The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1950-10-24
WHAT COLUMBUS DID

celebrated Columbus Day on the twelfth
81 iris month and many Of TIE states Of
the Union observed the anniversary e
legal holiday.
We sometimes wonder whether We
lose sight Of the significance Of some OF
our national celebrations What is it. for
example. that lies behind the discovery Of
ne New World by Columbus? How many
Of "a stop to analyze the event or to reflect
upon n consequences
In our taking holiday" spirit, We
rarely appreciate the occasion we eele-
brate. So It Is with the historical date on
which Columbus and his small group came
across the islands of the new world. This
region was not discovered" on that day.
because historical records prove that the
early Norsemens came to the continent
many decades before Columbus. Moreover.
historians are about convinced that ancient
explorers from Asia were familiar with
what we call the American Continents
thousands of years before the small ships
Of Columbus got into the surrounding
waters.
The significance of the discovery by
Columbus IS not the event ITSELF but the
consequences that followed Asiatics. de-
spite being first in the Continents. did not
seriously affect the course Of world history,
even il they brought to us such plants as
the sweet potato. cotton and some flowers
and weeds.
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turn to Spain. however, there set in q coll
onization period in which the people of.
Western Europe crossed the Atlantic, took
possession of the land and set up what we
generally term. for want Of a better ex-
preston. the Anglo-Saxon civilization.
This is the significance Of the social
led discovery A Genoese navigator adj
ded to the information of the men of his
race and region when he reported the rel
suits Of his westward trip to the Indies.
From that tine on. the men of Western En7
rope gave thought to the new world and.
gradually. the area became settled with
white people and. after much effort and
fighting. i came about that the region was
dominated and directed BY English speak
ihg people.
This observation. It should be noted.
does not apply to South America. IN this
area. the culture and civilization Of con-
tinent represent the fruits Of Spanish con
qaerors. There IS. as one can readily OBJ
serve in the world today, tremendous diff.
ference between the cultures and civiliza-
ton Of the English and the Spanish-speak-
ing peoples. Whatever one may think Of
their respective virtues and vices, It Is per-
fecily plain that the economic, social de-
velopment Of the modern world stem from
beginnings that are Individually associated
with the Anglo-Saxon tribes and their leu
sonic ancestors.
i might be an interesting mental ex-
ercise for readers Of The Citizen to cone
slider the respective development Of North
sand South America for the purpose Of seek
ing TO understand the why's and wheFefofes
81 what has transpired.
When this little problem has been
satisfactorily settled, the individual might
50 further and consider the present con-
dition Of Africa. Asia and certain sections
q Europe to determine, # possible. the
factors that have been responsible for the
differences IN culture and civilization
II one attempts this in 3 study eneom-
passing the ages. On the basis Of the Best
available information, one IS apt to under
stand more about the problems 81 the
Twentieth century. the behavior and atti-
tide Of It's peoples and, what Is as interest
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