Center for the Study of American Exile & Expatriation

For the historical consensus that exists around notions of American exceptionalism, there is a long history of Americans choosing to live and work abroad. This includes the scholarly treatment of early American Loyalists seeking refuge in Canada, the British Caribbean, West Africa, and Great Britain, and the departure for France of approximately 50,000 of Louisiana and Mississippi’s free people of color. CSAEE contextualizes the history of towns and villages throughout Latin America settled by Confederate soldiers and their families, and the eternal draw of European cities like Paris and Rome to American artists and writers seeking validation in the 19th and 20th centuries. CSAEE researches contemporary American expatriates currently seeking more affordable health care for chronic conditions and better standards of living in countries like Portugal, Thailand, New Zealand, and Mexico. Our mission is accomplished through cross-disciplinary research, collection, and education.