TedTest

From the Ted Talk by Alex Gendler: History vs. Christopher Columbus

Unscramble the Blue Letters

Many pleope in the United States and Latin America have grown up ctrieenalbg the anniversary of ctshipeorhr Columbus's voyage, but was he an intrepid explorer who brought two worlds together or a ruthless exploiter who brought consaiilolm and slavery? And did he even discover aircema at all? It's time to put Columbus on the stand in History vs. Christopher Columbus. "Order, order in the cruot. Wait, am I even supposed to be at work today?" Cough "Yes, your Honor. From 1792, clbouums Day was celebrated in many parts of the United States on ooebctr 12th, the actual anniversary date. But although it was declared an official haoildy in 1934, individual states aren't rqureeid to observe it. Only 23 states close public services, and more states are moving away from it completely." Cough "What a pity. In the 70s, we even moved it to the second Monday in October so people could get a nice three-day weekend, but I guess you folks just hate cnbreelitaos." "Uh, what are we celebrating again?" "Come on, Your hnoor, we all learned it in school. Christopher Columbus convinced the King of Spain to send him on a mission to find a better trade route to India, not by going East over land but sailing West around the globe. Everyone said it was crzay because they still thhguot the world was flat, but he knew better. And when in 1492 he sailed the ocean blue, he found something better than India: a whole new continent." "What rubbish. First of all, educated people knew the wolrd was round since aoriltste. Secondly, Columbus didn't discover anything. There were already people living here for millennia. And he wasn't even the first European to visit. The Norse had settled Newfoundland almost 500 years before." "You don't say, so how come we're not all wearing those cow hlteems?" "Actually, they didn't really wear those either." cgouh "Who cares what some Vikings did way back when? Those settlements didn't last, but Columbus's did. And the news he brought back to Europe spread far and wide, inspiring all the explorers and settlers who came after. Without him, none of us would be here today." "And because of him, milniols of Native Americans aren't here today. Do you know what Columbus did in the colonies he founded? He took the very first natives he met prisoner and wrote in his jrunaol about how easily he could conquer and enslave all of them." "Oh, come on. Everyone was fighting each other back then. Didn't the ntiaevs even tell Columbus about other tribes rinadig and taking captives?" "Yes, but tribal warfare was sporadic and limited. It certainly didn't wipe out 90% of the pplaotoiun." "Hmm. Why is celebrating this Columbus so important to you, anyway?" "Your Honor, Columbus's voyage was an inspiration to struggling people all across Europe, symbolizing froeedm and new beginnings. And his dorcveisy gave our grandparents and great-grandparents the chance to come here and build better lives for their ciherldn. Don't we deserve a hero to remind everyone that our country was build on the struggles of immigrants?" "And what about the struggles of Native Americans who were nearly wiped out and forced into reservations and whose descendants still suffer from poverty and discrimination? How can you make a hero out of a man who caused so much suffering?" "That's history. You can't judge a guy in the 15th century by modern standards. People back then even thought spreading Christianity and civilization across the world was a moarl duty." "Actually, he was pttery bad, even by old standards. While governing Hispaniola, he tortured and mutilated natives who didn't bring him enough gold and sold girls as young as nine into sexual slavery, and he was brutal even to the other colnsitos he ruled, to the point that he was removed from power and thrown in jail. When the mirssinoay, Bartolomé de las caass, visited the island, he wrote, 'From 1494 to 1508, over 3,000,000 people had perished from war, slavery and the mines. Who in future generations will believe this?'" "Well, I'm not sure I believe those numbers." "Say, aren't there other ways the holiday is celebrated?" "In some Latin American ctrienuos, they celebrate the same date under different nmaes, such as Día de la Raza. In these places, it's more a cebrtiaolen of the native and mixed cultures that sevuvrid through the colonial period. Some places in the U.S. have also renamed the holiday, as Native amicearn Day or Indigenous People's Day and changed the celebrations accordingly." "So, why not just chgnae the name if it's such a poeblrm?" "Because it's tradition. Ordinary people need their heroes and their founding mtyhs. Can't we just keep celebrating the way we've been doing for a cruenty, without having to delve into all this serious reeacsrh? It's not like anyone is actually celebrating genocide." "Traditions change, and the way we choose to keep them alive says a lot about our values." "Well, it looks like giving tired judges a day off isn't one of those veauls, anyway." Traditions and holidays are important to all crleuuts, but a hero in one era may become a villain in the next as our historical knowledge expands and our values evolve. And deciding what these traditions should mean taody is a major part of putting history on trial.

Open Cloze

Many ______ in the United States and Latin America have grown up ___________ the anniversary of ___________ Columbus's voyage, but was he an intrepid explorer who brought two worlds together or a ruthless exploiter who brought ___________ and slavery? And did he even discover _______ at all? It's time to put Columbus on the stand in History vs. Christopher Columbus. "Order, order in the _____. Wait, am I even supposed to be at work today?" Cough "Yes, your Honor. From 1792, ________ Day was celebrated in many parts of the United States on _______ 12th, the actual anniversary date. But although it was declared an official _______ in 1934, individual states aren't ________ to observe it. Only 23 states close public services, and more states are moving away from it completely." Cough "What a pity. In the 70s, we even moved it to the second Monday in October so people could get a nice three-day weekend, but I guess you folks just hate ____________." "Uh, what are we celebrating again?" "Come on, Your _____, we all learned it in school. Christopher Columbus convinced the King of Spain to send him on a mission to find a better trade route to India, not by going East over land but sailing West around the globe. Everyone said it was _____ because they still _______ the world was flat, but he knew better. And when in 1492 he sailed the ocean blue, he found something better than India: a whole new continent." "What rubbish. First of all, educated people knew the _____ was round since _________. Secondly, Columbus didn't discover anything. There were already people living here for millennia. And he wasn't even the first European to visit. The Norse had settled Newfoundland almost 500 years before." "You don't say, so how come we're not all wearing those cow _______?" "Actually, they didn't really wear those either." _____ "Who cares what some Vikings did way back when? Those settlements didn't last, but Columbus's did. And the news he brought back to Europe spread far and wide, inspiring all the explorers and settlers who came after. Without him, none of us would be here today." "And because of him, ________ of Native Americans aren't here today. Do you know what Columbus did in the colonies he founded? He took the very first natives he met prisoner and wrote in his _______ about how easily he could conquer and enslave all of them." "Oh, come on. Everyone was fighting each other back then. Didn't the _______ even tell Columbus about other tribes _______ and taking captives?" "Yes, but tribal warfare was sporadic and limited. It certainly didn't wipe out 90% of the __________." "Hmm. Why is celebrating this Columbus so important to you, anyway?" "Your Honor, Columbus's voyage was an inspiration to struggling people all across Europe, symbolizing _______ and new beginnings. And his _________ gave our grandparents and great-grandparents the chance to come here and build better lives for their ________. Don't we deserve a hero to remind everyone that our country was build on the struggles of immigrants?" "And what about the struggles of Native Americans who were nearly wiped out and forced into reservations and whose descendants still suffer from poverty and discrimination? How can you make a hero out of a man who caused so much suffering?" "That's history. You can't judge a guy in the 15th century by modern standards. People back then even thought spreading Christianity and civilization across the world was a _____ duty." "Actually, he was ______ bad, even by old standards. While governing Hispaniola, he tortured and mutilated natives who didn't bring him enough gold and sold girls as young as nine into sexual slavery, and he was brutal even to the other _________ he ruled, to the point that he was removed from power and thrown in jail. When the __________, Bartolomé de las _____, visited the island, he wrote, 'From 1494 to 1508, over 3,000,000 people had perished from war, slavery and the mines. Who in future generations will believe this?'" "Well, I'm not sure I believe those numbers." "Say, aren't there other ways the holiday is celebrated?" "In some Latin American _________, they celebrate the same date under different _____, such as Día de la Raza. In these places, it's more a ___________ of the native and mixed cultures that ________ through the colonial period. Some places in the U.S. have also renamed the holiday, as Native ________ Day or Indigenous People's Day and changed the celebrations accordingly." "So, why not just ______ the name if it's such a _______?" "Because it's tradition. Ordinary people need their heroes and their founding _____. Can't we just keep celebrating the way we've been doing for a _______, without having to delve into all this serious ________? It's not like anyone is actually celebrating genocide." "Traditions change, and the way we choose to keep them alive says a lot about our values." "Well, it looks like giving tired judges a day off isn't one of those ______, anyway." Traditions and holidays are important to all ________, but a hero in one era may become a villain in the next as our historical knowledge expands and our values evolve. And deciding what these traditions should mean _____ is a major part of putting history on trial.

Solution

myths
celebrating
natives
people
raiding
moral
america
problem
values
cough
helmets
freedom
discovery
century
christopher
change
thought
research
countries
millions
colonialism
columbus
population
survived
celebration
colonists
october
holiday
today
american
pretty
crazy
required
missionary
casas
world
honor
celebrations
aristotle
journal
children
names
court
cultures

Original Text

Many people in the United States and Latin America have grown up celebrating the anniversary of Christopher Columbus's voyage, but was he an intrepid explorer who brought two worlds together or a ruthless exploiter who brought colonialism and slavery? And did he even discover America at all? It's time to put Columbus on the stand in History vs. Christopher Columbus. "Order, order in the court. Wait, am I even supposed to be at work today?" Cough "Yes, your Honor. From 1792, Columbus Day was celebrated in many parts of the United States on October 12th, the actual anniversary date. But although it was declared an official holiday in 1934, individual states aren't required to observe it. Only 23 states close public services, and more states are moving away from it completely." Cough "What a pity. In the 70s, we even moved it to the second Monday in October so people could get a nice three-day weekend, but I guess you folks just hate celebrations." "Uh, what are we celebrating again?" "Come on, Your Honor, we all learned it in school. Christopher Columbus convinced the King of Spain to send him on a mission to find a better trade route to India, not by going East over land but sailing West around the globe. Everyone said it was crazy because they still thought the world was flat, but he knew better. And when in 1492 he sailed the ocean blue, he found something better than India: a whole new continent." "What rubbish. First of all, educated people knew the world was round since Aristotle. Secondly, Columbus didn't discover anything. There were already people living here for millennia. And he wasn't even the first European to visit. The Norse had settled Newfoundland almost 500 years before." "You don't say, so how come we're not all wearing those cow helmets?" "Actually, they didn't really wear those either." Cough "Who cares what some Vikings did way back when? Those settlements didn't last, but Columbus's did. And the news he brought back to Europe spread far and wide, inspiring all the explorers and settlers who came after. Without him, none of us would be here today." "And because of him, millions of Native Americans aren't here today. Do you know what Columbus did in the colonies he founded? He took the very first natives he met prisoner and wrote in his journal about how easily he could conquer and enslave all of them." "Oh, come on. Everyone was fighting each other back then. Didn't the natives even tell Columbus about other tribes raiding and taking captives?" "Yes, but tribal warfare was sporadic and limited. It certainly didn't wipe out 90% of the population." "Hmm. Why is celebrating this Columbus so important to you, anyway?" "Your Honor, Columbus's voyage was an inspiration to struggling people all across Europe, symbolizing freedom and new beginnings. And his discovery gave our grandparents and great-grandparents the chance to come here and build better lives for their children. Don't we deserve a hero to remind everyone that our country was build on the struggles of immigrants?" "And what about the struggles of Native Americans who were nearly wiped out and forced into reservations and whose descendants still suffer from poverty and discrimination? How can you make a hero out of a man who caused so much suffering?" "That's history. You can't judge a guy in the 15th century by modern standards. People back then even thought spreading Christianity and civilization across the world was a moral duty." "Actually, he was pretty bad, even by old standards. While governing Hispaniola, he tortured and mutilated natives who didn't bring him enough gold and sold girls as young as nine into sexual slavery, and he was brutal even to the other colonists he ruled, to the point that he was removed from power and thrown in jail. When the missionary, Bartolomé de las Casas, visited the island, he wrote, 'From 1494 to 1508, over 3,000,000 people had perished from war, slavery and the mines. Who in future generations will believe this?'" "Well, I'm not sure I believe those numbers." "Say, aren't there other ways the holiday is celebrated?" "In some Latin American countries, they celebrate the same date under different names, such as Día de la Raza. In these places, it's more a celebration of the native and mixed cultures that survived through the colonial period. Some places in the U.S. have also renamed the holiday, as Native American Day or Indigenous People's Day and changed the celebrations accordingly." "So, why not just change the name if it's such a problem?" "Because it's tradition. Ordinary people need their heroes and their founding myths. Can't we just keep celebrating the way we've been doing for a century, without having to delve into all this serious research? It's not like anyone is actually celebrating genocide." "Traditions change, and the way we choose to keep them alive says a lot about our values." "Well, it looks like giving tired judges a day off isn't one of those values, anyway." Traditions and holidays are important to all cultures, but a hero in one era may become a villain in the next as our historical knowledge expands and our values evolve. And deciding what these traditions should mean today is a major part of putting history on trial.

Frequently Occurring Word Combinations

ngrams of length 2

collocation	frequency
united states	2
christopher columbus	2
native americans	2

Important Words

actual
alive
america
american
americans
anniversary
aristotle
bad
bartolomé
beginnings
blue
bring
brought
brutal
build
captives
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caused
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celebrated
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celebrations
century
chance
change
changed
children
choose
christianity
christopher
civilization
close
colonial
colonialism
colonies
colonists
columbus
completely
conquer
continent
convinced
cough
countries
country
court
cow
crazy
cultures
date
day
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deciding
declared
delve
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deserve
discover
discovery
discrimination
duty
día
easily
east
educated
enslave
era
europe
european
evolve
expands
exploiter
explorer
explorers
fighting
find
flat
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forced
founded
founding
freedom
future
gave
generations
genocide
girls
giving
globe
gold
governing
grandparents
grown
guess
guy
hate
helmets
hero
heroes
hispaniola
historical
history
holiday
holidays
honor
immigrants
important
india
indigenous
individual
inspiration
inspiring
intrepid
island
jail
journal
judge
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knew
knowledge
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land
las
latin
learned
limited
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living
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man
met
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missionary
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modern
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moving
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names
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nice
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numbers
observe
ocean
october
official
order
ordinary
part
parts
people
period
perished
pity
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point
population
poverty
power
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public
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putting
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raza
remind
removed
renamed
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