We all learned when we were young that Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492, but you might be shocked to know what he did once he stepped off the Santa Maria. These horrors could put Catiline, Roman aristocrat and conspirator who is also guilty of many atrocities, to shame.
Christopher Columbus was a 15th century Genoese explorer who, under Spanish monarchs Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile, made three voyages across the sea to what he thought was India. Columbus had presented his plan to sail from Europe to Asia to many rulers and monarchs, specifically those to be found in Portugal, but each rejected his proposal. It was not until he offered his plan to King Ferdinand of Spain that his proposition was accepted. Columbus wanted to make a legacy for himself as well as a fortune, and the Catholic monarchs of Spain wanted to spread their religion to the new world. Columbus was happy to oblige. On August 3, 1492, Columbus set sail with three ships, the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria, heading for Asia. Once he met land, however, he had actually landed on the Bahamian Islands in what is now the Caribbean. He made two more trips back to the Americas, seizing loot and discovering the New World. At least, that’s what we were told about Christopher Columbus.
The truth, however, is quite different. Christopher Columbus and his comrades raped, enslaved, and pillaged many of the Native American tribes which he encountered. In reference to Columbus’ travels, prominent Spanish historian of the time, Peter Martyr wrote in 1516, “… a ship without compass, chart, or guide, but only following the trail of dead Indians who had been thrown from the ships could find its way from the Bahamas to Hispaniola.” Queen Isabella of Spain had specifically told Columbus not to enslave any people that he met in his travels, as they should be considered Catholics under the protection of the Spanish crown. Columbus skillfully circumvented this command by refusing to baptize any of the natives he encountered, and thus, since they were not Christians, put them to work in gold mines or as sex slaves. Referencing sex slaves in his journal, Columbus noted casually, “It is very general and there are plenty of dealers who go about looking for girls; those from nine to ten are now in demand.” Christopher Columbus and his brothers were eventually brought to Spain to answer for their crimes but, as their exploits had made the king’s coffers excessively full, were pardoned – though their spoils and titles were stripped.
Given this brief example of Columbus’ foul misdeeds, we must ask ourselves, why do we celebrate Columbus Day? Maybe the past can provide an answer. Lucius Sergius Catilina, more commonly known as Catiline, was a Roman aristocrat in the late Roman Republic who Cicero famously spoke against in his series of speeches entitled In Catilinam. Catiline wanted to become consul, but after running multiple times, was never elected. In response, Catiline decided to mount an insurrection, which only Cicero uncovered. Once Cicero knew of Catiline’s plan, he gave multiple speeches to the senate (In Catilinam) and presented a great deal of evidence against him, but the senate would not listen, giving Cataline the time to flee Rome and join his insurrectionist army. It was not until Cicero’s spies brought undeniable evidence of the insurrection that the senate admitted its mistake and sent an army that would crush Catiline and his allies.
Why does this matter? The Roman senators did not want to seem foolish. They had made Cataline the governor of Africa and praetor, bestowing a great amount of trust and title in him. If this man was, in actuality, an enemy of the Roman state, this would make the leaders of the state who appointed him appear weak and idiotic. I would motion that the same could be said as to why we still celebrate Columbus Day. No one wants to step up and say “So . . . we’ve been celebrating a slave-trading, murderous rapist – but we’re going to stop now,” because that makes us all look ridiculous. Did Columbus discover the New World? No. Did he open the door for exploration and discovery thereafter? Yes – but at what cost?
I have included a few links below that offer an interesting description of the Columbus we were not taught about in grade school. What do you think about Columbus Day? Should we celebrate it? Leave a comment down below.
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? All are welcome! Email me at Lee_Shaw@baylor.edu
Further reading on Cicero and the Catiline’s Insurrection:
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/99879/Catiline
http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/romerepublic/a/CatilineConspir.htm
http://www.unrv.com/roman-republic/catiline-conspiracy.php
Further reading on Christopher Columbus:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eric-kasum/columbus-day-a-bad-idea_b_742708.html
http://www.history.com/topics/exploration/christopher-columbus
http://racerelations.about.com/od/historyofracerelations/a/The-Argument-Against-Columbus-Day.htm
http://www.biography.com/people/christopher-columbus-9254209
Good Job Mr. Shaw