You heard us! Correct Christopher Columbus actually has nothing to do with the why behind the holiday. Intrigued? Keep reading…

On October 16, 1890 New Orleans’ Superintendent of Police, David Hennessy was gunned down while walking home from work. When he was bleeding out on the street a witness asked him who did it and he said, “The Dagoes”. Dagoes was and still is a slur for Italian Americans. This slur was often used back in history as Italian Americans were not welcomed immigrants in the United States and between 1884-1924 New Orleans had an immigrant population surge of Sicilians and Italians. Unfortunately, many of these immigrants were considered less than, criminal and a social disgrace.

Hennessey died and the build up to find the murderer was rosing in the community and with city officials. “Little Italy” New Orleans became a hunting ground and the police rounded up about 19 suspects had been indicated in hopes to calm down nerves and trials begun. Out of the 19 suspects the 11 Italian Americans went to trial and were given the following outcomes.

–Antonio Bagnetto, fruit peddler: Tried and acquitted.

–James Caruso, stevedore: Not tried.

–Loreto Comitis, tinsmith: Not tried.

–Rocco Geraci, stevedore: Not tried.

–Joseph Macheca, fruit importer and Democratic Party political boss: Tried and acquitted.

–Antonio Marchesi, fruit peddler: Tried and acquitted.

–Pietro Monasterio, cobbler: Mistrial.

–Emmanuele Polizzi, street vendor: Mistrial.

–Frank Romero, ward politician: Not tried.

–Antonio Scaffidi, fruit peddler: Mistrial.

–Charles Traina, rice plantation laborer: Not tried.

Since the courts could not find the murderer and make a conviction, the people of New Orleans decided to take matters into their own hands and formed a mob of thousands. The mob broke into the jail grabbed the 11 men and dragged them to out to the town square. The 11 Italian Americans named above were beaten, shot (one with 42 bullets) and lynched through out town, with some whose bodies were torn apart and plundered for souvenirs. The mass lynching was an act taken by the public in their own hands as none of the 11 Italian Americans were guilty.

Being that there was no formal indictment and there was no remorse from US Citizens on March 31st, 1891 the Italian Minister Baron W. Faic, announced his withdrawal from Washington and severed diplomatic relations with the United States. This caused a frenzy and became not only a political problem but also a heightened fright for so many Italian and Sicilian American immigrant lives. The Harrison administration removed legislation in Rome and there was even talk of a war.

It wasn’t until December 9, 1891, he finally spoke publicly to congress, President Benjamin Harrison declared that the Italian incident in New Orleans was a “most deplorable and discreditable incident,” and “an offense against law and humanity.”  It did not “have its origin in any general animosity to the Italian people, nor in any disrespect to the Government of Italy, with which our relations were of the most friendly character.” President Harrison then paid reparations of $25,000 to the Italian government.

President Harrison was up against another election and he did not want the majority vote of Italian Americans to go to his opponent. He noticed that the Italians celebrated as festival get together annual in October and the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus, an Italian, was coming up. New York minister, Francis Bellamy, urged President Harrison to have a national holiday to promote patriotism for the children. Congress passed the resolution for the National Holiday, which fell on Christopher Columbus’ anniversary and October 12th became the biggest patriotic parade bringing the Italian American community together with the support of their newly founded country.

Each Italian enclave gathered together and built a Christopher Columbus statue that was erected and chiseled by Italian Americans which became a symbol of change and acceptance as immigrants in the United States. Columbus Day became a permanent national holiday in 1934 when Congress, after lobbying by the Knights of Columbus, authorized President Franklin D. Roosevelt to declare Oct. 12 as the designated date. In 1971, Columbus Day was made a federal holiday on the second Monday in October.

Columbus Day was formed and given as a symbol of Italian American identity and pride. A symbolism of immigration acceptance in the United States. Italian Americans believe that every ethnic group deserves their day and the respect to be accepted here in the United States. Please do not replace Italian American’s identity and pride, Itlian Americans can not afford to be a treated like Dagoes and repeat history.