Britain and the United States at the world's fairs, 1851-1893
This dissertation examines how British and American people imagined and understood the transatlantic relationship in the second half of the nineteenth century. Specifically, it examines visitors' and observers' reactions to five world's fairs held between 1851 and 1893 in both nations to illustrate how these conceptions changed over the period. These events, unlike any others in the period projected national images created by government officials and industrialists in each country. They forced visitors and observers to renegotiate their understanding of the world through these curated presentations of foreign products and art. The dissertation employs newspaper reports, guidebooks, organisational documents, and other texts from these events which record visitors' changing conceptions of British and American industry, global power, and the two nations' cultural and historical bonds. These sources also record reactions from people who observed these fairs from afar without visiting them. By the end of the period British visitors and observers of these events saw the United States as part of an extended British world, bound by a shared ~Anglo-Saxon~ racial heritage. Americans initially highlighted their transatlantic
Tiedemann, David Samuel
Britain and the United States at the world's fairs, 1851-1893. This dissertation examines how British and American people imagined and understood the transatlantic relationship in the second half of the nineteenth century. Specifically, it examines visitors' and observers' reactions to five world's fairs held between 1851 and 1893 in both nations to illustrate how these conceptions changed over the period. These events, unlike any others in the period projected national images created by government officials and industrialists in each country. They forced visitors and observers to renegotiate their understanding of the world through these curated presentations of foreign products and art. The dissertation employs newspaper reports, guidebooks, organisational documents, and other texts from these events which record visitors' changing conceptions of British and American industry, global power, and the two nations' cultural and historical bonds. These sources also record reactions from people who observed these fairs from afar without visiting them. By the end of the period British visitors and observers of these events saw the United States as part of an extended British world, bound by a shared ~Anglo-Saxon~ racial heritage. Americans initially highlighted their transatlantic
britain united_states world fair examines british_american people imagine understood transatlantic relationship specifically examine visitor observer reaction world fair hold nation illustrate conception change period event unlike others period project national image create government_official industrialist country force visitor observer renegotiate world curated presentation foreign product art employ newspaper_report organisational document texts event record visitor change conception british_american industry global power nation cultural_historical bond source also record reaction people observe fair without visit them end period british visitor observer event saw united_states part extend british world bound share anglo_saxon racial heritage americans initially highlight transatlantic