Sweet Tooth for Empire: Sugar and the British Atlantic World

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eason that he would have been able to differentiate among the different types of flesh. These authors also point to the fact that too many credible writers make mention of and describe cannibalism with a high level of consistency; therefore arguing that it is highly unlikely that cannibalism was a mere figment of the European imagination. 20 Of course, in reality it is very difficult for 21 st century scholars to form a definitive consensus on the prevalence of cannibalism, because there is no possible way for scholars to rewind time and test the contents of the pots in the village Chanca visited, or perform forensic tests upon the bones which were allegedly gnawed. And, in reality, the central point here is that both sides are right and wrong. Cannibalism was probably not as pervasive as the Europeans would have their readers believe, but there is no doubt that it was a real presence. This realization that the European accounts are most likely truthful, but perhaps exaggerated, or perhaps simply repeat someone else’s assertions, can inform and allow the reader to think and read them more critically. The News Was Going Out All Over Europe Of course, the observations of cannibalism did not stay confined within the reports of Bernáldez and Chanca. Two letters, one written by Giambattista Strozzi, the other by Giovanni de’ Bardi, offer further proof that the ideas of Chanca, and other explorers were beginning to permeate European consciousness. Strozzi, who “describe[d] the cannibals in terms like those used by Chanca” 21 said, “many brown men with wide faces like Tartars, with hair extending to 20 For several examples of credible writers, please consult Jean de Léry, History of a Voyage to the Land of Brazil, Otherwise Called America; Hans Staden, Hans Staden: The True Account of His Captivity, 1557; André Thevet, The Singularities of Antarctic France, also called America; and Bernal Díaz del Castillo, The True History of the Conquest of New Spain. 21 Giambattista Strozzi, in Repertorium Columbianum Volume 10: Italian Reports on America-1493-1522: Letters, Dispatches, and Papal Bulls, ed. Geoffrey Symcox (Turnhout: Brepols Publishers, 2001), 15.
the middle of their shoulders, large and very quick and fierce, and they eat human flesh and children and castrated men whom they keep and fatten like capons, and then they eat them; the aforesaid are called Cannibals.” 22 De’ Bardi also “recalls Chanca’s account.” 23 He wrote, “the said caravels carry twenty-six Indians of diverse islands and languages; it is true that they are almost the same height, among whom are three cannibals of whom those who live on and eat human flesh, and they are of the same type as the Indians, save that they are stronger and fiercer than the others.” 24 De’ Bardi also made sure to impart to his reader the grotesque details of the castration process, “and later they [the Spaniards] were on land at their houses, and they found they [the cannibals] kept certain slaves, whom they had castrated so they could fatten them up to eat them; and he came back with three of them, that is two whose virile members had been cut off, and one whose testicles had been cut off, so that you would judge them to be women. And they found many heads and bones in their houses; they say that they have eaten them all.” 25 The news continued to spread all over Europe, most likely due to the fact that all of Europe was in a tizzy about the discovery of the New World; everyone wanted to know the latest information, what was going on, what had been discovered, and various and sundry other details such as these. Agents of dukes and lords wrote to their masters, to keep them informed, as did Francesco Cappello, the ambassador from Venice to Spain. He wrote, in a report which was subsequently read before the Venetian Senate, “The king [from the islands] said that it seemed to him that he was in Paradise; this one, as it is said, had 2000 persons who ate under him, and in their country they eat human flesh, that is of executed criminals.” 26 That news such as this 22 Strozzi, 43. 23 Symcox, “Introduction,” in Symcox, 15. 24 Giovanni de’ Bardi, in Symcox, 44. 25 Ibid. 26 Francesco Cappello, in Symcox, 49. Please consult the footnotes on page 48 to see the source of my information about Cappello.
Page 1 and 2: The Gettysburg Historical Journal V
Page 3 and 4: Walfield ’10 examines how colonia
Page 5 and 6: originally as a new, curious, and r
Page 7 and 8: Columbus and his men went expecting
Page 9: easonably similar to that of Chanca
Page 13 and 14: hear.” 32 Dal Verde also noted wh
Page 15 and 16: In his account of Columbus’s seco
Page 17 and 18: accurate, he nevertheless managed t
Page 19 and 20: Contarini was talking about the Azt
Page 21 and 22: hanging from large trees on poles,
Page 23 and 24: was posed: “Also, if the know and
Page 25 and 26: which would continue for decades in
Page 27 and 28: ehavior and regarded it as low, inh
Page 29 and 30: was not able to eat, but the chief
Page 31 and 32: huts.” 109 Staden explained that
Page 33 and 34: piety and religion) than in roastin
Page 35 and 36: Throughout the course of the late f
Page 37 and 38: viewpoints. The general trend in th
Page 39 and 40: Evan Haefeli and Kevin Sweeney’s
Page 41 and 42: “parallel war.” 26 The authors
Page 43 and 44: captivity narratives coincided with
Page 45 and 46: hand and to see that our help is al
Page 47 and 48: The perception of the American wild
Page 49 and 50: demonstrates Whittier’s belief th
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Page 53 and 54: Female captivity narratives serve a
Page 55 and 56: enabled them to distinguish themsel
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Pushkin and Gannibal: Ethnic Identi
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After Peter’s death in 1725, Gann
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esponding to Russian advances by be
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Dwight D. Eisenhower, The National
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criticism from himself. 10 It is im
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administration years and how that b
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information at his disposal and at
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asked to stay on. 30 Based on the a
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cumbersome. However, the Planning B
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make it work to his liking.” 48 P
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In January of 1954, France had been
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the Vietminh, but a political one.
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problems. NSC 5405 had not made pro
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he “expanded the advisory process
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and psychological warfare operation
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United States. Also present were Ri
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the U.S. intervened. MacArthur judg
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of Defense. To do otherwise,” Rid
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objectives.” 123 Dulles would use
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later, Eisenhower let the matter dr
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Planning Board report was too optim
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establishment of such a coalition a
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allied powers before Geneva. 150 Th
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Stassen countered that the U.S. cou
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In the first five weeks after Dien
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particularly Britain, for his decis
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crucial role of all presidents,”
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egularly in the first place and his
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vetoed their request, “for the re
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people.” 14 A large crowd gathere
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Revolution.” 21 This was held on
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held the Bank’s presidency until
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Spectrum was published in 1892 it c
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solutions to the town’s problems.
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impromptu address at the church’s
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“Com. [Commonwealth] vs. Henry Ga
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familial atmosphere provided a soli
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with thievery after he stole goods
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could have been stopped by Mrs. Net
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Photograph by William H. Tipton of
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Men gathered outside of Landau’s
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Sweet Tooth for Empire: Sugar and the British Atlantic World

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