Current AffairsHow the Eschatological Views of Columbus Changed the World
Every October people across the United States and Latin America set aside time for an annual observance—the debate about Columbus Day. Since the observance first began to be celebrated in the 19th century it has been opposed by a diverse rage of groups, from the Ku Klux Klan to the American Indian Movement to the National Council of Churches. In recent decades, though, the Italian navigator has sparked strong reactions throughout the Western hemisphere, ushering in a new tradition in which we argue about whether he was a bold and brave explorer or a cruel and genocidal colonist (or, as…
