Columbus Day is celebrated the second Monday in October in the United States. For many decades, American history books have taught us that Christopher Columbus discovered America. Remember the old poem you learned in school, “In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue …”?
While Columbus did discover the New World for Europeans, Native Americans already inhabited the land so they were really the first group of individuals to discover America. There were also Nordic explorers who had journeyed down the east coast of Canada thousands of years before Columbus ever made his monumental journey.
Before Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean and arrived in America, it was believed by European inhabitants that the world was flat and that it ended somewhere in the vicinity of the Atlantic. What a tremendous surprise they were in for!
Columbus Day is also sometimes called “Discoverer’s Day.” When you really think about it the focus of Columbus Day is the discovery that a New World existed, as opposed to the focus being on Christopher Columbus the explorer.
Here are some facts of note in regards to Columbus’ journey:
-Columbus set sail from Europe on August 3, 1492. The ships he was traveling with ran into problems, so they stopped at the Canary Islands and remained there for a month. He left the Canary Islands and set sail again on September 3, 1492.
-Speaking of ships, Columbus traveled with three. Their names were the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria.
-Columbus was of Italian descent and resided in Italy. When he decided to take such a long voyage he could not secure the funding he required in his own country. He looked to the King of Spain to help him fund his voyage. King Ferdinand and his wife Queen Isabella of Spain were willing to provide him with the financial assistance he needed to make the trip.
-Contrary to popular belief, Columbus and his people did not land on the mainland of the United States, instead he landed on an island in the Caribbean. Many believe he landed on San Salvador, but that is still up for discussion today.
However you choose to celebrate Columbus Day, remember all those that helped to make this great country what it is. Feel the excitement that must go along with setting foot for the first time on undiscovered land.
Happy Columbus Day Everyone!
