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Degree

Master of Arts, Miami University, History, 2011.

Abstract

This thesis focuses on the influence of the French military on the residents of Newport, Rhode Island during the American Revolution by highlighting the impact of the French presence in New England on American cultural development. This study sets itself apart from the historiography by offering an innovative approach to understanding the Revolutionary era by demonstrating how military conflict influences the construction of a shared identity. By examining colonial newspapers, the correspondence of American and French military personnel, and Newport church records, this thesis illustrates the consequences of the changing relationship between two different cultures during the late eighteenth century. Exploring how the French as neighbors and allies influenced the construction of a shared identity for New England colonists, this paper argues that New Englanders defined their communal identities against the French military presence inserted into their lives, ultimately seeing themselves as no longer British subjects.

Subject Headings

American History; History

Keywords

Newport; American Revolution; Communal Identity; French Military; Cultural History; Military History

Committee / Advisors

Andrew Cayton, PhD
Carla Pestana, PhD
Stephen Norris, PhD

Pages

56p.

Document number: miami1313085174
Permalink: http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1313085174

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