"Americana Latine: Latin Moments in the History of the United States"
presents over one hundred Latin texts written for the most part in or
about lands that would become, or currently are, part of the United
States. Preceding each Latin text is an English introduction, and each
text is annotated with historical and at times linguistic detail. These
texts range chronologically from Adam of Bremen's brief notice of
Vinland (11th century) to an excerpt from an address delivered at the
Second Vatican Council. Numerous genres are represented, including
personal and professional letters, speeches, diaries, inscriptions,
treatises, as well as poetry. An effort was made to avoid Latin texts
that were composed primarily for school exercises and instead to
showcase some of the ways in which Latin has been employed for the
purposes of everyday communication. Readers of Americana Latine will
gain new perspectives on well-known episodes from American history, but
they will also be introduced to lesser known persons and events. An
important aim of this volume has been to highlight Latin texts that were
composed outside of New England or the mid-Atlantic states; indeed,
every region of the country is well represented. Americana Latine makes
a valuable contribution to the rapidly expanding field of Neo-Latin
studies, and it demonstrates the value of Latin for the study of
American history.
