Location and the conceptualization of historical frameworks: Early American history and its multiple reconfigurations in the United States and in Europe

This chapter examines early American history (often known as Atlantic history, a recently burgeoning field) and its multiple reconfigurations from the 1960s in order to analyze the impact of location on the conceptualization of historical frameworks. It argues that, because of location, U.S.-based early North Americanists have had a tendency to privilege Atlantic history over imperial history while early North Americanists based in Europe are often more tempted by the imperial turn. The impact of location comes from multiple factors, however, such as local institutional constraints, academic cultures, and power relationships between academic systems that are increasingly connected, and can have complementary or contradictory effects. The chapter argues that this leaves room for historians to make individual choices, develop alternative strategies according to audiences, and multiply historiographical experimentations