October 13, 2025 by Olivia Howe (‘26)
In recent years, US states have started recognizing Indigenous People’s Day as a substitute for Columbus Day. This new take on the longstanding holiday commemorates Native culture, strength, and historical events that were impacted after European intervention. Although Columbus Day remains a national holiday, Indigenous People’s Day has officially been recognized in the US. This dispute is not about deleting history; it is about how we decide to remember it. Some people admit that both holidays can exist together, keeping the honor of exploration while also acknowledging the sufferings of Natives during colonization.
Many students have grown up with the saying “In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue…”- a catchy rhyme that sticks long before the troubling history of Columbus’ voyage is taught. Columbus Day has been celebrated for years all over America; in 1937, President Roosevelt announced October 12th as Columbus Day, and in 1971, President Nixon declared it a national holiday that would be celebrated on the second Monday of October. But how much do we actually understand about Columbus’ voyages, and why has his fame become such a debatable topic today? It sounds simple, “Columbus discovered the Americas and proved the Earth was round…right?” Not exactly.
Although a lot about Christopher Columbus is common knowledge, we need to dive deeper into the history behind his excursions. Christopher Columbus was born in Italy in 1451 and learned to sail when he was only 14 years old. During his childhood, the trading empire of Constantinople fell to the Ottoman Turks, who abolished trade networks of the “commodity superhighway,” or Silk Road-based trading system. This meant that the prices of goods rose significantly, as trade needed to occur through other trade groups who altered the rates of taxes on goods. This rise in prices opened the opportunity for Europeans to redirect trade northwards to find routes to cheaper goods.. With this in mind, Christopher Columbus was motivated to propose a sea-based trade network directly to Asian and Middle Eastern trade empires.
After six long years of convincing Spanish monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella to bankroll his voyages, he set sail on August 3rd, 1492, with 87 men aboard three vessels: La Niña, La Pinta, and Santa María. When he landed on a South American island he called San Salvador, he was soon convinced of its profitability and returned to Spain with American natives, crops, and various amounts of gold. Columbus made three voyages to the Americas after his first but arrived after his last in bad health. He passed on May 20th, 1506, in Spain, leaving his voyages to represent European exploration and expansion of trade routes later referred to as the “Columbian Exchange,” even though Columbus never reached his goal of finding a route to his trade countries.
While Columbus achieved all this and was highly revered, his legacy is also very complex and debatable. His voyages did connect the hemispheres together, but they also began European colonization of the Americas that had disastrous effects on the Indigenous people living in these areas, through disease, displacement, labor exploitation, and violence. Columbus governed himself rigidly towards the lands he claimed for Spain and was discovered to forcefully enslave and treat Natives brutally in his efforts to begin colonizing the Americas. These bitter parts of his legacy are why we are rethinking how we remember him.
Understanding Columbus Day allows us to comprehend the impact of Columbus’s explorations, good and bad. His voyages undeniably altered the world forever; yet at the same time, understanding history means looking at different perspectives. Whether we celebrate Columbus Day, Indigenous People’s Day, or both, it is clear that history is never one-sided. Remember the Indigenous people of this time period and their resilience, and Christopher Columbus: the man who completely missed the mark yet hit it just the same.
About Columbus Day | National Portrait Gallery
Why Columbus Day Courts Controversy | HISTORY
9 Columbus Day Facts Every American Should Know | CMG
Columbus Day: Christopher Columbus Sets Sail | History – YouTube