Future history : global fantasies in seventeenth-century American and British writings

244 Pages·2017·4.635 MB·English

by  Kristina Bross

Future History

Future History
Global Fantasies in
Seventeenth-Century American
and British Writings
Kristina Bross
1
1
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Bross, Kristina, author.
Title: Future history : global fantasies in seventeenth-century American and
British writings / Kristina Bross.
Description: New York : Oxford University Press, 2017. | Includes
bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2017002198| ISBN 9780190665135 (hardback) | ISBN
9780190665159 (epub)
Subjects: LCSH: English literature—Early modern, 1500-1700—History and
criticism. | American literature—Colonial period, ca. 1600–1775—History
and criticism. | Comparative literature—English and American. |
Comparative literature—American and English. | English
literature—American influences. | American literature—English
influences. | Literature and globalization. | BISAC: HISTORY / United
States / Civil War Period (1850-1877).
Classification: LCC PR129.A4 B76 2017 | DDC 820.9/35873—dc23 LC record available at
https://lccn.loc.gov/2017002198
1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2
Printed by Sheridan Books, Inc., United States of America
For Steve, Gracie, Katie. It’s off the dining table, finally!
I sing the Mariner who first unfurl’d
An eastern banner o’er the western world,
And taught mankind where future empires lay
In these fair confines of descending day;
—The Columbiad, Joel Barlow
October 12 their dream came true.
You never saw a happier crew!
“Indians! Indians!” Columbus cried;
His heart was filled with joyful pride
But “India” the land was not;
It was the Bahamas, and it was hot.
—In 1492, Jean Marzollo
CONTENTS
Acknowledgments ix
Preface xi
Introduction: “America is as properly East as China” 1
Chapter 1 “A Universall Monarchy”: Millennialism, Translatio, and the
Global Imagination 24
Coda: “’Tis Done!” 43
Chapter 2 “Of the New-World a new discoverie”: Thomas Gage Breaks
the Space-Time Continuum 53
Coda: “A Query” 81
Chapter 3 “These Shall Come from Far”: Global Networks of
Faith 92
Coda: A Nonantum Life 117
Chapter 4 “Why should you be so furious?”: Global Fantasies of
Violence 123
Coda: “Wicked Weed” 147
Chapter 5 “Would India had beene never knowne”: Wives Tales and the
Global English Archive 159
Coda: Un/making the World 191
Bibliography 201
Index 215

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
How to thank the many people who supported me in the long gestation of
this project? I owe a debt of gratitude to the staff of the British Library, par-
ticularly the Asian and African Studies Reading Room, the Bishopsgate
Library staff, the Newberry Library, and the Huntington Library. Thanks as
well to Elyssa Tardif, formerly of the Rhode Island Historical Association
and now director of the Carpenter Museum in Rehoboth, Massachusetts,
and to Jennifer Madden, of the Heritage Museums and Gardens, for
helping to track down baskets. Thanks also to Purdue Libraries’ Special
Collections and Archives, whose knowledgeable staff members were always
enthusiastic collaborators in my research, with an especial debt to Neal
Harmeyer for lightning-quick digital scans.
Oxford University Press has been an enthusiastic backer of this project,
and I want to recognize especially the excellent comments that the anony-
mous readers provided to me, which truly gave a stronger focus and a better
shape to my analyses. I especially want to thank my editor, Sarah Pirovitz,
and production editor Gwen Colvin for responding so quickly and effi-
ciently to all challenges, as well as Martha Ramsey for her stellar work copy-
editing the rough (too rough) manuscript.
Individual colleagues lifted up the project and lifted me personally over
the last several years, sometimes with just the right word at the right time—
theirs is a consistent generosity and kindness that is such a part of their
collegial natures that I’ll bet they won’t even remember the particulars: in
particular, Linda Gregerson, Tom Hallock, Tom Krise, Meredith Neuman,
Cassie Smith, Tim Sweet, Theresa Toulouse, and Phil Round (thanks, Phil,
for all your work for the conference in the summer of 2015). The Society of
Early Americanists has been my intellectual home for many years—I am
grateful for the opportunities to present my work at our meetings, to bat
ideas around over dinner and drinks, and to renew my excitement and in-
terest in the field by absorbing the great and good ideas of so many talented
scholars. Gratitude beyond words to Laura Stevens and Hilary Wyss, who
are steady collaborators and ready commiserators and who continue to in-
spire me with their dedication and smarts.