Nathan Harrison: Adaptations of Identity and Masculinity on Palomar Mountain

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Gender in Historical Archaeology (General Sessions)" , at the 2021 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

During the late 19th and early 20th century, Jim Crow and Sundown Laws dominated SouthernCalifornia. As a previously enslaved man living in a region settled predominantly by Anglo-Americans from the South, Nathan Harrison had to construct his identities within these societal pressures. Using historical documents, oral histories, and the archaeological record, this paper will analyze how Harrison was able to negotiate his masculinity and carve a niche for himself in San Diego. As Harrison worked, married, and aged, he was forced to deal with both the emasculation of the subaltern “other” and a stereotypical hypermasculinity associated with the working class and his pioneer past. Harrison delicately navigated these contradictory constructions, crafting different identities for distinct audiences. The skill at which he negotiated volatile identity politics of the Old West was key to his becoming one of the most popular regional tourist attractions of the early 20th century.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Gender in Historical Archaeology (General Sessions)   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2021

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology