New Books Network Christina Cecelia Davidson, "Dominican Crossroads: H.C.C. Astwood and the Moral Politics of Race-Making in the Age of Emancipation" (Duke UP, 2024)
Nov 26, 2025
Christina Cecelia Davidson, a historian specializing in 19th-century Black transnational histories, discusses her book on H.C.C. Astwood, a pivotal yet enigmatic figure in US history. She delves into how the African Methodist Episcopal Church shaped her research and examines the intertwining of morality, religion, and race post-emancipation. Davidson highlights Astwood's use of trickery in Black international politics, his influence within Dominican discourse, and the broader implications for understanding Black respectability. She also anticipates future work on Protestant networks across the Caribbean.
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Research Origin Story
- Christina Cecelia Davidson first researched the Dominican Republic as a Yale undergrad and interned at a UN office in 2007.
- Her AME Church involvement there sparked the project that became Dominican Crossroads.
Morality As A Form Of Power
- Davidson argues morality, race, and Christianity were mutually constitutive in post-emancipation politics.
- She shows moral discourse functioned as a currency of power in race-making and diplomacy.
Astwood And The Columbus Bones
- H. C. C. Astwood appeared as a minister, U.S. consul, and controversial figure who tried to lease Columbus's remains.
- His Columbus maneuver led to his firing and long-lasting scandals in the Dominican Republic.
