Fox Nation’s “Statues Resurrected,”particularly its treatment of Christopher Columbus, falls short of the historical balance, accuracy, and context that viewers should expect from a serious documentary.

By relying heavily on the work of the discredited, pseudo-historian Howard Zinn. a self-described anarchist and socialist, the Fox production never gave Columbus a chance. 

There is nothing wrong with examining Christopher Columbus critically. History should never be immune from scrutiny. However, historical accuracy requires more than highlighting selected events or judging a fifteenth-century historical figure exclusively through the lens of contemporary standards and political debates.

My concern is that the portrayal of Columbus in contemporary popular media has increasingly been shaped by a selective historical narrative, particularly one advanced by Zinn in his widely circulated book, A People’s History of the United States. Zinn’s characterization of Columbus has had a profound influence on how a generation of Americans have come to understand him.

However, the historical assertions and interpretations in Zinn’s work deserve closer examination. 

In her book, Debunking Howard Zinn, historian Mary Grabar challenges his portrayal of Columbus and identifies instances of selective quotations, 

omissions, and the use of historical sources in ways that, she argues, distort their original meaning. 

Her examination raises legitimate questions about whether readers have been presented with the complete historical record or an interpretation shaped to support a predetermined conclusion and consequently untruths about Columbus. 

It is therefore particularly troubling that one of the principal contributors to your documentary invokes Zinn as an authoritative source on Columbus without adequately examining or acknowledging the substantial scholarly challenges to his interpretation. 

Similarly, the documentary’s treatment of Friar Bartolomé de las Casas warrants greater scrutiny. His writings are important historical sources, but they must be evaluated in their historical context, with attention to his perspective, the circumstances in which he wrote, and the broader body of contemporary evidence. No single historical account should be treated as the definitive or unquestionable version of events. 

Friar Bartolomé de las Casas writings are  strictly based on his opinions and claim that he was interpreting the diary written by Columbus which is not true since it had been destroyed.

Another important perspective is offered by Carole Delaney in her scholarly work, Columbus and the Quest for Jerusalem. Delaney examines Columbus within the religious and cultural circumstances of fifteenth-century Europe. Her research explores his deeply held Christian beliefs and argues that his ambitions extended beyond wealth and commercial opportunity. 

She explains that Columbus envisioned using the wealth obtained through his voyages to finance a religious crusade to recover Jerusalem and advance Christianity.

This provides an important historical dimension that is frequently overlooked when his motivations are reduced exclusively to greed, conquest, and exploitation. 

Understanding these religious convictions does not require overlooking the consequences of colonization or the suffering of Indigenous populations by others and not by Columbus.  It does, however, require presenting a fuller and more historically informed account of the man and his motivations.

The documentary also had an opportunity to explore the circumstances surrounding the removal of these monuments, the historical significance of their original dedications, and the efforts of Italian American communities to preserve and restore them. 

These are important stories that deserve more than passing consideration. The monuments represent not only a historical figure but also the contributions, identity, heritage, and place in American society of generations of Italian Americans.

We should not replace one selective interpretation of history with another. Nor should we allow historical figures to be judged exclusively through the political and social attitudes of our own time without understanding the circumstances in which they lived. The undeniable truth is the discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus is the singular most important discovery in the history of the world. 

I believe Fox Nation, out Foxxed by Zinn, missed an important opportunity to provide a more comprehensive, balanced, and historically informed presentation. A serious documentary should expose viewers to competing historical interpretations, examine the evidence supporting them, and distinguish established facts from disputed claims and ideological conclusions.

Ultimately, it is about demanding historical integrity. The American public deserves the opportunity to understand the full historical record rather than being presented with a narrative that reinforces an existing political or cultural viewpoint.

I respectfully urge Fox Nation to reconsider the historical presentation in this series, acknowledge the significant omissions and provide the additional historical context necessary for viewers to form their own informed and independent judgments.