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Rewriting the American History
The world continues to experience growth and development in many areas. Many levels and fields of study have recorded great advancement in one way or another. Historians and anthropologists have also had their share of this development. Charles C. Mann who is a revered archeologist and historian has recently shed light on the state of the American continent before Columbus. The book 1491: New Revelations of the Americas before Columbus is a revelation to life before colonization in this continent. This compelling read has details and facts that have not been heard of before. Mann has mastered in unearthing the prehistoric details in this gripping read. Despite the fact that some issues have not been fully developed, there is a lot to learn as far as the culture, social, and political life of Native Americans is concerned.
Much of the information that exists about the Native Americans is scanty and misleading. Authors have maintained that these people were only a small population. It is believed that the Native Americans were pristine and natural, which largely limited their reproduction. On the other hand, Mann has trashed such reports in his detailed book. According to him, the Native Americans were many and occupied big spaces in the American continent and beyond. In a detailed research of written information from Peru, the author established that before the coming of Columbus, Natives were many and occupied colossal spaces across the world.
Mann continues to give a clear report on the reason why the population of Natives decreased significantly. Smallpox and other diseases brought by the new settlers led to the death of many Native Americans. Mann has presented photographic evidence from the Native archives to support his claim. Although many want to dispute this analysis and evidence, it would be improper and sad at the same time to overlook such concrete facts. For a phenomenon to weave its way into liberal arts of the time, it must have had a lot of impact to the society. Therefore, it can be concluded that Mann presents enough evidence to claim that the Native Americans were indeed numerous and of a momentous population.
Mann continues to support his claim about population by providing written substantiation from Peru. In this piece of evidence, it is clear that before 1491, there were many Native Americans living across the globe. This proof collocates with the previous data from other sources, which proves that the population was huge but succumbed to diseases, and change in lifestyle brought about by the immigrants. As a result, this masterpiece by Mann proves the long held verity wrong since the Natives emerge to have been many and dominant. In a detailed account of events, this book has also shown that although many Natives were killed in battle, diseases killed most of them after the invasion of foreigners.
The system of life and culture of the Natives is said to be pure and unaltered according to the available information. Many believe that the Natives lived a natural life and thus did not affect the natural ecosystem. Nevertheless, from the findings presented by Mann it can be concluded that Native Americans did not live the prehistoric or stone age life. There are facts on the use of fire in the land of the Natives during their reign. According to this book, fire was used for cooking and clearing fields for agricultural purposes.
The idea that Native Americans were vegetarians is also disapproved in this book. There is evidence enough to prove that they indulged in cooking and other forms of human activities. Land was used for many purposes such as farming and building of homes. The affirmation that the Natives did not alter land is thus questionable. This book presents factual information proving that fishponds and homes were extensively constructed by dwellers famously known as the Native Americans. It can be concluded that these people manipulated the earth for productivity purposes. As the author notes, it may be very possible for the Native Americans to have known and explored the most core parts of the Amazon forest. Breeding fish and farming are just but a few pieces of evidence, which prove that the Natives used land expansively. Therefore, it would be inappropriate to conclude that the Natives did not impinge on the natural environment.
Technologically, Mann has uncovered details that continue to shock the world. It has been held that this group of people did not use any form of technology before the coming of the colonial imperialists. However, details from early settlers prove that Native Americans had enough knowhow about guns but failed to use them. In the written submissions of John Smith who was a colonist, it is clear that the Natives were aware of guns and used them. However, according to him, they refused to use them because they were noisy and destructive. He adds that Natives preferred to use arrows, which were faster and could travel further than guns.
Another invention, which has been accorded much attention in this book, is footwear. According to Charles, Native Americans used Moccasins. These were more advanced, and better shoes made for the weather. These shoes were more comfortable than any other footwear in the olden days. Moreover, these people used canoes to transport goods across regions on water bodies. These canoes were faster and stronger than the boats used by colonialists. This proves that the Natives were technologically ahead of their colonizers. This new information continues to raise questions as to how the history of the Natives has been told over time. Archeologists who have given information about the existence of these people are forced to re-look their analysis. This is because Mann tends to poke holes into the past studies on Native Americans.
The existence of a sophisticated and advanced leadership in any culture can tell a lot about its history. Support provided by Charles Mann opens the world to a well-organized structure of leadership that existed and governed Native Americans. According to this book, Native Americans had several leadership divisions that were used to rule the many empires. The present day Central America and Norte Chico-Peru are enough to prove the types of empires that existed in the Native American setting.
This book has provided information that has eluded the masses for a long time now. From this book, it can be concluded that the Native Americans had a culture and a sophisticated style of living. Moreover, there was a clear leadership structure paired with technological advancement. In addition, the Natives were many than it had been earlier noted. Mann has stated that Brazil, America, Spain, and Peru as some of the countries which have archeological evidence of the Native American existence. Diseases and overstretched ecological niche are the major reason behind the defeat of this strong empire.