Babel of the Atlantic (Max Kade Research Institute: Germans Beyond Europe)

Despite shifting trends in the study of Oceanic Atlantic history, the colonial Atlantic world as it is described by historians today continues to be a largely English-only space; even when other language communities are examined, they, too, are considered to be monolingual and discrete. __Babel of the Atlantic__ pushes back against this monolingual fallacy by documenting multilingualism, translation, and fluid movement across linguistic borders. Focusing on Philadelphia and surrounding areas that include Germantown, Bethlehem, and the so-called Indian country to the west, this volume demonstrates the importance of viewing inhabitants not as members of isolated language communities, whether English, German, Lenape, Mohican, or others, but as creators of a vibrant zone of mixed languages and shifting politics. Organized around four themes—religion, education, race and abolitionism, and material culture and architecture—and drawing from archives such as almanacs, newspapers, and the material world, the chapters in this volume show how polyglot, tolerant, and multilingual spaces encouraged diverse peoples to coexist. Contributors examine subjects such as the multicultural Moravian communities in colonial Pennsylvania, the Charity School movement of the 1750s, and the activities of Quaker abolitionists, showing how educational and religious movements addressed and embraced cultural and linguistic variety. Drawing early American scholarship beyond the normative narrative of monolingualism, this volume will be invaluable to historians and sociolinguists whose work focuses on Pennsylvania and colonial, revolutionary, and antebellum America. In addition to the editor, the contributors include Craig Atwood, Patrick M. Erben, Cynthia G. Falk, Katherine Faull, Wolfgang Flügel, Katharine Gerbner, Maruice Jackson, Lisa Minardi, Jürgen Overhoff, and Birte Pfleger.

Despite shifting trends in the study of Oceanic Atlantichistory, the colonial Atlantic world as it is described byhistorians today continues to be a largely English-only space; evenwhen other language communities are examined, they, too, areconsidered to be monolingual and discrete. Babel of theAtlantic pushes back against this monolingual fallacy bydocumenting multilingualism, translation, and fluid movement acrosslinguistic borders.

Focusing on Philadelphia and surrounding areas that includeGermantown, Bethlehem, and the so-called Indian country to thewest, this volume demonstrates the importance of viewinginhabitants not as members of isolated language communities,whether English, German, Lenape, Mohican, or others, but ascreators of a vibrant zone of mixed languages and shiftingpolitics. Organized around four themes-religion, education, raceand abolitionism, and material culture and architecture-and drawingfrom archives such as almanacs, newspapers, and the material world,the chapters in this volume show how polyglot, tolerant, andmultilingual spaces encouraged diverse peoples to coexist.Contributors examine subjects such as the multicultural Moraviancommunities in colonial Pennsylvania, the Charity School movementof the 1750s, and the activities of Quaker abolitionists, showinghow educational and religious movements addressed and embracedcultural and linguistic variety.

Drawing Early American scholarship beyond the normativenarrative of monolingualism, this volume will be invaluable tohistorians and sociolinguists whose work focuses on Pennsylvaniaand colonial, revolutionary, and antebellum America.

In addition to the editor, the contributors include CraigAtwood, Patrick M. Erben, Cynthia G. Falk, Katherine Faull,Wolfgang Flügel, Katharine Gerbner, Maruice Jackson, Lisa Minardi,Jürgen Overhoff, and Birte Pfleger.

"A collection of essays examining colonial Philadelphia and its surroundings as a zone of cultural and linguistic interchange. Documents everyday multilingualism and intercultural negotiations with special attention to themes of religion, education, race and the abolitionist movement, and material culture and architecture"--Provided by publisher