America Before Columbus tells the story of Europe before Columbus. The documentary also shows the Columbian exchange and its effects, and the circumstances after Columbus’ discovery. It does an excellent job of providing basic facts that are easily accessible from a new perspective. America Before Columbus presents the same story as before Columbus arrived in America. It does this by presenting it from the perspective of the Europeans. This allows the audience to look at things from a new angle. Cristina Trebbi directed the documentary. It features Victor Garber and Hans Mittermuller (Narrators), Nathan English (Geochemist), Andrew C. Isenberg and Callum Roberts, respectively, as well as Joachim Radkau and Professor Radkau. The documentary begins with an introduction to America, its natural wealth, diversity of wildlife, lush forests, and rich resources. The documentary then shifts to Europe’s living circumstances, showing how Europe had limited land and animals but was still able to harness the power of wind and agricultural technology. To return to America, the section discusses America’s first explorers. It also describes Mesoamerica, America’s indigenous peoples, and key civilizations like Aztecs/ Incas, Puebloans/ Anasazi. This section is a large part about how these tribes got started, how advanced they were, their methods of farming, and their final destination, America. Many Europeans wanted to follow this path to America. Smallpox was introduced to America by Spanish explorers. It killed many Native Americans as it spread. England sent people out to defeat Spain after they invaded America’s territory and sent them back over to Spain. The documentary’s conclusion includes a discussion of how America developed into a country capable of supporting a better quality life, religious freedom (sugar-production), and better livestock. The movie has many things that I liked. First of all, I enjoyed the high-quality video. The documentary was a great way to bring key ideas to life. It has a lot of organization, explanations, animations, and even some animations. It helped me understand concepts better than reading it in a textbook. I am a visual learner who retains information better when presented graphically. Second, the soundtracks and background music were a great addition to the documentary. Paul Rabiger, the music director, sets the tone for the documentary’s beginning with his powerful and energetic music. I was impressed by the organization of the information throughout this film. It is a documentary that is high-quality and clear-eyed. It contains information about Europe’s past, present and future. Although it goes back-and-forth, it brings all the facts together in a clear explanation. There were some aspects of the movie that I felt could be better or different, despite all its positive aspects. The movie’s title, in my opinion, was misleading. The movie’s title was confusing to me at first. It seemed like it would focus more on America before the Europeans arrived. However, the main focus of the movie was the European view with its influence over the US, native American civilisations and colonization. A few times, the movie’s pace was too slow. The documentary would have been more enjoyable if it had been shorter and presented information in a more exciting, crisp way. This documentary is a great resource for history teachers and students. It provides lots of information that can be used in a single video. It also addresses larger issues such as the Columbian Exchange and American colonization. The documentary provides extensive information on civilizations. It includes a detailed account of various indigenous civilizations. The documentary’s amazing effects and graphics can be enjoyed by all ages. This video gave me a lot of insight as a college freshman. This video can also be used to teach history about the United States to younger children, whether they are in high school, middle or elementary schools. Teachers could use it as a guide or tool for their students while they give assignments, tests and quizzes. The educational movie was informative and helped me to understand America from an European perspective. The music, animation and cinematography were all very enjoyable. It made me more interested in Pre-Columbian America. The title could have been more appropriate, I believe. It didn’t have to be negative about the natives in order to convey its message. The movie was also entertaining and thought-provoking.

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  • owenbarrett

    I'm Owen Barrett, a 31-year-old educational blogger and traveler. I enjoy writing about the places I've visited and sharing educational content about travel and culture. When I'm not writing or traveling, I like spending time with my family and friends.