Tony Horwitz Case

In his book, A Voyage Long and Strange, Mr. Horwitz attempts to reeducate himself and fill in the gaps of early America history. Horwitz retraces the expeditions, battles, and settlements of early European explorers from Leif Eiriksson's discovery and settlement in Vinland to the Pilgrims arrival in Plymouth. Horwitz follows the steps of numerous explorers, visits long forgotten battlefields, participates in the various cultural experiences, and talks with tour guides, reenactors, historians, and archaeologists. Throughout his re-exploration of America, Horwitz compares the lessons taught in history classes to the legends past down from generation to generation to the archaeological evidence discovered during the past hundred years.

A Voyage Long and Strange, is a well-written account of a journey to discover and rediscover the truth about a time in American history long twisted in folklore and myth. Christopher Columbus' explorations of the "New World" is an example between history North Americans are taught in school and the history that is remembered by the descendants of those who were conquered. North American universities, cities, and bridges are named after him; we even celebrate "Columbus Day" every year even though Columbus never actually set food on North American soil.

When Mr. Horwitz traveled to the Dominican Republic (DR) to tour Columbus's second settlement of La Isabela, he encountered a nation that believed speaking Columbus' name brought evil. There are no streets, cities, or universities named after Columbus in DR, but there is a monument outside of Santo Domingo where supposedly his remains are kept. Ironically, the monument is a lighthouse filled with artifacts celebrating customs and moments in history of various countries to promote "global amnesty and understanding". The room representing the United States contained a "few small photographs of July 4 celebrations" and newspaper clippings detailing the September 11, 2001 tragedy. Like Horwitz, I questioned why the United States would chose to emphasize "how divided and troubled the world remained" (p. 83)

The Spanish Conquistadors' had the same lust for wealth and control of land and people that "civilized" American's have today. Horwitz's guide, while visiting a copper mine outside of Clifton Arizona, summed it up perfectly when he compared the Spaniards reputation of "always searching for pay dirt" to the American dream of "get rich quick" (p. 149). In Zuni-land New Mexico, Franciso Vasuez de Coronado and the settlers controlled the land and people by driving most of the Zuni out of their pueblos and built missions in an attempt to convert the Native Indians to Christianity. During the 1800's, Americans continued to drive Native Indians out of their lands and covert them to Christianity.

Later, Horwitz travels to Florida to explore the De Soto trail that Dr. Hudson mapped out in The De Soto Chronicles. Dr. Hudson's map was the second De Soto trail recognized by the National Park Service who decided there was not enough "scholarly consensus" on whose map was accurate "to establish a national De Soto Trail" (p. 221). Therefore, there are two De Soto trails