Watch Columbus on Trial with the Heinz History Museum

Join the History Center’s Italian American Program to explore the short film, “Columbus on Trial,” which imagines the ghost of Christopher Columbus in the 21st century being prepped for trial by the ghost of Elizabeth W. Powel, an abolitionist and confidante of George Washington. Filmmakers Marylou and Jerome Bongiorno used primary sources like the letters and journals of Columbus, Bartolomé de las Casas, Queen Isabelle, and other peers and contemporaries of Columbus to create a script that presents a factual account and addresses Columbus’s connection to colonialism, the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, and the impact on indigenous communities in the Caribbean.

In this workshop, we will discuss the current discourse about Columbus’s legacy and explore the new educator’s toolkit created by the History Center to guide students in a post-film activity. You can learn more about the film here.

This program will take place via Zoom with short breaks between segments.