Creating an American Identity examines the relationship between regionalism and nationalism in New England. Focusing on the years 1789-1825, it analyzes the process by which New Englanders used trans-Atlantic symbols as well as regional landscapes, values, and characteristics to create an American identity.
"In this excellent book, Stephanie Kermes makes a signal contribution to cultural history and regional history.She draws on a transatlantic research base, and she offers a host of original insights on the creation of identity in the early national era.All scholars of New England and the early Republic should read this book." - Joan E. Cashin, editor of Our Common Affairs: Texts from Women in the Old South"Taken together, these forays into regional consciousness-building add valuable insights into the often schizophrenic development of "American" identity ebfore the Age of Jackson." - Len Travers, University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, American Historical Review"Kernes's book makes an important contribution to our understanding of the relationship between nationa, regional, and local identities in early national America." - Paul E. Teed, Saginaw Valley State University, Michigan