Please read the following:
de las Casas, Bartolome, A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies (1552) (Link below).
https://faculty.chass.ncsu.edu/slatta/hi216/documents/dlascasas.htm
Russel, Edmund, Evolutionary Biology: Using History and Biology to Understand Life on Earth (2011), Chapter 9.
American Anthropological Association Statement on Race (1998) Available via the following link: https://www.americananthro.org/ConnectWithAAA/Content.aspx?ItemNumber=2583
Please watch the following:
A Man, A Plan, A Canal, Panama, Directed by Carl Charlson (1987; Boston, MA: PBS Video, 2004). Available via the following YouTube link: https://youtu.be/fzJRUAeF5o0
As we have seen via our class presentations, the imperial and colonial projects carried out by the European monarchies were made possible with the help of technologies which overwhelmed the existing technologies present in many of the colonized nations. What I have endeavored to demonstrate in class is how the legacies of these imperial activities remain with us to this day and are in fact deeply embedded within our present societies. Based on the readings by Bartolome de las Casas and the AAA Statement on Race as well as David McCullough’s film on the Panama Canal and Edmund Russell’s chapter on cotton, please discuss the following five (5) points in a well-written, 300-400 word essay (feel free to exceed this amount if you have more to say):
1. Why did Bartolome de las Casas write and publish his account of the events that took place in the “new world” when the Spanish arrived? What was he attempting to accomplish by doing so?
2. According to the Statement on Race published by the American Anthropological Association, how and why did European imperial and colonial activities result in the creation of racial categories for humans? How do these created categories continue to impact our lives today?
3. Of the many technologies of imperialism, how did the technologies of cinchona bark and maps enable the success of European imperial ventures?
4. Based on the account provided by McCullough in his film, it is clear that the construction of the Panama Canal was an imperial project undertaken by the United States government. Before U.S.-led construction of the Canal could begin, it was necessary to draft a Treaty with the government of Colombia granting the U.S. the legal right to proceed with the project. Explain how the United States ultimately obtained “permission” from Colombia to build the Canal.
5. During the U.S. Civil War, cotton exports from the American south to the Manchester, England textile mills declined considerably — resulting in what many in England referred to as a “cotton famine.” According to Russell, why did the search for an alternative to American sourced cotton prove to be so difficult — even futile — for use in the Manchester textile mills?
In this essay, as in all essays for this course, use examples from the readings, films, and class lectures to support your arguments. When quoting text, always include the author’s name and the page number where you found the quote. Since two of the texts we are using this week are from online sources, you can simply refer to the document when quoting text. When referencing the film, you can simply refer to McCullough’s film on the Panama Canal. Any additional outside sources that you draw from should be properly referenced. Do not forget to include at least two (2) direct quotes from the readings in your response.
