Why Columbus Day Should Be Abolished: A Historical Case
This essay argues that Columbus Day should be abolished and replaced with a holiday honoring indigenous peoples. It begins by challenging the myth that Columbus "discovered" America, noting that he never set foot on continental North America. The paper then traces the political origins of the holiday — rooted in Catholic and Italian-American advocacy — before examining Columbus's documented brutality: the enslavement of the Taino people, the near-extinction of indigenous populations, and extreme acts of violence described in historical sources. Drawing on James Loewen's Lies My Teacher Told Me and primary accounts, the essay concludes that celebrating Columbus represents a dangerous complacency toward historical atrocity.
- Introduction: The Myth of Columbus as a National Hero: Thesis: Columbus Day should be abolished
- The Origins of Columbus Day: Holiday rooted in Catholic and Italian advocacy
- Columbus's Conquest and the Enslavement of Indigenous Peoples: Columbus enslaved and destroyed Taino people
- The Inhuman Brutality of Columbus's Campaigns: Sadistic violence documented in historical sources
- Conclusion: Abolishing Columbus Day: Holiday represents complacency toward historical atrocity
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper uses direct historical quotations — including Columbus's own journal — to ground its argument in primary evidence rather than opinion alone.
- It anticipates and refutes a common counterargument (that enslaving practices were "typical of the era"), which strengthens its persuasive credibility.
- The argument moves logically from the weakest claim (Columbus never touched U.S. soil) to the most morally serious (documented sadistic violence), building rhetorical momentum toward the conclusion.
Key academic technique demonstrated
This essay demonstrates effective use of source integration in persuasive writing. Rather than merely summarizing secondary sources, the author embeds direct quotations — from Columbus's journal, from James Loewen's Lies My Teacher Told Me, and from contemporary scholars — and then immediately interprets each quotation to connect it back to the central thesis. This "quote-then-analyze" structure is a core technique in argumentative academic writing at the undergraduate level.
Structure breakdown
The essay follows a classic five-part argumentative structure: an introduction that states a clear thesis, two body sections developing distinct supporting arguments (the holiday's dubious origins; Columbus's documented violence), a third body section addressing a counterargument, and a conclusion that synthesizes all claims. Each body paragraph is anchored by at least one cited source, maintaining a consistent evidence-based tone throughout.
Introduction: The Myth of Columbus as a National Hero
For decades, school children have been taught the misinformation that Christopher Columbus "discovered" America. As historical awareness grows and society becomes more conscious of the realities of the past, it becomes increasingly unacceptable to celebrate false heroes — whether corrupt politicians, Confederate generals, or cruel explorers. Christopher Columbus fits the last category. A close examination of history demonstrates that he brought tremendous despair and horror to the indigenous peoples of the Americas. The fact that the United States still has a federal holiday in his honor is both bizarre and troubling. This essay discusses the numerous compelling reasons why Columbus Day should be abolished and, ideally, replaced with a holiday that appropriately honors indigenous peoples.
References
Flanagin, C. (2014, December 22). Columbus Day, or 'Indigenous Peoples' Day'? Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/05/learning/should-the-united-states-celebrate-columbus-day.html
Indian Country Today. (2016, October 8). Why Is Columbus Day a Thing? The History Behind the 'Holiday.' Retrieved from https://newsmaven.io/indiancountrytoday/archive
Loewen, J. (2018). Lies my teacher told me. The New Press.
Strauss, V. (2013). Five myths about Christopher Columbus. The Washington Post.
Strong, S. (1989). Columbus and the myth of discovery.
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