Trans-Atlantic Historical Solidarity; Lectures Delivered Before the University of Oxford in Easter and Trinity Terms, 1913 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1913 Excerpt: ... INTRODUCTORY1 The Annual Lectures, of which the following is the Second Course, were only recently provided for, largely through the influence of Oxford professors and instructors who, in pursuance of their calling, had on invitation visited America. They are an outcome of the great Rhodes Scholarship Foundation. Last year Mr. James Ford Rhodes, the well-known American historian, bearing the same patronymic but in no way connected with the South African notability, was selected--and most properly selected--to initiate the Lectureship. This he did, delivering three lectures, since published in book form.2 When invited to deliver the course in succession to Mr. Rhodes, I was informed that the number of lectures was a matter resting with me, with a single limitation: I was not to discourse on history in the abstract, or on historical themes in general, but confine myself to American history or American historical topics;--a restriction which wholly commended itself to my own judgement. After giving the matter as careful consideration as was then in my power, I decided on a course of four lectures. I did not see how in any less space I could deal properly 1 From the Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society for June, 1913. Vol. 46, pp. 432-40. 2 Lectures on the American Civil War. The Macmillan Company, 1913. MM B with the topics which suggested themselves; in fact, as the result showed, six or seven or even eight lectures would have scarcely sufficed for their proper treatment. Naturally, during the winter of 1912-13, between the acceptance of the invitation and my sailing for England, the subject was more or less constantly in my mind. Passing the season in Washington, it was, also, my fortune to see a good deal of Mr. James Bryce, then British Amba...