1898: History and Memory
A Lecture at the AISNA Annual Meeting
Abstract
It is almost a truism that the war of 1898 was a turning point in American history. But where did it turn to? The essay explores the major historical interpretations and stresses the transitional character of the event, which foreshadows only a few of the future features of US international relations, while at the same time retaining conspicuous elements of the past. It is then argued that this unresolved ambiguity features very prominently in present day memories and remembrances - here analyzed via the centennial's production of websites as well as printed matters. Current views of 1898 symptomatically emphasize its multiracial and gendered aspects, but turn a blind eye to the shifting nexus of power inherent in the war's origins and results. History's ambiguities are thus replicated and magnified in memory.
Copyright (c) 1999 The Author(s)
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