Bernard Bailyn

This week we lost one of the leading historians of the early United States, Bernard Bailyn who was 97. He wrote a book, "The Ideaological Origins of the American Revolution", that helped shape our perspective of the American founding fathers in the late 1970's. 

After exhaustive research of political pamphlets in the 1700's, Bernard came to the conclusion that the founders held sincere and reasoned ideas about democracy and profoundly objected to England's claims of dominion over the colonies. This view was in opposition to the foundational belief that the founders were more profoundly influenced by The Enlightenment philosophy, vested more in power than ideas. His views that the founders were primarily motivated by the "logic of rebellion" led to his conclusion that the founders birthed the idea of "America's destiny in the context of world history," based on their ideals of freedom, not on their desire for personal power. 

I first remember hearing about Bernard Bailyn after reading an interview with Daniel Ellsberg, of Watergate and anti-war movement fame. Daniel quoted a passage from Bernard's book, "The Ideaological Origins of the American Revolution" and he said that each time he read this passage he would weep. "But some, caught up in a vision of the future in which the peculiarities of American life became the marks of a chosen people, found in the defiance of traditional order the firmest of all grounds for their hope for a freer life. It was only where there was this defiance, this refusal to truckle, this distrust of all authority, political or social, that institutions would express human aspirations, not crush them." 

This passage reminds me of this passage form the Declaration of Independence, "But when a long train of abuses and usurpation's, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security."

Both passages are a triumph of artistry and are clear, concise, simple and yet breathtaking in their call for action in the midst of injustice. The canvas of history is filled with oratorical masters but we have been equally blessed with wordsmiths of the highest order as well and this week the world lost one of the greats.