This book consists of three parts. The first focuses mainly on relations between the Europeans and Indians, which were a direct result of the European invasion of Southern and Central America. Mann begins with stating that even though European technology appears to be superior to that of the Indians, this was not always the case in 1491. According to Charles Mann, guns were a supreme example of Indian technology not always being inferior to that of the Europeans. While the Europeans toted heavy, steal firearms which were nearly impossible to aim, the Indians carried lightweight, wooden bows that yielded a much better shot. Charles Mann also writes that the Indians’ civilizations were not conquered because the Europeans fought with guns and horses, but as a result of the foreign diseases they contracted.
The second section of the book addresses the agriculture of the Andean and Mesoamerican cultures. One of the most prominent crops of these groups was maize, which was a vegetable quite similar to corn. However, it needed to grown along with several other crops in the same area, called a milpa. The milpa was another symbol of Indian ingenuity.
Finally, the third portion of the novel discusses the ancient civilization of the Mayans. It states that the Mayans most likely disappeared as a civilization because they “overshot the carrying capacity of their environment” (Sylvanus Morley). They used up nearly all of their resources and eventually ended up perishing as victims of starvation.
While there was plenty of new facts pointed out in this novel, I believe there was often simply too much information packed into a few sentences or paragraphs which resulted in creating major weakness in this book. In my opinion, a book should provide useful information regarding the topic the author is discussing, however it should also provide the time that is necessary to ponder this new material. One specific example of this weakness that I noticed while reading “1491” occurs when Charles Mann discusses the theory that Indians first appeared in America after crossing the Bering Straight land bridge. “C. Vance Hayes, an archaeologist at the University of Arizona, put the crowning touches on the scheme in 1964, when he noted evidence that at just the right time—that is—about thirteen thousand years ago—two great glacial in Northwest Canada parted, leaving a comparatively warm, ice-free corridor between them” (17). This sentence is a prime example of Mann’s tendency to fill sentences with too many facts at once, causing the sentence to be a headache to process. If I were Charles Mann, I would have divided this sentence into one or two new paragraphs so that his material could genuinely sink in.
The use of pictures and detailed maps relating to the text was a distinct strength of this piece of literature. Adapting pictures to Mann’s writings thoroughly helped me visualize what he was conveying. A specific example of the use of a map is located in the chapter “Made in America” on page 289. Mann displays an extremely detailed diagram of the midwest to eastern United States marking the locations of the Adena, Hopwell, and Mississippian villages. It also includes a scale and circles the area in which this part of the world lies on the globe. This map was a crucial part of my understanding of where these tribes thrived in the years 3400 B.C. to 1400 A.D.
“1491” has many passages that are exceptionally vivid. However, one particularly great section that I found is when Charles Mann is walking in the Amazon with his tour guide, Clement, in the chapter “Amazonia”. The Amazon is one of the most interesting places on Earth, being that it is such a unique environment, unlike anywhere else on Earth. Charles Mann gives an excellent first hand account of his travels in this area, in which he uses imagery and wonderful descriptions. Mann depicts a type of bean he picked while in the rainforest, “He plucked what looked like a four-foot string bean from a branch, split it lengthwise, and showed me flattened, shiny seeds arrayed along its length like teeth in a jaw” (343). What could be described as simply an elongated green bean found in the forest, is transformed with imagery into a “four-foot string bean” with “flattened, shiny seeds arrayed along its length like teeth in a jaw”. If this book had not been filled with picturesque details and imagery, it would have been significantly less appealing.
Overall, I would recommend this the book “1491” by Charles Mann for others. I thought it was full of new facts and material relating to the Americas that was completely new to myself and most likely other readers. It contained plenty of vivid description that could keep anyone engaged. Mann does a superb job of entertaining the reader and demonstrates that there was far more to the world prior to Columbus than anyone would have imagined.
by
reed113 (student)
