What can homespun cloth, stuffed birds, quince jelly, and
ginseng reveal about the formation of early American national identity? In this
wide-ranging and bold new interpretation of American history and its Founding
Fathers, Kariann Akemi Yokota shows that political independence from Britain
fueled anxieties among the Americans about their cultural inferiority and
continuing dependence on the mother country. Caught between their desire to
emulate the mother country and an awareness that they lived an ocean away on
the periphery of the known world, they went to great lengths to convince
themselves and others of their refinement. Taking a transnational approach to
American history, Yokota examines a wealth of evidence from geography, the
decorative arts, intellectual history, science, and technology to underscore
that the process of "unbecoming British" was not an easy one. Indeed,
the new nation struggled to define itself economically, politically, and
culturally in what could be called America's postcolonial period. Out of this
confusion of hope and exploitation, insecurity and vision, a uniquely American
identity emerged.
Dr. Yokota received her Ph.D. in History from the
University of California, Los Angeles and served as Assistant Professor of
History and American Studies at Yale University before coming to the University
of Colorado Denver. Yokota is the author of the widely acclaimed
book, Unbecoming British, among other publications on topics of
immigration and ethnicity.