From the moment of its opening in mid-March to its closing at the beginning of this month abuse descended heavily on the Smithsonian's 'West as America' exhibition in Washington DC. At the heart of the row was something that will figure even more powerfully next year, in the various commemorations of the 500th anniversary of Columbus's voyage to the New World: how much should Europe's conquest of the Americas, as treated today in exhibitions and commemorations, reflect the experience of the people on the receiving end of the conquest?

LRB 11 July 1991 | PDF Download