More from the vault. Just remember that Clio is the daughter of Mnemosyne. In 1932, Carl Becker urged his readers to “admit that there are two histories: the actual series of events that once occurred; and the ideal series that we affirm and hold in memory.” His insight summarizes the difference between the past itself … Continue reading History and Memory
Tag: historiography
More U.S. Grant Love
Sean Wilentz, a Princeton U. professor of history, tells us why we need to give U.S. Grant more respect. In “Who’s Buried in the History Books?” Wilentz writes: “To honor Reagan’s genuine achievements by downgrading those of Grant would deepen our chronic historical amnesia about the Civil War and Reconstruction, the central events of the … Continue reading More U.S. Grant Love
How Christian Were the Founding Fathers?
The leading founders of our nation (let’s peg that as 1774 onward) themselves didn’t dwell on the question much. Maybe it didn’t occur to them to explicate their religious views as they set out to dissolve the bands which united them to England and establish representative government on the American continent. When we look at … Continue reading How Christian Were the Founding Fathers?
Public Historian 