The British Empire and the American Atlantic on Tristan da Cunha, 1811-16
Document Type
Journal article
Source Publication
Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History
Publication Date
12-1-2008
Volume
36
Issue
4
First Page
567
Last Page
589
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Abstract
The first permanent settlement on Tristan da Cunha was established in 1811 by the American Jonathan Lambert. News of Lambert's claim, which followed ceremonies of possession recognised by both British and American observers, spread throughout the Atlantic. Doubts soon emerged, however, as to Lambert's nationality and as to whether he claimed the island for himself, for the United States or for Britain. This article considers Lambert's settlement, the promulgation of his claim and the re-casting of both Lambert and his claim as British, an act which implicitly recognised the strength of Lambert's claim while appropriating that claim for imperial ends. Because Britons and Americans claimed sovereignty and ownership in the Atlantic in similar ways, the competition between British and American claims to Tristan sheds light on those ways' common British roots.
DOI
10.1080/03086530802560984
Print ISSN
03086534
Publisher Statement
Copyright © Taylor & Francis. Access to external full text or publisher's version may require subscription.
Full-text Version
Publisher’s Version
Language
English
Recommended Citation
Fichter, J. (2008). The British Empire and the American Atlantic on Tristan da Cunha, 1811-16. Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History, 36(4), 567-589. doi: 10.1080/03086530802560984