Towards Intercolonial Studies: Exploring 18th-century Virginians’ perceptions of the Spanish Empire

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Paper / Report Submission (General Sessions)", at the 2023 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

In the early modern period, England and Spain claimed the majority of the Americas. The imperial actions and policies of one empire were often reactions to developments in the other. Those living in the colonial Americas were highly aware of and alert to these changes and, in some cases, specifically advocated for greater protections or more favorable trade regulations that could help or hinder exchanges between the colonial neighbors.

In this paper, I explore these intercolonial interactions. Using digitized archives from the Virginia Gazette, as well as archaeological evidence, I discuss how those living in 18th-century Virginia perceived and interacted with the Spanish Empire. In doing so, I hope to show how exploring interactions between empires can produce rich results that have the potential to open the past to new audiences.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• SHA 2023 General Sessions   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2023

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Nicole Haddow