Woodruff D. Smith

Complications of the Commonplace: Tea, Sugar, and Imperialism

Complications of the Commonplace: Tea, Sugar, and Imperialism Among the historical phenomena to which interdisciplinary analysis can be usefully applied, one large class stands out because the only way to interpret it successfully at present is through such treatment. The phenomena in this group are complex and at least partly cultural in nature. They involve the concepts of change and causation and require a multivariate analysis addressing elements that are nonquantifiable together with those that are. Most importantly, their commonplace nature has made it acceptable for scholars in standard disciplinary fields to ignore or dismiss them as trivial, thus avoiding the difficulties of analysis altogether. Some of these phenomena are not trivial in their implications, and many of them, if explored imaginatively, offer substantial insights into larger historical processes.

Public universities and the public sphere

The Core Public Sphere: What It Is and Why It Needs Help Why is Public Higher Education in Trouble? Building the Core Public Sphere The Public Sphere and the Construction of the Modern American University Public Universities and the Democratization of the Core Public Sphere Occlusion and Its Consequences What Should Be Done?

Conquests and Cultures: An International History (review)

were adults (sex and age being determined by African suppliers rather than American consumers). The scarcity of women meant that American slave societies had difaculty reproducing themselves (the United States being an exception), which meant that demand for slaves would continue and that family formation and group cultural expression would be delayed. In opposition to recent scholarship, Klein writes that the nature of the trade “did not foster a coherent transfer of either languages or cultural traits to the New World” (173). The cultures that emerged were broad blends of behaviors and beliefs—some African, some borrowed, and some new creations. For Klein, the trade’s major unintended result was the creation of “a viable and vibrant working-class Afro-American population . . . within almost every major society in the Americas” (182). This is a concise and thoughtful synthesis of interdisciplinary history. Not all will agree with Klein’s conclusions, but all will have to recognize their grounding in evidence and explain why they are incorrect. It will not be easy.

The German Colonial Empire

Although Germanys short-lived colonial empire (1884-1918) was neither large nor successful, it is historically significant. The establishment of German colonies and attempts to expand them affected international politics in a period of extreme tension. Smith focuses on the interaction between Germanys colonial empire and German politics and, by extension, on the connection between colonialism and socioeconomic conflict in Germany before World War I.Originally published in 1978.A UNC Press Enduring Edition -- UNC Press Enduring Editions use the latest in digital technology to make available again books from our distinguished backlist that were previously out of print. These editions are published unaltered from the original, and are presented in affordable paperback formats, bringing readers both historical and cultural value.