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George Washington Williams, Historian Author(S): John Hope Franklin Source: the Journal of Negro History, Vol George Washington Williams, Historian Author(s): John Hope Franklin Source: The Journal of Negro History, Vol. 31, No. 1 (Jan., 1946), pp. 60-90 Published by: Association for the Study of African American Life and History, Inc. Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2714968 . Accessed: 17/02/2015 12:12 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. Association for the Study of African American Life and History, Inc. is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to The Journal of Negro History. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 81.194.22.198 on Tue, 17 Feb 2015 12:12:19 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions GEORGE WASHINGTON WILLIAMS, HISTORIAN In the social and intellectualupheaval that followedin thewake of CivilWar and Reconstruction,no area ofknowl- edge was moreacutely affected by the forcesat work,both in Americaand in Europe,than the study of history.If the economicrevolution had wroughtgreat changes in theways of makinga living,the rise of the new "scientificschool" of historianshad, in a similarmanner, called forthan en- tirelynew approachto thewhole problem of the studyand writingof history.It was as thoughthe new scientificage thathad beenushered in by innumerableinventions and dis- coveries around the middle of the centuryhad pervaded everyaspect of man's endeavorand had laid bare the fal- lacies and discrepanciesof his earlierpursuits. Small won- der that the collegesand universitiesof Americabegan to rethinktheir offeringsin termsof the new age and that youngstudents of the UnlitedStates began to migrateto Europe in largernumbers to learn,at theirsources, the new methodsthat had been evolvedin the older institutionsof the Continent.In the fieldsof the naturaland physicalsci- ences,Americans sought the perfection of the Germanmas- ters; but in the social sciencesthey were equallyas avid in theirdesire to obtainthe new methodsand techniquesof understandinghuman relationships. The large groupof Americanhistorians who werewrit- ing and teachingin the periodthat followed the Civil War fall into threecategories as far as trainingis concerned: those who obtainedsome of their trainingin Europe, of whichGeorge Bancroft, John W. Burgess,and HerbertBax- ter Adams are examples;those who receivedtheir training in America,though frequently under European influence, illustratedin the careers of Woodrow Wilson, William ArchibaldDunning, and Edward Channing;and thosewho apparentlytaught themselves the principlesof historical criticismand methodology,significant among whomwere 60 This content downloaded from 81.194.22.198 on Tue, 17 Feb 2015 12:12:19 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions GEORGE WASHINGTON WiLLuAMs, HISTORIAN 61 JohnBach McMaster,Charles Francis Adams, and James Schouler. The namesin thislast groupcould be multiplied almostindefinitely, for it was a periodin Americanhistory whenthe point of view had not yet prevailedthat the pre- requisitefor specialized activity was intensivetraining and studyin thefield. Among those who undertook to writehis- torywith no formaltraining was GeorgeW. Williams,the firstserious historianof the Negro race. Williams was born at Bedford Springs,Pennsylvania, October16, 1849.1His mother,who was of Negro and Ger- man parentage,has been describedas possessing"rare in- tellectualpowers" and spokethe German language fluently. His fatherwas a mixtureof Welsh and Negro. At the age of three,George moved with his parentsto Newcastle,Penn- sylvania,where he beganhis schooling.Shortly thereafter, theymoved to Massachusetts,where young Williams studied two years witha privatetutor and six years in the public schooland academy. There is no evidenceof Williams' not makingsatisfactory progress in his schoolwork, but at four- teenyears of age he couldbear formaleducation no longer. It was 1863,and the din of battlewas infinitelymore excit- ing to thisfourteen-year-old lad of boundlessenergies than the disciplineof the schoolroom;and he ran away from hometo enlistin theUnion army. Realizingthat he was not old enoughto enlist in the army,Williams advanced his age and assumedthe name of an uncle. The examiningsur- geon,aware of the fact thatWilliams' anxietyto fightfar exceededhis age, rejectedhim, but aftermuch pleading he 1 The facts concerning Williams' early life were taken principally from William J. Simmons, Men of Mark: Eminent, Progressive, and Bisixg. Cleve- land, 1887, pp. 549-559. Other accounts are in William E. Smith, "George W. Williams," Dictionary of American Biography, Vol. XX, pp. 263-264; Bio- graphical Cyclopedia and Portrait Gallery of the State of Ohio, Vol. III, 1884; National Cyclopedia of American Biography, N. Y., 1900, Vol. X, p. 511; Encyclopedia Americana, N. Y., 1904, Vol. 16, and later editions; Stanley J. Kunitz and Howard Hayeroft, eds., American Authors, 1600-1900, N. Y., 1938, p. 819. This content downloaded from 81.194.22.198 on Tue, 17 Feb 2015 12:12:19 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 62 JOURNAL OF NEGRO HISTORY was permittedto enter. "By his intelligenceand attention to theduties of a soldier,he rose rapidlyfrom one grade to another,beginning as private and endingthe war as Ser- geant-Majorof his regiment."2During the war, Williams was severelywounded and receivedan honorabledischarge from the service. As soon as he had recovered,he re- enlistedand was detailedto thestaff of GeneralN. J. Jack- son, whomhe accompaniedto Texas in May, 1865. Shortlyafter arriving in Texas, Williams was ordered to be musteredout, but adventureand wanderlusthad com- pletelycaptivated him, and he enlistedin the Mexicanarmy wherehe advanced fromorderly sergeant to AssistantIn- spector-Generalwith the rankof LieutenantColonel in the First Batteryfrom the State of Tampico. In 1867,after the executionof Maximillian,Williams returnedto the United States and enteredthe cavalry service of the regulararmy, "serving in the Comanchecampaign of 1867with conspicu- ous bravery." In 1868 he left the army for civilian life, "having been convincedas a Christianthat killingpeople in timeof peace as a professionwas not the noblestlife a man couldlive. "3 Aftera briefsojourn in St. Louis, he re- turnedto the East wherehe began to preparefor his life's work. In 1868 Williams enrolledin the Newton Theological Seminaryand pursuedhis studiesthere until he was grad- uated in 1874,thereby becoming the first Negro alumnusof the institution.It was a signal personal triumphfor this youngman whohad experiencedsuch great difficulty in dis- cipliningand findinghimself at an earlierage. His studies at theSeminary were apparently successful, for he was per- mittedto deliveran orationat thegraduation exercises; and he chosefor his subject,"Early Christianityin Africa." It was nota lengthyaddress, but it revealsan intimateknowl- 2Simmons,Men of Mark, p. 550. 3lbid. This content downloaded from 81.194.22.198 on Tue, 17 Feb 2015 12:12:19 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions GEORGEWASHINGTON WILLIAMs, HISTORIAN 63 edge of the historical development of Africa in the early centuries of the Christian era. It reveals, moreover, Wil- liams' interest in African history as a background for the historyof the Negro race in America. There can be seen also his proclivity for florid, picturesque language. His ideas and his literarystyle were alreadytaking shape. The followingis a typical passage: For nearlythree centuries Africa has been robbedof her sable sons. For nearlythree centuries they have toiledin bondage,un- requited,in thisyouthful republic of the West. Theyhave grown froma smallcompany to be an exceedinglygreat people-five mil- lions in number.No longerchattels, they are humanbeings; no longerbondmen, they are freemen,with almost every civil disability removed.4 Williams had already been llcensedto preach,and on the eveningfollowing his graduationhe was ordainedat the First Baptist Churchat Watertown,Massachusetts, June 11, 1874. He immediatelyaccepted a call to become pastorof theTwelfth Baptist Churchof Boston,and during his tenurethere he publishedan eighty-pagehistory of this venerableinstitution.5 The TwelfthBaptist Churchwas not sufficientlyattractive to Williams,and after a year he re- signedand wentto Washington.In thecapital, Williams at- temptedto launch a journal "devoted to the interestsof the Colored people," and althoughhe had the supportof menli3ke Frederick Douglass and JohnM. Langston,he was not successful.Within a few monthshe accepteda call to the Union Baptist Churchof Cincinnati,Ohio. He was in- stalledas its pastoron March2, 1876;C and on the occasion 4 This orationis reprintedin GeorgeW. Williams,History of the Negro Bace in Amrerica,1619-1880. New York, 1882, pp. 111-114,hereinafter re- ferredto as Williams,Negro Race. Upon his graduationfrom the academic department,some years earlier,Williams deliveredan orationentitled, "'The Footsteps of the Nation," Negro Race, I, p. 111. 5 There is no copy of this workin the Library of Congress,nor does it appear in the bibliograpbiesof bookspublished before 1900. 6A copyof his installationservices is in theGeorge W. Williamspapers,
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