The Spanish Craze
America's Fascination with the Hispanic World, 1779–1939
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 7307307 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Margaret Gonzalez-Perez (0000-0003-4584-9051, Southeastern Louisiana University, Hammond, Louisiana, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2020 |
| Volume | 107 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 157-158 |
| Publication date | 2020-03-06 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of American History (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0021-8723 • E-ISSN: 1945-2314 |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press (OUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1093/jahist/jaaa027 |
| OpenAlex | W3037205683 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 4 |
Richard L. Kagan's book, The Spanish Craze, examines the American passion for Spanish culture and history. Chapter 1 discusses the political rivalry of the late 1800s between the United States and Spain over influence in the Western Hemisphere. Chapters 2 and 3 focus on the stereotypes of an exotic, romantic, medieval Spain. Chapter 4 examines the development of pan-Americanism with the 1893 World Colombian Exposition, the Panama Canal, and the Hispanic American Society. Chapter 5 discusses the popularity of Spanish architecture, art, and design. Chapter 6 concludes with the expansion of Spanish imagery to films, dance, and popular culture. Kagan writes that early American perceptions of Spain sprang from the “Black Legend” of Spain's Inquisition, massacres by the conquistadors, and the myth of a cruel, lazy, and backward people (p. 32). Newspapermen such as William Randolph Hearst perpetuated these stereotypes through sensationalist reporting to incite the Spanish-American War of 1898. At the same time, a public infatuation with all things Spanish began to develop and romantic images of “sturdy Spain” and “sunny Spain” flooded American art and literature (pp. 88, 133). As Kagan explains, “in the process of formulating a national culture of its own, [the United States] regularly looked abroad for inspiration” (p. 15
Admiration · Art · Art history · Culture of the United States · Infatuation · Literature · Media studies · Passion · Political science · Politics · Popular culture · Reactionary · Rivalry · Romance · Sensationalism · Sociology · Cuban History and Society · History · Latin American and Latino Studies · Law
| Unique citing works | 4 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,67 |
| Citation span | 2020 - 2023 (4) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 4 |