A Book Review of 1491: New Revelations of the Americas before Columbus
Before the arrival of Europeans, the Western Hemisphere was home to humans whose past has been shrouded in mystery and wonder. Since the discovery of the New World, scholars and academics have attempted to correctly theorize as to what actually occurred but neglecting to realize its inhabitants’ unique and rich history. It is in 1491: New Revelations of the Americas before Columbus that the reader can find helpful interpretations of the cultural influences, consequences of interaction (benefits and detriments), significances, and importance in the histories of these two massive continents. These distinct differences between Europeans and pre-Columbian tribes, kingdoms, or nations – that has usually been taught to middle and high school students inaccurately – might perhaps be less different than previously thought.
The idea that cultures and civilizations before Christopher Columbus in the Americas were more sophisticated, advanced, and influential in their historical legacies is the argument made in 1491, which opposes the contemporary viewpoint of what the author, Charles C. Mann, refers to as “Holmberg’s Mistake.” A researcher of the Sirionó in South America, Allan R. Holmberg thought, “…they existed almost without change in a landscape unmarked by their presence.”[1] From his time spent with these people, he published his findings in the 1950 book Nomads of the Long Bow – an influential account that would dominant pre-Columbian historical thought for the decades that followed. These revelations discussed by Mann originate from previous researchers whose ideas were either dismissed or heavily criticized in their particular field. In addition, the contributions from the scientific community shed light on past events that have begun to support these same notions.
The purpose of this book is to demonstrate and prove through the research of people, including the author himself, with different and modern understandings and explanations regarding pre-Columbian societies’ political, intellectual, diplomatic, social, cultural, and economic history. This journalistic-styled historical piece reflects that of peoples such as the Mexica (Aztecs), Inka, Maya, Inuit, North American Indians, and even those who predate these cultures. It seems obvious that Mann’s purpose in writing this work is to revise prior thought to effectively change the way these subjects are treated and studied. One could gather from this three-part book that there is a definite emphasis on the cultural aspect of this broad history.
The stories depicted on pre-Columbian relics and artifacts are used in reference when discussing religion, government, and warfare of these cultures, even material on the mummified remains of people, as discussed in class, can be considered primary sources. The accounts from Mann and researchers’ time abroad are also used in these discussions. The accounts, however, of colonial visitors to the Americas – like Hernán Cortés or Francisco Pizarro – help make sense of what might have actually happened from the time of discovery to centuries thereafter. Scientific analysis on agriculture and environmental change show information that is fittingly used to support the ideas of Mann and others. Archeological evidence cited in this book unveils cities beneath cities and with remarkable differences not just in the time between them. By combing all these sources, understandings can be made for an interpretation worth considering.
As far as secondary sources are concerned, Mann utilizes a vast range of historical sources. The arguments and ideas from older books are referenced to help the reader understand what was previously understood as pre-Columbian history. Academic journals that cover the same topics and sub-topics in 1491 are excellent supplements to the scope of Mann’s work. Articles from recent and older times are used by Mann for reference and, more importantly, to address unanswered questions that he investigates in the book. The information pulled from related books has obvious use for gaining the background information necessary. Additionally, Mann has e-mails and transcripts from colleagues and fellow researchers that are listed in the bibliography as helpful sources.
1491 is broken topically into three separate sections. The focus of part one covers speculation and theories on the new estimations of pre-Columbian groups’ population. Part two discusses the age and correlation between Mesoamerican and Peruvian people, covering technology, food, and archeological remains. Part three illustrates how Indians did not adapt to nature in America but, essentially, created it (at least their own version). The geographic scope of the book covers places in Central America (Yucatán Peninsula and Central Mexico), South America (modern-day Chile and Amazônia), and North America (Ohio River Valley, Southeast and Southwest region, New England, and Northern Canada). The period of this broad historical piece ranges from the 10th millennium B.C.E. to the 15th century C.E., mentioning the likes of ancient Peruvians and the Clovis people.
Disease was a major cause of the reduction of people in the Americas before the arrival of Europeans. This is a well-known fact. Mann, on the other hand, has taken a position that suggests other important reasons for their demise. In the case of the Narragansett and Wampanoag people, the reason for their population decrease comes from their refusal to massacre European settlements like Europeans practiced on native villages.[2] Europeans triumphed because they would eventually outnumber these natives, according to Mann.[3] He also states that when the Spaniards conquered the Inka, it was not steel or horses that caused their demise but factionalism and disease.[4] The cataclysms that afflicted Indians settlements between 1100 C.E. and 1300 C.E. from the Hudson Valley all the way to Florida is another explanation worth mentioning.[5] These examples give the reader a broader understanding and different take as to what else is to blame for the reduction of Indians aside from deadly disease.
It seems the goal of Mann’s book is to attempt to change how people perceive earlier cultures before Columbus. For instance, Mesoamerican societies apparently invented their own writing, astronomy, and mathematics, including the number zero.[6] These cultures were special in their identity because they did not steal or borrow ideas like many known cultures of the Eastern Hemisphere. Heavily populated civilizations in Amazonia used different means other than slash-and-burn agricultural techniques to combat ecological constraints of the Amazonian rainforests. These people, surprisingly, found a way to successfully harvest from artificial soil that could last much longer with the method of terra preta – a slash-and-char technique that provides a higher rate of production come harvest time.[7] Mann says that Indians were a “keystone” species in most of the hemisphere before Columbus.[8] What can be gathered from this is that these environments were shaped by their presences and dependent on their methods. After the coming of new settlers from across the Atlantic, the landscape would alter considerably and violently, which is a main point made in 1491.
1491 sets out to reveal the new revelations about the Americas, discussing other notable ideas such as the collapse of the Maya from political failure, the existence of an urbanized civilization before Sumer, or the suggestion of other people (not genetically similar to the Clovis) migrating trans-continentally. From our essay reading assignment Historiography of New Spain, there is relevant information regarding the development and research of translated text from languages like Nahuatl of the Mexica. Researchers, like Mann, value the potential of translations like these. It can be assumed that these translations provided a valuable tool in research of Mesoamerican history. The idea that early people in New Spain were culturally different from each other, something reinforced in 1491, is also mention in this essay.
From the introduction of this book, it seems that Mann might be slightly prejudiced in his overall tone. There is no denying how this work bridges the pre-Columbian past with modern thinking, but as far as the big picture is concerned, it is as if Mann is forcing the belief that all of these societies and cultures were sophisticated and technologically unique. The author should have focused more attention on how people in the Western Hemisphere were genetically predisposed to fail.[9] Being prone to microbes, viruses, and bacteria not native to their lands is the strongest case for the collapse of pre-Columbian cultures by far. If anything should make it to academic textbooks, their contents should at least include that. As an undergraduate history student, it feels that Mann’s writing presents more of a report rather than a historical work. His research is plentiful and writing concise, but the nature of this book deserves more attention in making these connections more noticeable. Being here and there, almost sporadically, with topics and sub-topics overwhelms a reader when starting a chapter. Although the names of the chapters seemed appropriate, the names of the parts seem unfitting and need renaming, something more concrete. Because he is not an actual historian, it is no wonder his work does not flow smoothly when reading. Although, it comes to no surprise that 1491 is meticulously crafted since he is, after all, a journalist. Nevertheless, 1491 will leave any reader convinced with no trouble that Holmberg actually did make a mistake when he generalized the history of an entire hemisphere based on findings on one group of people.
The History Experience 