Review Essay: "America's Hometown" Revisited

Review Essay"America's Hometown" Revisited Drew Lopenzina (bio) One Small Candle: The Plymouth Puritans and the Beginning of English New England francis j. bremer Oxford University Press, 2020 258 pp. World Plantation carla gardina pestana Belknap Press Harvard 232 This Land Is Their Land: Wampanoag Indians, Colony, Troubled History Thanksgiving david silverman Bloomsbury, 2019 514 They Knew Were Pilgrims: Colony Contest for American Liberty john g. turner Yale 448 For town Plymouth, Massachusetts, was to have been a big year. A whole series coordinated months-long festivities were planned, including commemorations, conferences, parades, fireworks, and, sure, dinner that couldn't be beat—all leading up landmark four hundredth anniversary arrival Mayflower settlers who landed at this location sometime in late December 1620 began plant seeds an origin story. 400, town's official celebratory website, billed event as "anniversary national international significance," certainly there every expectation [End Page 863] that, along with publicity, pomp, media coverage, tourist dollars would come streaming part elaborate exercise nation-affirmation. It huge spectacle-driven reminder is, least according its own promotional materials, "America's (Plymouth 400).1 As everything else 2020, however, careful plans largely undone by onset COVID-19 corresponding quarantines discouraged, if not entirely shut down, flow visitors town. Most scheduled events either moved online or canceled altogether, may wait yet another hundred years before it finds similar opportunity so richly exploit mythohistorical materials which lays claim.2 In sense, spared significant blow self-image. Sweeping across nation equal force coronavirus, news May 25 death George Floyd, Black man who, like too many him, had his life brutally snuffed out white police officer whose blatant excessive use proved breaking point way US regards long legacy racial discrimination. wake Floyd's came marches protests those demanding justice legal system, prompting violent pushback political establishment power, but also sparking unprecedented drive dislodge monuments markers throughout country—symbols stood bold glaring reminders supremacist structure continues, even now, prop United States' 244-year-long experiment representative democracy. Monuments Confederacy (and Columbus), having successfully resisted previous waves dissent, suddenly being toppled from their pedestals hoisted squares. Confederate flags no longer tolerated spaces where, past, they freely enthusiastically displayed. And names streets, schools, military bases continue undergo revision movement eradicate racism country takes decidedly historical turn. wasn't enough, people realized, demand justice. finally begin grapple more responsibly past narrative has preserved perpetuated public sphere. light all this, little plethora shrines 864] settler colonialism, might understandably relieved spotlight, unexpectedly, turned elsewhere. other such sites until moment, managed survive repeated assaults on legitimacy, too, withstood any number broadsides. Its weather-beaten face exposed over again winds change, proven resilient cornerstone dominant history is narrated the...