Herbert L. Osgood
Encyclopedia
Herbert Levi Osgood was an American
historian
of colonial American history
. As a professor at Columbia University he directed numerous dissertations of scholars who became major historians. Osgood was a leader of the "Imperial historians"
who studied, and often praised, the inner workings of the British Empire
in the 18th century.
, and attended Amherst College
, from which he graduated in 1877, having studied under John W. Burgess. He attended graduate school at Amherst and Yale
, and spent a year in Berlin
, before returning to the United States to teach at Brooklyn High School and resume graduate studies at Columbia
under Burgess, who had recently moved there. Osgood received his doctorate from Columbia, and then went to London
to study documents relating to colonial America in the archives of the British Museum
and the Public Record Office
. Returning to the United States once more, he served as an assistant to Burgess for six years. In 1896, Osgood was appointed professor, in which position he remained until his death.
His son-in-law, Dixon Ryan Fox
, was also a historian, as well as author of a biography of Osgood, Herbert Levi Osgood, an American scholar (1924).
, who wrote more popularly accessible works, but based them more on a synthesis of secondary sources. Osgood was an admirer of Leopold von Ranke
, and his style is sometimes compared with the latter's. Along with Charles McLean Andrews
and other Imperial School historians, he took a view of the colonial period that focused on its imperial ties with Great Britain.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
of colonial American history
Colonial America
The colonial history of the United States covers the history from the start of European settlement and especially the history of the thirteen colonies of Britain until they declared independence in 1776. In the late 16th century, England, France, Spain and the Netherlands launched major...
. As a professor at Columbia University he directed numerous dissertations of scholars who became major historians. Osgood was a leader of the "Imperial historians"
Historiography of the British Empire
The historiography of the British Empire refers to the studies, sources, critical methods and interpretations used by scholars to study the history of the British Empire. Scholars have long studied the Empire, looking at the causes for its formation, its relations to the French and other empires,...
who studied, and often praised, the inner workings of the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
in the 18th century.
Biography
Osgood was born in MaineMaine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, and attended Amherst College
Amherst College
Amherst College is a private liberal arts college located in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. Amherst is an exclusively undergraduate four-year institution and enrolled 1,744 students in the fall of 2009...
, from which he graduated in 1877, having studied under John W. Burgess. He attended graduate school at Amherst and Yale
YALE
RapidMiner, formerly YALE , is an environment for machine learning, data mining, text mining, predictive analytics, and business analytics. It is used for research, education, training, rapid prototyping, application development, and industrial applications...
, and spent a year in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, before returning to the United States to teach at Brooklyn High School and resume graduate studies at Columbia
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
under Burgess, who had recently moved there. Osgood received his doctorate from Columbia, and then went to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to study documents relating to colonial America in the archives of the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
and the Public Record Office
Public Record Office
The Public Record Office of the United Kingdom is one of the three organisations that make up the National Archives...
. Returning to the United States once more, he served as an assistant to Burgess for six years. In 1896, Osgood was appointed professor, in which position he remained until his death.
His son-in-law, Dixon Ryan Fox
Dixon Ryan Fox
Dixon Ryan Fox was an American educator, researcher, and president of Union College from 1934-45.Fox graduated from New York University, where he was a member of the Andiron Club...
, was also a historian, as well as author of a biography of Osgood, Herbert Levi Osgood, an American scholar (1924).
Scholarly work
Osgood wrote extensively on colonial American history, and his work is characterized by frequent and detailed analysis of primary sources. His work is descriptive, aimed as a careful analysis of the source material for the consumption of other historians, with little narrative running through it. In this he contrasts with Edward ChanningEdward Channing
Edward Perkins Channing was a conservative American historian and an author of a monumental History of the United States in six volumes, for which he won the 1926 Pulitzer Prize for History. His thorough research in printed sources and judicious judgments made the book a standard reference for...
, who wrote more popularly accessible works, but based them more on a synthesis of secondary sources. Osgood was an admirer of Leopold von Ranke
Leopold von Ranke
Leopold von Ranke was a German historian, considered one of the founders of modern source-based history. Ranke set the standards for much of later historical writing, introducing such ideas as reliance on primary sources , an emphasis on narrative history and especially international politics .-...
, and his style is sometimes compared with the latter's. Along with Charles McLean Andrews
Charles McLean Andrews
Charles McLean Andrews was one of the most distinguished American historians of his time and widely recognized as a leading authority on American colonial history...
and other Imperial School historians, he took a view of the colonial period that focused on its imperial ties with Great Britain.
External links
- The American Colonies in the Seventeenth Century, a digital edition of Osgood's three-volume history (1904–07)