Nineteenth Century Anthropology and the Scientific Reconquest of the Americas

FAIN: FT-248619-16

Julia Emilia Rodriguez
University of New Hampshire (Durham, NH 03824-2620)

A history of the development of Americanist anthropology as a collaboration between scientists in Latin America and Europe.

This book project examines the genesis of Americanist anthropology in the late-19th century, a crucial moment in the centuries-old transatlantic enterprise to unearth new knowledge about the fundamental nature of humankind. It follows Americanists' own evidence trail, from physical artifacts to linguistic and cultural evidence, in the context of comparative study of Latin American civilizations. It identifies prominent figures and debates in anthropology on two continents as scientists grappled anew with existential questions -- what are the measures of civilization? Is there a single model of human social development? Can diverse peoples coexist in the same nation? It also explores how Americanist anthropology shaped key aspects of the transnational political culture of the era and outcomes in law locally, for example, practices of integration or exclusion of Native Americans and mixed race groups, the instruction of Native languages, and the return of human remains.