James Ford Rhodes

James Ford Rhodes (1848-1927) was an American historian and industrialist who, after retiring wealthy from the coal and steel business, authored the acclaimed multi-volume History of the United States from the Compromise of 1850 (1893-1906) and History of the Civil War, 1861-1865 (1917), the latter earning him the Pulitzer Prize for History in 1918. His works emphasized national politics, identified slavery as the primary cause of the Civil War, and critiqued Reconstruction policies, establishing him as a leading authority on the era despite later criticisms of his racial views. He also served as president of the American Historical Association in 1899 and received awards like the Loubat Prize and gold medal from the National Institute of Arts and Letters.