For Whom, with Whom, Should We Reframe Plymouth 1620?

This article argues that reframing the study of Plymouth in 1620 requires rethinking the goals of why, with whom, and for whom early American scholars work. Scholars in the field should reframe their work so that it can serve as agents of change to expose the ideologies designed to maintain white male power structures built into the organizing structures of the field. For English departments, this means reexamining the core curricular requirements, narratives, and principles of analysis that structure the very logic of English. The work of scholars in and outside English should engage more consistently with the public outside the academy, and they should break down labor hierarchies within the academy by collaborating with staff whose work is generally classified as merely support.