American Made: The Development of Ethnic Identities, Racism, and Economic Growth of the Young American Republic

Summary

Ethnic identification in the archaeological record is fraught with pitfalls. The application of ethnic divisions on populations that helped construct the industrial arteries of New York State are a popular lens to view history through. The immigrant populations that gave life and limb to construct the Erie Canal and the New York Railroad system paved the way for the development of the industrial Northeast. This study hopes to evaluate the efficacy of ethnic identification of the archaeological record in the context of 19th century industrial construction by using sites along the canals and railroads of New York State. Through material, landscape, and statistical analysis, the production of economic developments that follow the successful construction of industrial arteries provide the cultural environment of New York with the possibility of cultural identification linked to the racist actions and attitudes of Victorian idealism and the Nativist ideal.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Poster Submission 2016   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2016

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Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 415