History professor, music lover and political activist Sean Wilentz has received the 2006 Bancroft Prize for his recent book, "The Rise of American Democracy: Jefferson to Lincoln."
Wilentz will be awarded the prize, one of the history world's top honors and a common precursor to the Pulitzer Prize, by the trustees of Columbia University in April.
In his 2005 book, which took 10 years to write, Wilentz described the various social and political changes during the early and mid-19th century that helped transform American politics into the democracy we know today.
"There are many books written about this time period, but there needed to be something to cover the general sweep of the rise of American democracy," he said.
Educated at Columbia, Oxford and Yale, Wilentz has been a member of the Princeton faculty since 1979, and currently directs the Program in American Studies.
Wilentz, who teaches History 373: The New Nation, said his teaching at the University has had a "tremendous impact not only on writing of books but also my perception of the period," making him think more clearly about the politics of a particular time period.
In addition to his most recent book on the rise of American democracy, Wilentz has also written "The Kingdom of Matthias" (1994), which describes a New York-based cult in the 1830s, and "Chants Democratic" (1984), which chronicles the rise of the working class during the early history of New York City. "Chants Democratic" has won several honors, including the Albert J. Beveridge Award from the American Historical Association.
Renaissance man
Though Wilentz specializes in early U.S. history, he has also taken interest in contemporary music, particularly Bob Dylan. He is historian-in-residence at bobdylan.com, Dylan's official website, and his liner notes to a Dylan recording earned him a 2004 Grammy Award nomination.
Wilentz, a contributing editor to The New Republic, has also used his historical expertise to comment on current politics. In 1998, he testified before the House Judiciary Committee that President Clinton's conduct did not warrant impeachment.
Wilentz explained that while historians should focus on writing about history, they can also assume a wider civil role.
"Historians have a lot of roles," he said. "I think the past can inform the present."
Though he will be on leave from the University next year, Wilentz will stay within academia, researching at the New York Public Library about the historical writing and intellectual life of the mid-20th century.
"I think this research is going to lead to my next book," he said.
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