Samuel Eliot Morison facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Samuel Eliot Morison
Morison in 1953
Born	(1887-07-09)July 9, 1887 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died	May 15, 1976(1976-05-15) (aged 88) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Navy
Years of service	1942–1951
Rank	Rear admiral (reserve)
Battles/wars	World War II

Samuel Eliot Morison (born July 9, 1887 – died May 15, 1976) was a famous American historian. He was known for writing exciting and accurate books about the sea and American history.

He earned his Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1912. Later, he taught history there for 40 years. Morison won two Pulitzer Prizes for his books. One was Admiral of the Ocean Sea (1942), about Christopher Columbus. The other was John Paul Jones: A Sailor's Biography (1959).

In 1942, he was asked to write the history of the United States Navy during World War II. This huge project became 15 books published between 1947 and 1962. Morison also wrote the popular Oxford History of the American People (1965). He co-wrote the classic textbook The Growth of the American Republic (1930).

Throughout his life, Morison received many honors. These included eleven honorary degrees, several literary awards, and military honors. He was given the Legion of Merit and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Growing Up and Early Studies (1887–1912)

Samuel Eliot Morison was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on July 9, 1887. His parents were John Holmes Morison and Emily Marshall Morison. He was named after his grandfather, Samuel Eliot, who was also a historian and educator. His family, the Eliots, had many famous thinkers. Poet T.S. Eliot was one of his distant relatives.

Morison went to Noble and Greenough School and St. Paul's. Then he went to Harvard University. When he was 14, he learned to sail and ride horses. These skills helped him a lot in his later historical writings. He earned his Bachelor's and Master's degrees from Harvard in 1908. After studying in Paris, he returned to Harvard to continue his education.

Becoming a Historian (1913–1941)

Morison first planned to study math. But his professor, Albert Bushnell Hart, convinced him to research old family papers. This research led to his first book, The Life and Letters of Harrison Gray Otis (1913).

After getting his Ph.D. from Harvard, Morison taught history at the University of California, Berkeley. In 1915, he returned to Harvard as an instructor. During World War I, he served as a private in the US Army. He also worked as an American representative at the Paris Peace Conference.

From 1922 to 1925, Morison taught at Oxford University in England. He was the first Harmsworth Professor of American History there. In 1925, he came back to Harvard as a full professor.

Morison loved the history of New England. He wrote many books about it. These included The Maritime History of Massachusetts, 1783–1860 (1921). He also wrote several books about Harvard University's history. These included The Founding of Harvard College (1935) and Three Centuries of Harvard: 1636–1936 (1936).

He was the last professor to arrive at Harvard on horseback! In 1936, he gave a speech for Harvard's 300th anniversary. His speech was even recorded for the "Harvard Voices" collection.

In 1940, Morison published Portuguese Voyages to America in the Fifteenth Century. This book set the stage for his famous works on Christopher Columbus. For his book Admiral of the Ocean Sea (1942), Morison did something amazing. He actually sailed to the places Columbus explored! He wanted to experience the voyages himself. This expedition, called the Harvard Columbus Expedition, sailed from August 1939 to February 1940. They retraced Columbus's route using old maps and records. This book won the Pulitzer Prize in 1943.

Serving in the Navy (1942–1952)

In 1942, Morison met with his friend, President Franklin D. Roosevelt. He offered to write a history of the United States Navy during World War II. He wanted to do this by being part of the operations himself. President Roosevelt and Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox agreed. On May 5, 1942, Morison became a lieutenant commander in the US Naval Reserve. He immediately started active duty.

Morison and his team worked on the History of United States Naval Operations in World War II. This huge work was published in 15 volumes between 1947 and 1962. It covered everything from battle plans to new technology and individual heroic stories. British historian Sir John Keegan called it the best history to come out of that war. Volume 3, The Rising Sun in the Pacific, won the Bancroft Prize in 1949.

Morison was promoted to captain in 1945. In 1951, he was transferred to the retired list and promoted to Rear admiral because of his combat awards.

Later Life and Legacy (1953–1976)

Morison retired from Harvard University in 1955. He spent the rest of his life writing. He wrote many more books, including Christopher Columbus, Mariner (1955) and John Paul Jones: A Sailor's Biography (1959). The book about John Paul Jones earned him his second Pulitzer Prize.

In the early 1960s, Morison wrote about his childhood in New England. These books included One Boy's Boston, 1887–1901 (1962). In 1963, he published The Two-Ocean War. This was a shorter, one-volume history of the US Navy in World War II.

In 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson gave Morison the Presidential Medal of Freedom. This is one of the highest civilian awards in the United States.

Morison's later books focused on exploration. He wrote The European Discovery of America (1971–1974) and Samuel de Champlain: Father of New France (1972). For the Champlain book, he even sailed some of Champlain's routes and flew over others!

Samuel Eliot Morison passed away on May 15, 1976. His ashes are buried in Maine.

His contributions to history and the Navy are still remembered. On July 19, 1979, the frigate USS Samuel Eliot Morison was launched, named in his honor. There is also a scholarship in his name for naval history. In Boston, a bronze statue of Morison stands on the Commonwealth Avenue Mall.

Morison's last public appearance was in April 1976. He helped open the USS Constitution Museum. The museum's research library and an annual award for historical scholarship are named after him. The Samuel Eliot Morison Award honors people who show great scholarship and love for the sea.

Criticism and Historical Views

Like many historians, Morison's work faced some criticism over time.

Views on Slavery

Some African-American scholars criticized Morison's early writings about American slavery. This was in his book The Growth of the American Republic. These critics felt that the book's early editions reflected older, sometimes biased, views on slavery. In the 1940s, the NAACP began to voice concerns.

Morison said he did not intend to be biased. He agreed to make many changes to later editions of the book. He removed content that critics found offensive. This shows how historical understanding and how we talk about the past can change over time.

Battle of Savo Island

Morison also faced criticism for his account of the Battle of Savo Island during World War II. This was a difficult defeat for the US Navy. Morison partly blamed an Australian aircrew for not reporting Japanese forces. However, later information showed that his account was not entirely accurate. In 2014, the US Navy officially apologized to the last surviving member of the RAAF crew. The Navy stated that Morison's criticism was "unwarranted."

Awards and Honors

Award Ribbons

Other Honors

• Honorary Member of the Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati (1938)
• Vuelo Panamericano Medal (Republic of Cuba) (1943)

Honorary Degrees

• Trinity College, Hartford (1935)
• Amherst College (1936)
• Harvard University (1936)
• Union College (1939)
• Columbia University (1942)
• Yale University (1949)
• Williams College (1950)
• University of Oxford (1951)
• Bucknell University (1960)
• Boston College (1961)
• College of the Holy Cross (1962)

Literary Prizes

• Loubat Prize (1938) for his Harvard history books
• Pulitzer Prize (1943) for Admiral of the Ocean Sea
• Bancroft Prize (1949) for The Rising Sun in the Pacific
• Pulitzer Prize (1960) for John Paul Jones: A Sailor's Biography
• American Academy of Arts and Sciences Emerson-Thoreau Medal (1961)
• American Academy of Arts and Letters Gold Medal (1962)
• Balzan Prize (1962) for History of United States Naval Operations in World War II
• Bancroft Prize (1972) for The European Discovery of America: The Northern Voyages

Selected Works

Here are some of Samuel Eliot Morison's most famous books:

• Admiral of the Ocean Sea (1942) - A biography of Christopher Columbus.
• History of United States Naval Operations in World War II (15 volumes, 1947–1962) - His major work on the Navy in WWII.
• John Paul Jones: A Sailor's Biography (1959) - About the famous American naval hero.
• The Oxford History of the American People (1965) - A popular history of the United States.
• The European Discovery of America (2 volumes, 1971–1974) - About the discovery of the Americas.
• Samuel de Champlain: Father of New France (1972) - About the French explorer.

See also

In Spanish: Samuel Eliot Morison para niños