The U.S. Mint, the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial, and the Perpetuation of the Frontier Myth

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2011

Abstract

The article analyzes coins, mostly nickels, created by the U.S. Mint that aim to celebrate the Lewis and Clark expedition and the role of Native Americans in it, focusing specifically on how the U.S. Mint has obscured historical reality by ignoring the imperialist aspects of the expedition. The author first explains the importance of coins to a sense of national identity in the U.S. The Euro-American tradition of describing Native Americans as either ignoble or noble savages is examined by the author. The author describes these depictions of Native Americans as part of a white American national myth that justifies Native displacement. Specific emphasis is given to the portrayal of Sacagawea on a golden dollar.

Comments

Copyright 2011 Wiley

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Publication Title

Journal of Popular Culture

Published Citation

Bayers, Peter. “The U.S. Mint, the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial, and the Perpetuation of the Frontier Myth,” in Journal of Popular Culture, February 2011, 44 (1), pp. 37-52.

DOI

10.1111/j.1540-5931.2010.00818.x

Peer Reviewed

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