Seeds of Modernity in the Colonial Crucible

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the initial encounter between the Europeans and the indigenous peoples of the Americas between 1600-1800. The author states that colonialism's oppression and forced labor of the indigenous peoples of the Americas directly influenced the collective mythologies embedded into their respective cultures and art. The oppression of history and tyranny, that they suffered, although terrible, has clearly been a force in the quality of their work.

From the Paper:

"The initial encounter between the Europeans and the indigenous peoples of the Americas became the doorway through which the old world stepped into the new. Indeed, what Chasteen refers to in his timeline as the Colonial crucible, roughly the period between 1600-1800 (Chasteen 10), would establish the pattern of hegemony of transcultural dominance and subjugation that would have far-ranging effects that we see today in everything from how or if societies became agrarian or industrial, to the sort of art painters and writers create today. The oppression of colonialism and the forced labor of its indigenous peoples directly influenced the collective mythologies that became embedded into their respective cultures and art.
"Modernity, and colonialism, as Mingolo states, are two sides of the same coin, and not two different frames of mind. He names President George W. Bush as the prime example of this duality:
"Coloniality, therefore, points toward and intends to unveil an embedded logic that enforces control, domination, and exploitation disguised in the language of salvation, progress, modernization, and being good for every one. The double register of modernity/coloniality has, perhaps, never been as clear as it has been recently under the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush. (Mingolo 6)
"Some may read Mingolo's statement as a bit inflammatory and radical; but truly, he sees Bush as the embodiment of qualities and values that began long ago, when America in the distance past was the nodal point that allowed for the expansion of the condition and values that allowed for an imperialistic European lifestyle. Mingolo goes as far as to assert that the claims on American lands were the key turning point in world history, where a specific set of values, based in colonialism, became necessary to pave the way toward modern Europe and Latin America."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Chasteen, John Charles. Born in Blood and Fire: A Concise History of Latin America. New York: Norton, 2001.
• Mingolo, Walter. The Idea of Latin America. Blackwell, 2005.
• Swanson, Philip. Companion to Latin American Studies. Hodder, 2003.

More papers on Seeds of Modernity in the Colonial Crucible:

• Analytical Essay # 132175 : "Seeds Of Modernity in the Colonial Crucible"
• Analytical Essay # 119472 : "The Manifestation of Modernization in the US"
• Term Paper # 150069 : "The Future of Modernization in the United States"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: