Viking blood. There are many debates over his faith, many
believe Columbus was a converted Jew.
Columbus's ambition to find a westward route to Asia kept him motivated
to find financial supporters for his explorations. When he moved to
Spain he found support of the Catholic monarchs, Isabel and Fernando.
There is a long-standing myth that the Queen pawned her jewels to
sponsor the voyage, this did not happen though as there were enough
funds in the treasury.
On August 3, 1492 Columbus departed Palos, Spain with three ships under
his command, the Niña,
the Pinta,
and the Santa Maria.
The crew was composed of about 90 men, mostly seasoned sailors and a
few criminals who sailed in return for amnesty. This is his famous
voyage in which he is credited with discovering the New World. Columbus
never actually set foot on North American soil, in fact it is believed
he never even saw North America. His first landing was on Watling
Island in the Bahamas. He also stopped at Cuba and Hispaniola. He was
made an admiral and governor over all these lands.
On December 25, 1492 the Santa
Maria was shipwrecked. The crew who stayed behind at La
Navidad, a fortress on the northern coast of present-day
Haiti, lost their lives to the indigenous peoples before Columbus could
return. The Niña and the Pinta suffered heavy damage during
a fierce hurricane on the return trip to Spain.
During his voyages he used the Taino Indians from the island of
Hispaniola for hard labor and brought many of Taino Indians back to
Spain where they were sold into slavery.
After his third voyage in 1500, Columbus returned to Spain in chains
because of the disgraceful conditions in Hispaniola. Upon his
return the chains were removed and the Queen and King acknowledged a
misunderstanding.
Late in life Columbus suffered from gout and failing
eyesight. On May 20, 1506, at the age of 55, Columbus died.
He died a fairly wealthy man even though he had has lost his political
power and royal privileges. As with his birthplace his
resting-place is also a mystery.
It is thought he was originally buried in Santo Domingo, in the
Dominican Republic but there are several records showing the transfer
of his remains to several different locations. The predominant theory
is that he is now buried in the Cathedral of Seville in Spain.
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modified May
28, 2008 |
