Protests against racism and the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis have re-ignited demands in many places around the world to destroy or revise symbols of those who engaged in slavery, who were often honoured in their lifetimes and whose names and faces often remain in the public eye as statues, buildings or institutions. In … Continue reading “Symbols of Slavery”
How did an Italian explorer working for the Spanish crown become an American hero? Columbus Day is a federal holiday in the U.S. It is celebrated on the second Monday in October and commemorates Christopher Columbus arriving in the Americas on 12 October 1492. In fourteen hundred and ninety-two Columbus sailed the ocean blue Children’s … Continue reading “Columbus Day”
Columbus Day in October is a good time for class work exploring this controversial figure, and how his legacy is perceived in the U.S.A. and in Spanish-speaking countries. Christopher Columbus is honoured with a national holiday in the U.S.A., on the second Monday in October. For collège, this is a relatively simple description of Columbus … Continue reading “Christopher Columbus, Myth or Hero?”