AMERICA should be CANCELED.
If you have ever watched Star Trek or Star Wars, arguably both being a more optimistic view of the future, you might notice a trope about the naming of governments and countries — they sound like how we name the state and federal agencies, very dry and straight to the point. The Galactic Federation, The United Earth States, The Rebellion, The United Earth Defense, The Earth Federation, The Earth Defense Command, etc. There are not usually a series of colorful names like “America” to describe their countries and continents. They move on from such frivolity. What’s the reason for that? Why not name things after some person, usually a man, or some Indigenous person’s word for “river”? Is this just laziness on the part of the writer, or are the fictions trying to say something?
Should “America” be canceled?
“America” is the name of two continents, north and south respectively. It is also a colloquial nickname for the United States of America, frequently just called “America”. It is the name of a popular superhero and film franchise, Captain America. It’s a name associated with major historical and political events such as the American Revolution and the American Civil War. Many applaud America’s involvement in World War II in turning the tide and stemming the march of fascism in the 20th century. Many prominent Americans, such as Albert Einstein, Frederick Douglas, Abraham Lincoln, and Thomas Jefferson are regarded as some of the smartest, most impactful people to ever live.
America. America. God shed his grace on thee, and crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea.
Although many Canadians and South Americans take exception to the use of the term “America” to describe only a small segment of those two continents it is little doubt that the USA as a country has put the name America on the map and made it more famous than Elvis Presley, who problematic stealing from performers of color is worthy of a separate discussion.
However, the namesake is not nearly as popular as brand America, or the name itself. The namesake of America is a man named Amerigo Vespucci, whose historical title lists him as a prominent merchant. A capitalist of sorts.
Did I mention he was a brutal slave trader?
In his will, Amerigo Vespucci left a large estate and five slaves to his hire. Many have made a big push to cancel Christopher Columbus over similar, if not more extreme, ties to the slave trade. What is known is both were friends, and both profited heavily off the African Slave Trade.
Unlike Columbus, Vespucci never waged war on the natives, nor did he found any colonies. He never commanded a fleet or even led an expedition. Like Columbus, however, he was deeply mired in the slave trade and profited from it.
More than friends, actually; business partners.
In 1491, suspicious of those running the family’s business in Spain, Lorenzo di Pier Francesco sent Vespucci, then 40 years old, to the boom town of Seville to take over the branch office there. On instructions, he also entered into a ship chandlery business with fellow Florentine Gianetto Berardi, who had made the bulk of his money in slave trading and later invested heavily in Christopher Columbus’s transatlantic voyages.
So while it is unclear whether Amerigo morally approved of Christopher Columbus's war and brutality against the Indigenous Peoples, it’s clear he very much supported that endeavor with his money. This was a very profitable business for him, both the trading of slaves and the brutal colonization of Native lands. Millions upon millions were taken into slavery under the watch of Amerigo Vespucci and Christopher Columbus.
The ire against Christopher Columbus has led to several Twitter movements such as the #CancelColumbus and #CancelColumbusDay Twitter hashtags. They have already been successful in renaming “Columbus Day” to “Indigenous People’s Day” in several cities and states. During the George Floyd protests, several statutes of Christopher Columbus were vandalized, toppled, or removed by their cities (Chicago being a prominent example).
Part of the reason this did not happen to Amerigo Vespucci is likely for two reasons. The first is he has far fewer statues than Christopher Columbus. Amerigo Vespucci has 28 statutes to Christopher Columbus 150 statues and memorials. Also, Amerigo Vespucci is typically not taught in school, at least not well beyond “where did America get its name”. Much like King Leopold’s brutality against the Congo Free State, Amerigo’s financial support of genocide and slavery goes untaught and unnoticed. A man who has successful created the most famous brand in history, but has quietly faded into the background, getting off completely Scot-free of his crimes.
As I have gotten older I remember sitting in history class, one of my favorite and best subjects, and thinking what it must be like for black people to sit there and be told men who traded them as you would livestock are to be lauded as heroes in the annals of history. We would highlight all their good qualities like their brilliance, their creativity, their raw intelligence, and their work ethic, and we would just ignore their character. We would name things after them to signify their place in history was untouchable, and even people who would have been owned, abused, and wantonly killed by them had no right to question their judgment. They made the decisions that were best for the time when they made them. Is that how history worked? I thought the way we judged historical figures, and which ones we lauded changed over time. Some would have you believe this is not the case.
Do I think America should be canceled? Yes, I do. I actually do. I’m not going to goosestep this because it might seem like an extreme viewpoint: it is. “America” should be canceled. The United States works fine without a prolific slaver's name in them.
This idea that even a name as beautiful and exonerated as America should maybe one day be retired is not without historical precedent. We change the names of countries, states, cities, and municipalities all the time. Why stop now? We should review all of it. I believe the words of John F. Kennedy in his Civil Rights speech:
“We preach freedom around the world, and we mean it, and we cherish our freedom here at home, but are we to say to the world, and much more importantly, to each other that this is the land of the free except for [people of color]”
We absolutely preach freedom and tolerance around the world, but it’s hard to do that seriously when we name things after people who traded slaves. Especially the countries and continents themselves. Imagine how that would make you feel to live in a place that reveres slavery so much it names itself after that? Truly imagine that?
Do I think it will happen? Not today. I believe one hundred years from now a lot of this will have occurred, it has to and it will. I say this because I am an optimistic person — I do believe humanity and governments progress inevitably, and all the Conservative foot stamping and pearl-clutching barely slows it down. However, I do believe the people of one hundred years hence will look back on the practice of naming those things was barbaric.
I eagerly await the United Earth Federation.
#CancelAmerica