America Quote by Alejandro Castro Espin
“America did not need to be discovered because quite simply America had the American-Indians. There were whole groups of people that already lived there including very developed societies such as the Incas, the Aztecs, and the Mayans. But then came the European vision that saw the conquest as a source of advanced growth away from medieval Europe. The new revolutionary bourgeois trend formed a new perspective on what was democracy that they saw as an improvement to the democracy of ancient Greece.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: Uncovering Pre‑Colonial America, 2021
America was already inhabited by advanced societies; European "discovery" ignored existing peoples.
In simple terms: Indigenous peoples existed before Europeans arrived.
Key Takeaway
Recognize pre‑colonial histories.
Themes
history
colonialism
indigenous rights
Eurocentrism
Mood
reflective
critical
Type
historical
educational
When to use this quote
- education curricula
- museum exhibits
- public policy on indigenous rights
Key Concepts
civilization
cultural erasure
historical narrative
Questions to Reflect On
- What narratives dominate our view of history?
- How can we honor indigenous contributions?
A Different Perspective
May oversimplify complex pre‑colonial interactions.
![“Let's not use the term democracy as a play on words which is what people commonly do, using human rights as a pretext. Those people that really violate human rights [the West] violate human rights from all perspectives. Typically on the subject of human rights regarding the nations from the south…” quote by Alejandro Castro Espin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/855/alejandro-castro-espin-12304_cuba_let-s-not-use-the-term-democracy-as-a-pl_224808.jpg)
![“I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. [salutes]” quote by Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/3d2/bill-hicks-970_america_i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumor_655.jpg)
