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 âstolenâ from the Indians? Was Columbus a racist? Were Indians really peace-loving, communistic environmentalists? Did Europeans commit âgenocideâ in the New World?
It seems that almost everyoneâfrom CNN to the New York Times to angry students pulling down statues of our foundersâbelieves that Americaâs 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 âstolenâ 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 occurredâeither literal or culturalâand 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 humanityâit is more inspiring than you ever dared to imagine.