Papers by Matthew Costello
This paper explores the development of the American nation within the theorectical frameworks cre... more This paper explores the development of the American nation within the theorectical frameworks created by Benedict Anderson, Miroslav Hroch, John Brueilly, and Ernest Gellner. American historians have tended to shy away from applying Europeanist nationalism to the American example for a number of reasons. Americans have no common religion, ethnicity, race, language. They have no shared historical homeland or ancient tradtions/rituals. In fact, it appears Americans have no makings of a nation at all. However, this paper argues that the invented political creed of the Revolution transformed the American mindset into one of democratic inclusiveness, and over time, as more Americans were able to enter the political arena, their gradual acceptance by the state fostered their own sense of individual nationalism, reinforcing their entry into the American nation. I hypothesize that it was incredibly difficult for most women, minorities, and immigrants to fully embrace the American civic religion without political or social rights, but over time, as the state and society recognized their place within the polit ical arena, the national creed became more tangible. Full citizen participation in state politics, and full inclusion to the nation have only recently made America a true "nation-state."
This is a study of George Washington's remains, or relics, in relation to the shifting ideas of V... more This is a study of George Washington's remains, or relics, in relation to the shifting ideas of Virginian identity in the early Republic. I examine the 1799 Congressional resolution to inter Washington in the Capitol in Washington D.C., passed unanimously, and its resurrection in 1832 by Henry Clay to celebrate the centennial of his birth. The paper also surveys intrastate sectionalism in Virginia and the growing polarizations between Western and Eastern Virginians. Political representation and suffrage, taxation, slavery, colonization, and internal improvements all make appearances in the debate. It certainly appeared that Virginians had much to disagree over, but local representatives unanimously supported a declaration that explicitly prohibited the federal government from taking Washington's body. The possession of the relics also seeped into the tariff debates and the argument of states' rights versus federal power. I argue that Virginians in 1832 were not only divided amongst themselves but also they feared their decline of national status as a state power. The incident provided Eastern Virginians a way to reassert their authority, challenge the federal government, and bridge the gap between the east and the west. This falls into my larger argument (which I plan to expand upon for the dissertation) the importance of the Founding Generation for historical memory in the antebellum period. These figures had the malleability to unite and divide the same groups over different issues, and as local and regional interpretations offered different memories, these individuals and events became points of conflict. Washington was certainly a national symbol by 1832, but this attempt to turn his body into a national relic threatened Virginians' collective memory of Washington: he was first a Virginian, and second, an American.
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Papers by Matthew Costello