Trouillot, Michel-Rolph. Silencing the Past: Power and the Production of History. Boston, Massachusetts: Beacon Press, 1995.
Giving Voice to the Past: Silencing the Past Book Review
In Michel-Rolph Trouillot’s book, Silencing the Past: Power and the Production of History, Trouillot argued that there are two types of history: “what happened and that which is said to have happened” (Trouillot, 95). Trouillot defended his thesis by using four examples from history where certain aspects of these events were what Trouillot described as “silenced.” Trouillot argued that silences are used as a way to rewrite history. Trouillot discussed the events surrounding the Alamo in chapter one; in chapters two and three, Trouillot looked at the Hatian Revolution; chapter four and the epilogue are about Columbus and the “discovering” of America; and Trouillot discussed the difficulties of connecting with history in chapter five by examining a story about visiting Mayan ruins.
Throughout the book, Trouillot stated that what has been recorded and remembered in history tells a unique story that is not a completely accurate retelling of what actually happened. The details remembered and the way they are documented produce bias. The bits of history that are left out of documentation, whether accidentally or purposefully, are what Trouillot called “silences.” Trouillot argued that even if one were able to record every detail of everything that happens, bias would still emerge in the way this information was presented. It would also be long and unbearable to read. Silencing the Past is an examination of certain silences and whether they are accidental silences or purposeful.
While Trouillot gave little examples of accidental silences throughout the book, most chapters focus on purposeful silences. When discussing the Alamo, Trouillot argued that parts of the story of General Antonio López de Santa Anna’s attack on the squatters at the military base at the Alamo were silenced. Americans emphasized certain parts of the story (and may have made up others) to use as propaganda for the Texan Revolution as well as the Mexican- American War. In the chapters on the Haitian Revolution, Trouillot stated that the story of a young Congolese Colonel named Sans Souci was silenced. Souci was purposefully silenced by the first Haitian king, Henry Christophe. All of the following silences of Souci after this can be traced back to Henry I. Trouillot also argued that the Haitian Revolution itself was silenced in order to promote the idea of the “good black person” as well as prevent people from becoming aware of a hugely successful mass slave rebellion. When discussing Christopher Columbus’s “discovery” of America, Trouillot talked about the later celebrations of Columbus Day, as well as the different people groups that claim him. In these chapters, the natives that occupied the islands when Columbus landed are the silenced ones, and the present day complaints of residents of Caribbean islands as well as Native Americans are silenced. In chapter five, Trouillot used the story of a trip to Mayan ruins to show that sometimes it is difficult to connect to history. He compared this experience to the catastrophe of Disney’s America to show that some bits of history belong to some people more than others.
In concluding the book, Trouillot contrasted the content of the five chapters–which discuss mostly purposeful silences–by examining the story of an accidental silencing in the Epilogue. Trouillot reflects on how the past is remembered as well as how it is forgotten. The narrator, presumably Trouillot, walks down a street that used to have many statues lining the area. Upon asking the residents he passes, he discovers that none of the locals remember what has happened to the Christopher Columbus statue. Finally, after some time, one person can tell him what happened to the statue. Although only nine years had passed since the Columbus statue was thrown into the sea, most people did not remember where the statue went, let alone why it was gone. This story wrapped up the book fantastically. It proved Trouillot’s point while also reflecting on possible future silences. With the telling of this story, Trouillot pointed out that while being aware of silences and how things become silenced is important, one cannot save every historical perspective.
Trouillot’s book is extremely well written and organized very efficiently. The thesis is immediately clear in the book, and Trouillot provided abundant, well-analyzed evidence to support his claims. The topic is intriguing and useful for a variety of historiographies, though primarily from a public history perspective. While the intended audience is clearly academic, there are only certain parts of the book that are too complicated for a layperson. Most people will be able to read and understand this book without being too overwhelmed or confused. Even though Trouillot is not a historian, Silencing the Past has had a large impact on the historiography of public history. This book has become a staple in public history programs across universities, and for good reason. Trouillot took the thoroughly discussed subject of historical perspective and provided a new line of thought that is written concisely and is relatively easy to understand.