History and the Public: Legacies of the Progressive Era

Abstract

In 1931 Carl Becker summoned his fellow professional historians to adapt their knowledge of the to Mr. Everyman's present needs. His call reflected a growing realization that the historical profession and the public had come to view history fundamentally different ways. Contending that history the academy and public was in lowest common denominator the same, Becker attempted to counter his colleagues' perceptions of an ever-widening gap between the two genres., In the half century since Becker's address, other historians have echoed his concern, wondering why communication between professional historians and the general public has steadily diminished even while the public's search for a usable past remains intense. In part, the divergence between professional historians and the public the twentieth century has been a result of specialization and the concentration of historical scholarship within colleges and universities. As universities employed more historians, advancement the historical profession resulted from publishing articles and monographs specialized disciplines for fellow scholar-teachers across the nation, rather than participating a variety of local historical enterprises for a general audience.2 Professional historians employed federal agencies since the 1930s, the National Archives, State Department, Pentagon, and National Park Service, also came to address their work largely to fellow specialists government, universities, and historic preservation.