Eric Foner facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Eric Foner
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Foner in 2009
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| Born | February 7, 1943 New York City, U.S.
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Notable work
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Reconstruction: America's Unfinished Revolution - 1863-1877 (1988) The Fiery Trial (2010) |
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| Children | 1 |
| Parent(s) | Jack D. Foner (father) |
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| Doctoral advisor | Richard Hofstadter |
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| Influences | James P. Shenton |
Eric Foner (born February 7, 1943) is a famous American historian. He writes a lot about the history of the U.S.. His main topics include American political history, the idea of freedom, and the early days of the Republican Party.
He also studies African American history, the American Civil War, and the Reconstruction period. Since 1982, he has taught at Columbia University. Foner has written several popular textbooks, like the Give Me Liberty series. These books are used in high school classrooms across the country.
Foner has published many books about the Reconstruction period. This era happened right after the Civil War. His book Reconstruction: America's Unfinished Revolution, 1863–1877 came out in 1988. He also has online courses about the Civil War and Reconstruction. These courses are available from Columbia University.
In 2011, Foner's book The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery (published in 2010) won several big awards. These included the Pulitzer Prize for History, the Lincoln Prize, and the Bancroft Prize. He had already won the Bancroft Prize in 1989 for his book on Reconstruction. In 2000, he became the president of the American Historical Association.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Eric Foner was born in New York City in 1943. His parents were Liza and Jack D. Foner. His father, Jack D. Foner, was also a historian. He was involved in the trade union movement and the civil rights movement. Eric Foner says his father was his "first great teacher."
His father taught him how studying the past can help us understand today. For example, he learned how the McCarthy era was similar to earlier times of repression. He also learned that the civil rights movement was like the struggles of abolitionists. His father showed him that everyday people and activists were just as important in history as presidents.
After high school, Foner went to Columbia University. He first studied physics, but later switched to history. A class on the Civil War and Reconstruction made him decide to focus on that time period. He graduated from Columbia in 1963 with a degree in history.
Foner then studied at the University of Oxford in England. He earned another degree from Oriel College, Oxford in 1965. After Oxford, he returned to Columbia. He earned his doctoral degree in 1969. His main project was about the ideas that led the North to oppose slavery.
Career and Major Works
Eric Foner is a top expert on the Reconstruction Era. This was a very important and often difficult time after the Civil War. It was when the United States tried to rebuild and decide the place of formerly enslaved people.
Foner has written that historians have greatly changed how they see Reconstruction. They now understand it better, especially regarding the role of Black Americans. Other historians have praised Foner's work. They say his book Reconstruction is a masterful and powerful account of this complex period.
Foner has also thought about whether Reconstruction could have gone differently. He believes that President Abraham Lincoln might have agreed with Congress on some basic rights for Black people. This could have included some voting rights, if Lincoln had not been assassinated.
Popular Publications and Media
Foner writes for popular newspapers like The New York Times. He once wrote an opinion piece criticizing President Donald Trump. Trump wanted to protect Confederate monuments. Foner argued that these monuments represent white supremacy, not just heritage.
He has also appeared on TV shows like The Colbert Report and The Daily Show. On these shows, he discusses American history.
Awards and Honors
Eric Foner has received many awards for his work.
- In 1989, he won the Avery O. Craven Award.
- In 1991, he received the Great Teacher Award from Columbia University.
- In 1995, he was named Scholar of the Year by the New York Council for the Humanities.
- In 2009, he was given the Order of Lincoln. This is the highest honor in Illinois.
- In 2012, he received the Richard Nelson Current Award of Achievement.
- In 2020, he was awarded the Roy Rosenzweig Distinguished Service Award. This award recognizes people who help us understand American history better.
Personal Life
Eric Foner was married to screenwriter Naomi Foner from 1965 to 1977. Since 1982, he has been married to historian Lynn Garafola. They have one daughter named Daria.
Works
Eric Foner has written many important books on American history. His most famous works include:
- Free Soil, Free Labor, Free Men: The Ideology of the Republican Party Before the Civil War (1970)
- Reconstruction: America's Unfinished Revolution - 1863-1877 (1988)
- The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery (2010)
- The Give Me Liberty! textbook series, which is widely used in schools.
Some of his books have been translated into other languages, like Portuguese, Italian, and Chinese.
