Bancroft Prize
1 appearances
Robert Sean Wilentz
ロバート・ショーン・ウィレンツ
Robert Sean Wilentz
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1951-02-20 （New York City, New York, U.S.）
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- New York City (birth and early life) → Princeton, New Jersey, U.S.
Career
- Occupations
- historian, academic, professor, writer
- Active Years
- 1979-
- Affiliations
- Princeton University (Department of History)
- Memberships
- American Historical Association
- Influenced By
- David Brion Davis, James P. Shenton
- Influenced
- Elena Kagan (former senior thesis advisee, later U.S. Supreme Court Justice), Contemporary scholars of American history
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia University | — | — | B.A. | 1968–1972 | United States |
| Balliol College, Oxford | — | — | B.A. (2nd BA) | 1972–1974 | United Kingdom |
| Yale University | — | History | M.A., Ph.D. | 1974–1980 | United States |
Columbia University
Degree:
B.A.
Period:
1968–1972
Year of Graduation:
1972
Country:
United States
Balliol College, Oxford
Degree:
B.A. (2nd BA)
Period:
1972–1974
Year of Graduation:
1974
Country:
United Kingdom
Attended on a Kellett Fellowship
Yale University
History
Degree:
M.A., Ph.D.
Period:
1974–1980
Year of Graduation:
1980
Country:
United States
PhD supervised by David Brion Davis
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Beveridge Award | Chants Democratic: New York City & the Rise of the American Working Class, 1788–1850 | — | American Historical Association | winner |
| 2006 | Bancroft Prize | The Rise of American Democracy: Jefferson to Lincoln | — | Columbia University (Bancroft Prize committee) | winner |
| 2006 | Pulitzer Prize for History | The Rise of American Democracy: Jefferson to Lincoln | — | Pulitzer Prize committee | finalist |
Beveridge Award
1984
Work:
Chants Democratic: New York City & the Rise of the American Working Class, 1788–1850
Organization:
American Historical Association
Result:
winner
Bancroft Prize
2006
Work:
The Rise of American Democracy: Jefferson to Lincoln
Organization:
Columbia University (Bancroft Prize committee)
Result:
winner
Pulitzer Prize for History
2006
Work:
The Rise of American Democracy: Jefferson to Lincoln
Organization:
Pulitzer Prize committee
Result:
finalist
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Chants Democratic: New York City & the Rise of the American Working Class, 1788–1850
1984 history / social historyA study of the rise of the working class and its political influence in New York City from the late 18th century to the mid-19th century.
labor movementclassurban historydemocracy
The Rise of American Democracy: Jefferson to Lincoln
2005 history / political historyA comprehensive account of the development of American democracy from Jefferson to Lincoln. Winner of the Bancroft Prize.
development of democracypolitical changeleaders and institutions
Andrew Jackson
2005 biography / historyA biographical study analyzing Andrew Jackson's life and political impact.
presidential historypopulismlaw and order
The Age of Reagan: A History, 1974–2008
2008 contemporary history / political historyAn analysis of political and social changes in the United States from 1974 to 2008, covering the Age of Reagan and its aftermath.
rise of conservatismpolicy changepolitical culture
Bob Dylan in America
2010 cultural history / music historyA collection of essays situating Bob Dylan's work within twentieth-century American history and culture.
music and cultureAmerican cultural historyart criticism
Bibliography
- Chants Democratic: New York City & the Rise of the American Working Class, 1788–1850 (1984)
- The Kingdom of Matthias (1994, co-authored)
- Andrew Jackson (2005)
- The Rise of American Democracy: Jefferson to Lincoln (2005)
- The Age of Reagan: A History, 1974–2008 (2008)
- Bob Dylan in America (2010)
- The Politicians and the Egalitarians (2016)
- No Property in Man: Slavery and Antislavery at the Nation’s Founding (2018)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- scholarly yet narrative historyevidence-based analytical prosepublic-intellectual commentary
- Recurring Motifs
- classdemocracyurban and regional politicslabor and social movements
Legacy
A widely respected historian of 19th- and 20th-century American history. Recipient of major awards including the Bancroft Prize, influential both in academia and public discourse. Also notable for cultural writings, including work on Bob Dylan.
Academic Societies
- American Historical Association
Archives
- Princeton University Archives (related materials)
In Popular Culture
- Known in music-cultural contexts for his work on Bob Dylan
Quotes
-
History will track you down and condemn you for your cravenness.
Source: Testimony before the U.S. House Judiciary Committee (1998) (1998)
Trivia
- Family owned the well-known Eighth Street Bookshop in Greenwich Village.
- Won the Bancroft Prize for The Rise of American Democracy.
- Has taught at Princeton University since 1979.
- Wrote liner notes for Bob Dylan-related recordings and received a Grammy nomination.