Edward Channing and the Great Work

Twenty years after Edward Channing's death in 1931, historians differed rather widely in their evaluation of his work. A British author, surveying American historiography since 1890, was quite critical of Channing's major contribution, the six-volume History of the United States, contending that it "e;won only a contemporary reputation which is not wearing well. "e;l Referring specifically to the second volume of the History, this writer stated his feeling that it "e;added little of substance to what was to be found in earlier works,"e; and that it "e;was so partisan as sometimes to be quite misleading. "e;2 Quite a different view was expressed by an American historian writing in the same year. He felt that Channing seemed "e;assured of a niche in the his- torians' Hall of Fame as one of the giants of American historiography. "e;3 Many of Channing's findings were new, this writer emphasized, and had been useful to other historians. He concluded that Channing's History "e;wears well twenty years after his death,"e; and, indeed, "e;remains one of the major accomplishments in the field of American historical writing. '"e; Some support is given to the latter interpretation by a poll of historians, once again dated 1952, to determine preferred works in American history published between 1920 and 1935. Channing's History finished eighth, fol- lowing only the works of Parrington, Turner, Webb, Beard, Andrews, 5 Becker, and Phillips.