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Editorial: 'Columbus sails in 1492,' but in 2009, do we bid him adieu?
Issue date: 4/9/09 Section: Editorial/Opinion
04/09/09 - Yesterday marked an interesting alteration in Rhode Island history when Brown University faculty voted to replace the Columbus Day holiday, a day observed in October, with a new one.
Students involved in the 700-person petition against the observation of the holiday announced the decision yesterday in light of "the nature of Christopher Columbus' conquests and treatment of Native Americans," according to a press release.
Some don't think the university is serious about the issue, noting the decision may be rescinded later. Others are rejoicing, including the students and faculty of Native American descent who brought on a six-month debate previous to the decision.
It's surprising that the University of Rhode Island, with a campus located so close to the Narragansett Indian tribe, has not also deliberated the observation of the holiday.
Some of the reasoning behind this is most likely the "change factor." It's against human nature to instigate change unless one has the hope of gaining strong support for one's cause.
This issue not only deals with a long-celebrated national holiday, but also a large discrepancy in ideology among elementary, secondary and higher education in the United States.
"The facts" of Columbus' arrival in the Americas, or at least historians' various interpretations of the facts, are never fully dispensed to elementary school children learning history. This isn't necessarily done to trump different views of Columbus' excursions, but more to simplify the history so young children can understand.
So instead, the young students are taught the basics, including the famous "In 1492" rhymes - "In 1492 / Columbus sailed the ocean blue / He had three ships and left from Spain / He sailed through sunshine, wind and rain."
The rhyme just happens to be missing some of those interpretations after "The Arakawa natives were very nice / They gave the sailors food and spice."
But as students progress through their education, they explore the event more in-depth. In higher education classes, including at URI, students learn of the bounds of evidence supporting the image of a distasteful Columbus. One University of California, Los Angeles history professor edited detailed accounts of Columbus' ventures in 13 volumes of journals and historical documents.
"The fact that Columbus brought slavery, enormous exploitation or devastating diseases to the Americas used to be seen as a minor detail - if it was recognized at all - in light of his role as the great bringer of white man's civilization to the benighted idolatrous American continent. But to historians today this information is very important. It changes our whole view of the enterprise," the professor said.
What Brown University did, in fact, is quite remarkable. Essentially, by denouncing the holiday, the faculty is asking educators to stick to one interpretation of "the facts" of his arrival in 1492 both in the classroom and in practice.
Students involved in the 700-person petition against the observation of the holiday announced the decision yesterday in light of "the nature of Christopher Columbus' conquests and treatment of Native Americans," according to a press release.
Some don't think the university is serious about the issue, noting the decision may be rescinded later. Others are rejoicing, including the students and faculty of Native American descent who brought on a six-month debate previous to the decision.
It's surprising that the University of Rhode Island, with a campus located so close to the Narragansett Indian tribe, has not also deliberated the observation of the holiday.
Some of the reasoning behind this is most likely the "change factor." It's against human nature to instigate change unless one has the hope of gaining strong support for one's cause.
This issue not only deals with a long-celebrated national holiday, but also a large discrepancy in ideology among elementary, secondary and higher education in the United States.
"The facts" of Columbus' arrival in the Americas, or at least historians' various interpretations of the facts, are never fully dispensed to elementary school children learning history. This isn't necessarily done to trump different views of Columbus' excursions, but more to simplify the history so young children can understand.
So instead, the young students are taught the basics, including the famous "In 1492" rhymes - "In 1492 / Columbus sailed the ocean blue / He had three ships and left from Spain / He sailed through sunshine, wind and rain."
The rhyme just happens to be missing some of those interpretations after "The Arakawa natives were very nice / They gave the sailors food and spice."
But as students progress through their education, they explore the event more in-depth. In higher education classes, including at URI, students learn of the bounds of evidence supporting the image of a distasteful Columbus. One University of California, Los Angeles history professor edited detailed accounts of Columbus' ventures in 13 volumes of journals and historical documents.
"The fact that Columbus brought slavery, enormous exploitation or devastating diseases to the Americas used to be seen as a minor detail - if it was recognized at all - in light of his role as the great bringer of white man's civilization to the benighted idolatrous American continent. But to historians today this information is very important. It changes our whole view of the enterprise," the professor said.
What Brown University did, in fact, is quite remarkable. Essentially, by denouncing the holiday, the faculty is asking educators to stick to one interpretation of "the facts" of his arrival in 1492 both in the classroom and in practice.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Artie Martino
posted 4/16/09 @ 12:01 PM EST
I learned who Christopher Columbus was, why he sailed across the ocean, when he "discovered" the new world, who his acquaintances were when he planned his voyage, who supported him, etc. (Continued…)
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