The New York Times Magazine has launched an animated history project commemorating America's 250th anniversary by asserting that anti-Native American sentiment and land acquisition were central motivators for the nation's founders. The series, illustrated by British artist Tim McDonagh, depicts colonial-era expansionism through a graphic style blending comic-book aesthetics and tattoo art.
Reinterpreting Revolutionary Motives
The project's narrative traces tensions back to 1763, claiming King George III's efforts to limit westward expansion into Native territories, rather than taxation without representation, ignited colonial rebellion. This perspective challenges traditional accounts emphasizing "no taxation without representation" as the revolution's catalyst. Historian Bernard Bailyn's research on ideological drivers, such as the principle of consent of the governed, is notably absent from the magazine's analysis.
Key figures like Samuel Adams and Thomas Jefferson are portrayed as complicit in dispossession, despite Adams' 1775 appeal to the Mohawk Nation to join the revolutionary cause. The project also omits major founding figures, instead highlighting lesser-known individuals including Good Peter, a Mohawk leader, and Elizabeth Freeman, who challenged slavery in Massachusetts.
Historical Accuracy and Modern Politics
Critics argue the series aligns with contemporary progressive narratives about America's founding. Jane Kamensky, president of Monticello, warns in an accompanying essay against reducing history to "a graveyard of mustachioed villains," yet acknowledges the dangers of uncritical hero-worship. The Times' approach, she suggests, risks substituting one simplistic narrative for another.
The project's release coincides with rising political debates over historical education. Socialist Clare Valdez, a Democratic primary winner for a New York congressional seat, has echoed its themes, stating, "This nation was founded on genocide, on the mass displacement of people." Readers pushed back in comments, with one noting: "The modern progressive discourse ignores the experiences of most who settled this country."
Historians emphasize that westward expansion involved complex interactions, including alliances and conflicts with Native tribes. The concept of land ownership itself, as noted in the article, was anachronistic when applied to Indigenous communities. Meanwhile, primary sources like the Declaration of Independence stress self-governance over territorial claims.