Liane Says:
The chapter Columbus in chains in the book
Annie John basically describes Annie John in school and how bright of a student
she really is but this is not the character she exemplifies out of school. It
was kind of interesting because the way the chapter is written is very detailed
so you can picture everything that’s going on throughout the story. When she
was reading her text book she saw a picture of Christopher Columbus in chains and
was happy that he was there with no power as she did not like him. When she was
scolded the author states that what she did was wrong because he Columbus was
the one who discovered her land and who was a great man in history. I do not think Christopher Columbus is a hero.
He just happened to be sailing, with no intentions of discovering anything, and
found land. This land was already occupied and anyways it was eventually going
to be found so I would not consider him being a hero. A hero saves lives, is
inspirational and someone you look up to. There is none of these qualities I can
find in Columbus. Annie John is in my favor. She does not like Christopher
Columbus and is quite happy that he is sitting down in chains looking down upon
him not knowing what to do.
Christopher Columbus was
a navigator, colonizer and explorer whose
voyages across the Atlantic Ocean led to general European
awareness of the American Continents in the Western Civilization. With his four voyages of
discovery and several attempts at establishing a settlement on the island of Hispaniola, he initiated the
process of Spanish Colonization which
foreshadowed general European Colonization of
the "New World."
Columbus's first voyage was in 1492. Following his plotted course, he landed within the Bahamas at a locale he named San Salvador. He referred to its inhabitants as "Indios".
The anniversary of Columbus's
1492 landing in the Americas is observed as Columbus day in
October 12 in Spain and
throughout the Americas, except that in the United States it is observed on the
second Monday in October. The day is celebrated as Columbus Day in the U.S, as Día de la Raza (Day of the Race)
in many countries in Latin America, as Día de las Culturas (Day
of the Cultures) in Costa Rica, as Discovery Day in the Bahamas,
as Día de la Hispanidad and Fiesta Nacional in Spain, as Día de las
Américas (Day of the Americas) in Uruguay and
as Día de la Resistencia Indígena (Day of Indigenous Resistance) in Venezuela. These holidays have been celebrated unofficially since the late 18th century,
and officially in various countries since the early 20th century.
In the United States people
appreciate this day. Brazil does not
celebrate it. Latin American countries
celebrate their native races. It is commonly believed that opposition to
Columbus celebrations dates to the later part of the 20th century. However, the
current groups of American Indian activists are not alone historically. In the
nineteenth century, for example, "patriotic" activists sought to
eradicate Columbus Day celebrations because they thought the Catholics would
use the holiday to take over the country. Similarly, the notion that Columbus
was responsible for more calamity and destruction than progress and prosperity
has been a recurrent theme ever since Columbus's voyage. Even the notion of
connecting Columbus and Indian holocaust has been repeated periodically for centuries. In
the late 20th century, groups on the political left have voiced opposition to
Columbus celebrations. Indigenous groups in particular have opposed the
holidays as celebrating the man who initiated the European Colonization of
the new world. Opposition often focuses on the cruel treatment indigenous
peoples faced at the hands of Columbus and later European settlers. Some have argued that
the responsibility of contemporary governments and their citizens for allegedly
ongoing acts of genocide against Native Americans are masked by positive
Columbus myths and celebrations. These critics argue that a particular
understanding of the legacy of Columbus has been used to legitimize their
actions, and it is this misuse of history that must be exposed. Indigenous people got together and declared October 12, 1992,
International Day of Solidarity with Indigenous People. The National Council of Churches, called on
Christians to refrain from celebrating the Columbus quincentennial, saying,
"What represented newness of freedom, hope, and opportunity for some was
the occasion for oppression, degradation and genocide for others.
There are many cultural myths of North America exclude or diminish the culture and
myths of Native Americans. Some say Americans celebrate the
greatest waves of genocide of the Indians known in history each year on
Columbus Day. "Columbus' voyage has even less meaning for North
Americans than for South Americans because Columbus never set foot on our
continent, nor did he open it to European trade" he said.
