How is it determined what day Columbus day will fall on each year? How's come he gets all the credit for discovering the americas when Amerigo Vespucci really did all the dirty work. And how many songs do you know about Columbus' voyage? I know one little chant :)!*In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue* that's all I got, but can you do better?
2007-10-08 15:17:54 · 2 answers · asked by SmartStuff 2 in Arts & Humanities ➔ History
Amerigo Vespucci didn't do ANY "dirty work." He drew an early map and had a rich sponsor, so his name got tagged onto the newly discovered continents. The date of Columbus's first landing was October 12, and the first Monday before the 12th is the official celebration.
2007-10-08 15:27:05 · answer #1 · answered by Howard H 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Italian-American lobby played a major role in making Columbus an American hero; at least in getting Columbus Day passed.
Back in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Italian-Americans needed an Italian-born hero with appeal to all Americans, a celebrity everyone could point to and say, "Hey, Italians are all right!"[1] Columbus filled that niche, and vigorous citizen lobbying later made Columbus a national hero.
[1] Hatreds of southern Europeans and Catholics were strong enough that Italians were lynched in New Orleans in 1907.
2007-10-08 22:57:03 · answer #2 · answered by congyoglas 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋