What is Eurocentrism?
Francisco Coronado
What is Eurocentrism?
Eurocentrism is the belief that Europe and Europeans are superior and only they are important. Syncretism, a blending of two cultures to create something new, is aided by Eurocentrism. European culture is an example of syncretism because ideas, disease, animals, fruits, and vegetables started the Columbian exchange, which created a new blending of cultures. More so, philosophers in Europe saw new and different concepts to a good society.
Juan Ponce De Leon
What History Textbooks are Saying
American history textbooks promote the belief that the most important developments in world history are traceable to Europe.
The statement is partly true, however, most Europeans were glorified whether or not they discovered anything (and some did, some didn’t) only because they were white. Also, the statement is half true because Afro-Phoenician’s discoveries “inspired Prince Henry to replicate them.” Ideas that were developed before from the Egyptians and Phoenicians aided Prince Henry, so therefore not ALL important developments are traceable to Europe.
Most textbooks do favor Eurocentrism by focusing only on European explorers that reached the Americas such as Ferdinand Magellan, Juan Ponce de Leon, and Francisco Coronado. They do provide information on other groups to reach America, but nothing significant. They also leave out that the Portuguese got their idea for the caravel ship from the Egyptians by saying nothing more than, “…they developed the caravel…”
Ferdinand Magellan
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