Athens of America
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19th century American philosophy
19th century Boston
19th century civic programs
A01=Thomas H. O'Connor
American cultural development
American Enlightenment in cities
American humanitarian efforts
American urban cultural models
Athens of America origins
Author_Thomas H. O'Connor
Boston artists and thinkers
Boston civic leadership
Boston cultural history
Boston education history
Boston intellectual and cultural influence
Boston literary elite
Boston literary history
Boston ministers and clergy
Boston philanthropists and patrons
Boston social elites
Boston social reform
Boston societal transformation
Boston society and civic ideals
Boston writers and scholars
Boston's national reputation
Category=AM
city planning and social reform
civic improvement movements
civic responsibility in early America
community-driven cultural growth
cultural institutions in New England
cultural leadership in America
early American intellectual life
early American statesmen
early American urban development
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historical biographies of Boston leaders
historical community projects
historical narrative of Boston
historical synthesis of Boston
intellectual life in post-revolution America
leadership and cultural patronage in Bost
literary and philosophical communities
merchants and artisans in Boston
New England cultural heritage
New England history
public education and reform
public welfare initiatives
social mobility in Boston
social perfection and civic virtue
social progress in Boston
Unitarian influence in Boston
urban cultural leadership
wealthy Boston families
Product details
- ISBN 9781558495180
- Weight: 333g
- Dimensions: 159 x 230mm
- Publication Date: 06 Feb 2006
- Publisher: University of Massachusetts Press
- Publication City/Country: US
- Product Form: Paperback
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How Bostonians fashioned a shining image of their city in the early nineteenth century Many people are generally familiar with the fact that Boston was once known as ""the Athens of America."" Very few, however, are clear about exactly why, except for their recollections of the famous writers and poets who gave the city a reputation for literature and learning. In this book, historian Thomas H. O'Connor sets the matter straight by showing that Boston's eminence during the first half of the nineteenth century was the result of a much broader community effort. After the nation emerged from its successful struggle for independence, most Bostonians visualized their city not only as the Cradle of Liberty, but also as the new world's Cradle of Civilization. According to O'Connor, a leadership elite, composed of men of prominent family background, Unitarian beliefs, liberal education, and managerial experience in a variety of enterprises, used their personal talents and substantial financial resources to promote the cultural, intellectual, and humanitarian interests of Boston to the point where it would be the envy of the nation. Not only did writers, scholars, and philosophers see themselves as part of this process, but so did physicians and lawyers, ministers and teachers, merchants and businessmen, mechanics and artisans, all involved in creating a well-ordered city whose citizens would be committed to the ideals of social progress and personal perfectibility. To accomplish their noble vision, leading members of the Boston community joined in programs designed to cleanse the old town of what they felt were generations of accumulated social stains and human failures, and then to create new programs and more efficient institutions that would raise the cultural and intellectual standards of all its citizens. Like ancient Athens, Boston would be a city of great statesmen, wealthy patrons, inspiring artists, and profound thinkers, headed by members of the ""happy and respectable classes"" who would assume responsibility for the safety, welfare, and education of the ""less prosperous portions of the community."" Designed for the general reader and the historical enthusiast, The Athens of America is an interpretive synthesis that explores the numerous secondary sources that have concentrated on individual subjects and personalities, and draws their various conclusions into a single comprehensive narrative.
Widely acknowledged as the dean of Boston historians, THOMAS H. O'CONNOR is professor of history emeritus at Boston College. His many books include Bibles, Brahmins, and Bosses: A Short History of Boston; The Boston Irish: A Political History; and Boston: A to Z.
