Homework 3/1

Columbus has his own holiday because he supposedly "discovered" the New World. Kids are taught this from the very first years of elementary school. His discovery led to an opening up of exploration to the New World, which later led to colonizations and settlements, and the formation of a new country. But although this all seems grand and fine, Columbus does not really deserve his own holiday. He was not the only explorer to reach these waters nor the first. It is a well-known fact that the Vikings reached America before him, and though they did not colonize it, they still "discovered" it. I put "discover" in quotes because there were already civilizations living there, and really what Columbus did was create a metaphorical bridge between the two halves of the world. But he himself wasn't really all that grand. He thought he landed in Asia, and never actually admitted he made a mistake. What's more, he brought smallpox and disease to the Native Americans and wiped out more than 15% of their population. Maybe we should reconsider it and call it "Explorers Day" in honor of all the other exporers of this time. The Vikings, Magellan, Prince Henry the Navigator, etc.