Progressive New World: How Settler Colonialism and Transpacific Exchange Shaped American Reform
Shortlist year:
2020
Shortlist category:
Australian history
Published by:
Harvard University Press
About the book
In a bold argument, Marilyn Lake shows that race and reform were mutually supportive as Progressivism became the political logic of settler colonialism at the turn of the 20th century. She points to exchanges between American and Australasian reformers who shared racial sensibilities, along with a commitment to forging an ideal social order.
About the author
Marilyn Lake AO
Marilyn Lake, AO, is Professorial Fellow in History at the University of Melbourne.
Judges’ comments
Drawing on the term 'settler colonialism' to define a shared Australian and American characteristic this book explores the Progressive Movement as a transpacific crusade. Lake impressively maps how Australia progressivism, which emphasised the role of the state in improving the welfare of children, women and working people in general, influenced its United States counterpart, an influence that even extended to the movement's leader, 'Teddy' Roosevelt.
This is an innovative book that extends Australian history beyond our nation's defined boundaries, while at the same time challenging the widely accepted notion of American 'exceptionalism.'
