Sign-up for Lost History Week session #2 on March 18th, at 6-8 pm with Dr. Tony Abbott on Blackboard.
William Bartram published his seminal American natural history in 1791, Travels through North & South Carolina, Georgia, East & West Florida, the Cherokee Country, the Extensive Territories of the Muscogulges, or Creek Confederacy, and the Country of the Chactaws. Three themes dominate Bartram’s writings: flora and fauna, Native American culture, and interaction with European settlers. Existing monuments of Bartram, such as historical markers and recreational trails, constitute a Southern text, one that is as autobiographical of modern Southerners as it is biographical of Bartram. These memorials emphasize his comments and work with plants and animals, framing the South of the period as a wild landscape, perpetuating a pristine myth of the Americas. Contemporary omissions of Bartram’s extensive accounts of Native Americans relegate them to the margins of history at a time when they were politically powerful.
To attend the virtual lecture, please RSVP by filling out the Presentation Sign-up form. You will receive a link to attend the presentation prior to the event.