Columbus Day was not always a federal holiday. Traditionally, the festival was celebrated locally on October 12. Columbus Day first became a holiday in Colorado in 1906. Thanks to pressure from Angelo Rose, Generoso Pope, and the Knights of Columbus, Columbus Day became a federal holiday in 1937. It was signed into law by Franklin Roosevelt. Since 1970 the festival has been celebrated on the second Monday of October. Columbus Day also lobbied against it. In the early days, before information was not readily available, it was said that the holiday would be used to spread Catholic influence. In later years, during the information age, topics such as the character of Columbus or the genocide and slavery of the Indians became widespread arguments against the celebration of the holiday. There are also many arguments as to why the holiday should be kept. Columbus' voyages led to the colonization of the New World. His expeditions spurred the Age of Exploration, in which many European countries continued to invest in exploring shorter, faster routes to India and the Orient and new territories to claim. His travels also led to Colombian