Date
4-26-2024
Department
College of Arts and Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in History (PhD)
Chair
Roger Schultz
Keywords
American History, Arthur Shaffer, American Revolution, History, History Education, Intellectual History, North Carolina, North Carolina History, The Shaffer Thesis, Women's History
Disciplines
History
Recommended Citation
Mathis, C. C., "The Shaffer Thesis Arthur Harvey Shaffer: American Founding History and History Education" (2024). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 5471.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/5471
Abstract
Historian Arthur Harvey Shaffer (1936-2002) argued that the post-Revolution historians created a New England-centric nationalist history perspective of the American founding. He further argued they established a model of nationalist American history education to instill a virtuous national character and ensure the stability of the new republic. Though current trends show an increasing number of scholars reassessing New England primacy in American colonial and revolutionary era histories, Shaffer’s historical perspective and pedagogy appears overlooked. Shaffer’s historical perspective and pedagogy can be integrated into a unique historical lens for insight into the link between American history scholarship, history education, and national identity: the Shaffer Thesis. Multiple methods of inquiry within the field of intellectual history were used to explore the Shaffer Thesis as a potential historical lens and pedagogical approach. Key contributions include the introduction of the Shaffer Thesis and a catalogue of The Arthur Harvey Shaffer Papers for future research. Contributions also include a new, detailed intellectual history methodology for insight into the complex relationship between American founding history scholarship, American founding history education, and national identity. Notably, contributions also include empirical descriptive data that can inform future studies and research on American history and civic education. Other contributions include the documentation of previously overlooked women Patriot contributions to American independence. In all methods of inquiry, the Shaffer Thesis allowed for a deeper understanding of the origins, development, and influence of New England-centric nationalist American founding histories through time.
