UMD Theses and Dissertations
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Item An Enlightened American: The Political Ideology of Thomas Hutchinson on the Eve of the Revolutionary Crisis(2008-08-03) Duffy, Shannon Elaine; Olson, Alison G.; History; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This dissertation examines the political, social and philosophical views of Massachusetts' last royal governor, Thomas Hutchinson, as expressed in his 1764-1773 work, the History of Massachusetts-Bay. It is my contention that this work provides unique insights into the ideology of this important eighteenth century figure, and the values that would motivate him during the Revolutionary crisis. Years before the turmoil of the Revolutionary crisis began, Hutchinson had already given deep reflection to many of the same political and philosophical issues that would resurface in the imperial struggle. Hutchinson's historical work, written for both colonial and English audiences, provides significant insight into Hutchinson's political ideology and value system as that struggle opened. I will concentrate my analysis on Volume One, the part of Hutchinson's work written before 1765. This thesis will focus on three issues covered in the first volume: Massachusetts' struggle for religious orthodoxy in the seventeenth century, the colony's early Indian wars and relations with the Indians, and the colonists' century-long struggle with England over their original charter. My dissertation will demonstrate that Hutchinson's worldview was, no less than many of his adversaries in the Revolution Crisis, that of a man of the Enlightenment, and an American with both deep roots and great pride in his native land. Throughout Volume One of the History, Hutchinson stressed the importance of balanced government, the necessity of a just and impartial rule of law, the need for moderation and republican virtue in government, and the dangers of prejudice and popular passion. His views on a wide variety of issues grew, at least in part, out of his understanding of Massachusetts' colonial past, and his immersion in the literature of the American Enlightenment. These views were clearly revealed in the History, a work which has until now been under-utilized as a key into the man's ideology.Item The Golden Chain: Royal Slavery, Sovereignty and Servitude in Early Modern English Literature, 1550-1688(2006-12-06) Bossert, Andrew Raymond; Leinwand, Theodore B.; English Language and Literature; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Enchained kings, enthroned slaves, and enthralled subjects--these are the emblems of royal slavery abounding in early modern English literature. They express concerns over national identity and monarch-subject relationships, and they arise in debates regarding absolutism, constitutionalism, and imperialism between the years 1550 and 1688. Thus, my dissertation performs close readings of rhetorical tropes relating to two early modern debates: monarchy's function and servitude's nature. This research synthesizes work by David Norbrook, Rebecca Bushnell, and Constance Jordan regarding the influence of domestic politics on English literature with studies by Kim Hall, Ania Loomba, and Nabil Matar on English imperialism. The introduction explores early modern depictions of Moses, whose self-denial advances nation-building. Three types of royal slavery emerge: 1) a slave who becomes a prince, 2) a slave who becomes a prince's property, or 3) a prince who becomes a slave. Moses experiences all three types, and serves as a model for other royal slaves and English leaders. Chapter One examines enslavement to monarchs. Political rebels and love slaves in [i]Julius Caesar[/i], [i]Antony and Cleopatra[/i], accounts of Hercules, and the [i]Fairie Queene[/i] describe slavery to excuse disloyalty. However, these examples also blame subjects for enslaving themselves. Chapter Two shows how images of enslaved kings appeal to pathos. Sympathetic royal slaves appear in Guevara's [i]Diall of Princes[/i], Owen Feltham's [i]Resolves[/i], and Marlowe's [i]Tamburlaine[/i]. Shakespeare's plays problematize sympathetic royal slave rhetoric, while [i]The Rape of Lucrece[/i]'s royal slave images question the poem's republicanism. Hutchinson's [i]Order and Disorder[/i] uses royal slave figures as anti-monarchical invectives. Chapter Three discusses slaves who become rulers who learn that true restoration is impossible. In Milton's [i]Paradise Lost[/i], the devils' utopia masks their vulnerability; Scudery's Briseis in [i]Several witty discourses[/i] depicts an enslaved princess's false restoration. However, Scudery's Cariclia and Cartwright's protagonist in [i]The Royal Slave[/i] suggest that patience yields rewards surpassing one's original state. My conclusion argues that the slave revolt in Aphra Behn's [i]Oroonoko[/i] fails because, like the English themselves, the slaves have a fractured national identity. Without commonwealth, the slaves surrender to private interests. Thus, Behn comments directly on colonial practice and metaphorically on English politics.