Biography. Since the earliest days of the United States, and even before the thirteen colonies came together to forge a nation, Americans have been interested in biography. But why?
What is it about the lives of others that makes the past so interesting and fun to explore?
This episode marks the start of the Omohundro Institute’s 4-episode Doing History series about biography. This series will take us behind-the-scenes of biography and how historians and biographers reconstruct the lives of people from the past.
About the Series
The Doing History: Biography series explores the genre of biography, how it relates to and is different from the genre of history, and how historians and biographers can best uncover and understand the lives of people from the past.
The Doing History series explores early American history and how historians work. It is part of Ben Franklin’s World, which is produced by the Omohundro Institute.
Be sure to check out Doing History season 1, Doing History: How Historians Work and Doing History season 2, , Doing History: To the Revolution!
About the Show
Ben Franklin’s World is a podcast about early American history.
It is a show for people who love history and for those who want to know more about the historical people and events that have impacted and shaped our present-day world.
Each episode features a conversation with a historian who helps us shed light on important people and events in early American history.
Ben Franklin’s World is a production of the Omohundro Institute.
Episode Summary
This episode marks the start of the Omohundro Institute’s 4-episode Doing History series about biography. This series will take us behind-the-scenes of biography and how historians and biographers reconstruct the lives of people from the past.
Scott Casper, Flora Fraser, and Annette Gordon-Reed join us to explore the origins of American traditions of biography; How ideas about biography and what it should be have changed over time; And how historians and biographers attempt to uncover and understand the lives of people from the past.
What You’ll Discover
- Why biography captivates readers
- History of biography in the United States
- Goals of the genre of biography
- Mason Locke Weems, a.k.a Parson Weems
- John Marshall’s biography on George Washington
- Differences between the genres of history and biography
- Methods used by historians and biographers
- Role of the reader in biography
- “Great Man Biography”
- Biographies as character-driven history
- History through the eyes of women
- Great Britain’s tradition of biography
- The biographers’ process of research, writing, and storytelling
- Writing the biographies of royals versus non-royals
- Role of objectivity in a biographer’s work
- Differences between biography and history
- How historical sources inform the writing of biography
- What a biographer needs to write a biography
- The need for objectivity in biographical research and writing
- What the biographies of non “Great Men” allow us to see about American life
- The role of speculation in biography
- How to get the most out of reading a biography
Links to People, Places, and Publications
People
Web Resources
Books
- Scott Casper, Constructing American Lives: Biography and Culture in Nineteenth-Century America
- Mason Locke Weems, The Life of George Washington
- John Marshall, The Life of George Washington
- Robert Caro, The Years of Lyndon Johnson
- Flora Fraser, Princesses: The Six Daughters of George III
- Flora Fraser, The Washingtons: George and Martha, “Join’d by Friendship, Crown’d by Love”
- Flora Fraser, Beloved Emma: The Life of Emma, Lady Hamilton
- Flora Fraser, The Unruly Queen: The Life of Queen Caroline
- Flora Fraser, Pauline Bonaparte: Venus of Empire
- Elizabeth Longford, Queen Victoria
- Elizabeth Longford, Wellington
- Antonia Fraser, Mary Queen of Scots
- Antonia Fraser, Marie Antoinette: The Journey
- Stella Tillyard, Aristocrats: Caroline, Emily, Louisa and Sarah Lennox 1740-1832
- Amanda Foreman, Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire
- Annette Gordon-Reed, The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family
- Annette Gordon-Reed, Thomas Jefferson & Sally Hemings: An American Controversy
- Dumas Malone, Jefferson & His Time (6 vols.)
Sponsor Links
Complementary Episodes
- Episode 055: Rob Haberman, John Jay: Forgotten Founder
- Episode 074: Mary Wigge, Martha Washington
- Episode 117: Annette Gordon-Reed, The Life and Ideas of Thomas Jefferson
- Episode 150: Woody Holton, Abigail Adams: Revolutionary Speculator
- Episode 183: Douglas Bradburn, George Washington’s Mount Vernon
- Episode 193: Partisans: The Friendship & Rivalry of Adams & Jefferson
- Episode 205: Jeanne Abrams, First Ladies of the Republic
Questions, Comments, Suggestions
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