Creating an American Identity

"Creating an American Identity" examines the relationship between regionalism and nationalism in New England. Kermes offers new insights into New England regional identity and its influence on national identity in early America. The book explores the trans-Atlantic aspects of regional and national identity, looking at how the French Revolution, Frederick II, latent loyalism, and the Marquis de Lafayette played into New Englanders' and Americans' self-conception. The book draws on examples from contemporary print and material culture that have been neglected by other scholars.Focusing on the years 1789-1825, "Creating an American Identity" analyzes the process by which New Englanders used trans-Atlantic symbols as well as regional landscapes, values, and characteristics to create an American identity.