To build a monument: Jared Sparks and the writings of George WashingtonShow full item record
Title | To build a monument: Jared Sparks and the writings of George Washington |
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Author | Schuster, Stephen William |
Date | 1977 |
Genre | Dissertation |
Degree | Doctor of Philosophy |
Abstract | In the early decades of the nineteenth century Americans fervently sought books on the Revolutionary Era, that period of nation-founding, of momentous events and outstanding men. This widespread interest resulted largely from a wave of nationalism following the War of 1812. One historian who early recognized this popular demand for such works was Jared Sparks. As a result he wrote or compiled some seventy volumes, most famous of which was his edition of the Writings of George Washington. That enterprise contributed an interesting chapter to American historiography. For more than a decade Sparks worked with remarkable diligence and effort to produce his monument to the nation's greatest hero. To secure material he conducted the first extensive archival search in state offices of all thirteen original states as well as government departments in Washington, D. C. At the same time he successfully negotiated with Bushrod Washington for use and temporary possession of the massive Mount Vernon collection. Then to obtain further documentation he investigated the principal manuscript repositories in England and France, the first such archival tour by an American historian. Over a five-year period in the 1830s, he edited the manuscripts and produced an impressive set of books, characterized by high quality printing, paper, and illustration. For his efforts he received substantial rewards, including considerable income, international recognition, and a reputation as America's most eminent historian. Years later, however, he became embroiled in an extended controversy over his editorial methods, which in turn damaged his reputation as well as his monument to Washington. Yet for more than two decades after his death in 1866, his edition remained the only readily available source of Washington material. This study has been based largely on the Sparks papers at the Houghton Library, Harvard University. Certainly one of the most extensive personal archives of any American historian, this huge, but well organized collection contains approximately 60,000 pieces. |
Link | https://repository.tcu.edu/handle/116099117/33569 |
Department | History |
Advisor | Procter, Ben H. |
This item appears in the following Collection(s)
- Doctoral Dissertations [1518]
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