Introduction : Les Lumières américaines dans l'historiographie contemporaine aux États-Unis : ambivalences et réticences

This historiographical essay examines how the concept of “American Enlightenment”, by contrast with the European Enlightenment which is generally taken for granted, is being dealt with reluctantly by American historians today. In order to explain the foundation of the United States in the xviiith c...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Caron, Nathalie, Wulf, Naomi
Format: Article ou chapitre numérique
Language:Français
Published: 2002
Subjects:
Online Access:Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM
Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM
Description
Summary:This historiographical essay examines how the concept of “American Enlightenment”, by contrast with the European Enlightenment which is generally taken for granted, is being dealt with reluctantly by American historians today. In order to explain the foundation of the United States in the xviiith century, these historians have favored two other paradigms, Protestantism and the Revolution. The difficulty in adopting an interpretation which is perceived as essentially secular and European might be due to an enduring American Christian tradition as well as an ongoing belief in the American exception.