Search - Conquest of America (History Channel) on DVD

Conquest of North America, in chunks and fragments...

ThomasH | Santa Clara, CA USA | 04/21/2010

(2 out of 5 stars)

"We have mixed feelings about this 4 episodes series on 2 DVD's. Good idea, lots a of effort in costumes and recreations, and yet so inadequate and arbitrary! In some cases the series carries very judgmental opinions about people and events. We also second the observations of others here that the title is misleading: Its the "Conquest of North America," the most dramatic, history changing events in the Mezzo- and South-America are not the subject of these stories at all. Of course it is very commendable that representatives of Native Americans have participated, and could voice their opinions about the conquest of their country. Let me express our detailed opinion of what appears so improper on this production:

1) Southwest: Reduced to one expedition of Coronado, but the expedition in itself has had only a marginal impact on the conquest. I would hoped to see this expedition reduced to mere 10min, and rather be told how what is now South US and North Mexico was formed! It is a story of an epic resitance, holding off Spanish for nearly a century.

2) Southeast: Focused on early French attempts to settle down in Florida (Ribault) in the context of religious wars of Europe and sanctioned piracy against the Spanish in the Atlantic. I think that most historians will indeed agree that the fate of French settlers has had a macro historical impact, because it kept everybody else out of Florida for a long time. I second the opinion that we should not be too quick in condemning Menendez for executing all captured French: Their own lack of discipline and attempts of piracy in Caribbean has betrayed their presence in Florida. And so Ribault and Menendez clashed. But here again, is this really all what is to say about South East? What about Louisiana? What about Jolliet and Mississippi? What happened to the north of Florida?

3) Northeast: Clearly the weakest of them all, reduced to Hudson's expeditions, of which the most were not in America, but rather north of Russia! Hudson (and his fate) should be a marginal mentioning of no more than 5-10min, the rest should rather start with Giovanni Caboto (John Cabot) of course, and be focused on climactic events and wars between English, Dutch, Swedish and French. Where is Adriaen Block? What about the famous Peter Minuit and his now legendary purchase of Manhattan, not to talk about the New Sweden, also founded by Minuit's expedition? Another famous name: Peter Stuyvesant, not even mentioned? Jacques Cartier, please, the one who named Canada, what about his fantastic voyages? Louis Jolliet, north and south, please? William Penn, the name giver to Pennsylvania? The list could grow even longer.

My point is, losing 85% of time on Hudson's sails alongside of Siberia is hardly an event in "Conquest of America". This chapter gets Zero Stars! Even if forced to select only a few climactic events and characters, I would rather see the expeditions and founding of colonies, and not to see Mr. Hudson struggling with his mind and controlling his starving crew.

4) Northwest: In some aspects this is probably the best of the chapters, showing the less known period of Russian encroachment on the Spanish possessions in the South, starting with expeditions of Bering. In this chapter, Bering expedition was luckily only a small part of the story, and this is precisely how the North East should have been showed as well. Objectionable are some appearances of present day scholars and their opinions. We were all quite astonished that the Russian statesman Rezanov, who was as we can see on portraits a handsome man, who ventured to California with the goal of establishing trade agreement for his troubled colonists in Alaska and wanted marry daughter of the comandante of San Francisco, Don José Darío Argüello, was called by one of the (female) speakers as "pervert interested in young girls." In fact, we found the story as touching as the one of Romeo and Juliet. This person speaking on behalf of History Channel should reevaluate her scientific charter and obligation to keep her private opinion at bay.

All in all, of course we can only congratulate History Channel on such undertakings, they wake fascination with history to many people. But we cannot help ourselves to be disappointed in many aspects of this production, and even wish that these episodes would be rewritten and released with a better content."