First Books: Richard Hofstadter

75 years ago, one of the 20th century’s greatest historians wrote a seminal tract on 19th century thought, earning his Ph.D. in the process.

First Books is an ongoing series where I analyze the first book of a famous historian’s career in order to learn more about their work and the greater profession. You can read the first article in the series here.

Richard Hofstadter (1916–1970) was one of the most insightful American historians of the 20th century. His writing changed the country’s historical understanding of Populists, progressives, and…