Not Stolen: The Truth About European Colonialism in the New World
Sep 2023 · Simon and Schuster
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3 reviewsreport
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424
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About this ebook
A renowned historian debunks current distortion and myths about European colonialism in the New World and restores much needed balance to our understanding of the past.
Was America really “stolen” from the Indians? Was Columbus a racist? Were Indians really peace-loving, communistic environmentalists? Did Europeans commit “genocide” in the New World?
It seems that almost everyone—from CNN to the New York Times to angry students pulling down statues of our founders—believes that America’s history is a shameful tale of racism, exploitation, and cruelty.
In Not Stolen, renowned historian Jeff Fynn-Paul systematically dismantles this relentlessly negative view of U.S. history, arguing that it is based on shoddy methods, misinformation, and outright lies about the past.
America was not “stolen” from the Indians but fairly purchased piece by piece in a thriving land market. Nor did European settlers cheat, steal, murder, rape or purposely infect them with smallpox to the extent that most people believe. No genocide occurred—either literal or cultural—and the decline of Native populations over time is not due to violence but to assimilation and natural demographic processes.
Fynn Paul not only debunks these toxic myths, but provides a balanced portrait of this complex historical process over 500 years. The real history of Native and European relations will surprise you. Not only is this not a tale of shameful sins and crimes against humanity—it is more inspiring than you ever dared to imagine.
Was America really “stolen” from the Indians? Was Columbus a racist? Were Indians really peace-loving, communistic environmentalists? Did Europeans commit “genocide” in the New World?
It seems that almost everyone—from CNN to the New York Times to angry students pulling down statues of our founders—believes that America’s history is a shameful tale of racism, exploitation, and cruelty.
In Not Stolen, renowned historian Jeff Fynn-Paul systematically dismantles this relentlessly negative view of U.S. history, arguing that it is based on shoddy methods, misinformation, and outright lies about the past.
America was not “stolen” from the Indians but fairly purchased piece by piece in a thriving land market. Nor did European settlers cheat, steal, murder, rape or purposely infect them with smallpox to the extent that most people believe. No genocide occurred—either literal or cultural—and the decline of Native populations over time is not due to violence but to assimilation and natural demographic processes.
Fynn Paul not only debunks these toxic myths, but provides a balanced portrait of this complex historical process over 500 years. The real history of Native and European relations will surprise you. Not only is this not a tale of shameful sins and crimes against humanity—it is more inspiring than you ever dared to imagine.
Ratings and reviews
3.3
3 reviews
Aron Flynn
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August 18, 2024
A must-read book for anyone interested in the nuanced realities of history beyond the often one-sided narratives we encounter. The author is committed to historical accuracy and context and doesn't shy away from difficult topics, addressing them with a balanced and factual approach. The writing is engaging and accessible. The chapters are topical. Each chapter debunks a myth that is currently pervasive in social discourse, providing the origin and inaccuracies in each. A succinct, powerful book.
About the author
Jeff Fynn-Paul was born in Florida, raised in Pennsylvania, and has lived in seven countries since he turned twenty. The author of many books and articles, he is a professor of Global History and Economics at Leiden University, The Netherlands.
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