Introduction

This chapter talks about the concept and various forms of Ethiopianism as it gained visibility by the end of the nineteenth century. It talks about martial Ethiopianism, documentary Ethiopianism, and spectacular Ethiopianism. Although the malleability of Ethiopia's signification for African America made it especially well-suited as a model of black nationhood and a source of spiritual citizenship, invariably the concept of Ethiopia's long-standing imperial identity was central to this signification. The chapter also follows the development within African America of imperial Ethiopianism, the larger rubric under which variations may be subsumed. Whether assuming a military attitude, or adopting an archaeological perspective, or expressing a fascination with pageantry, each of these variations on Ethiopianism begins and extends from a commitment to the imperial.