Walter T. K. Nugent (1935–2021)
Author of Progressivism: A Very Short Introduction
About the Author
Image credit: Martin Altmann
Works by Walter T. K. Nugent
Associated Works
Religion and Public Life in the Mountain West: Sacred Landscapes in Transition (Religion by Region) (2004) — Contributor — 15 copies
From the Outside Looking In: Essays on Mormon History, Theology, and Culture (2015) — Contributor — 10 copies
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- Nugent, Walter T. K.
- Legal name
- Nugent, Walter Terry King
- Other names
- Nugent, Walter
- Birthdate
- 1935-01-11
- Date of death
- 2021-09-08
- Gender
- male
- Education
- St. Benedict's College (AB|History|1954|Atchison, Kansas)
Georgetown University (MA|European history|1956)
University of Chicago (PhD|American history|1961) - Occupations
- professor
Organist (St. Bride's Church | Chicago, Illinois, USA | 1955-57 | 1958-61)
historian - Organizations
- University of Notre Dame
Indiana University
Kansas State University
Society for Historians of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era (President | 2000-02)
Western History Association (President | 2005-06)
Western History Association (honorary life member | 1998) (show all 8)
Agricultural History Society
American Historical Association - Awards and honors
- Newberry Library Fellowship (1962)
Guggenheim Fellowship (1964-1965)
Andrew V. Tackes Professor of History
Huntington Library fellowship
National Endowment for the Humanities fellowship
Fulbright professor (show all 8)
Indiana Association of Historians (president)
Society for Historians of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era (president) - Relationships
- Hoy, Suellen (wife)
- Short biography
- Walter T. K. Nugent, died September 8, 2021, in Seattle. He was 86. A historian whose research focused on western migration in the US, populism, and demography, he taught for 21 years at Indiana University–Bloomington, also serving as an associate dean, director of study abroad programs, and chair of the history department. In 1984 he joined the University of Notre Dame as its inaugural Andrew V. Tackes Professor of American History. A recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship and two Fulbright Awards, he authored, coauthored, or edited numerous books, including Color Coded: Party Politics in the American West, 1950–2016 (2018). He is survived by his wife, historian Suellen Hoy.
- Nationality
- USA
- Places of residence
- Highland Park, Illinois, USA
- Place of death
- Seattle, Washington, USA
- Map Location
- Watertown, New York, USA
Members
Reviews
Frontier Thesis Examined
A comprehensive survey of American imperialism since the revolutionary period through to the twentieth century. "Habits of Empire" by Walter Nugent is a rare look into the motivations behind manifest destiny, the frontier thesis, and American exceptionalism.
Nugent is primarily concerned with expansionism in the nineteenth century, beginning with Jefferson's "empire for liberty" statement through until McKinley's Empire II. Much has been written about modern American show more imperialism so Nugent purposely excludes this period, though he includes a short chapter on contemporary imperialism at the end.
The book is especially strong in the areas of American territorial negotiations resulting from the treaties to end the revolutionary war, giving Benjamin Franklin the primary credit for the coup over both the British and the French. Jefferson's Louisiana purchase and the failed attempt to annex Canada in the War of 1812 is also well covered by Nugent. As the book approaches the Mexican war, Oregon and 54-40, Alaska, and the Spanish-American War, the source analysis gets a little thinner.
"Habits of Empire" is primarily a political and military history. Nugent uses plenty of original archival sources from the Library of Congress and most of the chronological and documentary analysis is spot on.
Though Nugent does discuss some of the underlying social, cultural, religious and racial motives behind ideologies such as Frederick Jackson Turner's Frontier Thesis, manifest destiny, American exceptionalism, the Monroe Doctrine, and the Roosevelt Corollary. I think that Nugent should have included more research on these ideologies as they form the bedrock of why American expansionism is an ideology and not simply an ephemeral policy of realpolitik.
Economics and technology are also under-explored by Nugent. One major factor for American expansionism was Jefferson's introduction of the six square mile townships. Large infrastructure investments such as the Eerie Canal or the main railway networks are also sparsely discussed. Finally, the discovery of gold in California in 1848 is omitted altogether.
With that said, for such an important and relevant topic, the book is historically significant in outlining a longstanding faith in the inevitable progress and rhetoric of spreading freedom and democracy which we hear so often whether it is JFK's New Frontier or the Bush Doctrine.
Overall, I recommend the book despite its flaws because of the importance of the subject to contemporary analysis of America's position in the world. The book is not written for an academic audience and so is therefore easy to read. show less
A comprehensive survey of American imperialism since the revolutionary period through to the twentieth century. "Habits of Empire" by Walter Nugent is a rare look into the motivations behind manifest destiny, the frontier thesis, and American exceptionalism.
Nugent is primarily concerned with expansionism in the nineteenth century, beginning with Jefferson's "empire for liberty" statement through until McKinley's Empire II. Much has been written about modern American show more imperialism so Nugent purposely excludes this period, though he includes a short chapter on contemporary imperialism at the end.
The book is especially strong in the areas of American territorial negotiations resulting from the treaties to end the revolutionary war, giving Benjamin Franklin the primary credit for the coup over both the British and the French. Jefferson's Louisiana purchase and the failed attempt to annex Canada in the War of 1812 is also well covered by Nugent. As the book approaches the Mexican war, Oregon and 54-40, Alaska, and the Spanish-American War, the source analysis gets a little thinner.
"Habits of Empire" is primarily a political and military history. Nugent uses plenty of original archival sources from the Library of Congress and most of the chronological and documentary analysis is spot on.
Though Nugent does discuss some of the underlying social, cultural, religious and racial motives behind ideologies such as Frederick Jackson Turner's Frontier Thesis, manifest destiny, American exceptionalism, the Monroe Doctrine, and the Roosevelt Corollary. I think that Nugent should have included more research on these ideologies as they form the bedrock of why American expansionism is an ideology and not simply an ephemeral policy of realpolitik.
Economics and technology are also under-explored by Nugent. One major factor for American expansionism was Jefferson's introduction of the six square mile townships. Large infrastructure investments such as the Eerie Canal or the main railway networks are also sparsely discussed. Finally, the discovery of gold in California in 1848 is omitted altogether.
With that said, for such an important and relevant topic, the book is historically significant in outlining a longstanding faith in the inevitable progress and rhetoric of spreading freedom and democracy which we hear so often whether it is JFK's New Frontier or the Bush Doctrine.
Overall, I recommend the book despite its flaws because of the importance of the subject to contemporary analysis of America's position in the world. The book is not written for an academic audience and so is therefore easy to read. show less
The best book on Populists and the reality of their so called prejudices. Very concise research on the participation of ethnic groups in Kansas. Lays out the economic reasons for the farmers participation. Good background for anyone interested in Capitalism in America. New edition available.
Awards
You May Also Like
Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 16
- Also by
- 4
- Members
- 444
- Popularity
- #55,178
- Rating
- 3.7
- Reviews
- 2
- ISBNs
- 28