Literature for Swedish Lutherans in Colonial America, 1696-1730
- Autores: Daniel Lindmark
- Localización: Paedagogica Historica: International journal of the history of education, ISSN 0030-9230, Vol. 37, Nº. 1, 2001 (Ejemplar dedicado a: Education and ethnicity), págs. 35-54
- Idioma: inglés
- Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
-
Resumen
In bis dissertation on the Augustana Synod and its significance for the construction of nineteenth-century Swedish�American identity, DagBlanck examined the literature issued by the Augustana Book Concern. 1 1 Dag Blanck, Becoming Swedish-American. The Construction of an Ethnic Identity in the Augustana Synod, 1860-1917(Uppsala, 1997). View all notes One of the most important types of literature was the textbooks, intended for use in the Swedish�American schools. Blanck's analysis of their contents provides evidence that these textbooks served the purpose of constructing and implanting a certain Swedish�American identity by providing space not only for the Swedish cultural heritage, but also the American immigrant experience. Applying a similar perspective, this article discusses the significance of Swedish literature to the descendants of the New Sweden colonists at the turn of the seventeenth century. From the early 1690s and through the 1720s, the book supply comprised a major line of communication between Sweden and America. While previous research has emphasized the religious point of view and the missionary efforts conducted by Swedish authorities, the article analyses the book supply from the perspective of Swedish�American ethnic formation. Defending their rights to religious freedom and land possession, the old settlers mobilized along ethnic lines. In order to discuss what purpose this literature might have served in promoting Swedishness, the article presents an assessment of the extent and composition of the five major book deliveries to America prior to 1720. Particular attention will be paid to the construction of a special Swedish-American literature.
