2.
How have people not in power historically used architecture and/or urban design to
resist colonial evangelization?
Architecture and urban design have often served as instruments of power and control wielded by
colonial forces. However, history also reveals instances where people not in power strategically
used these tools to resist colonial evangelization.
The Templo Mayor serves as a powerful example for the same. Despite the Spanish conquest and
the subsequent imposition of Christianity, indigenous communities in Tenochtitlán continued to
revere and use the Templo Mayor as a symbol of their cultural and spiritual heritage. The
temple's architecture, with its intricate stone carvings and symbolic significance, became a focal
point for indigenous resistance and resilience against colonial attempts to erase their traditions.
In Mabel O. Wilson, “Notes on the Virginia Capitol: Nation, Race, and Slavery in Jefferson’s
America”, Wilson's analysis of the Virginia Capitol building designed by Thomas Jefferson
sheds light on how enslaved Africans and African Americans contributed to the construction and
meaning of the architecture. Despite being marginalized and oppressed, their labor and presence
in the construction of the Capitol challenged colonial notions of superiority and highlighted the
hypocrisy of a nation built on principles of liberty and equality while perpetuating slavery. Urban
design also played a role in resisting colonial evangelization by shaping spaces of community
and resistance. Wilson's examination of the Capitol's surroundings, including the Slave Market
and African Burial Ground, underlines how urban planning perpetuated racial hierarchies and
how communities of color utilized urban spaces to organize resistance movements, and assert
their right to exist.
Maps of Indigenous Territories depicting indigenous territories and land rights assert ancestral
connections to the land, countering colonial attempts to erase indigenous identities and
dispossess them of their territories. These maps challenge colonial narratives and assert
indigenous agency.
The Templo Mayor, Wilson's reading on the Virginia Capitol, and indigenous maps collectively
demonstrate the ways in which architecture, readings, and tangible artifacts have been used by
people not in power to resist colonial evangelization. These examples highlight the importance of
reclaiming cultural heritage, asserting agency through labor and challenging colonial narratives.
3. How have people in power historically used architecture and/or urban design to
mythologize the origin of man?
Architecture and urban design are powerful tools used by people in positions of authority to
shape narratives, identities, and beliefs and create narratives to mythologize the origin of man.
One prominent example is the Citadelle Laferrière and Sans-Souci Palace in Haiti,
commissioned by King Henri Christophe during the early 19th century. These monumental
structures serve as prime illustrations of how architecture can be leveraged to mythologize
origins. The blend of European neoclassical styles with indigenous Haitian elements not only
symbolizes strength and resilience but also crafts a narrative of historical greatness and
independence, mythologizing the origin of Haiti as a free and sovereign state.
Peter Minosh's work on "Architectural Remnants and Mythical Traces of the Haitian Revolution"
provides a deeper understanding of how the Citadelle Laferrière and Sans-Souci Palace were
used to spread mythical narratives. Through Minosh's lens, we gain insights into the intentional
strategies employed by rulers like Henri Christophe to shape collective beliefs and perceptions,
showcasing the intricate relationship between architecture and myth-making.
Tangible artifacts such as paintings depicting historical events also play a significant role in
mythologizing the origin of humanity., Jacques-Louis David's renowned painting "The
Coronation of Napoleon" not only depicts Napoleon's coronation with grandeur but also
reinforces the narrative of his divine right to rule and the glory of the French Empire. This
painting, along with others of its kind, contributes to the myth-making surrounding Napoleon's
reign and legacy.
The utilization of architecture, readings, and tangible artifacts such as paintings as tools of
myth-making has been a prevalent practice among individuals in positions of power throughout
history. It underscores how these tools are employed to reinforce authority, cultural identity, and
historical continuity, and highlight the intricate relationship between architecture, power
dynamics, and the construction of mythical narratives.
