Origins of Columbus Day — and opposition to it

There is no question that Columbus is a significant historical figure, but his place in the sun — Columbus Day is still a federal holiday — has dimmed during a reckoning of his legacy.

Opposition to having a holiday named for Christopher Columbus comes from people who see him as a representative of an era of atrocities and genocide that decimated Indigenous populations in the Americas.

Supporters of the holiday say Columbus’ accomplishments as an explorer are too significant to ignore and for decades have been a source of pride for Italian Americans, many of whom see attacks on the holiday or statues of him as a continuing of antiItalian sentiments.

Some supporters also say his own sins have been exaggerated, but historians note that accounts from his own diaries and letters document the killing and enslavement of Indigenous people.

One abiding mystery is why Columbus was celebrated to the extent he once was when he never set foot on North America. Columbus never made it to the United States, even though he did anchor in the Bahamas.

Politics and the changing face America largely explain iconic status.

The first national Columbus Day was proclaimed in 1892 by Republican President Benjamin Harrison to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Italian-born explorer’s supposed discovery of America. But for Harrison, it also was a way to help resolve a diplomatic crisis with Italy.

Columbus Day became a permanent national holiday in 1934 when Congress, after lobbying by the Knights of Columbus, authorized President Franklin Roosevelt to declare Oct. 12 as the designated date.

In 1971, Columbus Day was made a federal holiday on the second Monday in October.