Charles F. Ritter – författare

It was a time of civil war and economic shift from an agrarian to an industrial society for the 1,390 speakers of state houses of representatives profiled in this unique biographical dictionary. The political climate and characteristics of the politicians as a group are surveyed in introductory material. This is followed by biographical entries which include a list of sources. The cumulated bibliography, arranged by state, is valuable. . . . There is no other such directory. Library Journal On the whole it is a useful compilation, providing a starting point for research into the lives of a cross-section of legislators in this period. . . . A necessary purchase for research libraries; recommended to all academic libraries with strong collections in state history. ChoiceDuring the years 1850-1910, the United States evolved from an agrarian to an industrial political economy. By the end of the century, industrialization has shifted the entire political system toward national government power, beginning a trend that continues today.An understanding of the importance of state government and, in particular, of the lower houses of the legislatures at this time is crucial to an understanding of how American politics was transformed in the second half of the nineteenth century. This study compares the speakers of these influential nineteenth-century American political bodies and focuses on the legislative issues of the period. The largest collection of biographical data of its kind to date, the book profiles the 1,390 speakers in the period from 1850 to 1910. The collective career analysis of the individuals covered provides an unprecedented exploration of the socioeconomic issues, the governmental processes, and the political behavior of the times to allow a more thorough understanding of the transition from an agrarian to an industrial state. This comprehensive study of state political power will provide fresh insight into the American legislative system of the latter half of the nineteenth century and will be of special value to scholars of American political history and political science.

Covering both the great military leaders and the critical civilian leaders, this book provides an overview of their careers and a professional assessment of their accomplishments. Entries consider the leaders' character and prewar experiences, their contributions to the war effort, and the war's impact on the rest of their lives. The entries then look at how history has assessed these leaders, thus putting their longtime reputations on the line. The result is a thorough revision of some leaders' careers, a call for further study of others, and a reaffirmation of the accomplishments of the greatest leaders.Analyzing the leaders historiographically, the work shows how the leaders wanted to be remembered, how postwar memorists and biographers saw them, the verdict of early historians, and how the best modern historians have assessed their contributions. By including a variety of leaders from both civilian and military roles, the book provides a better understanding of the total war, and by relating their lives to their times, it provides a better understanding of historical revisionism and of why history has been so interested in Civil War lives.

The first of four volumes comprising a biographical dictionary of state house speakers from 1911 to 1994, this book covers speakers from Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. Entries provide basic biographical and career information on more than 400 speakers. The book opens with an insightful analytical introduction and includes valuable statistical appendixes based on an exhaustive database.Complementing Charles R. Ritter and Jon L. Wakelyn's book ^IAmerican Legislative Leaders, 1850-1910^R (1989), this book covers those who have served as state speakers in the West since 1910. Forthcoming volumes will cover state house speakers in the South, the Midwest, and the Northeast.

The third of four volumes comprising a biographical dictionary of state house speakers from 1911 to 1994, this book covers speakers from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. Following an insightful analytical introduction, the entries provide biographical and career information on all of the Southern speakers. The volume concludes with valuable statistical appendixes based on an exhaustive database.This book complements volumes on the West and Midwest. A volume on the Northeast is forthcoming.

The second of four volumes comprising a biographical dictionary of state house speakers from 1911 to 1994, this book covers speakers from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Entries provide basic biographical and career information on more than 1,400 speakers. The book opens with an analytical introduction and includes useful statistical appendixes. The four volumes, covering state speakers in the West, Midwest, Northeast, and South, are designed to complement Charles R. Ritter's and Jon L. Wakelyn's book American Legislative Leaders, 1850-1910 (1989).

The last of four volumes comprising a biographical dictionary of state speakers from 1911 to 1994, this book covers Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont. Following an analytical introduction, the entries provide biographical and career information on all of the speakers in the Northeast. The volume concludes with statistical appendices based on an exhaustive data base.The book complements volumes on the West, the Midwest, and the South. Together the volumes provide a useful source of information that is difficult to find elsewhere.