Background Reading

1. The Syracuse Columbus statue and the downtown circle

• “A Circle of Controversy,” by Bob Searing, published in History Highlights, the Onondaga Historical Association magazine, 2019. (This is a long and detailed article that may provide helpful background for educators.)
• Syracuse Columbus Statue: A Timeline.
• Heritage Park Syracuse website. The city of Syracuse is planning to turn the downtown circle and the space across the street into  a Heritage Park. In the words of the city, the space will “celebrate the contributions of our richly diverse communities and their resilience to oppression.”
• The downtown circle. Buildings facing the statue include:
  • Onondaga County Courthouse.
  • Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, formerly St. Mary’s Catholic Church.
  • Former Wesleyan Methodist Church, a stop for the underground railroad (building is now home to the Mission Restaurant).
• Photos of the statue.

2. Local Debates on the Statue

• “Syracuse’s Columbus statue debate: Why we should remove it and why we should keep it,” 5-minute video by Katrina Tulloch, CNY News.
• Petition for the removal of the statue, started by Blake Garland-Tirado.
• Onondaga Nation statement on the statue, 2020.
• Op-Eds from local writers:
  • Op-Eds arguing for the removal of the statue:
    • “Embrace Democratic Values. Remove Iconic Fascist Memorials.” (Commentary, Syracuse.com, by Philip Arnold and Sandra Bigtree)
    • “Columbus Statue: Symbols of Oppression Go Far Beyond the Confederate Flag.” (Commentary, Syracuse.com, by Betty Lyons)
  • Op-Eds arguing to keep the statue up:
    • “Don’t Tear Down Statues. It’s our duty to preserve American history.” Daily Orange (Syracuse University student newspaper), by Augustus LeRoux, SU history major.
    • “Columbus Monument Honors Struggles of Italian-Americans who Built It.” (Commentary, Syracuse.com, by Mark Nicotra on behalf of the Columbus Monument Corporation Board.)

3. History of Columbus

• “Christopher Columbus: Extracts from Journal.” The excerpts starting at October 11 are particularly relevant to discussions of the encounter between Columbus and Indigenous people.
• Excerpt from Las Casas, Very Brief Account of the Devastation of the Indies.
• “Doctrine of Discovery,” short film featuring Sidney Hill and Oren Lyons.
• “Taino Nation Alive and Strong,” by Valerie Taliman, Indian Country Today.

4. Haudenosaunee and Onondaga culture

• “Who We Are,” introduction to the Onondaga Nation web page.
• “We are the Haudenosaunee,” short video featuring Oren Lyons and Sidney Hill. ​​(Additional videos on Haudenosaunee and Onondaga culture can be found here as well.)
• Maps of historic and present Haudenosaunee territory, from Native Land Digital.

5. Italian American history and consolidation of communal identity

• “Italian Immigration and Relocation in U.S. History,” Library of Congress Classroom Materials.
• “Sacco and Vanzetti’s Trial of the Century Exposed Injustice in 1920s America,” Smithsonian Magazine.
• Lakshmi Gandhi, “How Columbus Sailed into U.S. History, Thanks to Italians,” on the history of Columbus Day, National Public Radio.

6. Functions of monuments; removing and revising monuments

• “Monuments and Memorials,” The Inclusive Historian’s Handbook. (This is a long article but may serve as helpful background for teachers.)  
• “Redefining the Role of Public Monuments,” UC Davis News.
• “Building Citizen Historians: Teaching Historical Analysis of Statues on Public Lands,” by Michael Neel and Jared Aumen, Social Education, 2022. (Aimed at educators; helpful framework and questions for discussing monuments with students.)