Columbus Day
October 12
“Sail on!”
Behind him lay the gray Azores, Behind the Gates of Hercules;
Before him not the ghost of shores, Before him only shoreless seas.
The good mate said: \”Now must we pray, For lol the very stars are gone.
Brave Admiral, speak, what shall I say?” \”Why, say, \’Sail on! sail
on! and on!’ “
from Columbus by Joaquin Miller
Christopher Columbus was sure he could reach the Indies—Japan and
China—by sailing west across the Atlantic Ocean. Others said no, it
couldn’t be done. Oh, they knew the world was round. That was not the
problem. The real problem was distance.
Columbus thought that the Atlantic Ocean was very narrow. Others argued
that the distance to Japan was four times greater than Columbus thought.
And what no one knew was that there was a \”New World” between Spain and
Japan. But the king and queen of Spain gave Columbus the money and ships
he needed. After all, the risk was small. And if Columbus was right,
Spain would be rich.
Columbus sailed from Palos, Spain, on August 3, 1492. He took his
three ships, the Santa Marta, the Nina, and the Pinta, south as
far as the Canary Islands. He stayed there until September 6. Then he
sailed westward. For more than a month, the ships moved through a
seemingly endless sea. The frightened sailors demanded that Columbus
turn back, but he insisted they must sail on.Finally, on October 12, 1492, they saw land. Columbus thought he had
reached the Indies—which is why he called the people Indians. But it
was not Japan or China. It was part of a “New World.” Columbus’ voyage
made America known to the people of Europe. This truly changed the
world. It is why Columbus is honored.In the United States, Columbus Day is celebrated on the second Monday
of October. Because Columbus sailed under the Spanish flag, people in
Spain also celebrate Columbus Day. But Columbus wasn’t Spanish. He was
Italian. He was born in Genoa, Italy, and so Italians also celebrate
Columbus Day. People in many Central and South American countries
honor Columbus on October 12, because he also discovered their lands.
