biography
| sex:
| male
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| lived:
| (1800–91)
|
| biography:
| Historian and diplomat, born in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA. He tried unsuccessfully to establish a preparatory school for boys before he began writing his History of the United States (10 vols, 1834–74). He viewed the American political experiment as the highest form of civilization, and his writing showed a marked bias in favour of democracy. He supported James K Polk's ‘dark horse’ candidacy for the Democratic nomination in 1844, and was rewarded with the post of secretary of the navy (1845–6). He established the Naval Academy at Annapolis (1845) and aided the work of the Naval Observatory. He served as ambassador to Great Britain (1846–9) and later to Prussia and Germany (1867–74). After returning to the USA he spent his final years writing various historical books and articles. |
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