John Hope Franklin and His Impact on History

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John Hope Franklin and His Impact on History African or black history was not a study that was done by many until the last century. Studying African Americans accurately as part of American History was an even newer field of history. John Hope Franklin’s obituary calls him, “the scholar who helped create the field of African-American history and dominated it for nearly six decades.” He would call himself an historian of the American South. Dr. John Hope Franklin is well remembered as being the James B. Duke Professor Emeritus of History at Duke University. This title is given to professors who have great records of achievement. He also is remembered for receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1995. He received more 130 honorary degrees. He is recognized for being a great historian and a great activist. Franklin’s accomplishments arose from the influence of family, friends, education, and personal experience with being African American. He had a difficult task as an historian as he was writing about the neglected history of his minority group while being an advocate for the rights of this group. This could be perceived as a conflict of interest, but he thought of it as being beneficial. His method of writing was not to promote African Americans, but to interpret their involvement in the framework of American history. This was not something that had been done extensively and thoroughly before. Franklin set the stage and helped to create a widely accepted field of history. Impact of Education and Experience The Impact of Parents and Childhood John Hope Franklin’s childhood had a huge impact on his life and scholarship. His parents were a primary influence in his education and much of the subjects he was passi... ... middle of paper ... ...he African-American century: how Black Americans have shaped our country. New York: Free Press, 2000. 320-322. Jackson, Camille, “John Hope Franklin, Scholar Who Transformed African-American History, Dies at 94.” Duke Today (Durham, NC), March 25, 2009. Jarrett, Beverly, and John Hope Franklin. 2003. Tributes to John Hope Franklin : Scholar, Mentor, Father, Friend. Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 2003. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost), EBSCOhost (accessed September 24, 2013). McNeil, Genna Rae. 2009. "A Life of Integrity: A Tribute to Professor John Hope Franklin." Journal Of African American History 94, no. 3: 323-340. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed October 1, 2013). Purnell, Brian. 2009. "INTERVIEW WITH DR. JOHN HOPE FRANKLIN." Journal Of African American History 94, no. 3: 407-421. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed December 8, 2013).

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