E-Thesis 438 views 335 downloads
‘Born Across the Water but Reared Under the Flag:’ How the Experience of Serving in the Union Army Impacted Welsh-Americans’ Sense of their Place within American Society / ALED JONES
Swansea University Author: ALED JONES
DOI (Published version): 10.23889/SUthesis.67886
Abstract
This thesis argues that as a result of military service during the American Civil War, Welsh volunteers’ sense of belonging within American society increased. By drawing on under-explored written correspondence of Welsh soldiers, Welsh-American and Anglo-American newspapers, as well as a selection o...
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Swansea, Wales, UK
2024
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| Institution: | Swansea University |
| Degree level: | Doctoral |
| Degree name: | Ph.D |
| Supervisor: | Anderson, David ; Orram, Gerry |
| URI: | https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa67886 |
| Abstract: |
This thesis argues that as a result of military service during the American Civil War, Welsh volunteers’ sense of belonging within American society increased. By drawing on under-explored written correspondence of Welsh soldiers, Welsh-American and Anglo-American newspapers, as well as a selection of military documents and records, this dissertation shows how the war was interpreted by Welsh immigrants as an opportunity to legitimate their status as American patriots. Consequently, this dissertation enables new ways of understanding Welsh-American identity as pro-active and responsive during the upheavals engendered by the war, becoming rooted in narratives of cultural legitimacy through military service. It explores the Welsh place in America at the onset of war and how Welsh immigrants viewed enlistment as an irrefutable demonstration of loyalty to their adopted country, citing themes of duty, patriotism, and anti-slavery. It analyses how daily life in the army inculcated a sense of collective belonging among Welsh recruits, contributing to the construction of a national identity. Moreover, this thesis outlines how Welsh soldiers consistently sought bonding opportunities with non-Welsh Americans, reacting to the challenges of military service in ways that reaffirmed their evolving, collectively determined identity as American people. |
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| Keywords: |
Welsh, Welsh History, American Civil War, Union Army, Immigrant, Identity, Nationalism |
| College: |
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences |