Unit 1: Topic One: Definitions of the Atlantic World

The same story can always be told in many different ways. Each individual possesses their own unique interpretation of events based on how they approach their own research. Perception of these events varies from writer to writer as each person has their own ideas on how an event or an era should be looked at and written about. There can be many variables and angles to consider when looking at history. Different perspectives allow research to be diverse and open up a broader understanding. In regards to the Atlantic World in its definition in this first block of instruction the three authors, John Elliott, Alison Games and Peter Coclanis give us their interpretations on what forces developed the Atlantic region into what it became.

  In his book, “Empires of the Atlantic World: Britain and Spain in America 1492-1830”, John Elliott places his focus on the British and Spanish Empires. He goes back and forth comparing the two in similarities and difference. Elliott talks of the differences between the Spanish Conquistadors and the English planter mentality. He calls the Spanish the pioneers of settlement in America and notes that the English had their example to follow(1) Elliott also brings up the differences between the eras of settlement and points out in his introduction that had “a British colonization of North America undertaken at the same time as Spain’s colonization of Central and South America would have been very different in character from the kind of colonization that occurred after a century that saw the establishment of Protestantism as the official faith in England.” (1) Showing how the changes in thinking or changes in leadership affected how things were done in the New World.

Next, Alison Games, Author of “Atlantic History: Definitions, Challenges, and Opportunities”. Attempts to break down Atlantic history into a slice of World history so that it can be fit it into a larger study of areas, by doing so have a collective of separate histories of the areas and compare from there. She also brings up that the ways different areas developed caused all of these separate places in the Americas to have similarities but “all function in slightly different ways.” (3) Meaning that depending on location and what group may have settled a particular area each would have their own unique ways of doing things because of the vast differences between settlers.

Finally onto Peter Coclanis’ work “Atlantic World or Atlantic/World?” He looks at Atlantic History as fueled by trade. The search for faster trade routes to Asia is what caused the discovery of the Americas in the first place. This definition best suits me as I believe that in studying Atlantic history we should look at as many factors worldwide that played parts in developing the Americas I feel Coclanis takes the broadest approach in doing so.

References

1.)    J.H. Elliott, Empires of the Atlantic World “Introduction”

2.)    J.H. Elliott, Empires of the Atlantic World “Chapter 1”

3.)    Allison Games, “Atlantic History Definitions, Challenges, and Opportunities” American Historical Review, June 2006

4.)    Peter Coclanis, “Atlantic World verses Atlantic/World?”, William and Mary Quarterly, 3d series, Volume LXIII, Number 4, October 2006