Over the past week we have discussed the different ways in which the story of Christopher Columbus's voyage/arrival/discovery/conquest has been told. We have learned about the presence of bias in each of these interpretations. Your question to answer here is, how do you think the story of Christopher Columbus should be taught to seventh graders? What is the overall historical narrative that seventh graders should learn about this pivotal period in history? What are some historical "facts" that should be emphasized?
Your comment should take the form of a paragraph. State your main argumentative idea clearly in your topic sentence. Prove your argument using evidence (a quote) from one of this week's readings, and make sure to analyze thoroughly how that quote proves your topic sentence. End with a concluding sentence that wraps up your main idea and adds the "so what" larger context.
Your comment is due by the start of class on Monday.
Remember--read the post, and then click on the word "comments" just below that post. After you have written your post, add your first name, a comma, then "Nekrosius," then your period (example: Frodo, Nekrosius 12). Then, select "Anonymous" for your identity and click "publish your comment."
38 comments:
I think that the christopher columbus story should be telled the way it happend. I think that kids should learn what actually happend in history. I don't think that kids should learn only the good things. Different books may say different things, but you should look in many different books, and use primary sources.
-David Tiger, Nekrosius
I believe that seventh graders should be taught about Christopher Columbus enslaving the people of Cahokia. I think they should have the right to know about the real Columbus, not "In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue," that version is true but it doesn't tell the whole story about Columbus' need for gold. Columbus mentions gold seventy five times in the first two weeks of his journal. Seventh graders should be taught about the great discoverer Columbus and the slave master and torturer who enslaved the indigenous people and made them become extinct. Seventh graders should be taught all of the story of Columbus.
~~Terrance, Nekrosius
I do think that the true story of Columbus should be taught to seventh graders because if you tell them a fake story, or not tell them at all, to make them feel like proud Americans, is lying. It should not make us feel proud by not admitting the truth. Seventh graders should learn the good and the bad about Columbus, and how it affects us today and how we have changed. Columbus was a very brave man, sailing off into the unknown. He went out of his mind to convince the King and Queen to let him take his three ships and sail west. But he had cruel intentions. He was a very greedy man. What he wanted was GOLD. Above all. He did very horrid things to get his riches and killed unspeakable amounts of the gentle, generous Native Americans that waded out to his boat and graciously welcomed Columbus and his men. He also wanted power. In his journals, he buttered up the king and queen and he constantly reminded them that they had basically gave him permission to become king of this new land. He also wanted to convert the Native americans to Christians(he claimed in his journal that they were eager to do so, but 95% of them didn't). But as the crosses came up, so did the gallows. A symbol of faith and hope, and a symbol of death. When Columbus died, he died a rich man. Textbooks often make you feel pity for Columbus. Saying he was alone, and poor. Another lie. Seventh Graders should be taught the true story of Columbus because if you don't tell them the true story to make them feel more confident, you are lying, which should not make you feel proud.
Molly, Nekrosius
I think that the story of Christopher Columbus should be taught to seventh graders with details such as how gold was a very important part of the “war” for who claimed/got what land, and how once Columbus got back from North America in the first few months everyone knew about it. I think that the story should also include how Spain were the first ones to start colonies on the other continent, and that the Spaniards bragged about having colonies and about being wealthier than anyone else in the Eastern part of the world.
When I read the story Why do textbooks lie? I was very surprised to see that what should be all facts is really only half true. It is important for seventh graders and everyone to know the truth, even if that story may involve some inappropriate/dangerous things because that is what really happened, and should not be denied or lied about by anyone.
Amanda, Nekrosius 5-6
Personal I think that they should edit the story so that it makes it look like the Native Americans completely demolished the Spanish. This is thought because Columbus betrayed the Native Americans. If the story were edited so the Native Americans demolished the Spanish for betraying them then the story could have a moral. Never go back on your word and never betray your friends, for not even the strongest of walls can hold back the punishment of your actions.
-- Clemente Nekrosius
period 5
I believe that the story of Christopher Columbus should be taught in a way that emphasizes all of the truly good things he did, and all the terrible stuff he did. Columbus did bring white men to America, after all, and that's the reason why I'm even here writing this comment. That's good. And after Columbus discovered America, he did bring valuable resources from America to Europe. But the story of Christopher Columbus should also include all the terrible things he did. He found paradise on earth, and then he destroyed it. "The white man's Bible taught that it is better to give than receive, and the Indians couldn't agree more... Colonists interpreted the Indians' generosity as evidence that they were childlike." (p. 108 in Social Justice)The people that lived in America before Columbus were kind, giving, and above all, happy. People need to know that when Christopher Columbus found these happy people, he interpreted their happiness to mean that they were incredibly stupid. Then he enslaved the people, murdered some of them, and forced them to find gold for him. That's not very heroic. Even though Columbus did a lot of good stuff that made our country what it is, he also did a lot of horrendously bad stuff that makes him a monster. So was massacring a bunch of happy, kind people worth making America what it is now? Unfortunately, there is probably no one who can or will answer this question accurately, but even so, people should still have the right to know who the real Columbus was.
Jennifer, Nekrosius 56
I think Columbus should be taught to children because it is very different from what you learn as a child. The different perspective on how he treated his hosts is very insightful on Columbus's mindset. From what I know, he thought that the Natives were only useable as slaves. He did not really think of them as people, he only wanted their bodies to work. He also only cared about being able to control part of land, and to be rich. Columbus should be taught to children in this school because it is not fun to live under a false impression, something I can speak for wholeheartedly.
Ethan, Nekrosius
There are many different ways that the story of Columbus is taught. I think that the story of Columbus should be taught to seventh graders not only from the side that thinks that Columbus's actions were bad, but also from the side that thinks Columbus's actions were good.
Everyone has biases,and we should learn to be aware of the ones we have. Some people who are biased about Columbus being a noble, good person write and say that Columbus was great and that he was very brave. They say that he and many settlers were the ones who found the 'New World.'(in the book 1492 and in many textbooks) Some people who are biased about Columbus being an all around bad person, write and say that he was dishonest, cruel, and had malicious intentions.(in the reading America Before Columbus) Both sides of the story are only partly true. Columbus was brave, but he was also cruel. He was under the pressure of Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand,and in those days, his actions weren't as horrible as they would be today. But he did take advantage of the Native Americans, take their land, and kill their children. Because both sides are biased, both sides tell some truths, and some lies. This is why seventh graders should be taught both sides of the story of Christopher Columbus, so that they can learn about the different points of views, and learn about the big picture.
-Florence, Nekrosius
I think that the story of Columbus's journey should be told from both points of view, the POV that Columbus is this great man who founded America, and the POV that Columbus is a brutal murderer who savagely killed so many Native Americans and brutally conquered America. Sure Columbus did horrible things and was a savage Tyrant who enslaved the Native Americans, but he did officially discover America (he was not the first person there though). I think seventh graders should learn about both sides of the story. Columbus wasn’t just a brutal murderer; he was an explorer, a brave explorer who sailed away to America thinking it was India. He braved the mission, and was fully aware that himself or his crew might perish. Also the king and queen told Columbus that if he found a civilization he could conquer it. Columbus expected the Natives to be vicious and try to attack him and his crew but when he got there the natives where very kind and gave him gifts and trinkets of all types. “I showed them swords and they took them by the edge and through ignorance cut themselves” said Columbus in his journal, this and how they gave him gifts no matter what it was and where always loyal to him made him notice “They would make good and intelligent servants” and that if he ruled them he would get everything he wanted with no fear of the Natives revolting. Columbus was not a horrible person for fun, he thought he was doing the right thing and even though he did horrible things it is not like we shouldn’t be thankful for him. So why learn about both sides of the story? Why learn about the good things he has done when you’ve learned all the bad things? Columbus wasn’t necessarily a bad man, and he wasn’t necessarily a good man either but if you just learn the bad you’ll never know about all the great things that he did and if you just learn the good then its time you know he wasn’t the nicest person ever. Columbus was a murderer, Columbus was a Explorer, Columbus was a tyrant, Columbus was a hero, Columbus founded America and without him there might not of ever been an America so next Columbus day, don’t sit there giving the pouty lip at a picture of Columbus, stand up and be thankful, even though he did slaughter a lot of people.
--Miles, Nekrosius 1
Christopher Columbus’s voyage should be taught the way it was. In the most appropriate way possible, teachers and textbooks should try to teach their class all the horrible things along with the good things Columbus and his explorers did. Aren’t teachers and textbooks supposed to teach facts not lies?
In the article Why Do Textbooks Lie?, paragraph five the article states “… another reason is laziness.” I wonder how could the authors be lazy if they are paid to write about these textbooks? In the middle of paragraph five the writer says, “… our society is more like that of Spain in 1492 than that of Haiti. Therefore it may be easier for authors to identify with Spaniards than with Arawaks.” I agree with this, but can’t the writers talk about things we can’t already identify with?
I asked my father when or how he learned about Columbus more deeply then he knew from elementary school? He said he learned it only about 10 years ago by reading a book called The Discoverers by Daniel Boorstin. He thought it was the most moving and exciting presentation of Columbus and other pioneers.
I have not really known anything about Columbus until this year. This is why, at the appropriate time, when kids are mature enough to understand, we should teach them what Columbus and the explorers did.
I want to teach them the good things along with the bad things and show kids that Columbus is not just a perfect hero but that he also has his shortcomings and faults.
Tomas, Nekrosius 1-2
It is important that seventh graders know that Columbus was not the greatest guy, that he was not exactly the hero that many people think was. Seventh graders should learn that when Columbus came to America he did not become best friends with the natives and romp off into the hills with tribes smiling and holding hands. Columbus, in fact killed off many innocent people and tribes and enslaved others. He treated the native people with unjustness and greed. In the article "Why textbooks lie" it says "In 1989 President George Bush stated his belief in this nationalist Columbus as a hero and a role model. Here is the lesson he wanted young people to learn from Columbus: Christopher Columbus not only opened the door to a new world, but also set an example for us all by showing what monumental feats can be accomplished through perseverance and faith". This show that even the president at that time did not know the full Columbus story. If he did he probably would not have made Columbus day a national holiday. It is important that people know who Columbus really was and what he really accomplished.
Elizabeth, Nekrosius 1
I believe that the true historical story of Columbus should be told to 7th graders. It is important that we as students understand what really happened. Some teachers may think it is to hard for kids to handle all the sad things about Columbus' men killing, and raping people. However, this is what really happened. I think it is important for students to understand that horrible things happen, and every story does not begin with in 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue. Sure, 7th graders are one 12 or 13, but to fully understand I believe it is important that we all as a community know the truth.
Nora, Nekrosius 1/2
I think that we should learn about a person from each perspective. We should learn about some Native people, European people, etc. Then we should compare these people's perspective on how they felt about the situation. We should focus on the way that the different people thought about each other. Like, what the Indians thought of the Europeans and what the Europeans thought of the Indians. I think we should empathize that Columbus and his men were not the first people in America. There were a lot of people who there before them. We should focus on the way it was for the people who lived there before Columbus and after Columbus. Kind of like what the author Zen did. He focused on both sides of the story. Not just one, like many textbooks do.
--Kelsey Nekrosius
I think that the story of Christopher Columbus should told to 7'th graders as it happened. I think that everything even the bad parts should be emphasized. I think this because we should know what the full history of America is. in all of the history books i have read (not that many) none have told me everything about Christopher Columbus. In "Why Do Textbooks Lie?" it gives three reasons that people don't tell the whole story of Christopher Columbus. One thing the author of Why Do Textbooks Lie? says it's safer to repeat what everyone else says, even though everyone else is wrong. well this may be true, how are people ever going to learn anything new if no one is willing to tell the truth. I think that we should be told the whole history of Christopher Columbus if only for the reason that people will be well educated in the history of America.
--David Cloud, Nekrosius 12
I think that the story of Christopher Columbus should be taught to seventh graders using the true facts and unaltered primary sources. It makes students better people to know our country’s true history and what Columbus really did. Our country’s Constitution emphasizes the right of free speech. Part of that is being able to tell the truth in history books and lessons. If we lie to the next generation just to make the current generation feel better then we are not doing the right thing. Today it is often taught that Columbus discovered America even though archeological evidence exists that shows Columbus did not discover America. That myth should be stopped, it should be accepted that Columbus was not a pioneer in any way. The Egyptians proved that the Earth was round, not Columbus. Seventh graders should be taught what Columbus was writing in his journal, and not just edited excerpts, entire sections. This would help them understand what Columbus wanted to do on his second voyage. Then, of course, what happened on the second voyage should also be taught. Right now, the story of the second voyage is often overlooked or censored immensely. No details should be spared. It is important for seventh graders to understand that the Native Americans were not primitive people. It should be emphasized that the Native Americans were extremely advanced and if seventh graders know this then that will undermine Columbus’s main justification for what he was doing. Seventh graders must know that there is no justification for doing what Columbus did to people. It is never right to enslave an entire nation of people. If seventh graders understand the truth, then they can aim themselves in the right direction. For many people, Christopher Columbus is a role model. In “Why do Textbooks Lie?” the author says, “In 1989 President George Bush stated his belief in this nationalist Columbus as a hero and role model… ‘Christopher Columbus not only opened the door to a New World, but also set an example for us all by showing what monumental feats can be accomplished through perseverance and faith.’” This shows that people still believe that Columbus is good and a role model. It also shows that people see what Columbus did as an accomplishment. As if enslaving the Natives and killing their children was amazing. If students know Columbus was not a saint of any kind, then they will understand why treating others as equals is important. If one wants to go down in the history books as an undisputed hero, then they should not enslave and conquer innocent people. I think that the Columbus story should be taught to seventh graders in its true and unaltered form. It will make students better people as well as teach them their country’s true history, dark as it may be.
Harrison, Nekrosius 1-2
Seventh graders should be taught Columbus's story honestly. Today, textbooks glaze over Columbus's cruelty and emphasize his successes, making him an idol. In "Why Do Textbooks Lie", the author states that "the primary sources have been edited to omit anything bad about Columbus, so they present his acts even more favorably than Columbus himself did!" This shows that rather than telling the story as it really happened, authors have been changing history to fit their Eurocentric ideas about Columbus being equal to some sort of saint. Seventh graders should learn the truth about Christopher Columbus, and judge him for themselves.
Sophia, Nekrosius
5/6
The story of Christopher Columbus should be taught to seventh grade truthfully with no lies, and no leaving out the bad parts. All Americans over the age of about ten or so know that Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492, but what they don't know is that he forced the native Americans to mine gold for him and that he would chop of there foot or legs if they didn't bring him enough gold be a certain time. Most text books leave that out because they dont want people to get offended or angered about the fact that columbus forced the natives to work for 14 hours a day. Columbus and his men were so hard on the natives that most of them died from working so hard, but some of the natives were rebelling and took off in to the woods, they died of starvation. Columbus and his men were so full of themselves that they didn't even care that they were killing all the natives, they just thought that god was killing the natives so they could get all the land, one of them even said "god hath hereby cleared our title to this place". He was speaking of all the deserted corn fields and the huts piled high with dead people. All in all I think that every body should learn the truth about Christopher columbus and how America came to be.
Kyle, nekrosious 1-2
Seventh grade students should be taught the story of Columbus from primary sources. The students should have the complete story from the Native Americans' point of view. All facts from this period in America should be included. The students should be taught this way because it will help prevent as much bias as possible. Also it will help teach people in the future the truth. In the article "why do textbooks lie", the author says "Make no mistake: some people feel that teaching the truth about Columbus is un-American." If that is the case than the truth will never be heard and a terrible man will get away with his crimes. The seventh grade students nead to learn the truth. The truth is the only way to avenge the Native Americans that were poorly impacted by Christopher Columbus.
Jeremy, Nekrosius
Seventh graders should be taught all of the facts about the Columbus story, good and bad. In most schools right now, a seventh grader is either taught that Columbus was a great man who found a new world, or that he was monster and all he did was kill. It says in Why Textbooks Lie that many American history textbooks emphasize patriotism over facts, “it is the goal of this book [The American Way] that readers will understand America, be proud of its strengths, be pleased in its determination to improve…” However, in some other schools, seventh graders only hear the negative things Columbus did with no mention of the good. Seventh graders should be taught the real horrific story of Columbus in addition to the positive achievements he made. A seventh grader is mature enough to read awful facts – for example, forcing the Indians to convert to Christianity or murdering them if the Indians refused – and understand that, while today what Columbus did was unacceptable, but back then he was never taught that his actions were atrocious. On the other hand, a seventh grader could read that Columbus was the first European man to find America. While that is extremely important, it does not automatically make Columbus a hero. There are many comparisons between the Columbus story and American slavery later on in U.S. history. Seventh graders are expected to understand that with a modern education, slavery is terrible, before the Civil War, there was a historical context that allowed for slavery. So why are they not allowed to know the full Columbus story and decide their opinion for themselves? What makes this story special?
Ali, Nekrosius
Seventh graders should be taught the unbiased "facts" about Columbus and his voyage/arrival/discovery/conquest of the Americas, not just "In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue." Over the years many books, studies, and films have been made either portraying him as a hero or as a vicious murderer. Neither of these views is entirely true because both are biased. Seventh graders should not only be taught that Columbus was a hero but they shouldn't only be taught that he was a murdered either. There should be a healthy balance between the two. Children are impressionable, and their views on the man who legitimized the existence of the new world should be truthful and educated, not based upon the biased views of one or more people. When taught to children, Columbus should not be glorified or demonized. He like all people had many sides, both positive and negative. When his story is taught to children all of these sides should be expressed not just a few.
--Michael, Nekrosius 5/6
The story of Christopher should be taught to seventh graders by showing the story from the Eurocentric view and the Native American view because it shows readers the big picture. Just showing the Eurocentric point of view leaves out a lot of facts, such as how Columbus killed many Native Americans just for not bringing him enough gold (Columbus and Western Civilization p127). Christopher Columbus made everything he did seem like a good thing by showing how it was for Spain (“Christopher Columbus Reports to Ferdinand and Isabella”); but he was really looking for more power that he could get from gold. If the story is only presented from the Native American point of view, it seems like everything Columbus did was terrible, such as hanging people, killing them, enslaving them, and accidentally infecting them with diseases (Columbus and Western Civilization, p 127 -129). Showing the story from both points of views shows the good and bad things that Columbus did. Facts that should be highlighted about the Columbus story are that he was going to sail to India, but sailed to American by mistake (“Christopher Columbus Reports to Ferdinand and Isabella” p. 117); that he really went to the Americas wealth “I will procure them as much gold as they need, as great a quantity of spices, of cotton, and of mastic (which is only found in Chios), and as many men for the service of the navy as their majestic’s may require” (p.120); and that he caused a lot of people to die. There is no way to explain the story without being biased, so there is no one historical narrative that is completely true. It is important to show all the points of view in order to get closer to the truth. The truth helps us not make the same mistakes again.
Victoria Nekrosius
I think the story of Columbus should be told the way it really happened. I think teachers should tell 7th graders the good and bad things that happened. I do not think that 7th graders are little kids and Columbus did bad things too. It is important to tell the good and bad things of Coulombs. One way to do that is to look at multiple sources so the biasses are compensated. I think we should also take primary sources so that it is not the story everybody knows, it is what really happened. I think the story should be about the Atlantic ocean and how it was discovered to be a major tool for trade. “And you commanded that I should not go to the East by land, by which way it is customary to go, but by the route to the west, by which route we do not know for certain that anyone preciously has passed.” Columbus was the one who in a way discovered the Atlantic ocean. I also think that trade should be one of the emphasized points of this story. Trade is what opened the world to other countries and ideas.
-- Zoe Nekrosuis 1-2
I think that the story of Christopher Columbus's voyage/arrival/discovery/conquest should be taught to seventh graders by telling them the truth of what happened. They should let the kids know what actually happened on their journey. The story should be told in the perspective of both the Natives and the Explorer's, because then the kids understand better about both the Natives and the Explorer's. I also think that 7th graders should think of him as a hero not just a bad person who killed thousands of people because he did discover America. That is why I think that 7th graders should be taught the real story of Columbus's adventure.
-Marc Nekrosius
Columbus should be taught to 7th graders with the truth. The story that is taught about Columbus now is not entirely truthful. If people all around the nation take a day off to remember him, we at least should know the truth about him. Columbus was not even the first person to discover America, Leif Ericsson was. Because columbus's story is negative and he was not the first person their then why do we think of him as the founder of our nation? Because every year america takes a day of school and work to remember him so that this slave owner is drilled into our head as an american hero. If everybody was just willing to except their paced that Columbus was not a good person america would be better of.
---George, Nekrosius
I think that the story of Columbus should be told to seventh graders with true facts but not showing every single bloody fact about how they native american were treated but we should have all of the facts when be taught something like this. What seventh graders should take back from the learning of the story is that what he did is wrong to enslave someone who you think is pointless or stupid is a bad thing. The native americans were actually very smart and could live life without swords and weapons. Even thought, yes america would not be the same (and we love america) it was still a bad thing to do. the facts are simple what he did was a amazing thing america would not have been america but when you really sit down and think about what he did and look at the details of how life was for the native americans. you may she Columbus as a saint but really he should not have treated them that way, he still could have had them work but maybe he did not need to enslave them maybe they could have worked together to find gold. But in the end what people see is that if there was no trade there would be no world like this one today.
-Cole, Nekrosuis
I think that the real story about Columbus should be told to seventh graders because people like us need to understand the truth about America, no matter how frightening it might be. If you were to ask a younger child about Columbus, he/she might say that Columbus was a man who found America, and that is hypothetically correct, but there is a lot of backstory and information that childrden (and adults) need to know about America's past. In "Why Textbooks Lie," they say "[a] reason is laziness." I think that textbooks lie because the people who write information about Columbus either don't want to write a passage about the true story about Columbus, or they don't even know the story. Overall, I think that the message about the real Columbus story should be shared to seventh graders and people who don't know the truth.
--Georgia, Nekrosius Pd 1-2
I think that seventh graders should be taught a story that emphasises all the terrible things Columbus did to the same extent the good things are now. Kids should learn that while Columbus did sail all the way across the Atlantic ocean, he ruined everything he found. Christopher Columbus forced the Native Americans to dig for gold and enslaved many of them. He even told Queen Isabella and Kind Ferdinand that the would be "easy to enslave". However, I would not be writing this comment if Columbus had not brought more Europeans with him. It is important for kids to know the good things Columbus did, but they won't know the full story until they have been taught the bad things too.
-Maya, Nekrosius 5-6
I believe that what textbooks and other things that talk about Columbus should use both points of the story, the natives and Columbus. The books should talk about how Columba’s got to America and how it was a long journey. Also books should talk about how America was before Columba’s. The last thing the books should talk about is what America was like after Columba’s and how he did not help them how he helped himself. Right now a majority of textbooks only talk about Columba’s and not the natives. The article How Text Books Lie states “test book author who are pushing Columba’s have no interest in mentioning any thing bad about him, so they leave out what he did to the Americans” I believe text books should tell the whole story not just Columba’s and what he did.
-- Janie Nekrosius
Seventh graders should be taught about the real story of Columbus, no matter how frightening. I think that it is okay for young kids to be taught the happy version of “In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.” However, at some point, we have to understand what actually happened and learn the frightening version. I think Seventh Graders should be taught to analyze the bias in all the historical accounts of Columbus’ voyage.
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Jacob, Nekrosius 5-6
I think that the story of christopher columbus should be told the way it really happened. People should know about how he killed and enslaved the natives. We should know the way things really happened and if we know a lie than our knowledge is limited. In his journal he states that he commited terrible crimes, that is the best source we have.
-- Samy, Nekrosius
I think that children should know the truth about Christopher Columbus, and not just a biased point of view. Although no one has any written record of the indigenous people, this story should not just be told from the Eurocentric point of view. Children are taught a nursery rhyme in school that says "In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue." And although that is true, Columbus did many terrible things that no one ever hears about. I think that one of the reasons why writers don’t write about the brutal things he did is because they think that if they said bad things about the man who “discovered” America, they would not be acting patriotic. Some examples of the bad things he did are: 1) he subjugated the indigenous people in Cuba and he made them mine for gold, and 2) the Europeans carried diseases with them to the New World that killed off almost ninety-percent of the native population. Sometimes it is hard to hear about bad times in history, but because we can’t change the past, I believe that all people should learn what really happened.
~~Bailey Nekrosius period 5-6
Seventh graders should be taught that Christopher Columbus was not a flawless hero exemplifying the heroic spirit of America, but instead should learn the bad things that he did as well as the good. Many American history textbooks only give us the positive side of Columbus, because they believe, as the reading says, that “a great country ‘deserves’ a great founder.”(Why Do Textbooks Lie) The reading puts “deserves” in quotes because it is saying that Americans want to have a heroic history, so some historians alter details of the past in order to get what their country “deserves.” I believe that we don’t deserve it, but we just want it so badly that we are willing to lie to all of our students just to get that praise. Our generation actually does deserve to know the truth, even if it makes us uncomfortable, shocked, angry, or ashamed. The actual history of America includes terrible abuse of people who were here first – the spreading of terrible disease, the enslavement of indigenous people, and even the execution and rape of many of them. All of which should be taught to seventh graders. I agree that kindergarteners probably would have terrible nightmares if they were taught what Columbus did, but seventh graders should be able to handle it. The history of our nation, since its founding, has featured many things about which we ought to feel ashamed, as well as others we can be proud of. Kids should learn that even after the natives were extremely kind to Columbus, he and his men worked them to death and killed them to get gold for his sponsors. Another reason to misrepresent history is the one that inspired the creation of the Columbus Day holiday: “To impress on the minds of the youth the important lessons of character and good citizenship to be learned from the lives of American leaders and heroes” (quoted in Why Do Textbooks Lie). This is trying to make Christopher Columbus a role model, which is ironic, since if kids actually followed in his footsteps, this nation would be full of murderers. If we truly accept the history of America, we would not want to simply see Columbus as a role model but we would think hard about our treatment of vulnerable people. Native Americans and African Americans share aspects of the same history. Maybe if we had taught the truth about him in the 1910s-1920s, and learned from it, the civil rights movement wouldn’t have even had to happen. Even today we are mistreating indigenous people in rainforests, killing them just to get lumber, as well as driving the Inuit people out of their homes to get oil. Part of being a good nation is being truthful; we cannot have a truly heroic history if we are not truthful about what that history actually is.
David Fish Nekrosius 5-6
I think that kids should be read the Columbus story where he discovered America. Then teachers should teach the students about the other things that Columbus and his men did. Such as wanting to capture the Native Americans and making them the European's slaves. Also children should understand that Columbus wasn't just a great man. He discovered America because he wanted to be rich and get paid by king Ferdinand and queen Isabella and his other sponsors. Columbus only discovered America with his own greed in mind. Kids should know that. He wasn't all god but also bad, and 7th graders and older should understand what really happened and understand the truth and everything Columbus and the Europeans did.
--Lillian Nekrosius
Seventh graders should be taught the unbiased truth about Columbus through primary sources. Seventh graders should be able to formulate their own opinion based on facts. In Why Do Textbooks Lie it says "Some people feel that teaching the truth about columbus is un-american." We can not let everybody believe lies, even if it makes us feel better about ourselves. No matter how hard or gruesome the truth is, it needs to be put out there for all to see, not only the "good" parts. Seventh graders should know all the facts that they need to to generate their own opinion about the events that took place, not only be shown lies.
-- Sam P, Nekrosius
I think Columbus should be taught to younger kids and gradually be taught to older kids. I think teaching little kids about Columbus should be encouraged so children can get a least an introduction to Christopher Columbus. Not telling the whole story about Christopher Columbus to younger kids can create biases and different thoughts of Columbus. I think “sugar coating” can be better for younger kids because the true story can startle and scare younger children. But also can be bad because then younger children start to think of Christopher of something more than he really is. When time progresses I think older children should be taught about Christopher Columbus from his journal and from a Native American perspective. I think telling older children about the two different perspectives can be eye opening and show a different side of Columbus. Showing the perspective from the Native American can show about the terrible things that were happening to them and show that it was not all happy and fun when Columbus can to claim the land. Also showing the perspective from Columbus is interesting, because Columbus thinks everything is fine because the terrible stuff is not happening to him, but then when you switch to see how the native American see stuff you see how terrible life was really for them.
--Jackie,Nekrosius
People need to learn both sides to Columbus’s story, eliminating as much bias as possible, an account in between the “ocean blue”(“In 1492”), and the idea of UNVEILING THE TRUTH: America’s Hero a killer (the Documentary, “Why Textbooks Lie”, etc.). While it’s impossible to write an account of ANYTHING without some bias, a start would be including the bad AND the good (as Molly, Jennifer, Florence, and countless others have already said). People should know that Christopher Columbus was daring, sailing off where, to his knowledge, (see his journals), no one had traveled before, AND that he was also greedy, for gold, power, and riches. He “discovered” the Americas, brought Europe there and certain products to Europe, but because of him, unspeakable numbers of natives were killed. He wanted to save the native’s souls by converting them to Catholicism (although whether it was more him or the Kind and Queen, it is hard to tell), erecting crosses everywhere, but he also erected gallows, massacred and enslaved the natives, who did not want to be converted in the first place. He established trade between Europe and the Americas, but later enslaved the people, forcing them to work impossible hours in impossible conditions, mining for gold. People need to know Columbus’s rights and wrongs, but also need to realize that if, for some reason the Niña, Pinta, and Santa Maria never made it, much of the same might have happened, by the hand of the French (who colonized Haiti and made it what it is today). Yet if las Casas, or, say, Charles Darwin had come first, things would be very different. 7th graders need an unbiased account of Columbus’s story, everything he did.
-Erica, Nekrosius
I believe that seventh graders should be taught the true and gruesome story of Christopher Columbus. when little kids are taught the quote "in 1492 columbus sailed the ocean blue." In college the one thing they will remember about the seventh grade Columbus unit will be In 1492 Columbus sailed..... So if they about how he killed and raped the indigenous people. not that he loved them and sat around the campfire with them. talk from the perspective of the raped. The view of the people who were tortured. This is the most important part the view of the effected. We should read initial sources not secondary sources. The truth is were it is at.
--Fionn, Nekrosius
I think that the story of Christopher Columbus should be told in the original manner. I don't think anyone should deserve not to know what really happened (discluding younger kids that shouldn't hear about violence). But people all around the world think of Christopher Columbus as a good person for discovering America, but there is more to that story. Even though he is great for "discovering" America he also conquered it. So I think he would be jugged as a different person if people actually knew the true story of the world famous Christopher Columbos.
~~Taylor, Nekrosius
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