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Brazil and its Historians in North America: The Last Forty Years

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 December 2015

Abstract

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Type
Inter-American Notes
Copyright
Copyright © Academy of American Franciscan History 1990

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References

1 This article is a revised version of a talk given at Washington D.C. in December 1987 to the meeting of the Brazilianist group of the Conference on Latin American History. I am grateful for the comments and suggestions made on the paper and for information given on personal careers both at and after the meeting. An especial debt is due to Mary Karasch who originally urged me to revise the paper for publication and to Joseph Love whose insights have greatly enriched the work. The contents of the present study and its conclusions remain, of course, my sole responsibility.

2 The study draws on a data base constructed from the following sources: Comprehensive Dissertation Index, 1861–1972 v. 28 (Ann Arbor, MI: Xerox University Microfilms, 1973), Comprehensive Dissertation Index, 1873–1979 v. 13 (Ann Arbor, MI: Xerox University Microfilms, 1978), Comprehensive Dissertation Index, Annual Supplement (Ann Arbor, MI: Xerox University Microfilms, 1979–1988), National Directory of Latin Americanists, 1st ed. (Washington, DC: Library of Congress, 1985), American Historical Association, Guide to Departments of History, 1988–89 (Washington, DC: American Historical Association, 1988) Handbook of Latin American Studies 10–46 (Washington, DC: Library of Congress), the newsletters of the Conference on Latin American History, 1981–88, and personal information. It should be emphasized that, given the nature of the sources and the lack of complete information on individuals and their careers, the data presented in the study is reliable but not entirely precise.

3 Bushnell, David and McAlister, Lyle N., “An Interview with John J. Johnson,” Hispanic American Historical Review 66, no. 4 (November 1986), p. 652.Google Scholar

4 Kidder, Frederick E., ed., Survey of the Investigations in Progress in the Field of Latin American Studies (Washington, DC: Pan American Union, 1956), pp. 1924.Google Scholar The projects included C.R. Boxer’s study of the Portuguese empire, C H. Haring on the Brazilian Empire, M.C. Kiemen on Portuguese Indian policy, R.M. Morse on São Paulo, all published as books. Two projects by R.G.B. Kenyon and one by Sister M.L. Fell do not seem to have achieved print.

5 The criteria for inclusion in any group is authorship of a dissertation or published article or book on Brazil. The “pioneers” included, H. Bernstein, M. Cardozo, B. Diffie, W. Greenlee, CH. Haring, L. Hill, A.K. Manchester, Alexander Marchant, CE. Nowell, B. Sluiter, CM. Thornton and D.E. Worcester. To this number C.R. Boxer could be in practice added.

6 In vs. 10–18 of the Handbook of Latin American Studies the number of English language entries in the Brazilian history section rarely exceeded four.

7 Empire in Brazil: A New World Experiment in Monarchy (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1958), no page.

8 See the remarks by Hanke, L., in Bushnell, David and McAlister, Lyle N., “An Interview with Lewis Hanke,” Hispanic American Historical Review 68, no. 4 (November 1988), pp. 665–66.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

9 G. Boehrer, W.J. Coleman, M.C. Kiemen, OFM, R E. Morse, R. Poppino, W. Simmons, and S.J. Stein.

10 Of the 8 dissertations completed before 1950, 4 were on the colonial period, as were virtually all the entries on Brazilian history in the Handbook of Latin American Studies, vs. 10–18.

11 Also contributing to academic interest in Brazil has been a feeling that Brazil has the potential to be “the United States” of South America and that strong parallels exist between the historical development of the two nations.

12 The names of W. Greenlee, Alexander Marchant and C. Nowell did not appear in the Directory.

13 The first category includes D. Cooper, H. Johnson, H. Klein, C. MacLachlan, N. Macaulay, L. Rout, T. Skidmore, D. Warren, J. Young, and the second E. Viotti da Costa and A. Russell-Wood.

14 Levine, R., ed., Brazil: Field Research Guide in the Social Sciences (New York: Institute of Latin American Studies, 1966), p. iv.Google Scholar

15 Books do not include edited collections. Authors are E.B. Burns, B.J. Chandler, R. Conrad, C. Cortes, W. Dean, R. Delia Cava, F. Dutra, P. Eisenberg, R. Graham, J. Hahner, S. Hilton, R. Levine, J. Love, F. McCann, D. Rady, S.B. Schwartz, P.S. Smith, R. Toplin, and J. Wirth. In terms of book publication by scholars who earned their doctorates in the 1960s but not in Brazilian history or not in North America, the names of H. Klein, N. Macaulay, T. Skidmore, E. Viotti da Costa, and A. Russell-Wood should be added.

16 The actual number was 27, but one individual completed his doctorate in 1969 (thus qualifying as an “established scholar”) and the second wrote his dissertation on Mexican history.

17 Of the 7 women, 4 secured regular university posts and 3 still hold those positions.

18 Authors of books include R. Barman, R. Bartley, M. Conniff, T. Holloway, M. Karasch, L. Lauerhaus, D. Levi, E.S. Pang, R. Seckinger, N. Stepan, and WJ. Simon.

19 Authors include R. Delson, T. Flory, E. Kuznesof, L. Lewin, S. Topik and D.G. Vieira.

20 The development of research on the colonial period is analyzed in Russell-Wood, A.J., “United States Scholarly Contributions to the Historiography of Colonial Brazil,” Hispanic American Historical Review 65, no. 4 (November 1985), pp. 683724.CrossRefGoogle Scholar The writer rightly deplores the loss of capable scholars, but it should be noted that, of the four individuals named on p. 701, two never completed their dissertations and a third voluntarily resigned his position.

21 Those in the author’s turma who did not secure an initial teaching post included 2 of the 3 colonial specialists but only 1 of the other 22.

22 Individuals who are “active” are defined as individuals belonging to the CLAH, or appearing as specialists in Latin America in the Guide to Departments or being known by the author to be active.

23 In contrast to the willingness of the “established scholars” in the 1960s to investigate the recent past, the Vargas years (1930–1954), the present generation shows no interest in studying the comparable period, the years of the military regime (1964–1985).

24 Authors include S. Lauderale Graham, W. Griggs, J. Neddell, J.3. Reis, and B. Weinstein

25 Not all of the new Ph.D.s will necessarily be seeking positions. In this decade one in ten of those completing theses on Brazilian history at North American universities are Brazilian nationals. Those obtaining doctorates in the 1970s included at least 2 Brazilian nationals, 1 Israeli and 1 Englishman. The last two hold university posts in their own countries.

26 It could be added, in respect to color, that at least 3 of the 201 are black.