Lecture Access

This lecture will be available to view until 6 July 2026

  • 00 Days
  • 00 Hours
  • 00 Minutes
  • 00 Seconds

OVERVIEW

Watch on Demand | Online Lecture


In 2021, President Joe Biden issued the first presidential proclamation recognising Indigenous People’s Day, highlighting a broader reevaluation of how national histories are commemorated and which experiences are acknowledged. 

This move has intensified discussions about traditional celebrations like Columbus Day, raising questions about the appropriateness of honouring an explorer linked to conquest, enslavement, and European expansion in today's world.

In this lecture, Prof Richard Bell explores the deeper historical context of these debates by going back to North America in 1492, examining how Indigenous societies had developed long before European contact, and exploring why European nations crossed the Atlantic at the end of the fifteenth century. From initial encounters and misunderstandings to subsequent power imbalances, this lecture illustrates how modern nations grapple with contested histories and how public memorials influence contemporary historical perspectives.

LECTURER

Biography

Professor Richard Bell received a BA from the University of Cambridge and a PhD from Harvard University. He joined the Department of History and the University of Maryland in 2006, earned tenure in 2012 and promotion to the rank of full professor in 2020. Rick is also a Trustee of the Maryland Historical Society and a fellow of the Royal Historical Society, an elected member of the Massachusetts Historical Society, and as a board member of the Prince George’s County Memorial Library System Foundation.

Prof Richard Bell

Historian