Sept 18, 2006

OUTLINE

American Heritage 100
Beginning the World Anew
Day 1

I.  Founding Events,  Ideas, and Myths
 A.  The role of myth in identity formation
 B.  New World myths
  1. The Garden of Eden
  2.  Utopia

II.  Christopher Columbus the modern cultural icon
  1.  The modern cultural icon
  2.  Columbus the hero
  3.  Columbus the villain
  4.  Reconciling views

II.  American Colonies
 A.  Corporate Colonies
  1.  Example: Virginia
 B.  Covenant Colonies
  1.  Example:  Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay

LECTURE NOTES

Intro Music
-John Lennon: Imagine

Founding events, ideas, and myths

"History remains.. A serious, essentially mythic business of defining group identity,"
-as we tell the stories of our history, they help inform us what are values are as a country and who we are (as a country)

myth: a story that informs identity

new world myths- bizarre ideas of what the new world was like
- garden of eden
- utopia

europe at that time:
-slop buckets
-political and religious violence

Hobbes- Leviathan

Media Clip: new world 1492 unimaginable riches "this is the flagship" (GE Commercial Finance) commercial

Statue of christopher columbus in Genoa, Italy because he was born there
---

Media Clip: Columbus the villian

Discovery- some people find the word offensive ->Shifting terms

90-95% of new world natives (indians) died, [smallpox or others]

"Day of Indian Resistance"
"Day of Concern for Indigenous Peoples"

discussion: does columbus deserve good or bad vibes

American colonies:
corporate vs covenant
virgina | plymouth
| massachusetts Bay

Media Clip: Motivation for establishment of virginia

Jamestown- business venture

we identify with what we want to be (ideal instead of the actual)

house of burgesses-est. 1619 first representative body in american history