Title
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.
Publication Title
Journal of Popular Culture
Repository Citation
Bayers, Peter L. Dr., "The U.S. Mint, the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial, and the Perpetuation of the Frontier Myth" (2011). English Faculty Publications. 87.
https://digitalcommons.fairfield.edu/english-facultypubs/87
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
Comments
Copyright 2011 Wiley
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