'Interpretations of American History Essay\r'

'The world is full of rich culture, novelty and experiences unique to each individual. When determining the validity of historic accounts we must factor in that particular historian’s point of view, which should be characterized by ethnicity, idealogy, a priori or methodological preference. With these factors views of the past often quit from person to person. In this essay I pass on be discussing the four opposite stages that shaped the composing of American autobiography over the last cd years. According to Couvares, the writing of American history has passed by means of four stages: the providential, the rationalist, the nationalist, and the professional. The providential stage took place during the ordinal and eighteenth centuries. The puritans were among those who lived during the providential stage. They were strong practitioners of religion, and believed that their ancestry was that of a divine nature. They also believed that their misfortune was God reprimand ing them, and that their successes were his rewards.\r\nDuring the European enlighten ment of the eighteenth century, educated men of the aristocracy began to shun the traditional Puritan mindset. Instead they chose to clear society and advance knowledge through scientific discovery and natural laws of the physical universe alternatively of the spiritual universe. Among these educated men was Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson had a rationalist mindset. He believed that men could control their cause destiny, and natural law shaped society, as argue to the spiritual view of the puritans. This view did not annunciate well with evangelical Protestants. In 1790 the federal ships company led by Washington and Adams openly unlike his views, stating that Jefferson was an â€Å"infidel, an apologist for slavery, and a lover of French new excess.” (Couvares 76-3) and in fact history had already rick politicized. In the nineteenth century historians began to develop a new nationalist mindset.\r\nThey believed Anglo-Saxon’s to be the superior race, and every other race as inferior. George Bancroft was the most distinguished historian during the nineteenth century. Bancroft believed that Anglo-Saxons were racially destined to lead and spread freedom across the globe. With the establishment of John Hopkins University, college education became more everyday among middle-class Americans, however only wealthy clean-living men withal only had access to that pattern of education. This new wave of historians insisted that knowledge of history and natural philosophy were of equal importance.\r\nThe final stage of American history and progression according to Couvares, was the professional stage. Professional scholars rise to prominence from 1910-1945. These historians believed that modernity, industrialization, urbanization, and class conflict had fundamentally changed society. Charles byssus argued that â€Å"the constitution was not the product of wise men intent on balancing liberty and order, hardly a clique of wealthy merchants and landowners who wanted a central government strong enough to restrain their privileges against the unruly masses.” (Couvares 77-2). Beard also thought that legion(predicate) of the major conflicts in society were between stinting interest groups.\r\nMany critics found flaws in his idealogy, scarce at the same time it inspired them to finger answers to questions that plagued the people. Over the past 400 years, these historians all had different stances on how they thought to improve society. With the mix of heathenish backgrounds, and ethnicities no two viewpoints will ever be exactly the same. Couvares summed it up perfectly by stating that historians forever and a day criticize, correct, and supplement each other’s views, notwithstanding only by arguing their different viewpoints would they be able to get closer to the truth. The quote still applies in today’s society.\r\ nWorks Cited\r\nCouvares, Francis G. â€Å"Interpretations of American History” (76-3) Couvares, Francis G. â€Å"Interpretations of American History” (77-2)\r\n'