Fiske, John (1842–1901)

• Author: Leonard W. Levy
• Pages: 1060

Page 1060

A conservative Yankee educated at Harvard, where he later taught, John Fiske was a man of letters who published about a book a year, as many on science, philosophy, and religion as on history. He was essentially a great popularizer. His books were captivatingly written, bold in interpretation, and widely read. His most influential work as a historian was The Critical Period in American History, 1783?1789 (1888), which vividly depicted the weaknesses and deficiencies of the United States under the ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION. For Fiske the Constitution...