(Re)Naming American State Capitals: The Construction of an Empire's Identity Revealed through Toponymy
Montès, Christian
(Re)Naming American State Capitals: The Construction of an Empire's Identity Revealed through Toponymy - 2008.
23
American State capitals, a type-case of new countries that combine withdrawal from an empire with empire creation, show the two sides of neotoponymy: removing the old name and creating a new name. The long timeline of the processes leads to a mix of foreign and domestic references. Today's toponymical palimpsest alludes to different scales and actors, between local aspirations, geo-marketing, and national geopolitics. Pre-colonial toponymy was kept and the restoration of native toponyms is no longer an issue. The toponymical stability since the end of 19th century might thus be one of the last bastions of the initial geopolitical construct.
(Re)Naming American State Capitals: The Construction of an Empire's Identity Revealed through Toponymy - 2008.
23
American State capitals, a type-case of new countries that combine withdrawal from an empire with empire creation, show the two sides of neotoponymy: removing the old name and creating a new name. The long timeline of the processes leads to a mix of foreign and domestic references. Today's toponymical palimpsest alludes to different scales and actors, between local aspirations, geo-marketing, and national geopolitics. Pre-colonial toponymy was kept and the restoration of native toponyms is no longer an issue. The toponymical stability since the end of 19th century might thus be one of the last bastions of the initial geopolitical construct.
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