Harry Brennan
Published: 21 January 2019
Gender and identity in the early modern Atlantic world (c.1650-1750).
University of Glasgow
Gender and identity in the early modern Atlantic world (c.1650-1750).
Atlantic environments and social networks shaped gendered identities in this period, I am building on my Masters dissertation. Completed at Cardiff University in 2017, this focused on similar themes, but with regard to a single case study: that of William Byrd II, a Virginian slaveowner. Expanding outward from the results of this study, I will explore a range of individual lives throughout my PhD, using sources like diaries and journals. Working within the advantages and limitations of gender history, I aim to trace the emotions and identities of men and women in this period, thus exploring their identities.
Assessing the extent to which such dynamics applied to individuals or to groups of people will be a key part of this study, as will the question of transatlantic masculinity/ femininity. Did those living in the early modern Atlantic world have identities distinct from their more landlocked / less mobile compatriots, shaped by ocean environments and the transnational trade they allowed? These are the core aims of my research over the next few years, conducted primarily in Glasgow and Edinburgh.
First published: 21 January 2019