Sneha Girap (Editor)

Francis Newton Thorpe

Updated on
Edit
Like
Comment
Share on FacebookTweet on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Reddit
Name
  
Francis Thorpe


Died
  
1926

Books
  
The Essentials of Americ, The Spoils of Empire: A Roman, The Constitutional History of, The Constitutional History of, The Civil War: The National

Francis Newton Thorpe (1857–1926) was an American legal scholar, historian, political scientist,and Professor of Constitutional History at the University of Pennsylvania.

Contents

Education/Personal Life

He was born in the town of Swampscott, MA, and was descended from early settlers of Plymouth, MA and Boston, MA and Litchfield and Norwich, CT. After receiving his primary education at Lake Shore Seminary, he attended Syracuse University, and later pursued graduate studies at the University of Pennsylvania, where, at the age of 28, he became a University Fellow, holding the title of Professor of American Constitutional History from 1885-1898. An active member of the Pennsylvania Historical Society and leading member of the American Historical Association, Thorpe was admitted to the Pennsylvania bar in 1885. Describing the scholar's personal life the Book News added that "In addition to his varied literary interests Mr. Thorpe, like many other sane people is fond of outdoor life and spends half of the year at his summer home... entertaining his friends... on a beautiful estate... called Indian Arrow Vineyards, on Lake Erie." Thorpe also owned a winter home in Mount Holly, NJ.

Publications

Thorpe served as chief editor of The History of North America Project conducted by the University of Pennsylvania, and wrote or edited several scholarly books:

  • The Constitutional History of the American People; A(State) Constitutional History of the American People 1776-1850
  • A (social and political) History of the American People
  • A School History of the United States
  • The Government of the People of the United States
  • A Course in Civil Government; Benjamin Franklin and the University of Pennsylvania
  • The Life of William Pepper Provost of the University of Pennsylvania
  • The Spoils of Empire
  • The Divining Rod
  • A Short Constitutional History of the United States
  • The Civil war: the national view
  • The Federal and State constitutions: colonial charters, and other organic laws of the states, territories, and colonies now or heretofore forming the United States of America
  • The Constitutional History of the United States: 1765-1788
  • The Louisiana purchase and the westward movement (coauthor)

    • In addition to his scholarly work, Thorpe also contributed to Harper's magazine.

    State Constitutions

    Thorpe's scholarship on state constitutions remains some of the most influential and foundational work in the field of state constitutional development. The current NBER/Maryland State Constitutions Project relied heavily on Thorpe's The Federal and State Constitutions, Colonial Charters, and the Organic Laws of the State, Territories, and Colonies; Now or heretofore Forming the United States of America. (Gov't Printing Office. Washington, D.C. 1909). More information on State Constitutions including Francis Newton Thorpe's work can be found at http://www.stateconstitutions.umd.edu

    References

    Francis Newton Thorpe Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA