During an active scholarly career of more than half a
century, Dr. Jameson came to be recognized as the dean
of American historians--a title fairly earned not merely
by seniority but by unique service to his fellow-workers.
As teacher, editor, director of research, veteran coun-
sellor of the American Historical Association, and fi-
nally as curator of the great manuscript collections of the
Library of Congress, no man did so much to promote
research in American history and establish high stand-
ards of workmanship. Some of his own special studies
dealt with various aspects of the Revolution and the
years of reconstruction which immediately followed; and
if his service to other scholars had been less generous, he
might well have given us a comprehensive and standard
work on the social history of this period. Fortunately
he has left us in his volume of Princeton lectures a
stimulating survey of these formative years, embody-
ing not only the fruit of long familiarity with the
sources, but a very rare kind of reflective scholarship.

The young scholar looking forward to studies in this
field cannot do better than begin by reading this sug-
gestive little book. It will show him what kind of
problems he has to consider and, what is not less im-
portant, the liberal spirit in which they should be ap-
proached.

EVARTS B. GREENE

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