America writes its history, 1650-1850 : the formation of a national narrative / Jude M. Pfister.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Pfister, Jude M., author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

United States--Historiography.

United States.

Historiography.

Historians--United States.

Historians.

United States--History--Study and teaching.

History.

Physical Description:

x, 205 pages ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Jefferson, North Carolina : McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers, [2014]

Summary:

By turns irreverent, sympathetic and amusing, America Writes Its History, 1650-1850 adds to the public discourse on national identity as advanced through the written word. Highlighting the contributions of American writers who focused on history, the author shows that for nearly 200 years writers struggled to reflect, or influence, the public perception of America by Americans. This book is an introduction to the development of history as a written art form, and an academic discipline, during America's most crucial and impressionable period. America Writes Its History, 1650-1850 takes the reader on a tour of written histories-whether narrative history, novels, memoirs or plays-from the Jamestown Colony to the edge of the Civil War. What exactly did we, as Americans, think of ourselves? And more importantly, What did we want non-Americans to think of us? In other words, what was (and is) history, and who, if anyone, owns it? Book jacket.

Contents:

Part I 15

1 America as a Topic of Historical Inquiry 17

2 European Models of History and the American Revolution 30

3 American Writing in the Age of American Independence 36

Part II 45

4 Writing About the Founding 47

5 Three Giants of Historical Writing in America in 1800 60

6 Other Genres of Writing About History 73

7 George Washington-Retirement and Death 81

Part III 91

8 Ramsay and Weems: Biographers 93

9 Bushrod Washington and John Marshall Write The Life of George Washington 105

Part IV 125

10 Jared Sparks and the Writing of The Life and Writings of George Washington 127

11 The Harvest of Sparks' Washington 148

12 The Bitter Harvest of Sparks' Washington 152.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780786479214

0786479213

OCLC:

859384941