In 1492 Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue

That was the jingle we were all taught in grammar school when learning about Christopher Columbus’s quest that led him to find the New World.  Many countries in the New World and elsewhere celebrate the anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s arrival to the Americas which occurred on October 12, 1492.  This historical event is celebrated as Columbus Day.  While debate on the discovery of the New World continues, it is undisputed that Columbus’s trip opened the New World to Europe and was the catalyst for its further exploration and development.  Before this, many Europeans believed that the world was flat and ended somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean.

Here are a few facts about Columbus Day – some you may know, others you may not know…

• Christopher Columbus originally intended to chart a western sea route to China, India and the gold and spice islands of Asia.
• Columbus traveled with three ships – the Nina, Pinta & Santa Maria
• Columbus could not find funding in Italy so he turned to Spain for the funding; King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella were kind enough to fund his expedition.
• Columbus Day was first recognized as an official state holiday in Colorado in 1906 thanks to the lobbying of Angelo Noce, a first generation Italian.
• Columbus Day (October 12) became a federal holiday in April 1937, as a result of lobbying by the Knights of Columbus, Congress and President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
• Since 1971, the holiday has been fixed to the second Monday in October
• Today, it is generally observed by banks, the U.S. Postal Service and other federal agencies, most state government offices, and some school districts.
• Hawaii and South Dakota are the two states that do not recognize Columbus Day at all, though both mark the day with an alternative holiday or observance.
• Juan Ponce de Leon who has been associated with the Fountain of Youth (believed to be in Florida) accompanied Columbus on his second voyage to the New World.

*Please note New Empire Group, Ltd’s office will be closed on Monday, October 14, 2013 in observance of the Columbus Day holiday.  We hope you have a great Columbus Day!

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You told us about the Christopher Columbus that didn’t appear in your history books. The lesson: happy Indigenous Peoples’ Day!

Were you taught about the “noble” Christopher Columbus, shown here frightening indigenous people into compliance? Photograph: Frederic Lewis/Getty Images

Mon 13 Oct 2014 22.15 AEDT

The recent student and teacher protests in Colorado have a lot of people asking: what is American history? The local school board talked patriotism. The people actually in school demanded higher standards.

But on Columbus Day, it’s worth considering whether the standards of this particular history lesson have been debased by patriotism itself, and whether we’ve turned a false history into an inappropriate holiday.

We asked readers: how did you learn the history of Christopher Columbus? And how should we consider this day going forward? Your responses, from Oklahoma to Harvard, were resounding: it’s time to celebrate differently.

Growing up in the 60s and 70s, my teachers were the World War II generation that proclaimed American exceptionalism’. Columbus was the great explorer who found this new land inhabited by ‘savages’, and brought them to civilization. –Paul, Massachusetts

We were taught that Columbus ‘freed the Indians!’, though what they were freed from – that was never said. It started with coloring pages and silly movies and evolved over the years to textbooks and essays. The narrative stayed the same throughout the years: he was a hero, he discovered America, and if you say otherwise, well, you’re just downright unpatriotic.

We ought to look at the ugly sides of colonization and the genocide of the Native Americans, something along the lines of, Yes, we’re here now, but let’s find out how we got here. Why on Earth are we celebrating a murderer? –Kiera, Florida

It was never a day for in-depth teaching about true history. The story was, without fail, always the whitewashed tale of a great explorer coming to America and discovering a lush paradise full of friendly natives. I never heard a single dissenting opinion or contradictory backstory from any educators.

Columbus Day shouldn’t be recognized at all. –Drew, Pennsylvania

All I really remember from was the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria – and, of course: in 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue. After that, my family moved from New Jersey to a small town in South Dakota. There, it was always Columbus Day/Native American Day. In middle school we celebrated Native American Day one year by eating traditional Native American foods. More recently, the South Dakota state legislature officially changed the name to Native American Day.

I think we should follow South Dakota’s lead and rename it to honor indigenous peoples. –Joan, South Dakota

I was taught like every other elementary student, from a textbook that misrepresented history in favor of the victors. I’m Cherokee, but I did not learn the truth about the Eurocentric leanings of common textbooks until college. My native elders did not speak out – they protested silently by NOT observing Columbus Day. It took me years to figure out why.

It is appalling that we recognize Columbus as anything. It is paramount to celebrating rape, murder and slavery. We should be ashamed for celebrating this mischaracterized, historically sketchy character. –Ken Bridges, Oklahoma

I don’t remember being told anything about Columbus’s crimes until I was in fifth grade, when we had the day off for Indigenous Peoples’ Solidarity Day. We should denounce Columbus as a criminal and rename Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples’ Solidarity Day. Columbus enslaved many Native Americans. –Sam, California

Columbus was not the first human being to “find” North America. Integrating the early history of the American Pacific and west coast into school curriculum – instead of focusing on the 13 east coast colonies that eventually rebelled from the British Empire – would help illuminate that for students.

“Hispaniola”, where the Taino people (or Columbus’ “Indians”) lived, is not what would become the contiguous United States, but actually modern-day “Haiti”, the second democratic nation in the Western Hemisphere, after the world’s largest slave revolt. The Taino people have a history – and that should be taught.

When I moved to California, I was surprised to learn that the school district celebrates Indigenous Peoples’ Day instead of Columbus Day. I hope more school districts adopt this tradition. –Rhae Lynn Barnes, Cambridge, Massachusetts

What do you know about Columbus sailing the ocean blue in 1492?

Columbus set sail from Spain in three ships: the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. On August 3, 1492, Italian explorer Christopher Columbus started his voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. With a crew of 90 men and three ships—the Niña, Pinta, and Santa Maria—he left from Palos de la Frontera, Spain.

What is the rhyme of Christopher Columbus?

"In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue," is a popular rhyme that helps us remember the story of Christopher Columbus.

Who wrote in 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue?

Baldwin, Emma. "In 1492 - Columbus sailed the ocean blue". Poem Analysis, //poemanalysis.com/in-1492-columbus-sailed-the-ocean-blue/.

Who wrote poem about Columbus?

"Prayer of Columbus" is a poem written by American poet Walt Whitman. The poem evokes the enterprising spirit of the Christopher Columbus in a God-fearing light, who rediscovered the North American continent in 1492, leading to the colonization of the Americas by the emerging European powers.