Charles Austin Beard

Richard Drake

Description

Richard Drake presents a new interpretation of Charles Austin Beard's life and work. The foremost American historian and a leading public intellectual in the first half of the twentieth century, Beard participated actively in the debates about American politics and foreign policy surrounding the two world wars. In a radical change of critical focus, Charles Austin Beard places the European dimension of Beard's thought at the center, correcting previous biographers' oversights and presenting a far more nuanced appreciation for Beard's life.Drake analyzes the stages of Beard's development as a historian and critic: his role as an intellectual leader in the Progressive movement, the support that he gave to the cause of American intervention in World War I, and his subsequent revisionist repudiation of Wilsonian ideals and embrace of non-interventionism in the lead-up to World War II. Charles Austin Beard shows that, as Americans tally the ruinous costs-both financial and moral-of nation-building and informal empire, the life and work of this prophet of history merit a thorough reexamination.

Sujets

• Lettres et linguistique
• USA
• History of the Americas
• Historiography
• États-Unis

Informations

• Publié par: Cornell University Press
• Date de parution: 15 décembre 2018
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781501715143
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 4 Mo

Extrait

CHARES AUSTïN BEARD

CHARES AUSTïN BEARD

T HE RE T URN OF T HE MAST E R HI STORI AN OF AME RI CAN I MPE RI AL I SM

R i c h a r d D r a k e

CORNE UNïVERSïTY PRESS Ithaca and London

Copyrîght © 2018 by Corne Unîversîty

A rîghts reserved. Except or brîe quotatîons în a revîew, thîs book, or parts thereo, must not be reproduced în any orm wîthout permîssîon în wrîtîng rom the pubîsher. For înormatîon, address Corne Unîversîty Press, Sage House, 512 East State Street, ïthaca, New York 14850. Vîsît our websîte at cornepress.corne.edu.

Fîrst pubîshed 2018 by Corne Unîversîty Press

Prînted în the Unîted States o Amerîca

îbrary o Congress Cataogîng-în-Pubîcatîon Data

Names: Drake, Rîchard, 1942–author. Tîte: Chares Austîn Beard : the return o the master Amerîcan împerîaîsm / Rîchard Drake.hîstorîan o Descrîptîon: ïthaca [New York] : Corne Unîversîty Press, 2018. | ïncudes bîbîographîca reerences and îndex. ïdentîIers: CCN 2018024044 (prînt) | CCN 2018025891 (ebook) | ïSBN 9781501715136 (e-book  epub/mobî) | ïSBN 9781501715143 (e-book pd ) |  ïSBN 9781501715167 | ïSBN 9781501715167  (coth ak. paper) Subjects: CSH: Beard, Chares A. (Chares Austîn), 1874–1948. | Hîstorîans—Unîted States—Bîography. | Unîted States—Foreîgn Reatîons—20th century—  Hîstorîography. | Unîted States—Hîstory—  20th Century—Hîstorîography. CassîIcatîon: CC E175.5.B38 (ebook) | CC E175.5.B38 D73 2018 (prînt) | DDC 973.07202 [B] —dc23 C record avaîabe at https://ccn.oc.gov/2018024044

Cover photo: Portraît o Chares A. Beard. Courtesy o the New York Pubîc îbrary.

In homae to Leonardo Brunî, who în the iteenth century observed that the undamenta esson to be ound în the paes o hîstory concerns the eterna struge between the rîch and the poor.

Co n t e n t s

Preaceîx Acknowedmentsxv

 ïntroductîon: The Beardîan ïnterpretatîon o Amerîcan Hîstory  1. Dîscoverîng the Economîc Taproot o ïmperîaîsm  2. Two Contrastîng Progressîve Vîews o the Great War  3. Becomîng a Revîsîonîst  4. Washîngton and Wa Street Workîng Together or War  5. ïsoatîonîsm versus ïnternatîonaîsm  6. A Wartîme Trîogy  7. Wagîng War or the Four Freedoms  8. Beard Fînds an Ay în Herbert Hoover  9. Attackîng “the Saînt” 10. Deendîng Beard ater the Fa 11. Beard’s Phîosophy o Hîstory and Amerîcan ïmperîaîsm  Concusîon: The Sad Hîstorîan o the Pensîve Paîn

Notes269 Index307

1

7

27 49

73 96 118 142 165 185 210

234

257

P r e f a c e

ï began graduate work on Amerîcan hîstory în 1963 at a schoo where Chares Beard survîved on semînar readîng îsts maîny as an exampe o how not to thînk about the Ied. As an undergraduate, ï had readthe Constîtutîon o the Unîted StatesAn Economîc Interpretatîon o . ït had stayed în my mînd as a humany credîbe aternatîve to the ceebratory Amer- îcan pageant approach then typîca o hîstory textbooks and, în that era o bur- geonîng consensus about the country’s exceptîona îdeas and vîrtues, eadîng monographs as we. Wîth what Beard ater acknowedged were some overstatements, he îden- tîIed the economîc orces responsîbe or the Amerîcan poîtîca system at îts oundîng. At the same tîme, hîs book provîded a hîstorîca prîmer or under- standîng how Amerîcan poîtîcs contînued to work on one o îts many eves, as a natura conduît or the advancement o peope and înterests wîth the money to pay or the entîtements bestowed by Washîngton. Hîs thesîs had the enormous advantage o expaînîng hîstorîcay one o the most obvîousy true aspects o Amerîcan poîtîca îe, îts reîance on money. The system worked în the maîn as îts desîgners had întended, Beard argued, to create a country suîted as much as possîbe to the economîc needs o the busîness and andownîng casses. That the Founders were în many ways praîseworthy men o exceptîona brîîance and earnîng dîd not take away rom the thrust o hîs argument în the book about the natura încînatîon or them to ook out or theîr own înterests. He admîred them, not east or the orthrîghtness wîth whîch înThe Federaîstand other sources they reey acknowedged theîr eco- nomîc motîves în desîgnîng the Constîtutîon. ï kept wonderîng în graduate schoo why, despîte the arguments ï heard în semînars and ectures, Beard seemed to me to be rîght în hîs prîncîpa judg- ments. ïn hîs great book, he had caîmed ony to be advancîng an înterpreta- tîon and învîted hîstorîans to test ît. Books had appeared to reute aspects o hîs înterpretatîon, în uIment o Beard’s own expectatîons about the îkey course o research deveopments oowîng the pubîcatîon oAn Economîc Interpretatîon. Though crîtîcs ony partîay had succeeded în theîr attack agaînst

i x