<
https://theconversation.com/pharaohs-in-dixieland-how-19th-century-america-reimagined-egypt-to-justify-racism-and-slavery-266665>
"When Napoleon embarked upon a military expedition into Egypt in 1798, he
brought with him a team of scholars, scientists and artists. Together, they
produced the monumental “Description de l’Égypte,” a massive, multivolume work
about Egyptian geography, history and culture.
At the time, the United States was a young nation with big aspirations, and
Americans often viewed their country as an heir to the great civilizations of
the past. The tales of ancient Egypt that emerged from Napoleon’s travels
became a source of fascination to Americans, though in different ways.
In the slaveholding South, ancient Egypt and its pharaohs became a way to
justify slavery. For abolitionists and African Americans, biblical Egypt served
as a symbol of bondage and liberation.
As a historian, I study how 19th-century Americans – from Southern
intellectuals to Black abolitionists – used ancient Egypt to debate questions
of race, civilization and national identity. My research traces how a distorted
image of ancient Egypt shaped competing visions of freedom and hierarchy in a
deeply divided nation."
Via Susan ****
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
