Winthrop Jordan facts for kids

Winthrop Donaldson Jordan (born November 11, 1931 – died February 23, 2007) was an American historian and university professor. He was known for studying the history of slavery in the United States and racism against Black Americans.

His most famous book, White Over Black: American Attitudes Toward the Negro, 1550-1812, came out in 1968. This important book won the National Book Award for History and Biography. It helped people understand how racial relationships developed in early America. Jordan's work encouraged many other historians to study these topics more deeply.

In 1993, Jordan won another major award, the Bancroft Prize. He received it for his book Tumult and Silence at Second Creek: An Inquiry into a Civil War Slave Conspiracy. In this book, Jordan shared new details about a slave revolt that happened near Natchez, Mississippi. This revolt had not been studied much before.

Early Life and Education

Winthrop Jordan was born in Worcester, Massachusetts. He came from a family of scholars and people who believed in fairness and equality. His father, Henry Donaldson Jordan, was a professor at Clark University. His mother, Lucretia Mott Churchill, came from a family with a history of fighting for important causes.

Her great-great-grandparents, James and Lucretia Coffin Mott, were Quaker activists. They worked to end slavery and supported women's rights. One of Jordan's great uncles, Edward Needles Hallowell, was a leader in the famous 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment. This was a brave regiment of African American soldiers during the American Civil War.

As a young man, Jordan went to Phillips Academy, a well-known school. He then studied at Harvard University, graduating in 1953. He earned his master's degree in history from Clark University in 1957. In 1960, he received his Ph.D. in history from Brown University. His Ph.D. paper later became the basis for his important book, White Over Black.

Teaching and Research Career

Jordan started his teaching career in 1955 at Phillips Exeter Academy. After finishing his advanced degrees, he spent two years as a researcher. He worked at the College of William and Mary's Institute of Early American History and Culture.

From 1963 to 1982, Jordan was a History Professor at the University of California, Berkeley. He also served as the Associate Dean for Minority Group Affairs for the Graduate Division from 1968 to 1970.

Early in his career, Jordan wrote about the status of people of mixed race in the Thirteen Colonies. His work helped explain the "one-drop rule". This was a unique idea in America that said anyone with any African ancestry was considered "black." This rule was even written into some state laws in the 1900s. His book White Over Black explored the long history of race relations in the United States.

In 1982, Jordan moved to the University of Mississippi. There, he became the William F. Winter Professor of History and Afro-American Studies. He taught and inspired many students for over 20 years before retiring in 2004.

Family Life

Winthrop Jordan married Phyllis Henry, and they had three sons: Joshua, Mott, and Eliot. They later divorced.

In 1982, he married Cora Miner Reilly, who was a lawyer and writer. He became a stepfather to her three children: Stephen, Michael, and Mary Beth. Winthrop and Cora Jordan also helped start the first official Quaker meeting in the state of Mississippi.

A few years after he retired, Jordan passed away in his Oxford, Mississippi home. He was 75 years old and had been ill with Lou Gehrig's Disease and liver cancer.

Legacy and Honors

Winthrop Jordan's work and teaching left a lasting impact on many people.

• In 2005, some of his former students published a book of essays. It was called Affect and Power: Essays on Slavery, Race, and Religion. The essays were inspired by his influence.
• In 2007, his former students created the Winthrop Jordan Memorial Research Fund. This fund helps graduate students research topics like slavery, race, and religion. It continues Professor Jordan's legacy of teaching and scholarship.