William Archibald Dunning facts for kids

William Archibald Dunning (born May 12, 1857 – died August 25, 1922) was an American historian and political scientist. He taught at Columbia University. Dunning was well-known for his studies on the Reconstruction era in the United States.

He started an informal group of historians called the Dunning School. This group shared his ideas about the Reconstruction period. Dunning and his students wrote many books and papers on this topic. However, his work has been criticized. Some say his ideas supported unfair views about race. They also say his writings helped justify laws that limited the rights of Black Americans.

Early Life and Education

William Dunning was born in Plainfield, New Jersey. His father was a successful businessman who loved classic literature. William studied at Columbia University. He earned his bachelor's degree in 1881, his master's in 1884, and his Ph.D. in 1885.

After his studies in the U.S., Dunning spent a year in Berlin. There, he studied European history. In 1888, he married Charlotte E. Loomis. They did not have any children. Charlotte passed away in 1917.

Academic Career and Writings

Dunning began teaching at Columbia University. He moved up the academic ladder quickly. By 1903, he became the Francis Lieber Professor of History and Political Philosophy.

He published his Ph.D. paper as a book. It was called The Constitution of the United States in Civil War and Reconstruction: 1860–1867 (1897). He was 40 years old at the time.

Dunning also wrote Essays on the Civil War and Reconstruction and Related Topics (1897). In this book, he explained the legal reasons for ending slavery. He was against slavery. His book Reconstruction, Political and Economic: 1865–1877 (1907) was very influential. It helped shape how people thought about the Reconstruction era.

Dunning was also an expert in the history of political ideas. He wrote a three-part series on this topic. The books were A History of Political Theories: Ancient and Medieval (1902), From Luther to Montesquieu (1905), and From Rousseau to Spencer (1920).

Even with poor health after 1903, Dunning wrote many articles. He also reviewed books for important journals. He edited the Political Science Quarterly from 1894 to 1903. Dunning helped start the American Historical Association and became its president in 1913. He also led the American Political Science Association in 1922.

Teaching and Mentoring Students

Many people believe Dunning's biggest impact was as a teacher. Columbia University was a top school for earning Ph.D.s. Dunning guided many students in their research. His students became important scholars themselves. Some notable students included Charles Merriam, Harry Elmer Barnes, and Carlton J. H. Hayes.

He also mentored C. Mildred Thompson. She became a history professor and a dean at Vassar College. Thompson helped create the charter for UNESCO. She also worked for civil rights in Atlanta. Dunning always supported his students throughout their careers. His former students honored him with a special book in 1914.

The Dunning School of Thought

Many students who studied history under Dunning were from the South. They returned to the South to teach at universities. These students formed what became known as the "Dunning School". Their ideas about the Reconstruction period were very popular for a long time.

Understanding the Dunning School's Views

The Dunning School believed that Reconstruction was a bad time. They saw it as a plan by angry radical Republicans. These Republicans wanted to control white Southerners. They used federal troops to support state governments. These governments, in their view, were led by corrupt people.

The Dunning School used specific terms for these groups:

• Carpetbaggers: White people who came from the North to the South. The Dunning School saw them as greedy people who took advantage of the South.
• Scalawags: White Southerners who worked with the Republicans. The Dunning School saw them as traitors to the South.
• Freedmen: Newly freed Black Americans. The Dunning School believed they were controlled by carpetbaggers and had no real voice.

Dunning and his followers felt sympathy for white Southerners. They believed these Southerners had their rights taken away after 1865. They also thought that carpetbaggers controlled the votes of Black Americans.

The Dunning School saw former plantation owners as honorable people. They believed these leaders had the best interests of the South in mind. Dunning wrote from the viewpoint of Northern Democrats. He saw the Radical Republicans as people who broke American traditions. He believed they were motivated by revenge after the American Civil War.

Works

• Irish Land Legislation Since 1845. (1892)
• Essays on the Civil War and Reconstruction and Related Topics (1897) online edition
• History of Political Theories, Ancient and Mediœval (1902) online
• History of Political Theories from Luther to Montesquieu (1905)
• Reconstruction, Political and Economic, 1865–1877 (1907) online edition
• The British Empire and the United States; a review of their relations during the century of peace following the treaty of Ghent (1914)
• Studies in Southern History and Politics (1914) online edition
• A History of Political Theories from Rousseau to Spencer (1920)