Hello Dojo readers!
Recently, I had a spirited discussion on Facebook about Columbus Day (in response to a particular politician’s controversial tweet on the subject). I had written a blog post with my own feelings on the subject over a decade ago, but I wanted something with a little more historical meat to it that I could share with people whenever the subject pops up in the future…which it will likely continue to do every year.
So I asked my friend Scott if he would be interested in putting together an essay that helps set the record straight for those Christians wondering what to make of Columbus Day and Columbus’ own legacy. There is a lot of noise out there in the sociopolitical landscape we currently inhabit, folks. Lots of heat…but very little light. Hopefully this essay provides a balanced, thoughtful, historically responsible assessment of Columbus and helps readers arrive at a Gospel-centered response to his legacy.
Full disclosure: It is my own belief that no Christian should ever celebrate Columbus Day in light of the person Columbus actually was and the evils that he actually and actively brought about in the world (see the above blog post and Facebook discussion for more on why I say that). But I came to this conclusion as an adult after three decades of simply accepting what I had been taught about Columbus in elementary school and through pop-culture. So, I encourage any Christian who doesn’t have a problem with Columbus Day (especially any Christian who believes that Columbus was truly a godly man worthy of honor) and anyone who believes that any call to renounce him is simply another example of “woke culture” revisionism, “anti-American” sentiment, or “CRT”/“political correctness” (that must be opposed in order to preserve the American way of life!) to please read the following piece and ask the Holy Spirit to help you discern what honors our Lord and what does not.
Blessings from the Dojo,
JM
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Columbus Day Confusion
by Scott Fritzsche
Each year the argument over whether or not to celebrate Columbus Day comes up, and this year was no different. The same usual things were said—both in opposition to and in defense of the day. That is to be expected as we try to sway opinion to what we think is the proper course of action.
I am going to attempt an approach that I hope may spark thoughtful consideration. (This may end up being far longer than intended, but that is often the case when we give complicated subjects the time and consideration that they deserve, delving beyond an exchange of quips.)
The history of Columbus Day’s celebration.
When considering the celebration of Columbus Day in the United States, it should be noted that Columbus never actually set foot in what would become the United States …or even in mainland North America!
This is in contrast to figures like Juan Ponce de Leon (Florida 1513), Alonso Alvarez de Pineda (Texas 1519), or even fellow Italian Giovanni da Verrazzano (New York 1524), not to mention Lief Erikson in the 11th century (which would make him the first Christian to establish a colony in mainland North America, as Erikson was converted to Christianity by King Olaf 1 in Norway). There are at least 4 early explorers that set foot in mainland North America, three of whom were in what we now call America. So, historically speaking, we can’t accurately claim that Columbus established the first Christian colony in “the Americas”.
Most of the modern North American myths about Columbus have their source in a book by Washington Irving titled “A History of the Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus”. While it was a best seller in 1828, it has since come to be regarded by historians as highly fictionalized and inaccurate. This book is also the source of the myth that most people thought the earth was flat until Columbus sailed (they didn’t!), and many other myths (such as Columbus’ benevolent disposition toward the natives) that persist to this day.
One year after a brutal lynching in New Orleans of 11 Italian immigrants, President Benjamin Harrison would issue a call for Columbus Day to be an official holiday:
“Now, therefore, I, Benjamin Harrison, President of the United States of America, in pursuance of the aforesaid joint resolution, do hereby appoint Friday, October 21, 1892, the four hundredth anniversary of the discovery of America by Columbus, as a general holiday for the people of the United States. On that day let the people, so far as possible, cease from toil and devote themselves to such exercises as may best express honor to the discoverer and their appreciation of the great achievements of the four completed centuries of American life.”
Thus would begin the lie that Columbus in any way, shape, or form, actually discovered America. Harrison would go on:
“Columbus stood in his age as the pioneer of progress and enlightenment. The system of universal education is in our age the most prominent and salutary feature of the spirit of enlightenment, and it is peculiarly appropriate that the schools be made by the people the center of the day's demonstration. Let the national flag float over every schoolhouse in the country and the exercises be such as shall impress upon our youth the patriotic duties of American citizenship.”
Here he inexplicably links Columbus to American patriotism and education.
“In the churches and in the other places of assembly of the people let there be expressions of gratitude to Divine Providence for the devout faith of the discoverer and for the divine care and guidance which has directed our history and so abundantly blessed our people.”
Lastly, he ties Columbus to national civic religion and makes him something of a modern day American saint. We must keep this in mind as we delve further into the history of what actually occurred. Consider modern view by various supporters of Columbus Day and how similar they are to this first proclamation. It is also notable that there is no real reference to Columbus’ nationality, his work, or any actual accomplishments. The proclamation of Columbus Day had to do with the American civic religion rather than who Columbus was or what Columbus did. This disconnect continues today.
After this proclamation, the first official celebration of Columbus Day was in 1906 in Colorado. Italian Americans were facing religious and ethnic discrimination in the United States (it should be stated clearly and unequivocally that such discrimination is always wrong!) and many in the community felt that the best way for Italian Americans to find acceptance would be to celebrate the accomplishments of Christopher Columbus. As historian Christopher J. Kauffman put it, "Italian Americans grounded legitimacy in a pluralistic society by focusing on the Genoese explorer as a central figure in their sense of peoplehood."
Within five years of this initial celebration, 14 other states initiated celebrations of their own. In fact, to this day, many Italian Americans view Columbus Day as a celebration of their heritage and not a celebration of an individual. This is why many in the Italian American community take it personally when statues of Columbus are removed or local municipalities do not honor the day. It is completely understandable that they feel this way as (to them!) the day is not about Columbus, but about Italian cultural heritage and identity. And it is worth noting that at the time of its first celebration, most of the actual history of Columbus had not yet come to light.
[Side note: At the same time, a separate movement to honor Lief Erikson was ongoing. In 1925 at the Norse-American Centennial, President Calvin Coolidge gave recognition to Leif Erikson as the discoverer of America due to research by Norwegian-American scholars such as Knut Geirset and Ludvig Hektoen. In his speech he said that Lief Erikson was the original discoverer of North America. Lyndon Johnson and every president since has honored that with a proclamation: October 9th is officially Lief Erikson Day, a national day of observance, in the United States, though not a national holiday. I mention this as we are talking about the history of Columbus Day in order to remind the reader that there has never been a full acceptance of the idea the “Columbus discovered America” for a numerous historical reasons.]
The Knights of Columbus, a Catholic fraternal service organization (that does many good works incidentally) was is named after Columbus as way to show that Roman Catholics have always been involved in American life. And it was this group who lobbied Franklin Roosevelt to have Columbus Day declared a national holiday, and then in 1970 it’s current date was set by Congress. This completed the process of celebrating Columbus as having discovered America that began (falsely) with Harrison, and of turning him into a national civic religious icon.
So, why the long history lesson? Because in order to fully understand what Columbus day actually is, we must understand where it actually came from.
For Italian Americans it was a celebration of cultural heritage and acceptance.
For the Knights of Columbus it was about establishing Roman Catholic faith as ever present in America.
For the government it was about the perpetuation of a national civic religion to engender patriotism.
But notice how very little of it is actually about Columbus himself, or the actual discovery America…or even mainland North America at all.
The Man Himself: Columbus in the New World
Now that we have looked at the history of the establishment of the holiday, we must look at the man that it is named after.
Beginning in the 1970s, the legacy of Christopher Columbus started to come under more intense scrutiny. The first thing one must understand about Columbus is the deal he negotiated with Spain to begin with. The Spanish crown was eager to export Catholicism around the globe, and Columbus agreed to do this. Columbus wanted wealth, and the crown agreed to allow him to keep a tithe (10%) of the treasures that he found (the exact wording was “merchandise, whether pearls, precious stones, gold, silver, spices and other objects”).
Whatever other motives Columbus may have had, there were significant monetary motives, as one would expect. This was not merely a journey of exploration as some might think, nor was it primarily a missionary journey for that matter.
Consider this brief excerpt from from Laurence Bergreen’s Columbus: The Four Voyages. Bergreen quotes Michele de Cuneo, a sailor who participated in Columbus’s second expedition to the Americas:
“While I was in the boat, I captured a very beautiful woman, whom the Lord Admiral [Columbus] gave to me. When I had taken her to my cabin she was naked — as was their custom. I was filled with a desire to take my pleasure with her and attempted to satisfy my desire. She was unwilling, and so treated me with her nails that I wished I had never begun. I then took a piece of rope and whipped her soundly, and she let forth such incredible screams that you would not have believed your ears. Eventually we came to such terms, I assure you, that you would have thought she had been brought up in a school for whores.”
Did Columbus do this directly? No. Was he responsible for it, I would argue yes. Were there more instances of this type? It seems likely as it was known that young women were given to members of Columbus’ party as rewards.
Or let us consider an excerpt from a letter Columbus wrote to Doña Juana de la Torre, a nurse in the royal court and sister to one of Columbus’ leading men on his second voyage. In it, he admits the following:
“Now that so much gold is found, a dispute arises as to which whether to go about robbing or to go to the mines. A hundred castellanos are as easily obtained for a woman as for a farm, and 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, and for all ages a good price must be paid.”
Note, this goes beyond the forced labor of slavery (as horrendous as that was), it is unambiguously child sex trafficking, which was not a commonly accepted behavior even in that day.
[Note from JM: Conservatives who fight to keep Columbus Day from being abolished or renamed and who also post #SaveTheChildren hashtags and bring up child-trafficking whenever societal evils are discussed MUST recon with this behavior revealed by Columbus’ own words if you expect to be taken seriously]
Also in this letter Columbus makes other interesting statements that call into question his legacy:
“I ought to be judged as a captain who went from Spain to the Indies to conquer a numerous and warlike people, whose customs and religion are very contrary to ours; who live in rocks and mountains, without fixed settlements, and not like ourselves.”
This letter was written after Columbus was arrested. Francisco de Bobadilla arrived in the ‘new world’ in August of 1500 under commission from the King and Queen to investigate conditions there. This is in response to settlers who had returned to Spain complaining about numerous things, including the rule of Columbus.
There are many that would say Francisco de Bobadilla’s motive was to seize the position of Columbus, so his account cannot be trusted. This was the view of Columbus himself (above link page 10). If you have a favorable view of Columbus, it is likely that you believe this. If you have an unfavorable view of Columbus, it is likely you do not believe this. But I propose a neutral view of both men, as their motives are largely lost to history.
The neutral view is that de Bobadilla was dispatched to investigate and arrest the guilty party or parties and seize their holdings. He did just that. To be fair, Francisco de Bobadilla was a political opponent of Columbus, and he was not any better than Columbus in his treatment of native populations. But that does not immediately discredit his report. We know that he was trusted by the same King and Queen that trusted Columbus, so it seems to me that his report and findings should not be discredited.
The reason for Columbus’ arrest was that, upon de Bobadilla’s arrival, he found Spaniards hanging from gallows. He immediately arrested Columbus’ brother and later Columbus would voluntarily turn himself in. This is significant as Columbus, and his proxies, were not just unusually cruel to the naive populations (a disturbing instance described by Michele de Cuneo told of a Spanish woman stripped down and tied to a Donkey to be whipped and beaten. Her crime? She apparently lied about being pregnant!), but also to Spanish citizens that they ruled over. Francisco de Bobadilla compiled a 48 page report, including 23 eye witnesses, in his case against Columbus. Columbus was released upon his return to Spain and was cleared of the most serious charges levied against him and his titles were restored, but he was replaced as governor of the new world colonies. He had spent roughly 7 years at the post.
In his final voyage, against the King and Queens wishes, he returned to the ‘new world’, was eventually shipwrecked, rescued, and returned to Spain. The Queen would die a short time later and the King would never receive him again. Until his death, Columbus petitioned the King for monetary redress despite the reality that he lived comfortably from the wealth he had gained. His removal as governor was based upon his treatment of Spanish colonists. This demonstrates that not only was he brutal to the natives, but also to his fellow countrymen. Not only that, but his consistent attempts to gain more money from the Crown of Spain shows that his motives whatever they began as, were far from altruistic by the end of his life.
Columbus’ Legacy
It is undeniable that Christopher Columbus left a major legacy. One does not gain a federally recognized official holiday unless that is the case. Yet, as we noted at the outset of this post, his legacy doesn’t really figure much into the origins of the holiday. But for many Columbus Day supporters, his legacy is that of the noble and brave explorer who opened up the new world and brought Christianity to it. But despite the historical developments that occurred after his life which are seen as beneficial by his supporters, if we are going to be honest with history, we must look at the evils that accompanied his life as well.
It is simply an unassailable fact is that he was a failed governor removed at the request of those he governed for abuses and mismanagement. This is not a matter of opinion, but of historical record. From a secular leadership perspective we can also say that Columbus did not delegate well, as he appointed his brothers in his absence and things degenerated to such a point that he ended up resorting to the harshest of tactics to restore order.
But for a closer look at the legacy Columbus left behind, let us look at the account of Bartolomé de Las Casas, who immigrated to the new world in 1502 (two years after Columbus was removed as governor). He became a priest 8 years later, and served as a missionary to the Arawak (Taino) people of Cuba in 1512. From 1520-1521 he attempted to form a more equitable society in Argentina, but was ousted by his colonial neighbors who incited natives to rebel against him and he joined the Dominican order in 1522. He was well traveled and saw firsthand much of what transpired in the new world directly after Columbus. Some have accussed him of being overly hyperbolistic in his writings. However, even if he was exaggerating some things, he is still considered to be an overall reliable historical witness. What follows are some of his observations from “A Brief Account of the Destruction of the West Indies” (WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT):
“The Spaniards first assaulted the innocent Sheep, so qualified by the Almighty, as is premention'd, like most cruel Tygers, Wolves and Lions hunger-starv'd, studying nothing, for the space of Forty Years, after their first landing, but the Massacre of these Wretches, whom they have so inhumanely and barbarously butcher'd and harass'd with several kinds of Torments, never before known, or heard (of which you shall have some account in the following Discourse) that of Three Millions of Persons, which lived in Hispaniola itself, there is at present but the inconsiderable remnant of scarce Three Hundred. Nay the Isle of Cuba, which extends as far, as Valledolid in Spain is distant from Rome, lies now uncultivated, like a Desert, and intomb'd in its own Ruins. You may also find the Isles of St. John, and Jamaica, both large and fruitful places, unpeopled and desolate. The Lucayan Islands on the North Side, adjacent to Hispaniola and Cuba, which are Sixty in number, or thereabout, together with with those, vulgarly known by the name of the Gigantic Isles, and others, the most infertile whereof, exceeds the Royal Garden of Sevil in fruitfulness, a most Healthful and pleasant Climat, is now laid waste and uninhabited; and whereas, when the Spaniards first arriv'd here, about Five Hundred Thousand Men dwelt in it, they are now cut off, some by slaughter, and others ravished away by Force and Violence, to work in the Mines of Hispanioloa, which was destitute of Native Inhabitants: For a certain Vessel, sailing to this Isle, to the end, that the Harvest being over (some good Christian, moved with Piety and Pity, undertook this dangerous Voyage, to convert Souls to Christianity) the remaining gleanings might be gathered up, there were only found Eleven Persons, which I saw with my own Eyes…
As to the firm land, we are certainly satisfied, and assur'd, that the Spaniards by their barbarous and execrable Actions have absolutely depopulated Ten Kingdoms, of greater extent than all Spain, together with the Kingdoms of Arragon and Portugal, that is to say, above One Thousand Miles, which now lye wast and desolate, and are absolutely ruined, when as formerly no other Country whatsoever was more populous. Nay we dare boldly affirm, that during the Forty Years space, wherein they exercised their sanguinary and detestable Tyranny in these Regions, above Twelve Millions (computing Men, Women, and Children) have undeservedly perished; nor do I conceive that I should deviate from the Truth by saying that above Fifty Millions in all paid their last Debt to Nature. “
“Finally, in one word, their Ambition and Avarice, than which the heart of Man never entertained greater, and the vast Wealth of those Regions; the Humility and Patience of the Inhabitants (which made their approach to these Lands more facil and easie) did much promote the business: Whom they so despicably contemned, that they treated them (I speak of things which I was an Eye Witness of, without the least fallacy) not as Beasts, which I cordially wished they would, but as the most abject dung and filth of the Earth; and so sollicitous they were of their Life and Soul, that the above-mentioned number of People died without understanding the true Faith or Sacraments. And this also is as really true as the praecendent Narration (which the very Tyrants and cruel Murderers cannot deny without the stigma of a lye) that the Spaniards never received any injury from the Indians, but that they rather reverenced them as Persons descended from Heaven, until that they were compelled to take up Arms, provoked thereunto by repeated Injuries, violent Torments, and injust Butcheries.”
“They snatcht young Babes from the Mothers Breasts, and then dasht out the brains of those innocents against the Rocks; others they cast into Rivers scoffing and jeering them, and call'd upon their Bodies when falling with derision, the true testimony of their Cruelty, to come to them, and inhumanely exposing others to their Merciless Swords, together with the Mothers that gave them Life. They erected certain Gibbets, large, but low made, so that their feet almost reacht the ground, every one of which was so order'd as to bear Thirteen Persons in Honour and Reverence (as they said blasphemously) of our Redeemer and his Twelve Apostles, under which they made a Fire to burn them to Ashes whilst hanging on them: But those they intended to preserve alive, they dismiss'd, their Hands half cut, and still hanging by the Skin, to carry their Letters missive to those that fly from us and ly sculking on the Mountains, as an exprobation of their flight.”
“In the Year 1509, the Spaniards sailed to the Islands of St. John and Jamaica (resembling Gardensa and Bee-hives) with the same purpose and design they proposed to themselves in the Isle of Hispaniola, perpetrating innumerable Robberies and Villanies as before; whereunto they added unheard of Cruelties by Murdering, Burning, Roasting, and Exposing Men to be torn to pieces by Dogs; and Finally by afflicting and harassing them with un-exampled Oppressions and torments in the Mines, they spoiled and unpeopled this Contrey of these Innocents. These two Isles containing six hundred thousand at least, though at this day there are scarce two hundred men to be found in either of them, the remainder perishing without the knowledge of Christian Faith or Sacrament. “
“When the Spaniards first touched this Island, this Cacic, who was thoroughly acquainted with them, did avoid and shun them as much as in him lay, and defended himself by force of Arms, wherever he met with them, but at length being taken he was burnt alive, for flying from so unjust and cruel a Nation, and endeavuoring to secure his Life against them, who only thirsted after the blood of himself and his own People. Now being bound to the post, in order of his Execution a certain Holy Monk of the Franciscan Order, discours'd with him concerning God and the Articles of our Faith, which he never heard of before, and which might be satisfactory and advantagious to him, considering the small time allow'd him by the Executioner, promising him Eternal Glory and Repose, if he truly believ'd them, or other wise Everlasting Torments. After that Hathney had been silently pensive sometime, he askt the Monk whether the Spaniards also were admitted into Heaven, and he answering that the Gates of Heaven were open to all that were Good and Godly, the Cacic replied without further consideration, that he would rather go to Hell then Heaven, for fear he should cohabit in the same Mansion with so Sanguinary and Bloody a Nation. And thus God and the Holy Catholick Faith are Praised and Reverenced by the Practices of the Spaniards in America.”
“By the ferocity of one Spanish Tyrant (whom I knew) above Two Hundred Indians hang'd themselves of their own accord; and a multitude of People perished by this kind of Death. A certain Person here in the same Isle constituted to exercise a kind of Royal Power, hapned to have Three Hundred Indians fall to his share, of which in Three Months, through excessive labour, One Hundred and Sixty were destroy'd, insomuch that in a short space there remained but a tenth part alive, namely Thirty, but when the number was doubled, they all perisht at the same rate, and all that were bestow'd upon him lost their lives, till at length he paid his last Debt to Nature and the Devil.
In Three or Four Months time I being there present, Six Thousand Children and upward were murder'd, because they had lost their Parents who labour'd in the Mines; nay I was a Witness of many other stupendous Villanies. But afterward they consulted how to persecute those that lay hid in the Mountains, who were miserably massacred, and consequently this Isle made desolate, which I saw not long after, and certainly it is a dreadful and depolorable sight to behold it thus unpeopled and laid waste, like a Desert.”
It goes on and on. I encourage you to read the document in its entirety at the above link to get a full grasp of the atrocities. This too is a part of Columbus’ legacy.
Did he personally do all these things? No, he did not (though as demonstrated above he surely did enough beyond the pale!).
Does he bare some of the responsibility and should it be attached to his legacy? Yes, without a doubt.
Much of what came after was a continuation of the policies that Columbus himself had set into motion. The atrocities that occurred under his rule, even if not performed by him, were allowed, or at the very least not corrected by him.
What of the popularized idea that Columbus brought culture to the new world?
Let us be honest: what Columbus brought was European culture to the new world. Cultures existed long before Columbus arrived. While there were a few warlike cultures, the vast majority were peaceful…something that could not be said for most of Europe. No, the celebration of Columbus “bringing culture to the new world” is ethnocentrism at its worst. And ethnocentrism is always an ugly thing.
But what of Columbus bringing the Gospel?
As a Christian I very much believe that the faith should be spread to every corner of the Earth. I also fervently believe it should never be under coercion or force. We know from the age of discovery that both coercion and force were used. That is not something to celebrate, but something to learn from and not repeat.
It is worth mentioning that in 1492, the The Alhambra Decree forced all Jews in Spain to convert or be expelled if they continued to practice their faith. The Spanish inquisition was alive and well. Such was the zeal of the Catholic church in Spain at the time. Given this fact, it would be utterly naive to believe that forced conversion was not present in the new world. The moment they were claimed for Spain, the inhabitants were subject to the inquisition. I am not claiming the things noted above were done specifically in the name of the inquisition, simply demonstrating the cultural realities of Spain and the Catholic faith of Spain at this time.
For those who call any reexamination of Columbus’ life and legacy “revisionist history”, if by that you mean I, and others who think like me are intentionally making misleading or false statements to change history into some sort of socially acceptable pop culture narrative, then I assure you that you are mistaken.
If however you mean by “historical revisionism” the reexamining and challenging the orthodox interpretation and understanding of events based upon new or forgotten evidence, then you are most definitely correct. For what history demonstrates about Columbus is that he was at best a religious zealot who descended into despotism and eventually disrepute in his own land by the king who had supported him. His legacy is a decades-long merciless assault by the Spaniards on native populations resulting in cultures being erased, or nearly erased, from history. Simply put, Columbus has been made an American hero not for what he actually did, but for myths created around him that ignore facts and firsthand accounts.
In conclusion, when we as Christians consider the celebration of an individual, we must weigh all things. Yes, we as humans are all flawed. And when we celebrate a person those flaws should be taken into account along with the good we are honoring them for. This is true of any historical figure.
However, there comes a point at which the misdeeds of a person and the legacy they leave behind are so heinous that whatever good they may have accomplished is eclipsed by those evils. Such is the case with Columbus. Whatever the motivations at the beginning of his voyages may have been, by the end they were tarnished by his pride, avarice, and utter brutality toward natives and Spaniards alike. These simply are not things that should be celebrated.
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About Scott Fritzsche: I am a Christian in the Wesleyan Tradition with a theology that I have come to call primitive Methodism. Basically, I am what most would call a theological conservative. It seems weird to me to have to describe the type of Christian I am, but such are the times. My political leanings are Libertarian by and large. If you are unfamiliar with that, depending on the policy or issue, I will either be called a heartless conservative or a bleeding heart liberal. If you have found this interesting, enlightening, or think I am a loon and want to confirm that, you can read more I, and a few others, have written over at https://unsettledchristianity.com/
Peace.