Imagining the Cape Colony

History, Literature, and the South African Nation

By: David Johnson

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Hardcover | 7 December 2011

At a Glance

Hardcover
232 Pages

Age
22+

Dimensions(cm)
23.4 x 15.6

Hardcover

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Examines literatures and histories of the Cape in relation to postcolonial debates about nationalism

How the Cape Colony was imagined as a political community is examined by considering a variety of writers, from major European literati and intellectuals (Camões, Southey, Rousseau, Adam Smith), to well-known travel writers like François Levaillant and Lady Anne Barnard, to figures on the margins of colonial histories, like settler rebels, slaves, and early African nationalists. Complementing the analyses of these primary texts are discussions of the many subsequent literary works and histories of the Cape Colony. These diverse writings are discussed first in relation to current debates in postcolonial studies about settler nationalism, anti-colonial resistance, and the imprint of eighteenth-century colonial histories on contemporary neo-colonial politics. Secondly, the project of imagining the post-apartheid South African nation functions as a critical lens for reading the eighteenth-century history of the Cape Colony, with the extensive commentaries on literature and history associated with the Thabo Mbeki presidencies given particular attention.

Key Features:

Major European literary figures and philosophers read in the context of colonial history
Materialist/historicist approach to postcolonial literature
Critical engagement with dominant theories of colonial nationalism

Industry Reviews

This is an outstandingly insightful and innovative study. David Johnson single-handedly opens up new research terrains by challenging current orthodoxies about literary and historical representation and he brings the early Cape Colony into the centre of contemporary debates about identity, power and the pervasive presence of inequality in post-apartheid South Africa. -- Nigel Worden, King George V Professor of History, University of Cape Town The excitement of reading this book is in its delivering more than the title indicates. Grounded in meticulous historical research, Johnson's work engages with contemporary debates about the nation, offering the innovative argument that colonial forms of nationhood and nationalism, resisted/subverted/even ignored normative concepts developed in the northern hemisphere. -- Benita Parry, Emerita Professor, University of Warwick This is an outstandingly insightful and innovative study. David Johnson single-handedly opens up new research terrains by challenging current orthodoxies about literary and historical representation and he brings the early Cape Colony into the centre of contemporary debates about identity, power and the pervasive presence of inequality in post-apartheid South Africa. The excitement of reading this book is in its delivering more than the title indicates. Grounded in meticulous historical research, Johnson's work engages with contemporary debates about the nation, offering the innovative argument that colonial forms of nationhood and nationalism, resisted/subverted/even ignored normative concepts developed in the northern hemisphere.

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You Can Find This Book In

Non-Fiction History Regional & National History African History Politics & Government Regional Government Literature, Poetry & Plays History & Criticism of Literature General Literary Studies Literary Studies from 1800 to 1900 Earliest Times to Present Day Modern History from 1700 to 1900

Literary Reference Works Specific Events & Topics in History Colonialism & Imperialism

Acknowledgments	p. vii
Introduction	p. 1
Remembering the Khoikhoi Victory over Dom Francisco de Almeida at the Cape in 1510: Luís de Camões and Robert Southey	p. 10
French Representations of the Cape 'Hottentots': Jean Tavernier, Jean-Jacques Rousseau and François Levaillant	p. 35
The Scottish Enlightenment and Colonial Governance: Adam Smith, John Bruce and Lady Anne Barnard	p. 64
African Land for the American Empire: John Adams, Benjamin Stout and Robert Semple	p. 91
Historical and Literary Reiterations of Dutch Settler Republicanism	p. 116
Literature and Cape Slavery	p. 140
History and the Griqua Nation: Andries Waterboer and Hendrick Hendricks	p. 158
Conclusion	p. 188
References	p. 194
Index	p. 215
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

Imagining the Cape Colony

History, Literature, and the South African Nation

At a Glance

Hardcover

Industry Reviews

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How to return your order

Defective items

You Can Find This Book In

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