Before the arrival of Christo Columbo in 1492, the New World was filled with empires, confederations, republics, city-states, and tribal lands. These diverse peoples represented a broad scattering of cultures. The population of the two connected continents has been estimated by modern historians to be approximately twenty-five million people from the Bering Straits to the tip of South America.
Fifty years after the Spanish 'discovered' America 75% of the natives had been killed by disease, war, or slavery.
The Spanish, English, French, and Dutch sought to extermination the original inhabitants of America and almost succeeded in the 19th Century, however the 'Indians' survived the slaughter, which is why many Indians seek to celebrate Oct. 12 as Native American Day rather than Columbus Day. Both Seattle and Minneapolis altered the holiday to honor the survivors of the Great Extermination.
Italian-Americans were insulted by the slight, as they were when the City of Boston planted Leif Erickson's statue at the end of Commonwealth Avenue's promenade rather than the Admiral of the Oceans.
Personally I honor the greatest of his voyage, while recognizing the havoc wrought by the colonists.
I am a Son of the Colonial Wars.
My people conquered New England.
It was a bloody time and sometimes as I drive through the hills south of the White Mountains I can feel the bones of warriors lying in the woods.
Lost forever to the war to win America.
And that is a sin we all live with.
To read more about Boston's decision on Leif Erickson, please go to this URL
http://needhamhistory.org/features/articles/vikings/
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