Who Speaks The Voice Of History
The facts of history in the eyes of Americans have been viewed in many lights. The Smithsonian exhibit entitled, “American Encounters'; is no exception. This multimedia exhibit focuses on American Indians, Hispanics and Anglo-Americans in New Mexico. Although the exhibit contains many noteworthy facts about the culture and lifestyle of the Indians, in my opinion, many other aspects of Native American history were left in the shadows. The Smithsonian did not clearly illuminate the struggle and oppression which the Indians endured during the European settlement. This obscured information raises the issue of which historical facts are selected as notable. E.H. Carr, an historian, explains this argument with a very prominent quote from the first chapter of his book What is History. The quote states, “The facts speak only when the historian calls on them: it is he who decides to which facts to give the floor and in what order or context'; (Carr 9).
As stated above, Carr believes that “facts only speak when the historian calls on them. . .'; (Carr 9). In the “American Encounters'; exhibit, the facts concerning Indian tribulation and European domination could not be heard. By all means I believe that their situation was more than just an encounter. From the statement on the plaque, one could interpret that the Europeans were given the land, or that the Europeans established forts, trading posts, and colonies to live as one with the Indeginous peoples; however, that was not the case.
Consequently, Carr’s statement holds true. The authors of the exhibit choose how to present this portion of history. They decide in what context to display the facts. Obviously the authors feel that a blurb on the wall is enough to express years of struggle and strife. If visitors to the Smithsonian had no previous knowledge about the conflict between Native Americans and the Spaniards, does this excerpt explain the real situation?
From this plaque I am taught nothing of the hardships that the Natives endured. I do not learn that thousands of Indigenous lives were taken at the hands of the Spaniards simply to acquire land that wasn’t theirs. I do not learn that families and tribes were broken up in order to teach the Europeans how to survive. To my dismay no artifacts, pictures or any other type of visual display told this side of the story. It is the responsibility of the authors of this exhibit to accurately convey the facts and clearly elaborate on them.
The land of the Native Indians had been encroached upon by American settlers. By the
...d Native Americas in a negative light, such as Carl Wimer’s Abduction of Daniel Boone’s Daughter, George Caleb Bingham’s Concealed Enemy, and Horatio Greenough’s The Rescue. These two paintings and statue in particular should be included because they depict the views of people in that era. The view of Native Americans was that of savagery. In the painting by Wimer the woman is depicted a fair skinned maiden, due to the white dress who is being brutishly taken away. The statue by Greenough, which depicts a man protecting his family from a savage Native American, was outside of the United States Capital for nearly a hundred years before it was taken down. These views of indigenous people during the 19th century have lasting impacts on our country. It is our job to tell the real story of what happened to the Native Americans as victims of our view of manifest destiny.
The display that I will be focusing my research on is called First Californians. The display encompasses many of the different artifacts pertaining to the first Native Americans of California. All artifacts are displayed behind glass cases with brief description of how the items were used. Artifacts from many tribes are displayed. However, the two most prominent tribes displayed are the Chumash Natives of the Northern Channel Islands and the Gabreilino (Tongva) natives of modern day LA and Orange County Regions. In the center of the room lay...
The controversy of whether or not Christopher Columbus should continue to be acknowledged by a federal holiday proves that his legacy has not escaped the scrutiny of history. Arguments born of both sides of the controversy stem from issues such as genocide, racism, multiculturalism, geographical land rights, and the superiority of certain cultures over others. In The Christopher Columbus Controversy: Western Civilization vs. Primitivism, Michael Berliner, Ph.D. declares that recognition of Columbus Day is well-deserved, claiming that Western civilization is superior to all other cultures and Columbus personifies this truth. On the contrary, Jack Weatherford's Examining the Reputation of Christopher Columbus equates Columbus' so-called discovery with brutal genocide and the destruction of ancient sophisticated civilizations. These articles demonstrate two extreme points of view in a manner that makes clear each authors' goals, leading the reader to consider issues of author bias, motivation, and information validity.
The article, “Native Reactions to the invasion of America”, is written by a well-known historian, James Axtell to inform the readers about the tragedy that took place in the Native American history. All through the article, Axtell summarizes the life of the Native Americans after Columbus acquainted America to the world. Axtell launches his essay by pointing out how Christopher Columbus’s image changed in the eyes of the public over the past century. In 1892, Columbus’s work and admirations overshadowed the tears and sorrows of the Native Americans. However, in 1992, Columbus’s undeserved limelight shifted to the Native Americans when the society rediscovered the history’s unheard voices and became much more evident about the horrific tragedy of the Natives Indians.
... shaped the United States than what many were originally told. The documents show that Native Americans were treated unfairly and horribly and this pertained to the timing of the situation, many of the things that caused some of the situations, and the introduction of key historical people.
The Black Legend and White Legend: Relationship Between the Spanish and Indians in the New World
One of the critical tasks that faced the new nation of the United States was establishing a healthy relationship with the Native Americans (Indians). “The most serious obstacle to peaceful relations between the United States and the Indians was the steady encroachment of white settlers on the Indian lands. The Continental Congress, following [George] Washington’s suggestion, issued a proclamation prohibiting unauthorized settlement or purchase of Indian land.” (Prucha, 3) Many of the Indian tribes had entered into treaties with the French and British and still posed a military threat to the new nation.
Particular attention is usually focused on the interactions between humans, that can be from different social, economic, or cultural institutions. This method is sometimes referred to viewing “history from below” as social history brought attention to ordinary groups and how they shaped history. Walter Johnson provides an excellent example of how social history is useful in his book, Soul by Soul. Within his book, Johnson approaches his documents as if they are filled with lies, and he seeks to find the truth within those lies. A social historian would approach the report Hidalgo sent to the Viceroy with much caution, as Johnson did with the docket records. Several lies could be within the report; the level of the French threat from the East, the characterization of the Native Americans in contact with the Spanish, as well as the level of urgency to gain more territory within Texas [Tejas]. Hidalgo makes several claims that the French are the most vital threat to Spanish establishment. To combat this issue, he suggests expanding current settlements and alliances with friendly Indians. Hidalgo shifts the reward to the Viceroy, by claiming if he makes moves to protect Spanish territory, he could be relieved of embarrassments and controversies (Hidalgo, 7). Processing this information as a social historian requires a level of doubt in the validity of
...s of the Americas, what was their life like, and how did it change when Columbus arrived ,’ wrote a student of mine in 1991. ‘However, back then everything was presented as if it were the full picture,’ she continued, ‘so I never thought to doubt that it was.’” Most students after high school, fail to analyze controversial issues in our society. What citizens know about our past is what they have learned in high school history courses.
In schools, students are being taught wrong information. “Our gods were vanquished after the fall of Tenochtitlan as were our traditions. Our warriors and nobles were eradicated, our children starved and our women ravished by the white conquerors and their allies.” (157). In books across America, the Spaniards were said to be good people, but the way that Huitzitzilin described what happened, shows the complete opposite of how the Spaniards actually were.
Seler, Eduard, Ernst Wilhelm Förstemann, Paul Schellhas, Karl Sapper, E. P. Dieseldorff, and Charles P. Bowditch. Mexican and Central American Antiquities, Calendar Systems, and History: Twenty-four Papers. Washington: G.P.O., 1904. Print.
“Finally, then, I saw England, the real England, not a picture, not a painting, not through a story in a book, but England land, for the first time.”. This passage dragged me into her personal journey of reflection and realization. It made me realize the reality of when she hated England and understood the concept of the text especially when she talks about how she finally felt about England when she moved on to live there with her husband and two kids. This time she saw England in real life. “In me, the space between the idea of it and its reality had become filled with hatred” this sentence represents the result of not having a clear version about England and now her heart is filled with hatred. She illustrates the reality of England and all her thoughts about it was wrong and how she feels toward England. “so when I at last saw it I wanted to take it into my hands and tear it into little pieces and then crumble it up as if it were clay, child’s clay” she said these words as a revenge action when she was disappointed when she knew the truth.
...rical facts, it was important however, to acknowledge the fact that history does not only search for the truth, it also dwells into the lives of individuals, looking at what each event ‘meant’ to them.
Social gatherings are often developed with food in mind. Parties have cake, Christmas has cookies, and of course, there is the possibility to dine out as group to celebrate an important event. On multiple occasions, I have opted not to attend such an occasion in order to save others the hassle of preparing food for me or to avoid the embarrassment of bringing my own food. There is no easy way to go about social gatherings; however, dining out is even worse. Every family celebration has to be planned around food I can eat and once at the restaurant it is imperative to ask multiple questions about the food being ordered to avoid cross contamination. When this happens, I feel like a nuisance to not only my family but also the wait staff at the restaurant as