So You Think You Know Christopher Columbus?

  • Thread starter Thread starter moonman239
  • Start date Start date
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the celebration of Christopher Columbus's arrival in 1492, questioning whether it deserves to be commemorated. Participants explore historical perspectives, personal opinions, and the quality of arguments presented in an attached essay.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Historical

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses strong opposition to celebrating Columbus, suggesting that the attached essay lacks depth and proper historical references.
  • Another participant critiques the essay's simplicity and suggests that it would benefit from original sources and quotes to strengthen its argument.
  • A third participant agrees with the initial criticism of Columbus, describing him as cruel and ignorant, and notes that his determination led to his voyage, despite his miscalculations.
  • One participant concedes that the initial essay is poorly written and expresses ambivalence about Columbus's celebration, suggesting it should be honored for tradition's sake but questioning its appropriateness.
  • A later reply recommends exploring Latin American literature for critical perspectives on Columbus, citing works by Eduardo Galeano and Carlos Fuentes as notable examples.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally disagree on the celebration of Columbus, with some opposing it and others suggesting it should be honored for tradition. There is no consensus on the quality of the initial essay or the appropriateness of Columbus's legacy.

Contextual Notes

Participants express varying levels of critique regarding the essay's writing quality and the need for historical citations. The discussion reflects differing views on the interpretation of Columbus's actions and legacy.

moonman239
Messages
276
Reaction score
0
In fifteen days, America will be celebrating Christopher Columbus's arrival in 1492. Does it deserve to be celebrated? I don't think so. Read the essay I have attached for info on why I don't think so.

Tell me what you think. Do you agree with me? Am I using proper grammar?
 

Attachments

Science news on Phys.org
moonman239 said:
In fifteen days, America will be celebrating Christopher Columbus's arrival in 1492. Does it deserve to be celebrated? I don't think so. Read the essay I have attached for info on why I don't think so.

Tell me what you think. Do you agree with me? Am I using proper grammar?

To be honest, it is a bit simple in its tone and execution. Is this from an assignment for school?

It would be much stronger and more compelling if you cited a few historical references (not a wikipedia-type reference, but an original source) to support your points. You could add a few more quotes, and give links to the sources, for example. Especially for PF consumption, it is always best to give a link to the source of quotes that you use.
 
Last edited:
First of all, that is not an essay, that is some tiny paragraphs. Second of all, I agree with your point, the best description I've ever read for Columbus was:
Thande on alternatehistory.com said:
Yeah, Columbus is not defensible. It's not a case of "he was a man of his time", he was considered a cruel, ignorant << Profanity in quoted text deleted by the Moderators >> even by other people of his time. The strange part is that it might be that very quality that led him to be the man who discovered America--everyone else knew that Asia was too far away to be worth trying to sail westward too across the great world ocean, only Columbus was stupid and stubborn enough to get the calculations wrong and try anyway. Even then though he insisted he had landed in Japan to his death and would hunt down and kill any of his sailors who said differently.
EDIT: sorry about not censoring out the profanity, although perhaps that message has greater effect. :)
 
Last edited:
Yeah I concede with the comments above. This was very poorly written and not persuading In the slightest. I think it should be celebrated just out of tradition and if we could decide again maybe not have dedicated a day for him.
 
If you want to read interesting and poetic attacks against Columbus read latin amaerican literature.


Of the most interesting attacks was in:
Open Veins five centuries of rape and plunder of a continent

And Genesis

Both are by the same author Eduardo Galeano.


Of notable mentio is Carlos Fuentes the Buried Mirror and one of his other books forgot which one.
 

Similar threads

  • Poll Poll
  • · Replies 142 ·
5
Replies
142
Views
7K
Replies
98
Views
5K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
3K
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
4K
  • · Replies 42 ·
2
Replies
42
Views
7K
  • · Replies 112 ·
4
Replies
112
Views
9K
  • · Replies 140 ·
5
Replies
140
Views
5K
  • · Replies 119 ·
4
Replies
119
Views
12K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • · Replies 16 ·
Replies
16
Views
5K