Misplaced Pages

Sean Wilentz: Difference between revisions

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Browse history interactively← Previous editNext edit →Content deleted Content addedVisualWikitext
Revision as of 14:32, 15 April 2010 editFellGleaming (talk | contribs)3,690 edits add fact.← Previous edit Revision as of 21:40, 23 April 2010 edit undoJackson1833 (talk | contribs)1 edit I have corrected factual errors and tendentious statements posted by my critics and enemies. On the Clintons, the statement in the NY Times about my being family friends was unchecked and is false.Next edit →
Line 2: Line 2:


==Background== ==Background==
Born in 1951 in ], where his father Eli owned a well-known ] ], the Eight Street Bookshop, Wilentz earned one B.A. at ] in 1972, before earning another at ] on a Kellett Fellowship. In 1980, he earned his Ph.D. at ], under the supervision of ]. His historical scholarship has focused on the importance of class and race in the early national period, especially in New York City. Wilentz has also co-authored books on nineteenth-century religion and working-class life. He has more recently turned his scholarship to modern U.S. history. His latest book is ''The Age of Reagan: A History, 1974-2008'', published in May 2008<ref>'' , History Department, Princeton University</ref>. Born in 1951 in ], where his father Eli owned a well-known ] ], the Eighth Street Bookshop, Wilentz earned one B.A. at ] in 1972, before earning another at ] on a Mitchell Fellowship. In 1980, he earned his Ph.D. at ], under the supervision of ]. His historical scholarship has focused on the importance of class and race in the early national period, especially in New York City. Wilentz has also co-authored books on nineteenth-century religion and working-class life. He has more recently turned his scholarship to modern U.S. history. His latest book is ''The Age of Reagan: A History, 1974-2008'', published in May 2008<ref>'' , History Department, Princeton University</ref>. In September 2010, Doubleday will publish his book, "Bob Dylan in America" <ref> "http://www.amazon.com/Bob-Dylan-America-Sean-Wilentz/dp/0385529880/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1272056529&sr=8-5 </ref>
A contributing editor at '']'', Wilentz writes widely on music and the arts as well as history and politics, and has received a ] nomination, and a Deems Taylor Award for musical commentary from the ] for his work on ]. A contributing editor at '']'', Wilentz writes widely on music and the arts as well as history and politics, and has received a ] nomination, and a Deems Taylor Award for musical commentary from the ] for his work on ].


Wilentz is a long-time family friend of the Clintons.<ref> ] </ref>. Wilentz has also intervened in contemporary politics as a staunch defender of ] and ]. He appeared before the House Judiciary Committee on December 8, 1998 to argue against the ]. His testimony &mdash; he told the House members that, if they voted for impeachment but were not convinced Clinton's offenses were impeachable, "history will track you down and condemn you for your cravenness" &mdash; cheered Democratic partisans but was criticized by the '']'', which lamented his "gratuitously patronizing presentation" in an editorial.<ref>, '']'', 1998-09-12</ref> Wilentz has been described in news reports as a long-time family friend of the Clintons,<ref> ] </ref> although he has only spent appreciable time with Bill Clinton in 2008, when he accompanied the former president in a delegation to several African nations for the Clinton Global Initiative. Wilentz has also intervened in contemporary politics in ways that some critics have interpreted as staunch defenses of ] and ]. He appeared before the House Judiciary Committee on December 8, 1998 to argue against the ]. His testimony &mdash; he told the House members that, if they voted for impeachment but were not convinced Clinton's offenses were impeachable, "history will track you down and condemn you for your cravenness" &mdash; cheered Democratic partisans but was criticized by the '']'', which had been highly critical of Clinton and which lamented what it called Wilentz's "gratuitously patronizing presentation" in an editorial.<ref>, '']'', 1998-09-12</ref> Wilentz has ignored these attacks. In his testimony to the House committee, he stated clearly that he had "no intention of defending the president over his confessed and alleged misdeeds," but instead wished "to defend the institution of the presidency, the Constitution, and the rule of law from what I see as the attacks upon them that have accompanied the continuing inquiry into the president's misconduct." <ref> http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/stories/1998/12/08/transcripts/wilentz.html "Transcript: Testimony of Professor Sean Wilentz"] ] </ref>


Wilentz has prominently criticized the ] administration. In 2006 he wrote an article about the ] presidency, titled "The Worst President in History?" <ref>, '']'', 2006-04-21</ref> which appeared in '']'' magazine. The article received immediate national attention <ref> ]'' attacked Wilentz's analysis as "blinkered" and called him "the modern Arthur Schlesinger Jr." <ref> http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Sean+Wilentz+is+the+modern+Arthur+Schlesinger+Jr.--an+Ivy+League...-a0145635337 "Sean Wilentz is the Modern Arthur Schlesinger Jr.," '']'', 2006-05-22</ref> Wilentz has prominently criticized the ] administration. In 2006 he wrote an article about the ] presidency, titled "The Worst President in History?" <ref>, '']'', 2006-04-21</ref> which appeared in '']'' magazine. The article received immediate national attention <ref> ]'' attacked Wilentz's analysis as "blinkered" and called him "the modern Arthur Schlesinger Jr." <ref> http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Sean+Wilentz+is+the+modern+Arthur+Schlesinger+Jr.--an+Ivy+League...-a0145635337 "Sean Wilentz is the Modern Arthur Schlesinger Jr.," '']'', 2006-05-22</ref>
Line 11: Line 11:
Wilentz followed up during the 2008 general election with another article in '']'', describing how the failures of the Bush administration had caused a "political meltdown" of the Republican Party, with potentially enormous long-term effects. <ref> http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/22665562 "How Bush Destroyed the Republican Party,'']'', 2008-09-04 </ref> Wilentz followed up during the 2008 general election with another article in '']'', describing how the failures of the Bush administration had caused a "political meltdown" of the Republican Party, with potentially enormous long-term effects. <ref> http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/22665562 "How Bush Destroyed the Republican Party,'']'', 2008-09-04 </ref>


In 2008 Wilentz was an outspoken supporter of Sen. Hillary Clinton.<ref>, by Sean Wilentz, Newsweek.com, 2007-11-16</ref> He wrote an essay in the '']'' analyzing Sen. ]'s campaign, charging Obama with creating "manipulative illusion" and "distortions," and having "purposefully polluted the contest" with "the most outrageous deployment of racial politics since the ] ad campaign in 1988."<ref>, by Sean Wilentz, ''The New Republic,'' 2008-02-27</ref> During the Democratic National Convention, Wilentz charged in '']'' that "liberal intellectuals have largely abdicated their responsibility to provide unblinking and rigorous analysis" of Obama. "Hardly any prominent liberal thinkers" have questioned his "rationalizations" about his relationship to his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr., or "his patently evasive accounts" of his "ties" to the "unrepentant terrorist William Ayers." For Wilentz, Obama is untested, cloudy, problematic — and liberal intellectuals have given him a free ride.<ref> Sean Wilentz, "A Liberal's Lament," '']'' </ref> Wilentz was criticized by bloggers and others for his criticism of Obama.<ref>], "Sean Wilentz, Out on a Partisan Limb," '']'' </ref> He has also come under fire for the alleged historical inaccuracy of his attacks on the idea of ].<ref>Thomas Woods, Jr., , ] (2010-04-06)</ref> In 2008 Wilentz was an outspoken supporter of Sen. Hillary Clinton.<ref>, by Sean Wilentz, Newsweek.com, 2007-11-16</ref> He wrote an essay in the '']'' analyzing Sen. ]'s campaign, charging Obama with creating "manipulative illusion" and "distortions," and having "purposefully polluted the contest" with "the most outrageous deployment of racial politics since the ] ad campaign in 1988."<ref>, by Sean Wilentz, ''The New Republic,'' 2008-02-27</ref> During the Democratic National Convention, Wilentz charged in '']'' that "liberal intellectuals have largely abdicated their responsibility to provide unblinking and rigorous analysis" of Obama. "Hardly any prominent liberal thinkers" have questioned his "rationalizations" about his relationship to his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr., or "his patently evasive accounts" of his "ties" to the "unrepentant terrorist William Ayers." For Wilentz, Obama is untested, cloudy, problematic — and liberal intellectuals have given him a free ride.<ref> Sean Wilentz, "A Liberal's Lament," '']'' </ref> Wilentz was criticized by pro-Obama bloggers and other Obama supporters for his criticism of Obama, but praised and defended by other Democratic and liberal writers.<ref>], "Sean Wilentz, Out on a Partisan Limb," '']'' ], "It's About Time: Sean Wilentz on Obama Playing the Race Card," "]" , "Wilentz Blows Lid Off Obama Race-Baiting Campaign," "]" </ref> He has also come under fire from a right-wing writer on a free market, libertarian Website for the alleged historical inaccuracy of his attacks on the idea of ].<ref>Thomas Woods, Jr., , ] (2010-04-06)</ref>


Wilentz lives in ] and is married to ] historian ]. Wilentz lives in ] and is married to ] historian ].
Line 32: Line 32:


==About Wilentz== ==About Wilentz==
* Altschuler, Glenn C. "Democracy as a Work in Progress," ''Reviews in American History,'' Volume 34, Number 2, June 2006, pp. 169–175 , review of ''The Rise of American Democracy: Jefferson to Lincoln'' * Altschuler, Glenn C. "Democracy as a Work in Progress," ''Reviews in American History,'' Volume 34, Number 2, June 2006, pp. 169–175 , review of ''The Rise of American Democracy: Jefferson to Lincoln'
*], "The Long Shadow," ], May 18, 2008 , review of The Age of Reagan: A History, 1974-2008
* , review by conservative scholar * , review by conservative scholar
==References== ==References==

Revision as of 21:40, 23 April 2010

Robert Sean Wilentz (Template:Pron-en) is the Sidney and Ruth Lapidus Professor of History at Princeton University, where he has taught since 1979.

Background

Born in 1951 in New York City, where his father Eli owned a well-known Greenwich Village bookstore, the Eighth Street Bookshop, Wilentz earned one B.A. at Columbia University in 1972, before earning another at Oxford University on a Mitchell Fellowship. In 1980, he earned his Ph.D. at Yale University, under the supervision of David Brion Davis. His historical scholarship has focused on the importance of class and race in the early national period, especially in New York City. Wilentz has also co-authored books on nineteenth-century religion and working-class life. He has more recently turned his scholarship to modern U.S. history. His latest book is The Age of Reagan: A History, 1974-2008, published in May 2008. In September 2010, Doubleday will publish his book, "Bob Dylan in America" A contributing editor at The New Republic, Wilentz writes widely on music and the arts as well as history and politics, and has received a Grammy nomination, and a Deems Taylor Award for musical commentary from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers for his work on Bob Dylan.

Wilentz has been described in news reports as a long-time family friend of the Clintons, although he has only spent appreciable time with Bill Clinton in 2008, when he accompanied the former president in a delegation to several African nations for the Clinton Global Initiative. Wilentz has also intervened in contemporary politics in ways that some critics have interpreted as staunch defenses of Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton. He appeared before the House Judiciary Committee on December 8, 1998 to argue against the Clinton impeachment. His testimony — he told the House members that, if they voted for impeachment but were not convinced Clinton's offenses were impeachable, "history will track you down and condemn you for your cravenness" — cheered Democratic partisans but was criticized by the New York Times, which had been highly critical of Clinton and which lamented what it called Wilentz's "gratuitously patronizing presentation" in an editorial. Wilentz has ignored these attacks. In his testimony to the House committee, he stated clearly that he had "no intention of defending the president over his confessed and alleged misdeeds," but instead wished "to defend the institution of the presidency, the Constitution, and the rule of law from what I see as the attacks upon them that have accompanied the continuing inquiry into the president's misconduct."

Wilentz has prominently criticized the George W. Bush administration. In 2006 he wrote an article about the George W. Bush presidency, titled "The Worst President in History?" which appeared in Rolling Stone magazine. The article received immediate national attention and negative responses from conservatives; National Review attacked Wilentz's analysis as "blinkered" and called him "the modern Arthur Schlesinger Jr."

Wilentz followed up during the 2008 general election with another article in Rolling Stone, describing how the failures of the Bush administration had caused a "political meltdown" of the Republican Party, with potentially enormous long-term effects.

In 2008 Wilentz was an outspoken supporter of Sen. Hillary Clinton. He wrote an essay in the New Republic analyzing Sen. Barack Obama's campaign, charging Obama with creating "manipulative illusion" and "distortions," and having "purposefully polluted the contest" with "the most outrageous deployment of racial politics since the Willie Horton ad campaign in 1988." During the Democratic National Convention, Wilentz charged in Newsweek that "liberal intellectuals have largely abdicated their responsibility to provide unblinking and rigorous analysis" of Obama. "Hardly any prominent liberal thinkers" have questioned his "rationalizations" about his relationship to his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr., or "his patently evasive accounts" of his "ties" to the "unrepentant terrorist William Ayers." For Wilentz, Obama is untested, cloudy, problematic — and liberal intellectuals have given him a free ride. Wilentz was criticized by pro-Obama bloggers and other Obama supporters for his criticism of Obama, but praised and defended by other Democratic and liberal writers. He has also come under fire from a right-wing writer on a free market, libertarian Website for the alleged historical inaccuracy of his attacks on the idea of nullification.

Wilentz lives in Princeton, New Jersey and is married to University of Chicago historian Christine Stansell.

Awards

Writings

  • "On Class and Politics in Jacksonian America," Reviews in American History, Vol. 10, No. 4, The Promise of American History: Progress and Prospects (Dec., 1982), pp. 45–63 in JSTOR
  • "Against Exceptionalism: Class Consciousness and the American Labor Movement, 1790-1920," International Labor and Working Class History, 26 (Fall 1984): 1-24,
  • Chants Democratic: New York City and the Rise of the American Working Class, 1788-1850 (1984)
  • Merrill, Michael, and Sean Wilentz, eds. The Key of Liberty: The Life and Democratic Writings of William Manning, "A Laborer," 1747-1814 (1993)
  • Johnson, Paul E., and Sean Wilentz. The Kingdom of Matthias. (1994) excerpt and text search
  • Andrew Jackson (2005) excerpt and text search
  • The Rise of American Democracy: Jefferson to Lincoln (2005) excerpt and text search
  • Wilentz, Sean and Greil Marcus, eds. Rose and the Briar: Death, Love and Liberty in the American Ballad (2005)
  • Wilentz, Sean, and Jonathan Earle, eds. Major Problems in the Early Republic (1992; 2nd ed. 2007)
  • The Age of Reagan: A History, 1974-2008 (2008) excerpt and text search

About Wilentz

References

  1. "Robert Wilentz" , History Department, Princeton University
  2. "http://www.amazon.com/Bob-Dylan-America-Sean-Wilentz/dp/0385529880/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1272056529&sr=8-5
  3. "The Charisma Mandate"The New York Times
  4. "Immobilizing Lies", The New York Times, 1998-09-12
  5. http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/stories/1998/12/08/transcripts/wilentz.html "Transcript: Testimony of Professor Sean Wilentz"] CNN.com
  6. "The Worst President in History? One of America's leading historians assesses George W. Bush", Rolling Stone, 2006-04-21
  7. [http://newsbusters.org/node/5028, "Olbermann Plugs 'Bush Worst President' Rolling Stone Article", Newsbusters, 2006-04-22
  8. http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Sean+Wilentz+is+the+modern+Arthur+Schlesinger+Jr.--an+Ivy+League...-a0145635337 "Sean Wilentz is the Modern Arthur Schlesinger Jr.," National Review, 2006-05-22
  9. http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/22665562 "How Bush Destroyed the Republican Party,Rolling Stone, 2008-09-04
  10. "Making the Case... for Hillary Clinton", by Sean Wilentz, Newsweek.com, 2007-11-16
  11. "Race Man", by Sean Wilentz, The New Republic, 2008-02-27
  12. Sean Wilentz, "A Liberal's Lament," Newsweek issue of Sept. 1, 2008, online
  13. Russell Jacoby, "Sean Wilentz, Out on a Partisan Limb," Chronicle of Higher Education issue dated September 19, 2008 online;Pamela Leavey, "It's About Time: Sean Wilentz on Obama Playing the Race Card," "Democratic Daily" [http://thedemocraticdaily.com/2008/02/28/its-about-time-sean-wilentz-on-obama-playing-the-race-card/ posted Feb, 28, 2008, "Wilentz Blows Lid Off Obama Race-Baiting Campaign," "The Confluence" Feb. 27, 2008
  14. Thomas Woods, Jr., The Ivy League Hates Nullification, LewRockwell.com (2010-04-06)

External links

Categories: