Edward Channing

Edward Channing (1856–1931) was an American historian and Harvard professor whose six-volume History of the United States appeared from 1905 to 1925.

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History of the United States (Channing): Edward Channing’s six-volume history of the United States, published between 1905 and 1925. This multivolume work is Channing’s defining achievement.
Henry Adams: An American historian, novelist, and memoirist whose works include a history of the early United States. Adams was a contemporary Harvard historian whose national history offers a useful comparison.
Colonial history of the United States: The history of European colonies in North America before the United States became independent. Channing devoted substantial portions of his series to colonial development.
Progressive historiography: An approach to American history that emphasizes conflicts among economic interests and social groups. Progressive historians foregrounded social and economic conflict more than Channing’s institutional account.
American historiography: The study of how historical writing about the United States has developed over time. Channing’s career belongs to the professionalization of American historical scholarship.
Frederick Jackson Turner: An American historian known for the frontier thesis and influential interpretations of national development. Turner’s interpretation of the American past differed from Channing’s institution-centered narrative.
American Revolution: The political and military conflict through which thirteen British colonies became independent states. The Revolution forms a major subject in Channing’s account of national origins.
Frontier thesis: Frederick Jackson Turner’s argument that the frontier shaped American institutions and national character. Turner offered a distinct explanation of national development from Channing’s narrative.
Harvard University: A private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, founded in 1636. Channing taught and pursued historical scholarship at Harvard.
Justin Winsor: An American historian and librarian who helped establish professional historical scholarship at Harvard. Winsor preceded Channing in shaping Harvard’s historical scholarship and library resources.