Entering the Conversation

1. Should the United States continue its celebration of the Columbus Day holiday? Write an essay explaining your position. In your essay, assess proposals for alternative celebrations, such as South Dakota’s Native American Day or California’s Indigenous People’s Day.

   Question

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   Entering the Conversation: - Should the United States continue its celebration of the Columbus Day holiday? Write an essay explaining your position. In your essay, assess proposals for alternative celebrations, such as South Dakota’s Native American Day or California’s Indigenous People’s Day.
2. In his article “What Columbus Day Really Means,” Connell asserts, “Most of the media noise around the Columbus Day holiday is about the holiday’s excuse, not the holiday itself” (par. 3). Write an essay explaining why you agree or disagree with this statement about the celebration of Columbus Day. Use two of the secondary sources along with Columbus’s Journal and/or the Requierimiento to bolster your argument.

   Question

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   Entering the Conversation: - In his article “What Columbus Day Really Means,” Connell asserts, “Most of the media noise around the Columbus Day holiday is about the holiday’s excuse, not the holiday itself” (par. 3). Write an essay explaining why you agree or disagree with this statement about the celebration of Columbus Day. Use two of the secondary sources along with Columbus’s Journal and/or the Requierimiento to bolster your argument.
3. Given the current controversy, should the Vanderlyn painting be removed from the Capitol rotunda? Write an essay explaining your response, using at least three of the texts from this Conversation.

   Question

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   Entering the Conversation: - Given the current controversy, should the Vanderlyn painting be removed from the Capitol rotunda? Write an essay explaining your response, using at least three of the texts from this Conversation.
4. In 1912, the Columbus Memorial Fountain was dedicated. Situated in front of historic Union Station in Washington, D.C, it features a globe on top of a monument surrounded by figures, including that of a Native American, representing the Old and the New worlds; a statue of Columbus is in the center, and the following inscription appears on the back of the monument: “To the memory of Christopher Columbus, whose high faith and indomitable courage gave to mankind a new world.” After researching the background of and funding for this monument, write an essay arguing for or against its worth as part of the Washington, D.C., landscape. Use at least three of the sources in this Conversation to develop your argument.

   Question

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   Entering the Conversation: - In 1912, the Columbus Memorial Fountain was dedicated. Situated in front of historic Union Station in Washington, D.C, it features a globe on top of a monument surrounded by figures, including that of a Native American, representing the Old and the New worlds; a statue of Columbus is in the center, and the following inscription appears on the back of the monument: “To the memory of Christopher Columbus, whose high faith and indomitable courage gave to mankind a new world.” After researching the background of and funding for this monument, write an essay arguing for or against its worth as part of the Washington, D.C., landscape. Use at least three of the sources in this Conversation to develop your argument.
5. One argument in defense of maintaining the Columbus Day holiday is that it is unfair to judge events and persons from an earlier time period—in this case, a fifthteenth-century man—by twenty-first-century standards. Explain why you agree or disagree with this perspective.

   Question

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   Entering the Conversation: - One argument in defense of maintaining the Columbus Day holiday is that it is unfair to judge events and persons from an earlier time period—in this case, a fifthteenth-century man—by twenty-first-century standards. Explain why you agree or disagree with this perspective.