"The Possibilities of the Columbian Quincentennial" by J. Challinor and Wilcomb E. Washburn in "Ideas '92", A Journal to Honor 500 Years of Relations among Spain, Latin America and the Unites States (Vol. I, No. 2, Spring 1988, pp. 29-41) "What did you say? Another historic celebration? Haven't we had enough! In 1976 it was Independence, in 1986 the Statue of Liberty, in 1987 through 1991 the bicentennial of the Constitution, Ratification, the Bill of Rights--and now you want to 'gear up' for the quincentennial of Columbus's arrival in the Western Hemisphere? Enough I say, enough! The United States' bicentennial era will be over in 1991; leave us in peace until 2076!" What historian has not heard this lament--what historian has not been called upon to justify historical celebrations. It is reasonable at this juncture to reflect on all historical rituals, such as bicentennials, centennials, quincentennials, et al., and ask if they are worth the time, effort and money we put into them. A set pattern for organizing them at the federal level has developed: a federal commission is assembled (usually at the last minute), composed of people who have little experience in organizing a historical observance; the private sector is exhorted to supplement meager federal funds; and somehow, the celebration job gets "done," sometimes for better, often for worse. The blame should not be assigned to the Commissions; they are usually given less than half the time they need. The Christopher Columbus Quincentenary Jubilee Commission--its formal title--is a great and glorious exception to the rule that commissions are permanently "behind time," but more about that later. We then proceed to the next historical ritual, having learned little from the past, but hoping that this one will be a true observance. What is the difference between a true "observance" and a mere "celebration"? A "celebration" is a birthday party for which we put candles on the cake, forgetting imperfections, glossing over errors, and raising our glasses in unadulterated praise. What takes far longer, greater thought, and more experience is the organization of an "observance." An "observance" examines the whole event, puts it into a modern as well as a historical context, examines the world in which the event took place--its mindset, ecology, demography, religious outlook, sociology admits to the existence of both positive and negative aspects, and communicates the true significance of the event, a significance which if properly understood, resonates as much today as in the time when it happened. When striving to conduct a true observance, how does one communicate "significance"? Let us be realistic; it is easier to explain the significance of some historical events than others. The whole country understood the significance of the Statue of Liberty, perfectly located on a small island along the shipping channel into America's largest port. The symbol was and is there for all to see, both immigrants and residents. The "Lady" carries one simple but great message: a message of hope for America's future. When its centenary was celebrated on July 4, 1986, its meaning was reflected in the armada of ships and boats that surrounded it like jewels in a crown. Independence was another bicentennial whose significance was easy to comprehend: the United States, two hundred years before, had declared itself independent from Great Britain. The flags of the mother country and of the country whose inhabitants Edmund Burke futilely insisted were the sons, not the bastards, of England, encapsulate the meaning of separation. No symbol evolves more emotion than a flag, as the tears that it evokes from those who love it and the rage from those who hate it--and burn it, and trample it--reveal. No ambiguity there. The Constitution's bicentennial, on the other hand, has been difficult for the general public to grasp. Although it has been called "our greatest export," it is a document which has been controversial from the start and is inherently complicated. It is impact on our daily lives is studied in civics classes across the country, but it remains obscure to the man on the street. Michael Kammen, the historian, put it succinctly in his book, "A Machine That Would Go of Itself". "It may be the oddest phenomenon in American political culture; but the Constitution has not turned out to be readily comprehensible to the ordinary citizen."(1) In 1987 the historical observance, led by the Presidential Commission under Chief Justice Warren E. Berger, was furthered by many private and public organizations: the City of Philadelphia; the private sector; the academic community, led by Project '87; the Defense Department, under the leadership of Secretary of the Army John O. Marsh; the National Endowment for the Humanities; all fifty state humanities councils; and the National Archives, to mention but a few of those who participated. Yet the questions remain. Why mark these historic anniversaries? Why commit time, money, and effort to commemorate events long past? Several reasons spring to mind. First, before and during an anniversary the public is attentive to the history and the present day news about the event, as they are not at any other time. It is very difficult today, when people are bombarded daily with scores of ideas on television, to focus the public's mind on a single subject--an anniversary can accomplish this. Second, because of the public's attention, money from the private sector, from foundations, and from the National Endowments (which have done yeoman service for all historical observances) becomes readily available for research and public programs and then for the dissemination of knowledge about the event. Third, our "holidays," once holy days, then civic days, now "off-from-work days" (as a dissertation by Robert L. Stone written for the University of Chicago has shown), have become "unhinged" from their meaning.(2) Only Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving overcome the degeneration of our holidays into the "three-day weekend." Few of us reflect on George Washington during Washington's birthday holiday. Who reflects on servicemen who died for their country on Memorial Day, or who ponders veterans on the day in November set aside for them? Very few of us, we think, if we are honest about it. So historic anniversaries become even more important to us as a time to focus on our civic heritage, and in the case of Columbus, on our world heritage. In 1992, Europe and the Western Hemisphere will mark the five-hundredth anniversary of Columbus's landing on what most scholars believe were the shore of present-day San Salvador (alternate sites for the landfall continue to be proposed). This is an important milestone--not only for the U.S., but for the entire world. Here is the moving description which Samuel Eliot Morison wrote in his marvelous biography of Christopher Columbus: At 2 A.M. October 12 the moon, past full, was riding about 70 high over Orion on the port quarter, just the position to illuminate anything ahead of the ships... The Guards of Polaris, at 15 beyond 'feet,' told the pilots that it was two hours after midnight. On speed the three ships, Pinta in the lead, their sails silver in the moonlight. A brave trade wind is blowing and the caravels are rolling, plunging and throwing spray as they cut down the last invisible barrier between the Old World and the New. Only a few moments now, and an era that began in remotest antiquity will end.(3) There are few moments in history which are so specific. The fall of the Roman Empire was a matter of almost a century; we have no exact dates for the landing of the Norsemen in Vinland; the Middle Ages melded into the modern period; even our Independence was first agreed to on July 2nd by the Second Continental Congress but not put into its present Declaration form until July 4th, 1776. However, we do know the exact moment when Columbus's eyes first fell upon the New World. History has, in the case of the Columbian Quincentennial, not repeated itself. Horrified by the tardiness of the White House in appointing the Commission on the Bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution in June 1985 (only one-and-one-half years before the bicentennial began in 1987), Congress wrote into the legislation establishing the Columbian Quincentennial the stipulation that the Commission must be appointed within 90 days of passage of the Bill.(4) A commission was appointed in June 1985 under the leadership of John N. Goudie of Miami, Florida, and is now at work. What a luxury! Seven years to think, prepare, arrange, gather funds from the private sector, prepare teachers, and galvanize the public museums, foundations, libraries and universities. For once, we have time to consider, to plan--in short--to do it better. Adequate lead time is not the only positive aspect of this Quincentennial. Everyone understands the meaning of Columbus's voyages and even the smallest child is excited by the story. Further, the observance appeals to all ages--it is not just a scholar's document. The Bible and Shakespeare may be "terra incognita" to a younger generation but the basis of Columbus's achievement has remained part of everyone's store of knowledge. Taking Columbus's arrival in the New World as a case study, how could we benefit by a thoughtful, well-planned observance? Where, exactly does the significance of the occasion lie? It seems to the author of this article that we are first of all observing Columbus's arrival in the Western Hemisphere, specifically Columbus as an explorer. He had no plans of settling the "Indies"; no plans to discover a new continent; no plans to bring Hispanic culture to the Americas; these were the unintended consequences of Columbus's voyages. Of course, these results deserve to be remembered and marked. But we will "muddy the waters" if we forget the centerpiece of the event--Columbus himself, the man, the restless, questing explorer of 1492. Born in Genoa, which was in 1451, the date of Columbus's birth, not a part of modern unified Italy, he learned seamanship first on Genoese ships, then in the service of Portugal, sailing down the western coast of Africa and out into the Atlantic Ocean. Finally, after years of stubborn insistence and political maneuvering during a waiting period that would have discouraged almost anyone else, he convinced Isabella and Ferdinand of the validity of what he called his "Enterprise of the Indies." Steadfast, patient, knowledgeable, a superb seaman and navigator, Columbus believed in his ability to reach the East by sailing West. Columbus's messianic faith in his role as "Christ bearer," as one who would help reverse the tide of defeats suffered by Christianity--most notably its loss of the Holy Land--is too often overlooked. Columbus did more than "arrive" in the New World like a commuter on the 8:32. Any observance of his achievement must recognize the heroic quality of his dream. Accepting the fact that Columbus the visionary must remain at the center of the Quincentennial, what practical benefits can we derive from the 1992 observance? The Quincentennial could help to restore the study of geography, beginning in primary school; expand ecological knowledge; spawn symposia to unite knowledge from different disciplines; give the Indians an opportunity to describe and interpret their heritage; improve historical scholarship in the Americas; allow the nations of the Western Hemisphere to discuss one common event and thereby to increase mutual understanding; and discuss the meaning and ramifications of the concept of "discovery." Each of these facets deserves its own explanation. First, school children and even college students could again study geography. Research has shown that few students can accurately locate their state on a map of the United States, much less position Spain, Portugal, or Genoa; the Caribbean countries where Columbus landed; the Indies, to which he thought he was sailing; or, indeed, any country in Central or South America. A recent test even revealed that 20% of the students asked to place the U.S. on an outline map of the Western Hemisphere identified Brazil as the U.S.! Of what value are public opinion polls on questions of our policy toward South or Central America when a majority of United States citizens have no idea what countries are located where, or what their political, social and economic systems are? Public opinion is vital in a democracy, but it should be informed public opinion, not one which knows little about countries to the south of us. Geography, long since removed from school and college curricula, has fallen into undeserved repute. The Quincentennial would be a fine opportunity to emphasize geography and to give people a sense of their place on the planet. It does no good to recognize that we are "one world" if we have no idea of the relationship of one land mass to another, or even the place of our nation on the globe. We need no "manual of names"; what we need is to understand at a far deeper level than we do now our place in the sun the geographic distribution of the flora and fauna; the interaction of man and his environment; the relationships of one people to another. All these benefits will flow from adding modern geography to many of the subjects we already teach. A far more comprehensive view of the earth and man's place in it could be a result of a Quincentennial emphasis on geography. Further, geography is relatively non- controversial, far removed from the heat of the historical memories of cruel and unhappy conquests which occurred alongside heroic and self-sacrificing service to indigenous populations. Since the "Columbian exchange" was an exchange of populations as well as of germs, plants, and animals, and one in which Europeans and Africans migrated from their homelands on an unprecedented scale, the Quincentennial could be an appropriate time to initiate a new examination in the classroom of the results of that migration; not only in terms of United States history, but of the history of the Americas as a whole. At the elementary and secondary levels, given the long dominance of the New England school of textbook writers over the American history curriculum, the Quincentennial offers an opportunity to teach United States history and to give students a deeper understanding of today's world by emphasizing the historical connections among New Spain, the Caribbean, and the rest of North America, from the sixteenth century to the present. In practice, this could take the form of courses, textbooks, and curriculum materials that place United States history in the context of the history of the Americas. In addition to the study of migrating populations, we should all be made newly aware of the native populations of the Americas when Columbus arrived. This was not a vacant hemisphere waiting for the Europeans to populate it. Just this year, historian James Axtell has analyzed the view of "Europeans, Indians and the Age of Discovery in American History Textbooks."(5) The picture given in the textbooks is almost universally demeaning to the Indians. Some texts do not even bother to name Indian tribes correctly, others "confuse" linguistic and tribal boundaries. The textbooks are equally misleading about the social arrangements within tribes, their political systems, and even the geographic state of the Bering Straits across which they arrived in this hemisphere. Several books, written by older authors, characterize the North American continent as "virgin land." Did the land lose its virginity to the Europeans gracefully or was it raped and widowed? Historians disagree. Surely, if it does nothing else, the Quincentennial should give the descendants of those who greeted Columbus a chance to be heard. One reason for a historic observance is to restore a sense of balance, a sense of perspective on the event. We must, however, be careful not to promise too much; we cannot reshape events to our present liking nor settle all disagreements. 1992 should place the Indians of North, Central, and South America "on the map." Could we not come closer than we have (between one and twelve million for the present area of the U.S.) to their populations in 1492? What were their cultures like as far as we can tell from our distance? Was the "noble savage" a true picture or a European concoction? Was the "black legend" of Spanish cruelty true everywhere, partially true, or a myth? Indians studies should proliferate during the Quincentennial and the end result should be respect for the New World Indians, for their cultures, their political systems, and their way of life. We have so little understanding of the Indians that it would be easy to say "anything is better than what we now have," but this temptation should be firmly put aside. We should grasp this opportunity and do everything we can to insure that the natives' points of view of what happened are forcefully stated. Chauvinism of all kind should be consciously eschewed. The years of disrespect towards Indians by non-Indians must end and 1992 would seem to be a good year for the new era to begin. Celebrating the 500th anniversary of Columbus's arrival in the New World also provides a unique opportunity to improve the state of historical scholarship in America. It is an opportunity to be seized. The needed improvement should not be sought primarily in advances in our understanding of Christopher Columbus or even the events of conquest and settlement that followed the discoveries. It will come, rather, from a general upgrading of the region's libraries and archives, particularly those in Latin America. These must be radically improved, both in terms of the size of their collections and in terms of the new technological devices for information searching and distribution. Only with such a major upgrading will it be possible to increase the number of scholars capable of making contributions to the history of the Americas, and to maximize the depth and sophistication of the research that is performed. Such changes should not merely allow libraries and archives to do more of the same things they have been doing, but to do things differently. We refer to such innovations as computerized catalogues, new forms of microreproduction (microfiche, microfilm, etc.), magnetic imaging, video and laser disk technology, digital recording of images, and other technical innovations that are making possible radical advances in the reproduction of documents and books, word pattern searching, and low-level indexing. Such innovations are making the card catalogues of libraries and the manuscript finding aids of some archives as obsolete as book catalogues used to be before being replaced by the printed card. Resistance to the new technology by those controlling the purse strings of the old fashioned libraries and archives is more to be feared than lack of funds to introduce the new technological revolution. The information revolution is sweeping the world's economies. Shall the libraries and archives of Latin America remain undisturbed? If funding cannot be provided by a poor country to improve its own libraries and archives, let it be requested in the form of economic aid from the United States of one of the developed European countries. Let the processing of information and historical data be considered an economic need and benefit that will have a multiplying effect in improving the country's economy by providing scholars more efficient access to its store of historical information. During this period of planning for the 500th anniversary of Columbus's arrival in the New World, the less developed countries should request aid for their libraries and archives from the more developed nations. Geographical and space scholarship can use the Quincentennial as a springboard for imaginative and useful projects. The Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum is planning to publish a World Atlas composed of satellites images in commemoration of the Columbus Quincentenary, all the more appropriate since 1992 is also International Space Year. Exploration of the Western Hemisphere, exploration of space, and man as explorer all come together in this venture. Publication of such an atlas will enhance the public understanding of satellite remote sensing, increasing and diffused the advances in geographical and physical knowledge gained through manned and unmanned space missions, and provide a major reference work on world physiography and natural features. The production of this atlas as a Quincentenary program underscores the importance that the science of cartography played during the age of exploration and the way that current advances in state-of-the-art technology continue to expand knowledge of the geographic world. The Quincentennial can also make a contribution to the present day ecological knowledge of the Caribbean and northern South America and parts of the Western Hemisphere most connected with Columbus's four voyages by making a careful census of the current flora and fauna. Historians are increasingly aware that the legacy of what has been called "the Columbian exchange" of germs, plants, animals, etc. between the Old World and the New has in some ways overshadowed the political, military, and social effects of the interchange. Today, because of population pressures, the ecology of the region is changing so rapidly that baseline knowledge is essential for the management of natural areas to minimize further environmental damage. Simultaneously such an effort alerts the citizens to the value of their natural birthright, an inheritance that could be passed on to future generations. The shortsightedness of current land exploitation might be curtailed through the participation of a younger generation made newly sad of their legacy by such a biological inventory. It would also be useful to do this for Central America. What we are suggesting is, of course, an enormous undertaking, but its benefits are commensurate with the effort. The Smithsonian's Tropical Research Institute in Panama began just such a census five years ago on a micro-level (a 50-hectare lot of an undisturbed forest). Its organizational expertise and inventory data are already available to start such an effort beginning at the present. At the same time ethno-botanists, beginning at the other end, in 1492, can uncover more data on the pre-contact biological inventory. At the time of the Quincentennial, we should be able to get cartographers, naval historians, medical historians, zoologists, botanists, climatologists, historians of ideas, historians of technology, geographers, and scholars in many more disciplines to talk with each other and with the public about Columbus and his voyages. Symposia are being planned; they should be designed to cross specialties, to include younger scholars (not just the "tried and true"). They should be public forums to excite ordinary people who have little expertise to want to know more about the world from which Columbus came and the lands he discovered. We should, in these symposia, be given a "state-of- the-art" report from historians and others, pulling together decades of work. The Smithsonian Institute is taking the lead in providing public forums for ordinary people, beginning with "After Columbus" in September 1987 at the National Museum of American History. The Smithsonian plans to produce one such forum each year until 1992, and to disseminate the information presented in them to adult and school audiences on a national scale. The bringing together of the entire Western Hemisphere to discuss one common event could have beneficial results. Our Pan- hemispheric efforts have had minimal effects in the past. We have been seen, rightly or wrongly, as a nation willing and able to flex our economic muscles to the detriment of the weaker Latin American countries. For once, in 1992, the center of the state shifts to the advantage of the Caribbean and South American nations. All the nations in the hemisphere must speak to each other about a matter of common concern. Again, we cannot promise a great deal: some new ties may be formed, some new avenues explored, some old antagonisms and national prejudices may be laid to rest, but others may be revived. The observance of the five hundred year span since Columbus's voyage should force all the nations of the hemisphere to ponder the disparity between the development in the northern and southern sections of the continent, its causes and its consequences. 1992 might be a beginning for hemispheric historical discussions which could spill over into discussion of our mutual concern and interest in the hemisphere's ecology, cultures, languages and eventually, even the interdependence of its commerce and economics. Any discussion of Columbus's exploration must come to grips with the question raised by some scholars that since Columbus did not know where he was (he continued until his death to believe that he had reached Asia), and presumably could not conceive of "America" as a separate hemisphere, then the lands discovered are legitimately named after Amerigo Vespucci, who, it is asserted, did conceive of the new discoveries as separate and distinct from the Old World. Some scholars suggest that we incorrectly observe October 12, 1992, as a day to remember, that we should honor the day Amerigo presumably conceived of the hemisphere subsequently named after him. Suffice it to say that we recognize, and should recognize, the individual, Columbus, who dared, who tried, and who achieved the unexpected, not the man, Vespucci, who followed once the path was revealed. Moreover, champions of Vespucci ignore the fact that he, as well as Columbus, spoke of the lands discovered both as a "new world" and as part of Asia. Academic debates are important because clarity of thought and understanding of the past are important. But scholars are often those least able to appreciate the world of the doer. The spirit of Columbus is the spirit of the West--warts and all-- spirit that has shaped the world increasingly in European terms. That spirit is sometimes expressed in the concept of exploring for its own sake, summed up by Hillary's explanation for his assault on Mount Everest--"because it is there." Explorers "discovered" places which had no commercial value, anthropologists and archaeologists recorded what they could of cultures in the most remote areas which had no wealth to add to the countries from which they came. In the spirit of Columbus, European man has been willing to face the unforeseen consequences of his exploration and to deal with the unexpected in his discoveries. What? Have we finally convinced you that a well-planned, carefully thought out Quincentennial would be of value to the Western Hemisphere, Europe, and ultimately, the whole world? Did we hear you say, "I am weary but unbowed"? You do think that an observance of Columbus's quincentennial would be an excellent idea? In that case, leave us in peace for a good night's sleep. 1992 is only five short years away and we have work to do! Endnotes 1. Michael Kammen, "A Machine That Would Go of Itself: The Constitution in American Culture" (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1986), p. 75. 2. Robert L. Stone, "Civic Education, Holidays, and the United States' Regime: A Comparative Study" (Ph.D. dissertation, University of Chicago, 1986). 3. Samuel Eliot Morison, "Admiral of the Ocean Sea" (Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1986). 4. The Christopher Columbus Quincentenary Jubilee Commission was established by Congress on August 7, 1984, P.L. 98-375. 5. James Axtell, "Europeans, Indians, and the Age of Discovery in American History Textbooks", "The American Historical Review" 92 (June 1987); 621-32. Reprint permission granted by both authors.