by Andrew Rowen | Mar 14, 2020 | New York City
The first major battle in the Americas between Spanish conquerors and indigenous peoples occurred 525 years ago, in late March 1495, near the pilgrimage now known as Santo Cerro (Holy Hill), north of the city of La Vega in the Dominican Republic’s fertile Cibao...
by Andrew Rowen | Feb 9, 2020 | New York City
Encounters Unforeseen: 1492 Retold dramatizes the history leading to 1492 from the perspective of both Taíno and European protagonists, including depicting the weddings and marriages of three couples—Spain’s Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand, Columbus and his...
by Andrew Rowen | Jan 15, 2020 | New York City
Last November, I spent two weeks in the Dominican Republic researching events I’m dramatizing in Encounters Unforeseen’s sequel (1493-98), visiting sites of battles, forts, the first missionary efforts and resistance thereto, and—the subject of this blog—Santo...
by Andrew Rowen | Nov 29, 2019 | New York City
This fall, I traveled to Spain to research events from 1493 to 1498 that I’m depicting in the sequel to Encounters Unforeseen, including visiting sites where Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand made fateful decisions regarding “Española’s” subjugation or—as related in...
by Andrew Rowen | Oct 14, 2019 | New York City
Best wishes on Indigenous Peoples’ Day! I blog to recount a Taíno story of the sea’s origin—postscript to last year’s blog about mankind’s origin (October 8, 2018). The spirit Yaya had placed his son Yayael’s bones in a gourd to remember him. When Yayael’s mother...
