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Intersecting Worlds : New Sweden’s Transatlantic Entanglements

Fur, Gunlög ; Nordin, Jonas M. LU and Naum, Magdalena LU (2016) In Journal of Transnational American Studies 7(1).
Abstract
The New Sweden Colony (1638-1655) is often regarded as an anomaly in the context of 17th century Swedish politics and in the context of other European colonies in America. Equally, the colony's importance in the historical narrative of early modern Sweden and colonial America has been modest. However, more recent research on Scandinavian involvement in the Atlantic economy and early modern politics at home and abroad shows that Sweden was actively involved in producing and advancing a colonial agenda and that the relatively short-lived colonial venture in America had long-term effects and consequences.

Taking the point of departure in a critical review of the scholarship on New Sweden, this article examines the common image of the... (More)
The New Sweden Colony (1638-1655) is often regarded as an anomaly in the context of 17th century Swedish politics and in the context of other European colonies in America. Equally, the colony's importance in the historical narrative of early modern Sweden and colonial America has been modest. However, more recent research on Scandinavian involvement in the Atlantic economy and early modern politics at home and abroad shows that Sweden was actively involved in producing and advancing a colonial agenda and that the relatively short-lived colonial venture in America had long-term effects and consequences.

Taking the point of departure in a critical review of the scholarship on New Sweden, this article examines the common image of the colony and identifies several blind spots and points of convergence between New Sweden and Sweden’s other colonial projects. Informed by postcolonial approaches the article examines colonial rhetoric and logic underlying the interactions between the Swedes and the Native Americans and foregrounds practices of the Swedish community in America. It explores the connections between Sweden and the Swedish community in America throughout the 17th and 18th century and the impact of these connections (and this colonial venture) in Sweden and America. The article also draws attention to the close relations and parallels between the colonial practice in New Sweden and Sápmi. This analysis sheds new light on the colony and its role in Sweden and America in the 17th as well as in the 20th century. (Less)
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author
; and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Journal of Transnational American Studies
volume
7
issue
1
pages
23 pages
publisher
eScholarship University of California
ISSN
1940-0764
DOI
10.5070/T871030644
project
Sweden in the Delaware valley. Everyday life and identities in the seventeenth century colony of New Sweden
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
55693b35-dcd2-4fa0-96c9-1d863f0480bb
date added to LUP
2023-09-12 20:36:39
date last changed
2023-09-22 14:05:28
@article{55693b35-dcd2-4fa0-96c9-1d863f0480bb,
  abstract     = {{The New Sweden Colony (1638-1655) is often regarded as an anomaly in the context of 17th century Swedish politics and in the context of other European colonies in America. Equally, the colony's importance in the historical narrative of early modern Sweden and colonial America has been modest. However, more recent research on Scandinavian involvement in the Atlantic economy and early modern politics at home and abroad shows that Sweden was actively involved in producing and advancing a colonial agenda and that the relatively short-lived colonial venture in America had long-term effects and consequences.<br/><br/>Taking the point of departure in a critical review of the scholarship on New Sweden, this article examines the common image of the colony and identifies several blind spots and points of convergence between New Sweden and Sweden’s other colonial projects. Informed by postcolonial approaches the article examines colonial rhetoric and logic underlying the interactions between the Swedes and the Native Americans and foregrounds practices of the Swedish community in America. It explores the connections between Sweden and the Swedish community in America throughout the 17th and 18th century and the impact of these connections (and this colonial venture) in Sweden and America. The article also draws attention to the close relations and parallels between the colonial practice in New Sweden and Sápmi. This analysis sheds new light on the colony and its role in Sweden and America in the 17th as well as in the 20th century.}},
  author       = {{Fur, Gunlög and Nordin, Jonas M. and Naum, Magdalena}},
  issn         = {{1940-0764}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  publisher    = {{eScholarship University of California}},
  series       = {{Journal of Transnational American Studies}},
  title        = {{Intersecting Worlds : New Sweden’s Transatlantic Entanglements}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.5070/T871030644}},
  doi          = {{10.5070/T871030644}},
  volume       = {{7}},
  year         = {{2016}},
}