Memory's Nation: The Place of Plymouth RockLong celebrated as a symbol of the country's origins, Plymouth Rock no longer receives much national attention. In fact, historians now generally agree that the Pilgrims' storied landing on the Rock never actually took place--the tradition having emerged more than a century after the arrival of the Mayflower. In Memory's Nation, however, John Seelye is not interested in the factual truth of the landing. He argues that what truly gives Plymouth Rock its significance is more than two centuries of oratorical, literary, and artistic celebrations of the Pilgrims' arrival. Seelye traces how different political, religious, and social groups used the image of the Rock on behalf of their own specific causes and ideologies. Drawing on a wealth of speeches, paintings, and popular illustrations, he shows how Plymouth Rock changed in meaning over the years, beginning as a symbol of freedom evoked in patriotic sermons at the start of the Revolution and eventually becoming an icon of exclusion during the 1920s. Originally published in 1998. A UNC Press Enduring Edition -- UNC Press Enduring Editions use the latest in digital technology to make available again books from our distinguished backlist that were previously out of print. These editions are published unaltered from the original, and are presented in affordable paperback formats, bringing readers both historical and cultural value. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
A Boat a Ship Some People | 6 |
The Landing of the Pilgrim Fathers after Charles Lucy ca 1850 | 7 |
Copyright | |
53 other sections not shown
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
abolition abolitionist Adams American ancestors anniversary Anti-Slavery associated Blagden Boston career celebration century Choate Church civil Congregational contemporary December 22 declared delivered Depew descendants discourse earlier effect emerging Emerson emphasis England England Society event Everett faith famous Federalist followed Forefathers Garrison George Hawthorne Hawthorne's Holmes honor icon inspired Jedidiah Morse John Brown John Quincy Adams Landing liberal liberty Lodge Lodge's Longfellow's Lovejoy Lowell Lowell's Massachusetts Mayflower Mayflower Compact memory minister modern monument moral noted occasion Old Colony oration patriotic perhaps persons Pierpont Pilgrim Fathers Pilgrim Society Plym Plymouth Rock poem political principles progress Puritan Quincy radical reform regarding religious Republican Reverend rhetorical Rufus Choate sacred Senator sentiments sermon shore slave slavery South speaker speech spirit Standish story suggests Sumner symbol tion tradition Union Unitarian virtue Webster Wendell Phillips Whig Whittier William William Lloyd Garrison Winthrop words Yankee York