Pharaohs in Dixieland: How 19th-century America reimagined Egypt to justify slavery

Pharaohs in Dixieland: How 19th-century America reimagined Egypt to justify slavery

When Napoleon embarked upon a military expedition into Egypt in 1798, he brought with him a team of scholars, scientists and artists. Together, they produced the monumental “Description de l’Égypte,” a massive, multivolume work about Egyptian geography, history and culture. At the time, the United States was a young nation with big aspirations, and Americans often viewed their country as an heir to the great civilizations of the past. The tales …