Discerning Characters: The Culture of Appearance in Early America

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Discerning Characters EARLY AMERICAN STUDIES series editors: Daniel K. Richter, Kathleen M. Brown, Max Cavitch, and David Waldstreicher Exploring neglected aspects of our colonial, revolutionary, and early national history and culture, Early American Studies reinterprets familiar themes and events in fresh ways. Interdisciplinary in character, and with a special emphasis on the period from about 1600 to 1850, the series is published in partnership with the McNeil Center for Early American Studies. A complete list of books in the series is available from the publisher. Discerning Characters The Culture of Appearance in Early America Christopher J. Lukasik university of pennsylvania press philadelphia  oxford Copyright © 2011 University of Pennsylvania Press All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations used for purposes of review or scholarly citation, none of this book may be reproduced in any form by any means without written permission from the publisher. Published by University of Pennsylvania Press Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-4112 www.upenn.edu/pennpress Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Lukasik, Christopher J. Discerning characters : the culture of appearance in early America / Christopher J. Lukasik. p. cm. — (Early American studies) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-8122-4287-4 (hardcover : alk. paper) 1. Physiognomy—United States—History. 2. Social perception—United States—History. 3. Literature and society—United States—History. 4. United States—Social life and customs—1775–1783. 5. United States—Social life and customs—1783—1865. I. Title. BF859.L85 2011 138.0973'09034—dc22 2010022354 For my parents, and for Charlyne, Ainsley and Quincy This page intentionally left blank ...