https://publications-prairial.fr/representations/index.php?id=1781 Entrées d’index fr 0 https://publications-prairial.fr/representations/index.php?id=1774 This article argues that, after World War II, Americans of the Midwest whose immigrant ancestors had built churches in the 19th century, constructed a story that placed themselves in the heart of the national story, a story of good immigrants making the land, building institutions, and having a strong faith. The geographic focus is on rural Protestant congregations that stood at the heart of the social and cultural patterns of the rural Midwest. The corpus is based upon booklets published on the occasion of congregational anniversary celebrations. They provide the main evidence for understanding how these Midwesterners thought about America and placed themselves—and their immigrant ancestors—within the borders of the mainstream American story. The past is thus used to construct an immigrant identity after World War II that fits a larger narrative about America and its borders. sam., 20 déc. 2025 17:01:39 +0100 lun., 26 janv. 2026 14:03:39 +0100 https://publications-prairial.fr/representations/index.php?id=1774