Early Modern Postmodern Polities: The Narratives of Colonial Political Development. A Review of: The Varieties of Political Experience in Eighteenth-Century America

Authors

Johann N. Neem, Western Washington UniversityFollow

Document Type

Book Review

Publication Date

12-2004

Abstract

Colonial America was a diverse place. And each voice is valuable. Historians must be sensitive to this fact. We know now that any narrative privileges certain perspectives. There are thus many narratives that can be told about the eighteenth century. But there must be a theme to unite any story. Beeman convincingly argues that historians must look beyond political ideas and ideologies to actual practices. In doing so, Beeman provides a useful and necessary caution against easy generalizations about the thirteen colonies, but we still need to construct a new synthesis to help us talk about colonial politics.

Publication Title

Reviews in American History

Volume

32

Issue

4

First Page

478

Last Page

485

Comments

© 2004, Johns Hopkins University Press.

Recommended Citation

Neem, Johann N., "Early Modern Postmodern Polities: The Narratives of Colonial Political Development. A Review of: The Varieties of Political Experience in Eighteenth-Century America" (2004). History Faculty and Staff Publications. 18.
https://cedar.wwu.edu/history_facpubs/18

Subjects - Topical (LCSH)

Political culture--United States--History--18th century; Regionalism--United States--History--18th century; Democracy--United States--History--18th century

Subjects - Names (LCNAF)

Beeman, Richard R. Varieties of political experience in eighteenth-century America

Geographic Coverage

United States

Genre/Form

reviews (documents)

Type

Text

Language

English

Format

application/pdf