When reading our key texts last week, I was surprised to see how important individual people were to understanding transnational history. The oxo article demonstrated the significance of individuals as connectors who connected places to allow the oxo brand to be a success throughout Europe. Although, these individuals were from a more privileged class, the article on connected histories of empire and especially, this week’s reading on George Morgan, gave a more in depth look into the lives of those from varied backgrounds, which cut across the boundaries of class, gender, religion, culture and education.
I found the Morgan article in particular very interesting, through its diversity of individuals that cut across these boundaries. It also demonstrated connections not just of Britain and the colonies, but also intercolonial transportation of convicts. The article gives a great deal of information on how different cultures were treated in very distinct ways, how each of the colonies also had its variations and the individuals that connected them. We see a change in social identities for many with the changing of their name to Anglican names such as John and William. Some also converted and were baptized, whilst others learned English. I wonder if this was to allow them to be treated more like Europeans, which in turn, may have changed the colonial authorities minds and allow them to have a more sympathetic view towards the convicts. Clare Anderson stated in her article that “‘Europeanness’ was clearly a question of religion, education, association, ‘habits’ and ‘manners’, and not simply birthplace or colour”, which she believed many of the colonial authorities stood by.[1] I would agree that many individuals such as Morgan were treated differently due to this, not the first time around, but the second time around when he was able to make a plea for his case.
This article was very interesting and I look forward to delving deeper into the module to see how lives and cultures are shaped, not just by actors, but also through commodities and ideas.
[1] Clare Anderson, Subaltern Lives. Biographies of Colonialism in the Indian Ocean World, 1790-1920 (Cambridge, 2012) pp. 56-92, p. 68.