Frederic L. Paxson facts for kids

Frederic Logan Paxson (born February 23, 1877, died October 24, 1948) was an important American historian. A historian is someone who studies and writes about the past. He was even the president of a group called the Mississippi Valley Historical Association. He studied at the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard University. Later, he taught history at the University of Wisconsin and the University of California-Berkeley.

Frederic Paxson was an expert on the American frontier. This was the changing border as settlers moved west across America. He won a special award called the 1925 Pulitzer Prize for his book History of the American Frontier, 1763–1893.

Teaching History

Frederic Paxson was a very admired teacher. His students, like Earl S. Pomeroy and Ira Clark, learned a lot from him. Clark said that Paxson made history feel like an adventure. Students felt like they were exploring the past with him.

Paxson encouraged his students to connect different parts of history. He believed in looking at how people lived and worked. This included economic history (about money and jobs) and social history (about how people interacted). He also taught them to look at political history, which is about governments and leaders.

During World War I, Paxson helped rewrite textbooks. He called this "Historical Engineering." It meant explaining the war's issues to help people understand why America was fighting.

His Important Books

When he was a student, Frederic Paxson studied history, international law, and economics. His main teacher, John Bach McMaster, told him to read widely. He also encouraged Paxson to use new sources like old newspapers. Paxson also looked at official records in London and Washington.

In 1903, he wrote a big paper called a dissertation. It was about how America recognized the independence of South American countries. After that, he started focusing on the American West. He wrote several studies about Colorado.

His most famous book was History of the American Frontier, 1763–1893. This book won the Pulitzer Prize in 1924. It covered many topics about the frontier. It also talked about the difficult relationships between settlers and Native Americans. Paxson showed how moving west changed people's lives.

During World War I, Paxson worked for the War Department. Even though he was from a Quaker family (who are usually against war), he used his writing skills. He helped explain the history behind American policies during the war.

Here are some of his important books:

• The Independence of the South American Republics: A Study in Recognition and Foreign Policy, 1903.
• The Last American Frontier, 1910.
• The Civil War, 1911.
• The New Nation, 1919.
• History of the American Frontier, 1763–1893, 1924.
• American Democracy and the World War, (3 volumes), 1936–1948.
• America at War, 1917–1918, 1939.
• Postwar Years, Normalcy, 1918–1923, 1948.