He traced the pedigree of these modes of writing and thinking back nearly a century. Bailyn disagreed: He had spent years studying the pamphlet literature produced by the colonists, and saw in their writings genuine conviction.īailyn noticed in these texts deep discourses on the nature of power, fear or even paranoia about liberty and tyranny, and any number of conspiracy theories.

In a long career-he finished his dissertation in 1953 and his most recent book was published just four months before his death at age 97-Bailyn helped to revitalize the study of the colonial era and the Founding, bringing both lay readers and his fellow historians toward a richer understanding of the role of ideas and ideology in early American politics.Įarly in Bailyn’s career, the reigning academic orthodoxy-inspired by Progressive Era historians like Charles Beard-held that the American Revolution was hardly revolutionary and that the complaints of tyranny coming from the patriots were really propaganda to disguise and defend their economic self-interest. Bernard Bailyn, a historian celebrated both for his work on early America and for mentoring a generation of scholars who would go on to make their own major contributions to the field, died last week.

The Barbarous Years by Bernard Bailyn