DOCSLIB.ORG

Dutch American Local History and Genealogy: Selected Titles at the Library of Congress

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Dutch American Local History and Genealogy: Selected Titles at the Library of Congress DUTCH AMERICAN LOCAL HISTORY AND GENEALOGY: SELECTED TITLES AT THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS Compiled by Lee V. Douglas CONTENTS I INTRODUCTION. ............................................................................................................................... 1 II. ARCHIVES........................................................................................................................................... 3 III. DUTCH NAMES.................................................................................................................................. 7 IV. HANDBOOKS...................................................................................................................................... 8 V. IMMIGRATION TO AMERICA......................................................................................................... 8 VI. RECORDS .......................................................................................................................................... 24 VII. STATES .............................................................................................................................................. 42 I. INTRODUCTION More than 20,000,000 Americans trace their ancestry to the Dutch-speaking Low Countries. Indeed, the Dutch were among the first Europeans to set foot in North America in the 17th Century. The Island of Manhattan became a Dutch colony from which explorers spread Dutch influence along the whole eastern coast of the continent. When the waves of immigrants came two hundred years later, they found many settlements already established. In 1654, New Amsterdam offered refuge to Sephardic Jews from Brazil whose ancestors had been expelled from Spain in 1492. The newcomers built a synagogue which, when New Amsterdam became New York, was the first synagogue in the United States. In the mid to late nineteenth century, many people in New York still spoke Dutch at home. The immigration waves of the nineteenth century brought thousands of Dutch to the United States escaping famine, political and religious discontent, and economic troubles. These Dutch immigrants settled primarily in the Midwest states and on the West coast. The end of World War II brought an additional wave of Dutch fleeing war-torn Europe. In considering the facts of Dutch-American immigration, local history and genealogy, the compiler has identified handbooks, bibliographies, directories, collections of documents, family histories, inventories of archives, published records, and local histories from the collections of the Library of Congress. The compiler then divided these selected titles into several categories: Archives, Dutch Names, Handbooks, Immigration to America, Records, and States. In some cases, titles belong in more than one category, but we list them only once. Under “States” one will find histories of Dutch-American settlement, but under “Records” or “Archives” there may be registers of names from churches or fraternal organizations for the same states. Under “Dutch Names,” the reader will find a listing of books analyzing Dutch surnames and etymologies, while titles focusing on the Dutch immigration experience, the bulk of the materials listed, will be found under “Dutch Immigration.” A perusal of the complete list is, therefore, advisable. Please note also that the full text of some of the titles found here is available online. One need only call up the title on the Library’s online catalog and click on the link. The intent of this compilation is twofold, to call the researcher’s attention to the carefully selected titles listed, and, further, to provide a means of finding additional works on the same subject. In the Library of Congress Online Catalog (http://catalog.loc.gov), the “Full Record” for any work will list “Subjects.” By clicking on a “Subject” the researcher will be taken to other titles on his/her area of interest. Since catalogers do not always assign identical subject headings, indeed many books cover several subjects, it is strongly recommended that the researcher do as many subject searches as possible. One may find ten titles bearing precisely on one’s interest, when several more searches may turn up a hundred equally suitable. The Library provides many other resources for the researcher searching Dutch American genealogies. Under “Bibliographies and Guides,”( http://www.loc.gov/rr/genealogy/bib_guid/bibguide.html) on the Local History and Genealogy Reading Room web page (http://www.loc.gov/rr/genealogy), the researcher may find relevant works in 400 Years of Daily Life in America (http://www.loc.gov/rr/genealogy/bib_guid/400years.pdf) and possibly in other bibliographies and guides listed. “American Memory”(http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/index.html) provides a treasure trove of full-text books, journals and photographs. The heading “Immigration, American Expansion” lists twelve collections. Please note the biographies gathered by the WPA (http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/wpaintro/wpamap.html), with a map on which one can click on the particular state of interest. Other American Memory collections that are of interest to Dutch American researcher include: The First American West: The Ohio River Valley, 1750-1820 (http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/award99/icuhtml/fawhome.html) The Northern Great Plains, 1880-1920 (http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/award97/ndfahtml/ngphome.html) Pioneering the Upper Midwest (http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/umhtml/umhome.html) American Notes: Travels in America, 1750-1920 (http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/lhtnhtml/lhtnhome.html) 2 It is our intent to aid Americans of Dutch descent, as well as those who want to know more about this current of American history. II. ARCHIVES Asher, Georg Michael. A Bibliographical and Historical Essay on the Dutch Books and Pamphlets Relating to New-Netherland and to the Dutch West-India Company and to its Possessions in Brazil, Angola, etc. as also on the Maps, Charts, etc. of New-Netherland. Descriptors: New York (State) History Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775; Bibliography; West- Indische Compagnie (Netherlands); Names, Geographical; New York (State). Compiled from the Dutch public and private libraries and from the collection of Frederik Muller in Amsterdam.; Label mounted on t.p.: New York, W.S. Heinman.; Facsimile reproduction of the edition published in Amsterdam by, F. Muller, 1854-67. Amsterdam: N. Israel, 1960; 1854. Z1317 .A812 Bogardus, William Brower. Directory of Genealogical and Historical Articles Published in "De Halve Maen" from 1923 to 1991. Descriptors: Dutch Americans New York (State) History Periodicals; Indexes; Dutch Americans History Periodicals; Dutch Americans Genealogy Periodicals; New York (State) History Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775 Periodicals; United States History Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775 Periodicals. Compiled by William Brower Bogardus.; Includes index.; Halve maen Indexes. Wilmington, Ohio: Anneke Jans and Everardus Bogardus Descendants Association, 1992. ISBN/ISSN:0962189715. F130.D9 H34 1992 Gehring, Charles T. and Holland Society of New York. Delaware Papers (Dutch Period) : A Collection of Documents Pertaining to the Regulation of Affairs on the South River of New Netherland, 1648-1664. New York Historical Manuscripts. Descriptors: Delaware History Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775; Sources; Delaware River Valley (N.Y.-Del. and N.J.) History; Dutch Americans Delaware History 17th century; Dutch Americans Delaware River Valley (N.Y.-Del. and N.J.) History 17th century; Delaware; Genealogy; Delaware River Valley (N.Y.-Del. and N.J.); Dutch Americans Delaware; Dutch Americans Delaware River Valley (N.Y.-Del. and N.J.); New Netherland History; New Netherland. translated and edited by Charles T. Gehring.; Spine title: Delaware papers, 1648-1664.; "Published under the direction of the Holland Society of New York."; "Volumes XVIII-XIX."; "This volume of Dutch records pertaining to the administration of the Delaware region of the New Netherland comprises translations of Volumes XVIII and XIX of the "Colonial manuscripts" in the New York State Archives. The volume numbers represent Edmund Bailey O'Callaghan's rearrangement of the original Dutch records for his Calendar of historical manuscripts, published in 1865"--P. xii.; Includes index.; Delaware papers, 1648-1664. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1981. ISBN/ISSN:080630944X. F167 .D383 1981 Gehring, Charles T. and Holland Society of New York. Land Papers. New York Historical Manuscripts. Descriptors: New York (State) History Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775; Sources; Land tenure New York (State) History 17th century; New York (State); Genealogy; Dutch New York (State) History 17th century; Dutch Americans New York (State). translated and edited by Charles T. Gehring.; "Publication under the direction of the Holland Society of New York."; "Volumes GG, HH & II."; "This volume of land papers from the "Colonial manuscripts" in the New York State Archives comprises translations of three Dutch record books lettered GG, HH and II"--P. vii.; Bibliography: p. ix.; Includes index. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1980. ISBN/ISSN:0806308761. F122.1 .L23 1980 3 Gemeentelijke Archiefdienst Amsterdam. Inventaris Van Het Familie-Archief Brants. Descriptors: Archives Netherlands Amsterdam; Catalogs; Brants family. door I. H. van Eeghen.; At head of title; Gemeentelijke Archiefdienst Amsterdam.; Includes indexes and summary in English. Amsterdam: Stadsdrukkerij, 1959. CD1709.5.B7 A6 Gemeentelijke Archiefdienst Amsterdam and J. H. van den Hoek Ostende. Inventaris Van Het
Load more

Recommended publications
  • LEPT Study Tour Amsterdam, Arnhem, Rotterdam 12-14 May 2019
    Facilitating Electric Vehicle Uptake LEPT study tour Amsterdam, Arnhem, Rotterdam 12-14 May 2019 1 Background Organising the study tour The London European Partnership for Transport (LEPT) has sat within the London Councils Transport and Mobility team since 2006. LEPT’s function is to coordinate, disseminate and help promote the sustainable transport and mobility agenda for London and London boroughs in Europe. LEPT works with the 33 London boroughs and TfL to build upon European knowledge and best practice, helping cities to work together to deliver specific transport policies and initiatives, and providing better value to London. In the context of a wider strategy to deliver cleaner air and reduce the impact of road transport on Londoners’ health, one of London Councils’ pledges to Londoners is the upscaling of infrastructures dedicated to electric vehicles (EVs), to facili- tate their uptake. As part of its mission to support boroughs in delivering this pledge and the Mayor’s Transport Strategy, LEPT organised a study tour in May 2019 to allow borough officers to travel to the Netherlands to understand the factors that led the country’s cities to be among the world leaders in providing EV infrastructure. Eight funded positions were available for borough officers working on electric vehicles to join. Representatives from seven boroughs and one sub-regional partnership joined the tour as well as two officers from LEPT and an officer that worked closely on EV charging infrastructure from the London Councils Transport Policy team (Appendix 1). London boroughs London’s air pollution is shortening lives and improving air quality in the city is a priority for the London boroughs.
    [Show full text]
  • Housing Diversity and Affordability in New
    HOUSING DIVERSITY AND AFFORDABILITY IN NEW JERSEY’S TRANSIT VILLAGES By Dorothy Morallos Mabel Smith Honors Thesis Douglass College Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey April 11, 2006 Written under the direction of Professor Jan S. Wells Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy ABSTRACT New Jersey’s Transit Village Initiative is a major policy initiative, administered by the New Jersey Department of Transportation that promotes the concept of transit oriented development (TOD) by revitalizing communities and promoting residential and commercial growth around transit centers. Several studies have been done on TODs, but little research has been conducted on the effects it has on housing diversity and affordability within transit areas. This research will therefore evaluate the affordable housing situation in relation to TODs in within a statewide context through the New Jersey Transit Village Initiative. Data on the affordable housing stock of 16 New Jersey Transit Villages were gathered for this research. Using Geographic Information Systems Software (GIS), the locations of these affordable housing sites were mapped and plotted over existing pedestrian shed maps of each Transit Village. Evaluations of each designated Transit Village’s efforts to encourage or incorporate inclusionary housing were based on the location and availability of affordable developments, as well as the demographic character of each participating municipality. Overall, findings showed that affordable housing remains low amongst all the designated villages. However, new rules set forth by the Council on Affordable Housing (COAH) may soon change these results and the overall affordable housing stock within the whole state.
    [Show full text]
  • The Dutch Moment: War, Trade, and Settlement in the Seventeenth-Century Atlantic World
    Wim Klooster. The Dutch Moment: War, Trade, and Settlement in the Seventeenth-Century Atlantic World. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2016. 432 pp. Ill. $35.00, cloth, ISBN 978-0-8014-5045-7. Reviewed by Bram Hoonhout (Leiden University) Published on H-Slavery (June, 2017) Commissioned by David M. Prior (University of New Mexico) With The Dutch Moment, Wim Klooster has To accomplish these goals, The Dutch Moment written a masterful book about the Dutch presence relies on an extensive body of secondary sources in the seventeenth-century Atlantic world. This in multiple languages, as well as on new archival “Dutch Moment” took place between the 1620s material. Throughout the book, Klooster addresses (with the first invasion of Brazil) and the 1670s various aspects of the Dutch imperial moment, in‐ (when the West India Company collapsed and New cluding military expeditions, public debates in the Netherland was definitively lost). The Dutch imper‐ metropolis, and the role of religion. The first four ial moment was gone by then, and from attackers chapters are dedicated to empire building; the fol‐ the Dutch became defenders. In between, Klooster lowing three discuss trade, migration, and interac‐ argues, the Atlantic underwent a “Great Trans‐ tions with the non-Dutch. formation,” from an Iberian-dominated space to a In the first part, Klooster places Dutch expan‐ battleground in the Second Hundred Years’ War sion in the light of the Dutch War of Independence between France and Britain. (1568-1648) with Spain. After a contextual chapter, Klooster sets out with several historiographic‐ the author shows how the West India Company al aims.
    [Show full text]
  • Attitudes Toward English Language Legislation: Predictors and Rationales
    Intercultural Communication Studies XI: 4 2002 Schatz, Sullivan, Flanigan and Black Attitudes toward English Language Legislation: Predictors and Rationales Robert T. Schatz Nancy Sullivan Metropolitan State College Texas A&M University- of Denver Corpus Christi Beverly Flanigan Autumn Black Ohio University Metropolitan State College of Denver Abstract The research investigated predictors of and reasons for people’s attitudes toward English Language Legislation (ELL) in the United States. Survey responses of 660 participants from South Texas, Colorado, and Ohio were examined. Regression analysis of demographic/background factors indicated that Hispanic ethnicity, Spanish-English bilingual language background, and political conservatism were independent predictors of ELL support. The relationship between strength of ethnic identification and ELL attitudes was mediated by respondents’ ethnicity: Increased ethnic identification was associated with support for ELL among European-Americans but with opposition to ELL among Hispanic-Americans. National (U.S.) attachment, most notably concern for the U.S. flag, also predicted pro-ELL attitudes. Further, in support of the “backlash hypothesis,” higher levels of ELL support among European-Americans were found in the region with the highest proportion of Hispanic residents (South Texas) than in the region with the lowest (Ohio). Pro- and anti-ELL respondents’ importance ratings of reasons for their position roughly paralleled the findings of previous research by Sullivan and Schatz (1999). In addition, ethnic differences in these ratings were more pronounced among ELL opponents than among ELL proponents. These findings are discussed within the context of the predictors and underlying motivations of people’s attitudes toward ELL. 121 Intercultural Communication Studies XI: 4 2002 Schatz, Sullivan, Flanigan and Black The status of English in the United States has been debated for over a century.
    [Show full text]
  • Breda - Tilburg - ‘S-Hertogenbosch Varen Langs Brabantse Steden
    BREDA - TILBURG - ‘S-HERTOGENBOSCH VAREN LANGS BRABANTSE STEDEN 10 ANWB.NL/WATER 11 • 2016 TEKST EN FOTO’S: FRANK KOORNEEF EEN VAARTOCHT OVER DE BRABANTSE KANALEN KRIJGT AL GAUW HET KARAKTER VAN EEN STEDENTRIP. GEEN WONDER ALS JE BEDENKT DAT BREDA, TILBURG EN ’S-HERTOGENBOSCH DIRECT AAN HET WATER LIGGEN. CHARME V oor de meeste mensen zullen de aan- trekkelijke steden van Noord-Bra- bant de voornaamste reden zijn om een vaartocht over de Brabantse kanalen te maken. En dat is niet voor niets. Breda kop - pelt een oergezellige, oude binnenstad aan een rijk verleden vol belegeringen, waarin stadskastelen zoals het Spanjaardsgat een belangrijke rol in speelden. Wat Tilburg aan stedenschoon tekort komt, maakt de stad weer goed door zijn bedrijvigheid en gezelligheid. Ook heeft de stad een paar zeer interessante musea. Toppunt van Brabantse charme is wellicht ’s-Hertogenbosch, waar het Bourgondische Brabantse leven bijna spreekwoordelijk is. Tussen de steden ligt meestal maar een paar uur varen, alleen de afstand Tilburg-’s-Hertogenbosch is over het water wat langer. Maar dankzij diverse aanlegplaatsen onderweg is dit traject ook prima in twee dagen te doen. Niet alleen steden Omdat het zo voor de hand ligt om in Bra- bant van stad naar stad te varen, zou je haast vergeten dat tussen deze steden het Tip 1 Brabantse platteland ligt. Op veel plekken, Maak een rondje over de met name aan het Wilhelminakanaal, vaar stadssingels van Breda. Dat je door een bijzonder vriendelijk en bosrijk landschap, waar je prima kunt wandelen kan vanwege de vele vaste of fietsen. Safari- en attractiepark Beekse bruggen alleen met de bijboot Bergen vormt een bijzondere tussenstop of een (huur-)sloepje en beschikt over een eigen beschut gelegen jachthaven.
    [Show full text]
  • Handbook of Dutch Church History
    Herman J. Selderhuis, Handbook of Dutch Church History © 2014, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht GmbH & Co. KG, Göttingen ISBN Print: 9783525557877 — ISBN E-Book: 9783647557878 Herman J. Selderhuis, Handbook of Dutch Church History © 2014, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht GmbH & Co. KG, Göttingen ISBN Print: 9783525557877 — ISBN E-Book: 9783647557878 Herman J. Selderhuis, Handbook of Dutch Church History Handbook of Dutch Church History edited by Herman J. Selderhuis Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht © 2014, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht GmbH & Co. KG, Göttingen ISBN Print: 9783525557877 — ISBN E-Book: 9783647557878 Herman J. Selderhuis, Handbook of Dutch Church History Originally published in Dutch language as “Handboek Nederlandse Kerkgeschiedenis”, edited by Herman J. Selderhuis (© VBK|media B.V. on behalf of Uitgeverij Kok, Utrecht 2010). With 4 figures. Bibliographic information published by the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliografie; detailed bibliographic data available online: http://dnb.d-nb.de. ISBN 978-3-647-55787-8 You can find alternative editions of this book and additional material on our website: www.v-r.de Cover: Stichting Goudse Sint-Jan, Gouda, Netherlands © 2015, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht GmbH & Co. KG, Göttingen/ Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht LLC, Bristol, CT, U.S.A. www.v-r.de All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written permission from the publisher. 1SJOUFEJO(FSNBOZ Typesetting by Konrad Triltsch, Ochsenfurt 1SJOUFEBOECPVOECZ)VCFSU$P (ÚUUJOHFO 1SJOUFEPOOPOBHJOHQBQFS © 2014, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht GmbH & Co. KG, Göttingen ISBN Print: 9783525557877 — ISBN E-Book: 9783647557878 Herman J. Selderhuis, Handbook of Dutch Church History Contents Acknowledgements .
    [Show full text]
  • A Geological History of Groningen's Subsurface
    A geological history of Groningen’s subsurface Erik Meijles, University of Groningen Date June 2015 Editors Jan van Elk & Dirk Doornhof Translated by E.L. Howard General introduction Ground acceleration caused by an induced earthquake is strongly dependent on the composition of local shallow soils. NAM commissioned Deltares to conduct a detailed survey of the shallow subsurface above the Groningen gas field. The survey focuses on Quaternary geology with an emphasis on the upper 50 metres. This report provides an introduction to Groningen’s Quaternary geology as a background to the comprehensive Deltares report, which has culminated in a detailed model of Groningen’s shallow subsurface. This report was written by Dr ir Erik Meijles, Assistant Professor of Physical Geography at the University of Groningen. Wim Dubelaar, Dr Jan Stafleu and Dr Wim Westerhoff of TNO Geological Survey of the Netherlands (TNO- NITG) in Utrecht assisted with editing this report and provided a number of key diagrams. Title A geological history of Groningen’s subsurface Date June 2015 Client NAM Author Erik Meijles, Assistant Professor Edited by Jan van Elk of Physical Geography and Dirk Doornhof Organization University of Groningen Organization NAM Significance for Research theme: earthquake Predicting ground acceleration research Explanation: Ground acceleration caused by an induced earthquake is strongly dependent on the composition of local shallow soils. NAM commissioned Deltares to conduct a detailed survey of the shallow subsurface above the Groningen gas field. This survey focuses on the Quaternary geology of Groningen with an emphasis on the upper 50 metres. Directly This research serves as background to the report entitled ‘Geological schematisation of related the shallow subsurface of Groningen’ written by various Deltares staff members.
    [Show full text]
  • Kernnetwerk West-Brabant
    Bijlage D.5.3: Kernnetwerk West-Brabant Streekdienst West-Brabant .................................................................................................................................. 2 H1. HOV-lijn Breda – Etten Leur .................................................................................................................. 2 H2. HOV-lijn Breda – Etten-Leur –Oud-Gastel ............................................................................................. 2 H3. HOV-lijn Etten-Leur –Roosendaal.......................................................................................................... 3 H4. HOV-lijn Breda – Oosterhout - Geertruidenberg..................................................................................... 3 H5. HOV-lijn Breda – Oosterhout – Dongen - Tilburg .................................................................................. 4 H6. HOV-lijn Breda – Oosterhout Vrachelen ................................................................................................ 4 H7. HOV-lijn Breda - Utrecht ....................................................................................................................... 7 H8. HOV-lijn Oosterhout - Utrecht ............................................................................................................... 8 S1. Verbinding Breda - Oosterhout ................................................................................................................ 8 S2. Verbinding Bergen op Zoom - Rotterdam ...............................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Title: Study Visit Energy Transition in Arnhem Nijmegen City Region And
    Title: Study Visit Energy Transition in Arnhem Nijmegen City Region and the Cleantech Region Together with the Province of Gelderland and the AER, ERRIN Members Arnhem Nijmegen City Region and the Cleantech Region are organising a study visit on the energy transition in Gelderland (NL) to share and learn from each other’s experiences. Originally, the study visit was planned for October 31st-November 2nd 2017 but has now been rescheduled for April 17-19 2018. All ERRIN members are invited to participate and can find the new programme and registration form online. In order to ensure that as many regions benefit as possible, we kindly ask that delegations are limited to a maximum of 3 persons per region since there is a maximum of 20 spots available for the whole visit. Multistakeholder collaboration The main focus of the study visit, which will be organised in cooperation with other interregional networks, will be the Gelders’ Energy agreement (GEA). This collaboration between local and regional industries, governments and NGOs’ in the province of Gelderland, Netherlands, has pledged for the province to become energy-neutral by 2050. It facilitates a co-creative process where initiatives, actors, and energy are integrated into society. a A bottom-up approach The unique nature of the GEA resides in its origin. The initiative sprouted from society when it faced the complex, intricate problems of the energy transition. The three initiators were GNMF, the Gelders’ environmental protection association, het Klimaatverbond, a national climate association and Alliander, an energy network company. While the provincial government endorses the project, it is not a top-down initiative.
    [Show full text]
  • Politics Among Danish Americans in the Midwest, Ca. 1890-1914
    The Bridge Volume 31 Number 1 Article 6 2008 Politics Among Danish Americans in the Midwest, ca. 1890-1914 Jorn Brondal Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/thebridge Part of the European History Commons, European Languages and Societies Commons, and the Regional Sociology Commons Recommended Citation Brondal, Jorn (2008) "Politics Among Danish Americans in the Midwest, ca. 1890-1914," The Bridge: Vol. 31 : No. 1 , Article 6. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/thebridge/vol31/iss1/6 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Bridge by an authorized editor of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. Politics Among Danish Americans in the Midwest, ca. 1890-1914 by J0rn Brnndal During the last decades of the nineteenth century and into the twentieth, ethnicity and religion played a vital role in shaping the political culture of the Midwest. Indeed, historians like Samuel P. Hays, Lee Benson, Richard Jensen (of part Danish origins), and Paul Kleppner argued that ethnoreligious factors to a higher degree than socioeconomic circumstances informed the party affiliation of ordinary voters.1 It is definitely true that some ethnoreligious groups like, say, the Irish Catholics and the German Lutherans boasted full­ fledged political subcultures complete with their own press, their own political leadership and to some extent, at least, their own ethnically defined issues. Somewhat similar patterns existed among the Norwegian Americans.2 They too got involved in grassroots­ level political activities, with their churches, temperance societies, and fraternal organizations playing an important role in modeling a political subculture.
    [Show full text]
  • Ganesh Sitaraman's Idealized American History
    GANESH SITARAMAN’S IDEALIZED AMERICAN HISTORY DAVID LYONS A popular theme among patriots is to celebrate America’s special virtues, which distinguish it radically from European models. Ganesh Sitaraman tells us that political constitutions have generally been designed to prevent socially destabilizing class warfare between the rich, who seek greater domination, and the poor, who would like to redistribute the former’s wealth. America’s Constitution is distinctive because it was consciously designed for a society in which the middle class is large enough to preserve social stability. That is why Sitaraman calls it a “middle-class constitution.” Sitaraman credits the Founders with understanding that America was capable of avoiding class warfare and its consequences. They understood that the young nation was blessed with “economic equality,” which for present purposes means a middle class large and strong enough to maintain a balance of political power. America’s Constitution was designed to exploit and preserve that equilibrium. But the Founders did not anticipate developments that would challenge the viability of their design, not least the displacement of independent farmers (who are counted here as “middle class”) by low-wage factory workers and their affluent employers. Today, as has happened in past eras, America’s political system faces a compound crisis: America’s increasingly concentrated wealth distorts its electoral system, and its greatly intensified inequality prevents the shrinking middle class from performing its constitutional function. America, accordingly, faces the prospect of open class warfare, from which will emerge an oppressive oligarchy comprising the wealthy elite, perhaps followed by a bloody revolt by the poor.
    [Show full text]
  • Tulip Time, U
    TULIP TIME, U. S. A.: STAGING MEMORY, IDENTITY AND ETHNICITY IN DUTCH-AMERICAN COMMUNITY FESTIVALS DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Terence Guy Schoone-Jongen, M. A. * * * * * The Ohio State University 2007 Dissertation Committee: Approved by Professor Thomas Postlewait, Advisor Professor Dorothy Noyes Professor Alan Woods Adviser Theatre Graduate Program ABSTRACT Throughout the United States, thousands of festivals, like St. Patrick’s Day in New York City or the Greek Festival and Oktoberfest in Columbus, annually celebrate the ethnic heritages, values, and identities of the communities that stage them. Combining elements of ethnic pride, nostalgia, sentimentality, cultural memory, religous values, political positions, economic motive, and the spirit of celebration, these festivals are well-organized performances that promote a community’s special identity and heritage. At the same time, these festivals usually reach out to the larger community in an attempt to place the ethnic community within the American fabric. These festivals have a complex history tied to the “melting pot” history of America. Since the twentieth century many communities and ethnic groups have struggled to hold onto or reclaim a past that gradually slips away. Ethnic heritage festivals are one prevalent way to maintain this receding past. And yet such ii festivals can serve radically different aims, socially and politically. In this dissertation I will investigate how these festivals are presented and why they are significant for both participants and spectators. I wish to determine what such festivals do and mean. I will examine five Dutch American festivals, three of which are among the oldest ethnic heritage festivals in the United States.
    [Show full text]