What was written during colonial times did more than tell stories about the Americas, it carved their image. From the start, Europeans set the tone for future conquesrions, painting landscapes, lives, and bloodshed through their sole perspectives. Their words turned conquest into something noble, calling it discovery instead. Understanding at Columbus’s letter, then LasCasas, it is clear that narratives built power struggles as much as they recorded events. Expand on what that looked like Open fields stretch through Columbus’ words, shaped by promises of untouched soil ripe for taking. Through quiet shifts in phrase, conquest wears the mask of discovery…

During this semester, I have been growing my understanding of identities, ideas, and institutions from pre-colonial to present, emphasizing civil rights, liberty, individualism, federalism, environmentalism, urbanization, industrialization, and cultural diversity.