Chapter I Selected Bibliography of General Histories

In entering upon a study of the church in American society, the investigator should early acquaint himself with the standard general histories. So frequently must these works be used to provide the necessary background for church history proper, that it seems wise in an introductory chapter to make mention of the most significant. In the bibliographies of all later chapters it will then be assumed that the student has this necessary acquaintance with the general works, and repeated reference thereto will be regarded as superfluous.

One of the earliest workers was James Grahame, whose "History of the United States of North America, from the Plantation of the British Colonies till Their Assumption of National Independence", commenced in 1824 and completed after eleven years of assiduous research, although treated so indifferently by the reviewers of his time, has since passed into merited appreciation for its judicial impartiality and thoroughness. Regarding ’religion as the great business of life and the extension of its influence as one of the appropriate objects of history,’ his work shows a sympathy for issues deeper than the political and economic. With a perseverance surpassing Grahame, George Bancroft after fifty-two years of labor upon the field of colonial history, published his last revised "History of the United States of America, from the Discovery of the Continent" (VI vols. 1883–5), a work that altho biased and antiquated, for graceful diction and exhaustive information, established standards of which all American scholars have been justly proud. Meanwhile Richard Hildreth, beginning about the middle of the century, had produced "The History of the United States of America" (VI vols. 1849–1856, revised edition 1882), an accurate study covering the field 1497–1789 in the first three volumes, which he issued as a completed set, later supplementing these with vols. IV–VI, which cover the field to 1821. A contemporaneous worker was Rev. Edward D. Neill who in "The English Colonization of America during the Seventeenth Century" (1870) stressed the religious aspects of colonization and called attention to minor inaccuracies in the work of Bancroft. Five years later appeared "The Constitutional and Political History of the United States" by Dr. Hermann von Holst (translated from the German by J. J. Lalor and A. B. Mason), whose substantial work represents the detachment of a foreigner with the intimate knowledge of a five year residence in America. His investigations cover the field 1750–1861, and convey much information to the student of church history.

In the next decade a monumental work appeared under the editorship of Justin Winsor, entitled a "Narrative and Critical History of America" (VIII vols, 1884–1889). Prepared by a corps of wide-awake scholars, this history presented the conclusions of latest research, an exhaustive bibliographical apparatus, and withal an interesting narrative of events. It remains to this day one of the most reliable guides to the diligent student. It was about the same time that James Schouler began (1880) to publish his thoughtful and independent studies upon the national period terminated (1913) in a VII-volume "History of the United States of America Under the Constitution" which covers the period 1783–1877. A contemporary "History of the People of the United States, from the Revolution to the Civil War" (VIII vols. 1882–1913) by John Bach McMaster, provides an intensive study with considerable emphasis on the social and economic, of the period from 1784 to 1861. The "English Colonies in America" (V vols. 1882–1907) by John A. Doyle, altho marred by occasional inaccuracies, is an invaluable interpretation of the colonial period, especially in its social and political aspects. "The American Colonies in the Seventeenth Century" (III vols. 1904–1907) by Herbert L. Osgood as an ’introduction to American institutional history . . . to illustrate the principles of British colonization,’ is important for the church historian, although subordinate to Doyle’s work. "A Short History of the English Colonies in America" (1881, revised ed. 1902) by H. C. Lodge gives a good account of the colonies on the eve of the Revolution. A "History of the United States" (II vols. 1894) by E. Benjamin Andrews, seeks in abbreviated form to give the ’political evolution of our country on the one hand, and the social culture, habits and life of the people on the other’. Its clear arrangement and fine sense of proportion make it a useful short history of America. "A History of the American People" (V vols. 1902) by Woodrow Wilson is a gracefully written and popular presentation of the subject. The next work is the notable "The American Nation, A History from Original Sources by Associated Scholars" edited by Albert Bushnell Hart, advised by various historical societies, (XXVII vols. 1904–1908). Thoroughly abreast of the latest results of critical investigation, interestingly written,  with copious bibliographical essays, this work is indispensable to the church historian. Although a few volumes have more political details than are needed by the student of the church, this work as a whole should never be overlooked for all periods of the field. "The American People. A Study in National Psychology" (II vols. 1909–1911) by A. Maurice Low is a work of marked originality with a number of interpretations that cannot be taken seriously. "A History of the United States" (IV vols. 1905–1917, Vol. V, 1921) by Edward Channing, for conciseness, proportion, matured conclusions, and completeness of bibliographical apparatus, is a model history and undoubtedly the best of the shorter histories. A succinct scholarly restatement has recently appeared in "The Riverside History of the United States" (IV vols. 1915) edited and written in part by William E. Dodd, associated with Carl Becker, Allen Johnson, and Fred L. Paxson.

Turning to church histories, the earliest survey was "A Narrative of the Visit to the American Churches by the Deputation from the Congregational Union of England and Wales" (II vols. 1835) by Andrew Reed and James Matheson. A corresponding work, with emphasis upon Baptist activities, was "The Baptists in America; A Narrative of the Deputation from the Baptist Union in England to the United States and Canáda" (1836) by the Rev. F. A. Cox and Rev. J. Hobey. Although both of these works are denominational in their sympathies and represent observations based on short residences in America, they contain a considerable amount of useful general information. The next worker was Robert Baird who while resident in Europe had been requested by his European friends to write a description of things in America. In response, he published (1842) his "Religion in America; or, an Account of The Origin, Relation to the State, and Present Condition of the Evangelical Churches in the United States, with Notices of the Unevangelical Denominations." The revised edition (1856) has a large amount of supplementary material. The work as a whole is valuable especially its treatment of the voluntary system and of the relations between the various governments and the churches. The last part of the book stresses the missionary activities of American christianity. A shorter work entitled "State and Prospects of Religion in America" (1855) by the same writer, is a Report given at the Evangelical Alliance conference, Paris, August 25, 1855, of the American church at that date. Somewhat earlier (1844) "An Original History of the Religious Denominations at present existing in the United States, containing authentic accounts of their Rise, Progress, Statistics and Doctrines, Written Expressly by Theological Professors, Ministers and Lay Members of the Respective Denominations" projected, compiled and arranged by I. Daniel Rupp was published. This work is a jungle of illarranged material, and serves little purpose.

The centennial of the Union was marked by considerable retrospection on the part of the various denominations, and consequently the leading religious periodicals such as "The Baptist Quarterly," "The New Englander," "The Methodist Quarterly Review," and "The Presbyterian Quarterly and Princeton Review," published notable articles reviewing the centennial achievements of their respective denominations. These articles have considerable historical material. There next appeared "Christianity in the United States, from the First Settlement down to the Present Time" (1887) by Daniel Dorchester. In point of massive information this volume is important. Its arrangement, however, is so hopelessly bad that its use is a continual strain on the good nature of the reader.

The great dearth of good church histories at last being recognized by American scholars, led to the production of the "American Church History Series" (XIII Vols. 1892 f.) published under the auspices of the American Society of Church History. With few exceptions these volumes maintain a high standard of scholarship. In the nature of the case they have suffered considerably from necessary condensation. Sectarianism has been fairly well eliminated. Good bibliographies appear in most of the volumes. The XIIIth volume, by Leonard W. Bacon, entitled "A History of American Christianity" is by far the best general work in existence. It should be read as an introduction to the study of American church history.

Two other monographs, while not to be technically classed as church history, serve an important place as introductory studies—"Church and State in the United States, or, The American Idea of Religious Liberty and its Practical Effects, with Official Documents" by Philip Schaff, D.D. ("Papers of the American Historical Association," Vol. II, No. IV), and "The Rise of Religious Liberty in America—A History" (1902) by Sanford H. Cobb. A brief survey is "The Movement and Mission of American Christianity" ("American Journal of Theology," January 1912) by David S. Schaff.