Beginnings of the American People

by Carl Lotus Becker

Carl Lotus Becker (September 7, 1873 - April 10, 1945) was an American historian. Carl Becker's 1915 The Beginnings of the American People is often cited for a description of "colonial merchants" as "sunshine patriots." The "sunshine patriot" only appeared once in this book, and that in a quotation from Thomas Paine's first American Crisis essay, which concluded a series of parallelisms that in turn presaged the introduction of General George Washington to the narrative. Becker is best known for The Heavenly City of the Eighteenth-Century Philosophers (1932), four lectures on The Enlightenment delivered at Yale University.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

216 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1915

About the author

Carl Lotus Becker was an American historian. He is best known for The Heavenly City of the Eighteenth-Century Philosophers (1932), four lectures on The Enlightenment delivered at Yale University. His assertion that philosophies, in the "Age of Reason," relied far more upon Christian assumptions than they cared to admit, has been influential, but has also been much attacked,

Cornell has recognized his work as an educator by naming one of its five new residential colleges the Carl Becker House.

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though not as good as Becker's book "Eve of the American Revolution", this book was a great overview of the history of America from discovery to the end of the revolution. Becker delivers a history about as unbiased as you can get. If you want an over view of early American history, this book is a great choice.

[Gary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty slow moving.