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of the Histories of Anthropology

Journal of American Folklore, The (1888- )

Created in 1888 in Cambridge, Massachusetts (USA) as an organ of the American Folklore Society (same year), the Journal of American Folklore is specifically dedicated to the North American context, taking into account its ramifications. As explained in an inaugural article, the aim was to collect endangered remains, including those of old English folklore, the traditions of the African American population of the southern states and those of the “Indian tribes” of North America, including Mexico and Canada. The contributions, coming from both amateurs and (later) professionals, are mainly ethnographic, but also theoretical, with the Journal of American Folklore accompanying the transformations of the discipline to date.

Keywords: 19th century | 20th century | United States of America | African-American studies | Amerindian studies | English folklore | Journals and periodicals

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