Beyond 1492

Encounters in Colonial North America

Nonfiction, History, Americas, United States, Colonial Period (1600-1775), Revolutionary Period (1775-1800)
Cover of the book Beyond 1492 by James Axtell, Oxford University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: James Axtell ISBN: 9780190281977
Publisher: Oxford University Press Publication: September 17, 1992
Imprint: Oxford University Press Language: English
Author: James Axtell
ISBN: 9780190281977
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Publication: September 17, 1992
Imprint: Oxford University Press
Language: English

In this provocative and timely collection of essays--five published for the first time--one of the most important ethnohistorians writing today, James Axtell, explores the key role of imagination both in our perception of strangers and in the writing of history. Coinciding with the 500th anniversary of Columbus's "discovery" of America, this collection covers a wide range of topics dealing with American history. Three essays view the invasion of North America from the perspective of the Indians, whose land it was. The very first meetings, he finds, were nearly always peaceful. Other essays describe native encounters with colonial traders--creating "the first consumer revolution"--and Jesuit missionaries in Canada and Mexico. Despite the tragedy of many of the encounters, Axtell also finds that there was much humor in Indian-European negotiations over peace, sex, and war. In the final section he conducts searching analyses of how college textbooks treat the initial century of American history, how America's human face changed from all brown in 1492 to predominantly white and black by 1792, and how we handled moral questions during the Quincentenary. He concludes with an extensive review of the Quincentenary scholarship--books, films, TV, and museum exhibits--and suggestions for how we can assimilate what we have learned.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

In this provocative and timely collection of essays--five published for the first time--one of the most important ethnohistorians writing today, James Axtell, explores the key role of imagination both in our perception of strangers and in the writing of history. Coinciding with the 500th anniversary of Columbus's "discovery" of America, this collection covers a wide range of topics dealing with American history. Three essays view the invasion of North America from the perspective of the Indians, whose land it was. The very first meetings, he finds, were nearly always peaceful. Other essays describe native encounters with colonial traders--creating "the first consumer revolution"--and Jesuit missionaries in Canada and Mexico. Despite the tragedy of many of the encounters, Axtell also finds that there was much humor in Indian-European negotiations over peace, sex, and war. In the final section he conducts searching analyses of how college textbooks treat the initial century of American history, how America's human face changed from all brown in 1492 to predominantly white and black by 1792, and how we handled moral questions during the Quincentenary. He concludes with an extensive review of the Quincentenary scholarship--books, films, TV, and museum exhibits--and suggestions for how we can assimilate what we have learned.

More books from Oxford University Press

Cover of the book Rehearsal for Reconstruction by James Axtell
Cover of the book In Defense of Openness by James Axtell
Cover of the book Hegel's Dialectical Logic by James Axtell
Cover of the book From Out of the Shadows by James Axtell
Cover of the book The New Hampshire State Constitution by James Axtell
Cover of the book Visions of Modernity by James Axtell
Cover of the book The Passage of Literature by James Axtell
Cover of the book The Tea Party and the Remaking of Republican Conservatism by James Axtell
Cover of the book The Oxford Handbook of Value Theory by James Axtell
Cover of the book From the Bottom Up by James Axtell
Cover of the book Race and the Modern Artist by James Axtell
Cover of the book Far from the Madding Crowd Level 5 Oxford Bookworms Library by James Axtell
Cover of the book The Music of James Bond by James Axtell
Cover of the book Happier? by James Axtell
Cover of the book Much Ado about (Practically) Nothing by James Axtell
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy