I’m reading Black AF, written by Michael Harriot. I know he’s not a historian, but he wrote a history of the USA. If someone read it, I would appreciate if you could tell me your opinion on the claims he makes. I’m not from the USA, but from Latin America. I’ve read Zinn’s history of the USA and Immerwahr’s How to hide an empire among other books. The thing is, all the material I come across is critical, whereas I always admired that country, even if I acknowledge they are not perfect. I still see Americans can be critical of their country and not be censored by it, which is great.
For example, I’m surprised when Harriot claims Amerigo Vespucci was something of a fraud, who didn’t know anything about geography or navigation (having studied in a latin american school figures like him were not questioned, just mentioned). Or that people from East Asia (which I know) but even Africa discovered America before Europe, but doesn’t mention Vikings’ discovery before Columbus. Another claim is that Lincoln didn’t care for enslaved people, and that they were the ones who won the Civil War by fighting for the Union, when not even the south nor the north really cared for abolition.
If you read it or know about these theories, tell me your thoughts and if they are mainstream or fringe.
by el-mugre