Historiography of the American Revolution Cartes | Quizlet

What is historiography?

The history of history or the history of history writing.

Why is historiography important for academic historians?

It is considered the lifeblood of academic historians.

What has been a significant topic of differing interpretations in American history?

The American Revolution.

What can understanding historiography of the American Revolution provide to readers?

It can enrich their perspective and promote critical and historical thinking.

What are some terms associated with the historiography of the American Revolution?

Progressives, republican synthesis, neo-Whigs.

Who were the two major contemporary historians of the American Revolution?

David Ramsay and Mercy Otis Warren.

How did David Ramsay interpret the American Revolution?

He viewed it as a constitutional crisis due to the conflict between Britain's imperial interests and the colonists' self-government.

What was the title of David Ramsay's work on the American Revolution?

The History of the American Revolution (1789).

What perspective did Mercy Otis Warren provide in her historical account?

She described the Revolution as a 'boon of liberty' and warned against tyranny.

What was the title of Mercy Otis Warren's work on the American Revolution?

History of the Rise, Progress, and Termination of the American Revolution (1805).

What common theme did Ramsay and Warren share in their historical writings?

They both saw their histories as moral stories warning against vice and corruption.

Who were some prominent Loyalist historians of the American Revolution?

Thomas Hutchinson, Jonathan Boucher, Peter Oliver, and Joseph Galloway.

What was the focus of Loyalist histories during the Revolution?

Justifying British actions during the imperial crisis.

What was Thomas Hutchinson's view on the British approach to the colonies?

He believed party politics in Britain contributed to a discombobulated approach.

What did Joseph Galloway attribute to the disarray of imperial policy?

He believed it stemmed from politicians' unfamiliarity with the colonies.

What did Loyalist historians agree on regarding anti-British sentiment?

They believed it was created by demagoguery from a small number of ill-designing men.

What is the Whig interpretation of American history?

The Whig interpretation views American history as a Providential march toward liberty and democracy, emphasizing the Revolution as a seizure of liberty traditions.

Who is considered the first great historian to deal with the American Revolution according to Edmund Morgan?

George Bancroft.

What was the primary focus of historians during the Whig interpretation period?

They emphasized the theme of liberty and the rejection of Old World tyranny.

What perspective did imperial historians take on colonial history?

Imperial historians viewed colonial history from the British perspective, seeing British policies as reasonable rather than tyrannical.

Which historians are associated with the imperial interpretation of colonial history?

George L. Beer, Charles Andrews, and Lawrence Gipson.

What was the Progressive interpretation's view on the causes of the American Revolution?

The Progressive interpretation emphasized class conflict and economic interests, denying that ideas had real causal power.

What was Carl Becker's 'dual revolution thesis'?

Becker argued that the Revolution involved both the struggle against Great Britain and an internal class struggle.

How did Charles Beard contribute to the Progressive interpretation?

Beard argued that economic and class interests shaped decisions at the Constitutional Convention.

What did Merrill Jensen argue about the American Revolution?

Jensen claimed it was an internal revolution by the masses against the local aristocracy.

What was the focus of historians during the Consensus interpretation period?

They sought commonalities and consensus in the past, often in reaction to Progressive conflict focus.

Who found a broad consensus among colonists in the political philosophy of John Locke?

Louis Hartz.

What did Daniel Boorstin emphasize about the American Revolution?

He stressed the conservative nature of the American Revolution.

What was Forrest McDonald's position regarding Progressive arguments?

He refuted Beard's argument about economic interest influencing the Constitution.

What did Robert Brown argue against the Progressives' class conflict dynamic?

Brown argued that a 'middle-class democracy' existed before the Revolution.

What is the Neo-Whig/Ideological interpretation?

This interpretation emerged in the 1950s, focusing on ideological aspects of the American Revolution.

How did the Progressive historians view the rhetoric of the revolutionaries?

They believed it was largely a cover for their own economic interests.

What was the general reaction of historians in the 1940s and 1950s to the Progressive interpretation?

They sought to find consensus and common ground rather than focusing on conflict.

What did the Progressive interpretation reach its apex with?

The work of Merrill Jensen, who argued for the revolution as an internal conflict against local aristocracy.

What did the Whig interpretation emphasize regarding the American Revolution?

It emphasized the Revolution as a unique inheritance of liberty traditions.

What was the general view of the British colonial policy according to imperial historians?

They viewed it as reasonable, especially in light of Britain's war debt and the colonists' light tax burden.

What was the main criticism of the Progressive interpretation by Consensus historians?

They criticized its focus on conflict and sought to highlight shared beliefs and values.

What significant change in historical interpretation occurred in the 1950s?

The emergence of the Neo-Whig/Ideological interpretation.

What did Morgan argue about colonists' arguments regarding constitutionality?

Morgan argued that these arguments were genuine and central to the Revolution.

What label was given to the new ideological interpretation of the American Revolution by early historians?

The label 'neo-Whig' was used.

What is the title of Bernard Bailyn's definitive work on the ideological origins of the American Revolution?

The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution (1967).

What tradition did Bailyn argue influenced the colonists' ideology?

The 'radical Whig' republican tradition in England.

What was the main concern of the 'radical Whig' republican tradition?

It instilled a strong fear of tyranny and conspiracies against liberty.

Who challenged the republican synthesis interpretation of the Revolution?

Historians such as Joyce Appleby.

What ideology did Joyce Appleby argue was fundamental to the character of the Revolution?

The liberalism of John Locke.

What was the nature of the debate between republicanism and liberalism?

It lasted for over a decade and became quite heated.

What historical focus became predominant in the late 1960s and 1970s?

Social history, which focused on the lives of everyday persons.

Which movements helped spark a new generation of historians to study race, slavery, and women's history?

The Civil Rights movement and the feminist movement.

Who were notable historians involved in the New Left politics?

Jesse Lemisch and Staughton Lynd.

What approach did New Left historians take in their studies?

They engaged in 'history from the bottom up' to recover the agency of laboring class colonists.

What did Mary Beth Norton and Linda Kerber publish in 1980?

Books about the impact of the Revolution on women.

What resurgence occurred in the 1980s and 1990s regarding the study of the Revolution?

A resurgence of interest in class conflict and economic aspects of the Revolution.

Who are some neo-Progressive historians that integrated social history with the Progressive interpretation?

Gary Nash, Ed Countryman, and Woody Holton.

What did neo-Progressive historians argue about ordinary Americans during the Revolution?

They were quite radical and pursued their own interests.

What is 'Founders Chic'?

A pejorative term for popular histories of the founding that emerged in the 1990s.

What type of works characterized the 'Founders Chic' phenomenon?

Biographies or narratives focusing on the character of individual founders and the founding generation.

Who are some authors associated with 'Founders Chic'?

David McCullough, Joseph Ellis, Richard Brookhiser, and Ron Chernow.

What criticism was made about the works associated with 'Founders Chic'?

They tended to glorify Federalists while portraying Republicans in a more critical light.

What did E. H. Carr suggest about studying history?

He suggested that one should study the historian and their historical and social environment.

What are some recommended readings for exploring the historiography of the American Revolution?

Whose American Revolution Was It? by Alfred F. Young and Gregory H. Nobles, Interpreting the Founding by Alan Gibson, and The Debate on the American Revolution by Gwenda Morgan.