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With Columbus Day just around the corner, you may find yourself wondering what exactly to teach about CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS or whether to teach about him at all. If so, don’t worry, you are in good company. Each time fall rolls around, CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS becomes a hot topic in the homeschool world. CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS is not a cut/dry topic so homeschool moms start asking questions and seeking answers….
Why do we CELEBRATE Columbus Day?
How do you decide WHAT to teach about Columbus?
Should you even BOTHER teaching about Columbus AT ALL?
Should I just IGNORE Columbus altogether since he’s so CONTROVERSIAL?
Did our teachers LIE to US?
Is this all just part of a larger CONSPIRACY?
What else is UNTRUE?
If you have not seen the heated debates, join most any homeschool group on Facebook and enter “CHRISTOPER COLUMBUS” in the search bar. I can just about guarantee that it won’t come up with all warm and fuzzy comments and cute little crafts of ships made with paper and straws.
You’ll see comments that include:
murder, innovative, horrible, brave, awful, corrupt, plague, leader, genocide, life-changer, conspiracy, vilify.
So, with so many conflicting opinions, how do we decide what to teach about COLUMBUS or whether to teach about him at all?
As any seasoned HOMESCHOOL MOM knows, one of the most beautiful benefits of educating our kids at home is that we get to CHOOSE what we teach our kids. But as liberating as that is for some moms, it is also stressful for others {especially the newer homeschool mom.} The responsibility of what, when and how to teach can be felt as a burden and some moms need help in answering those questions above.
I hardly paid attention in my high school history classes {sooooooooooooo boring} and I certainly don’t have a degree in history {I did marry a man with a MA in US History…maybe that counts for something, ha ha} so I won’t pretend to know the answers. But, I will tell you this…
I believe you should teach about COLUMBUS.
What exactly you should teach, I can’t say. That’s up to you. But, I do believe you should teach, in the very least, the basics of COLUMBUS.
Here are three reasons why…
ONE: Columbus is a part of history, whether you like it or not.
Whether you like the man doesn’t matter. The fact remains that CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS was an explorer who ventured west and inadvertently landed in South America. WHY he wanted to explore a western shipping route doesn’t change the fact that he did. WHAT he did when he got there doesn’t change the fact that he got there. HOW he treated the people that he encountered doesn’t change the fact that he brought Europeans with him. You don’t need to celebrate him in order to include him in your history lessons. But, I do believe you should teach about COLUMBUS.
Choosing what to teach in your homeschool is a lovely blessing but it is also an immense responsibility. We don’t get to shy away from all topics that make us uncomfortable. If we did, I would’ve skipped slavery, WW2 and Roe v Wade. But, it’s irresponsible for us to pick and choose to teach only what we like. In the very least, share only the established, meaningful facts and allow your kids to make a judgment call on his character later in life. But, teach about COLUMBUS.
TWO: It would be very hard to teach American history without including Columbus.
Without the inclusion of COLUMBUS in your explanation of the discovery of the New World, I’m not sure how you can present a full picture of American history. It’s undeniable that what COLUMBUS accomplished impacted other explorers which eventually led to the discovery, exploration and development of North America. Could we be sitting here if COLUMBUS had never set sail on the Ocean Blue in the year 1492? I suppose so. God could’ve used somebody else to make that trek. But, the fact remains that God chose COLUMBUS and COLUMBUS played an integral part in the history of our fair nation and it would be disingenuous to teach otherwise. Even if you simply include the most basic facts, you need to teach about COLUMBUS.
THREE: Columbus is the perfect example of God using an imperfect person.
Imperfect men in history are nearly as old as the world itself so cutting out all of their contributions would leave us with nothing. I’m assuming you have heard of Adam? He manages to still hold some merit in the shaping of our earth’s history even though he messed things up pretty quickly. King David? He murdered a man because he lusted after that man’s wife but he still receives a lot of attention for following God’s plans in other ways and making a lasting impact on God’s chosen people.
Let’s turn away from the Bible for a moment and consider other chunks of history. How many of our Founding Fathers were slaveholders? A quick Internet search indicates that there were DOUBLE the number of slaveholding Founding Fathers than not. How many presidents of our own beloved nation have made mistakes in times of war that have resulted in the loss of innocent lives? I can’t even begin to imagine but, without knowing top-secret CIA information, I can just about guarantee that every man that has ever held the position of President of the United States has made mistakes…some of which have resulted in generational-impacting consequences. Should we just pretend they never served as President and ignore their time in history? No, that would give us an incomplete picture of history.
The hard truth is that every man {except one} who has ever walked this earth has done bad things and made major mistakes. With the exception of one, every man who has ever taken a breath has been a sinner. Not one man, except Jesus, has been perfect. The hard truth is, COLUMBUS is in great company. Whether you choose to teach your kids about his human flaws, bad choices and unintended consequences is entirely up to you but I do believe you should teach about COLUMBUS.
What do you think? Do you plan to teach your kids about CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS?
For a very basic explanation of CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS, check out this fun Rebus Story for early readers.
You can get it free in my store here.
And if you want to cover the voyage of CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS in more humorous and honest detail, check out
I 100% agree! Columbus is an important part of our history.
I love the part about teaching about Columbus even if you don’t like him. Our kids need to hear the bad things about history! It’s such an important thing for kids to learn.
I love that you still teach this and that you explained the benefits of teaching about Columbus. History is important to learn, whether it’s good history or bad history.
I love this post!! Our history should never be taken away fro our children and Columbus is a huge part of ours…It seems that people are trying to ignore our past especially if it does not fit their “perfect” vision! I agree with you.. totally, I also think we need to make sure our young people know about our civil war, slavery, and General Custard … but I get a lot of hard word about that, but if we don’t teach our children about our history including our mistakes…We could repeat it witha drastic outcome!
Thanks, Holly! I could not agree with you more! We need to teach history in order to learn from it.
I totally agree! It’s a hard era of history to teach and I’m still learning how, but I do believe we should try.
To me, history is the guide of what to do and not to do. It is all about growing up. North America is still a baby in the eyes of the world, and we need to know the history as accurately as possible so we don’t make the same mistakes again. You are right, without knowing about Columbus we wouldn’t know the foundation of how Europeans came to be here, so then how can we explain the melting pot of our American culture.
Great post. With great advice. I truly believe that honesty is the best policy, keeping it age appropriate of course. Less details for younger kids, more as they get older. Thought provoking post as well, because Columbus is not the only issue where this applies. Again, great post!
History is history no matter how people want to “censor” it. I completely agree with you. Teach it and all of the lessons that we’ve learned from it.
Good or bad we need to learn about it…
I loved learning about Christopher Columbus when is was a kid! There are so many fun activities to teach this lesson!
Great post! Thanks for having the courage to say it. I know its not the popular belief these days, but you cannot delete history.
Love this post and all the points you make! ESP the fact that Hod used him mightily – an imperfect person
Great lesson inside the lesson!
I think it should continue to be a part of history – and also remind us how history can “change” depending on who tells the story. This is always why it is best to research as much as you can to see the different point of view on people and events.
Yes we should teach our kids about Columbus. You are right!
As a former homeschool mom, I totally agree. Teaching about something does not equate with endorsing it. It’s about preparing our children for life and helping them to have the whole picture about history.
You had me at #1.
I like the idea of teaching about the differing sides that the Colombus controversy sparks. It is part of how we learn to see things from other perspectives. An important lesson for kids and adults.
Exactly! Thanks for reading!
This is so true a lot of history kids being left out in schools.
Teaching accurate history is so important.
Um, yes, marrying a man with an MA in US History DEFINITELY counts for something! My goodness, the stories he must tell! I’d love to be on some of your travels to hear them. I agree Columbus is a figure in history that should be explained to the kids. There are always two or more sides to every story so sharing the good, bad, and controversial is all part of helping our kids become aware citizens. Oh the joys of enlightenment!
This is great! I am a firm believer of teaching history so we don’t repeat the mistakes. Don’t ignore things that happened just because they make you uncomfortable or are controversial. If anything, teach both perspectives and let your kids form their own informed opinions. This helps your kids to learn to think for themselves and not just believe everything they are told.
Exactly! Excellent points, Laura!
Absolutely! Columbus is part of history, and history is absolutely important.
I agree with your post in every way. You can’t forget and ignore history. In my opinion, history tends to repeat itself and nobody will every understand how to get through it or will have learned from previous bouts.
You’re absolutely correct, Columbus played an integral part in our history. Even when I was little, we were taught that he is the greatest explorer of our time. And I still remember that up until now. It’s a different era during his time so we cannot judge him.
It’s important to not shy away from hot topics like this. Great post.
Thanks!
I like your three reasons. As for the first one, it seems like too many people are trying to erase our nation’s history. Whether we like certain people and events or not, they happened. Learning is better than forgetting.
Good point! Learning IS BETTER than forgetting!
I completely agree with this!
I totally agree on all fronts! So glad people are still believing this is important
Absolutely!
Learning about someone doesn’t mean we agree with everything he/she did or condone actions. History is history. How will we learn to do better if we don’t learn about the things that have happened…the good and the bad? Great thoughts to ponder in your post!
Exactly! Thanks for contributing to the conversation!
History is meant to be taught – the good and the bad, whether we agree or disagree. It’s important for us all to learn from mistakes, develop our opinions based on the facts being taught and see how those events have shaped our current situation over time.